Our Easy Oven Baked Tri-Tip Roast brings restaurant-quality flavor right to your home kitchen with no grill required.
With just a heavy skillet, a few pantry staples, and a preheated oven, you’ll have a tender roast bursting with bold, beefy flavor, perfect for weeknights or weekend feasts.
You won’t believe how juicy and flavorful this triangle roast turns out, without babysitting a grill or smoker.
You’ll love this tri-tip roast because it’s simple to prep, infused with garlicky, herb-packed aromatics, and roasts up juicy without much fuss.
There is no need for a slow cooker; just a solid seasoning rub and the right cooking method will bring it all together.
Perfect for a family dinner, but fancy enough to impress the in-laws – without you breaking a sweat or a budget.
Serve this tender roast with creamy mashed potatoes or buttery smashed potatoes to bring big flavor to your dinner table.
Ingredients for Oven-Baked Tri-Tip Steak
Gather the ingredients needed to make our Easy Oven-Baked Tri-Tip Roast recipe. Culinary professionals call this the Mise en Place, which means “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
We made the recipe with sumac for a tangy twist, but you can use lemon zest or smoked paprika if you prefer.
If you like a spicier roast, try adding a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne to the rub for some extra heat.
Love garlic? Add more minced garlic or a dash of garlic powder for more punch.
How to Make Oven-Baked Tri-Tip Roast
- Add the kosher salt, fresh thyme, and minced garlic to a small bowl.
- Mix the seasonings together to make the dry brine.
- Add the kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder, and sumac to another bowl.
- Mix the seasonings to make the steak seasoning.
- Set the tri-tip on a plate or wire rack and rub the dry brine on both sides of the meat.
- Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, or up to 12 hours for best results.
- Pull the meat out 30 minutes before cooking to let it reach room temperature.
- Pat the meat dry and coat it with the steak seasoning blend.
Chef Tip:
If your steak hasn’t been pre-trimmed, go ahead and trim off some of the excess fat.
Leaving a bit of the fat cap on helps keep the meat moist, but trimming it fully lets more seasoning hit the surface.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
- Sear the fat cap side for 3-4 minutes, then flip and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until it hits 125-130°F for medium rare.
*If you prefer it more well done, cook for an additional 7-10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees F. - To allow for carryover cooking, rest the tri-tip on a cutting board tented with foil for 15 minutes.
- Slice across the grain into thin slices and serve with your favorite sauce or sides.
*Tent with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
One bite of this flavorful, tender cut and you’ll forget all about those sad, dry roasts from the past! This easy oven method is perfect for colder months when the grill’s covered in snow but you still want that juicy steak fix.
Store leftover tri-tip roast refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
To reheat, wrap slices in foil with a splash of broth and warm in a 300°F oven until heated through.
You can freeze cooked tri-tip, slice it first, and store it in a freezer container for up to 2 months.
Avoid freezing it whole, as it can dry out when reheated.
Recipe FAQ’s
Always slice against the grain for the most tender bite. The muscle fibers change direction, so adjust your angle halfway through.
Absolutely. Sear over high heat, then move to indirect heat until it reaches your desired internal temperature.
Nope! A good dry brine and seasoning rub is all you need for awesome beefy flavor and a tender roast.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Easy Oven-Baked Tri-Tip Roast
Ingredients
Dry Brine
- 2-3 lb tri-tip steak trimmed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Steak Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- If your steak has not been pre-trimmed, remove some of the excess fat from the steak.*Depending on your preference, leaving part of the fat cap on will help keep the meat moist, while removing it will allow you to apply more seasoning directly on the meat.
- Add the kosher salt, minced garlic, and fresh thyme to a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside until needed.
- Add the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and sumac to a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside until needed.
- Place the tri-tip on a plate or a wire rack and liberally season both sides with the garlic thyme dry rub.
- Once both sides have been seasoned, place the roast in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 2 hours. It can be prepped and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.*Remove the meat from the refrigerator half an hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Coat both sides of the tri-tip with the dry seasoning mixture and let it sit while the oven is preheating, giving it time to come to room-temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place a cast iron pan (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
- Place the fat cap side of the tri-tip face down into the pan and sear for 3-4 minutes flip the tri tip and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes
- Place a thermometer probe in the thickest part of the meat.
- Place the cast iron pan in the preheated oven and cook the tri-tip to 125- 130 degrees.*If you prefer it more well done, cook it to an internal temperature of 135 degrees.
- Place the cooked beef on a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.*Tent with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- Slice the tri-tip down into pencil-thick slices and serve with Alabama white sauce, chimichurri sauce, or cowboy butter
Carole S. says
I made this last night for my family and they loved it, thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s what I like to hear!