Impress your guest and make Grilled Tri Tip for your next summertime BBQ. It cooks quickly and easily on the grill with simple seasoning.

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Grilled Tri Tip is a delicious cut of beef that grills perfectly. It is a quick and easy steak that is seasoned with simple ingredients. It is the perfect weeknight meal or grill for you next summertime BBQ.
You may also know this Tri Tip Roast as a Newport steak, California cut or cooked Santa Maria Style. However you prepare this lean cut of meat, you will love the flavor, juices and how tenderness it is.
Check out these delicious grilled beef recipes – Grilled Teriyaki Steak, 46 Easy Grilled Steak Recipes, or Grilled Flank Steak.
Table of Contents
What is Tri Tip Steak?
Tri Tip steak is a beef roast that comes from the bottom sirloin and known for its triangle shape. Tri tip can be prepared on your charcoal grill, gas grill, in the oven or smoked. You will love the flavor and how easy it is to prepare.
Make sure to use a meat thermometer to prepare as it is best flavor at medium-rare.
Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
Variation Ideas
- Cooking Tri Tip – We like to cook the tri tip on the grill. But you can also cook in the oven or in a skillet.
- Dry Rub – Feel free to change the dry rub seasoning to what you prefer. Feel free to add in fresh herbs or any seasoning.
- Marinade – Instead of using a dry rub for this steak recipe, you can use a marinade. We recommend using one that is made with soy sauce, lime juice, and maple syrup. The sweet and salty flavors pairs well with this steak.
How to Make Tri Tip Steak on the Grill
- Step 1 – Prepare Beef – Let the beef sit at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Step 2 – Combine Seasoning – Mix together all the seasoning in a small bowl.

- Step 3 – Add Seasoning to Steak – Drizzle the tablespoons of olive oil on all sides of the steak. Then generously rub the seasoning mixture over all sides of the Tri-Tip steak.

- Step 4 – Heat Grill – Preheat a grill over medium high heat.
- Step 5 – Cook Steak – Place the steak on direct heat. Then cook for 5-8 minutes per side until the outside of the steak is browned.
- Step 6 – Other side of the Grill – Then move the steak to indirect heat. Then cook until the steak has an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 7 – Move Steak – Remove the steak from the grill. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Step 8 – Slice and Enjoy – Slice the steak against the grain of the meat. Then it’s ready to serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Steak – Before adding the seasoning and oil to the steak, make sure to allow the steak to cool to room temperature.
- Seasoning Steak – Generously season the steak before placing on the grill to give the steak so much flavor.
- Prepare Grill – Make sure to preheat the grill to medium high heat and oil the grates before grilling the Tri Tip.
- Rest Steak – After grilling the steak, we recommend resting the steak. We recommend covering the steak with aluminum foil to lock in the juices. Rest for around 15 minutes before slicing.
- Cutting Steak – When cutting the steak on cutting board. Cut the steak with a sharp knife and slice against the grain of the muscle fibers.
- Layer of Fat – If you tri tip has a layer of fat, you can easily trim some of it off. We recommend trimming this before grilling. Leave some fat for flavor.

How Do You Know when Tri Tip is done
The best way to test for doneness is by inserting an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Do this through the side, not the top of the steak.
Depending how done you want your center to be, will be based on the temperature of the steak.
- Rare – 120F, cool to warm red center
- Medium Rare – 130F, Warm red center
- Cooked Medium – 140F, Hot pink center
- Medium Well – 150F, Mostly brown center
- Well Done – 160F, full brown in color
What to Serve with Tri Tip
The options are endless to serve with steaks. When we grill steaks, I like to grill my sides. As it is less to clean up and everything is done about the same time. These are some of my favorites.
- Grilled Zucchini in Foil – Zucchini grilled in foil is a simple and easy side dish. That is great paired with many different meats. We love cooking our veggies in foil as it cooks the vegetables tender and tons of smoky flavor.
- Grilled Mushrooms – I love this mushrooms recipe. The mushrooms are cooked directly on the grill with the skewers. These are the perfect mushrooms to serve over the top.
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes – Sweet Potatoes are one of our favorite side dishes. This healthy vegetable cooks perfectly on the grill without a lot of work.

Frequently Asked Questions
When preparing this Tri Tip we recommend planning on one pound of meat per person. Not everyone will eat that much but it is a good estimate. This will give you enough for leftovers.
Grilling Tri Tip usually takes about 30 minutes to grill. It will depend on how done you want your steak to be cooked and the size of your steak. Make sure to sear the steak over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Then move the steak on the cooler side of the grill to continue cooking on grill grate.
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. We like to store in individual containers with sides for a quick lunch the next day.
More Easy Grilled Recipes
Grilled Pork
Grilled Ham Steak
Easy Grilled Chicken
Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs Recipe
Easy Grilled Chicken
Grilled Chicken Breast Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make this Grilled Tri Tip Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.

Grilled Tri Tip
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Beef Tri-Tip Steak
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Let the beef sit at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Mix together all the seasoning in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil on all sides of the steak and then generously rub the seasoning mixture over all sides of the Tri-Tip steak.
- Preheat a grill over medium high heat.
- Place the steak on direct heat and cook for 5-8 minutes per side until the outside of the steak is browned.
- Then move the steak to indirect heat and cook until the steak has an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the steak from the grill. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the steak against the grain of the meat. Then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!