Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

Tri-tip beef roast on the grill for an unbeatable smoky flavor.

Tri-Tip: A Favorite Cut of Beef

What's your favorite cut of beef to grill? My favorite is the triangle-shaped tri-tip, from the bottom sirloin. It's also called a Santa Maria steak because Santa Maria, California is where it first became popular.

Typically tri-tip is rubbed first with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and garlic salt, and then whatever other seasonings you want, and then barbecued over red oak wood.

The Best Way To Cook Tri-Tip

I love the cut because it's just a fat, juicy steak that cooks up beautifully on the grill, as detailed in the method below. You can marinate it, or use a classic Santa Maria rub. In this recipe, we are starting with the basic rub and added some herbs and a little cayenne.

Some recipes will have you cut the layer of fat off the roast, I prefer to keep it on, and bathe the steak in the juiciness of fat as it cooks on the grill.

Up close view of a tri tip steak sliced.
Ciara Kehoe

If You Can't Find Tri-Tip

Now, the only problem with tri-tip is that it can be hard to find outside of California, though I understand Costco does carry it. If you can't find it, you can still use this approach and the Santa Maria rub with a thick (look for a two-inch thick or greater) well-marbled sirloin steak or London broil.

A cutting board with slices of tri tip steak laid in front of the remaining roast.
Ciara Kehoe

How To Grill Tri-Tip Steak

Follow these tips to get the best results when cooking your steak.

  • Season it in advance to give the seasoning time to penetrate the meat and enhance its flavor.
  • Let it come to room temperature before cooking for more even doneness.
  • While searing the tri-tip on the grill, watch it carefully. As the meat's fat heats up, it can drip down and cause flare-ups. Keep moving the tri-tip away from the flame if flare-ups occur.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check for your desired level of doneness (120°F for a rare, 130°F for medium-rare, and 140°F for medium).
  • Rest the meat 5 to 10 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute.

How To Cut Tri-Tip Steak

It's best to slice tri-tip thinly against the grain, which shortens the muscle fibers and makes them easier to chew. Heads up: tri-tip actually has two different grain directions which intersect near the top point of the "triangle."

No Grill? How To Make Tri-Tip in the Oven

To prepare tri-tip in the oven, start in the same way as you would with the grilling method—assemble your seasoning rub, massage it into the roast, and allow the seasoned meat to come to room temperature. Rub softened butter all over the meat and sear it in a cast-iron or carbon-steel pan on the stovetop. Finish the roast in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes or longer, until the internal temperature is 120°F for a rare roast, 130°F for medium-rare, and 140°F for medium.

For a delicious oven-roasted tri-tip recipe, try our Marinated Tri-Tip Roast with Mushrooms and Garlic.

Make it a Meal: Sides That Pair Well with Tri-Tip Steak

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

Prep Time 60 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 95 mins
Servings 5 to 8 servings

Tri-tip roasts range from 2 1/2 pounds to 4 pounds. Figure on 1/2 pound of meat (before cooking) per person.

A Santa Maria rub has salt, pepper, and either garlic salt or garlic powder. That's the base of the rub, anything beyond that is optional.

Tri-tip, a bottom sirloin cut, is also known as triangle steak. Look for one well-marbled with fat. If you don't have access to the tri-tip cut where you are, try using a thick London broil or sirloin steak.

Ingredients

  • 1 (2 1/2 to 4 pound) tri-tip

Santa Maria Rub (enough for a 4 pound roast)

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon finely ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or fresh, finely minced)

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Method

  1. Mix the rub and massage into roast:

    Mix the rub ingredients together in a bowl.

    Place the roast in a roasting pan or a baking pan with edges (this will help keep the rub from getting all over the floor).

    Sprinkle the rub on the meat on all sides, and massage the rub into the meat.

    Overhead view of a seasoned steak on a baking sheet for a tri tip recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  2. Cover the steak and let sit at room temp for an hour:

    Cover the roast with foil or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temp for an hour to take the chill off and allow the rub to work its magic on the roast.

  3. Prepare the grill:

    Prepare your grill for hot direct heat on one side, and indirect heat on the other. (By the way, if you are working with a wood-fired grill, Santa Maria BBQ traditionally uses red oak wood.)

  4. Sear the roast:

    Sear the roast for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Carefully watch the roast during this process as one side of the roast is typically quite fatty and as the fat heats up it can drip down and cause flare-ups. Keep moving the tri-tip away from the flame if flare-ups occur.

    A Santa Maria tri tip cooking on the grill.
    Ciara Kehoe
  5. Move the roast to cool side of grill, fat side up:

    Once the tri-tip is seared on all sides, move it away from direct heat and place it fat-side up on the grill rack.

    If you are using a gas grill with a top rack, I recommend placing the roast on that rack, with an aluminum tray on the bottom rack underneath to catch the fat drippings.

    If you are grilling on charcoal or wood, you may want to turn the roast over every few minutes, for more even heating.

    Try to maintain a grill temperature of 250°F to 300°F.

    A Santa Maria tri tip cooking on the grill.
    Ciara Kehoe
  6. Cover the grill, finish cooking:

    Cover the grill and cook until the temperature of the interior of the tri-tip reaches 120°F for a rare roast, 130°F for medium-rare and 140°F for medium.

    At this point the meat will take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes to cook, depending on how hot your grill is, how well done you want it, and the size of the cut.

    Note that the interior temperature will continue to rise at least 5°F after you take the roast off the heat.

  7. Tent the roast with foil to let it rest:

    Once the roast reaches temperature, remove it from the grill and let it rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes.

    Slice across the grain to serve.

    Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!

    Slicing a tri tip steak on a cutting board.
    Ciara Kehoe
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
406 Calories
22g Fat
3g Carbs
47g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 406
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 154mg 51%
Sodium 589mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 47g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 76mg 6%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 756mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.