This Tri Tip Marinade is so easy and so delicious! It comes together in no time and gives you a tasty tri tip every time!
Tri Tip is one of my favorite cuts of meat. Growing up in CA we had this at almost every birthday or BBQ!
What type of cut is Tri Tip?
Tri Tip is typically a triangular shaped cut of meat from the bottom portion of a sirloin.
It’s tasty, it’s delicious, and you will love this marinade recipe!
Tri Tip is typically covered in a Santa Maria Rub or marinade but instead I wanted to share one of my favorite alternative marinades!
Ingredients needed Tri Tip Marinade
- Liquids- Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, and Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Lemon- I use the zest and juice
- Pepper
- Herbs- I love using fresh parsley and basil but dried work too!
How to make tri tip marinade?
- Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk until the all the liquids combine and no longer separate immediately when you stop whisking.
- Place tri tip in marinade, cover and refrigerate for 2-12 hours. I typically will leave this in overnight then smoke it the next day.
- Make sure to flip the tri tip half way through marinated to get both sides.
How to cook tri tip?
I typically prefer to smoke or bake my tri tip. If you are going to bake the tri tip, place marinated meat in a baking dish and bake in a 350°F oven for 20-40 minutes or until you reach an internal temp of 135°F.
If you are smoking a tri tip, preheat your smoker to 225°F and smoker until you reach an internal temperature of 135°F, typically 2 hrs.
Equipment Used:
Meat Thermometer- I love using my smoke pro for checking temperatures while cooking the tri tip, and then spot check with wither my thermapen one or my dash thermometer. (affiliate links)
Smoker- For this recipe I used my camp chef vault, but I also love using my camp chef pellet grill. (affiliate links)
How to cut a tri tip?
You want to cut perpendicular to the grain of the meat. This will give you the juiciest slices.
Save this for later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Don't worry, I promise not to spam you!
How to store tri tip?
Store cooked tri tip in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze cooked tri tip in an air tight container in the freezer for up to a month!
Is Tri Tip chewy?
Tri Tip can be a little chewy since in some places since it is a cut that has a lot of fat and some cartilage and you don’t cook it to a high temperature.
Unlike a brisket or pork (for something like carnitas or stew), where you cook it to 200°F+ to break down those chewy portions, tri tip is best cooked to medium rare, which means there might be a couple pieces that are hard to chew.
Beef Steak and Roast Temperatures
- Rare: 120-130°F
- Medium Rare: 130-135°
- Medium: 135-145°F
- Medium Well: 145-155°F
- Well: 155°+
When cooking steaks and roasts, the meat will typically continue cooking and raise by a 5-10° degrees once you take it off the grill/smoker/oven. Carry over cooking is more likely to occur when meat is cooked at higher temperatures.
What to serve with tri tip?
Tri Tip goes great with veggies like brussel sprouts or broccoli slaw, a tasty salad like this apple pecan salad, and definitely mashed potatoes!
What to do with leftover tri tip?
Any leftover tri tip we typically make into sandwiches or tacos and I highly recommend it!
You need acid, fat, and salt for a great marinade. Using soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and basil and parsley make a delicious well balanced marinade,
I recommend marinating at least 2 hrs. or as long as overnight/12 hrs.
For more smoked recipes check out my smoked ribeye, smoked cream cheese, smoked deviled eggs, smoked beer can chicken and smoked chicken legs!
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 130 °F
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Watch how to make this recipe!
Want more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Tri Tip Marinade
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
- ⅓ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- 2 tbs Minced Garlic or 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 3 tbs Lemon Juice ~1 lemon's worth of juice
- Zest from Lemon
- 3 tbs fresh Parsley chopped or 1 tbs Dried Parsley
- ½ cup Basil chopped or 2 tbs Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2-3 lb Tri Tip
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl add all the marinade ingredients and whisk. You want to form an emulsion of the oil and the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, so whisk until they are combined and don’t separate. The liquid will turn a lighter creamy color.⅓ cup Soy Sauce, ⅓ cup Worcestershire Sauce, ½ cup Olive Oil, 2 tbs Minced Garlic or 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 3 tbs Lemon Juice, Zest from Lemon, 3 tbs fresh Parsley chopped, ½ cup Basil chopped, 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Place the tri tip in the marinade, cover then refrigerate. You can also put the marinade and tri tip in a gallon zip loc bag.2-3 lb Tri Tip
- Allow Tri Tip to marinate at least 2 hours but up to 12 hrs. Flip the tri tip half way through marinating.
- To cook I prefer to bake or smoke the tri tip. If baking place tri tip in a baking dish and bake in oven preheated to 350°F until an internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium rare (about 20-40 minutes). To smoke, preheat smoker to 225°F, the smoke until tri tip reaches an internal temperature of 135°F.
- Once done cooking allow to rest for 10 minutes then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- *Refrigerating the marinade will harden the olive oil which is ok and expected!
Lisa says
So good! My favorite marinade!
Lisa says
Yay! So glad!
Kyle says
Would you think it's advisable to heat up the marinade in a pan first in order to infuse some of those flavors in particular the garlic? I've done that in the past with other marinades but being that this one is more of an emulsion I worry that it might not be as advisable. Please advise.
Lisa says
I don't see why you can't try it. Sounds tasty! Maybe just let the marinade cool completely before adding the meat.
Kristie VanOrnum says
I have seen a tri tip since I left Cali. I lived in Santa Maria, Nipomo & San Luis Obispo. Any ideas on how I could get one in Dallas, Texas? The marinade looks &:sounds tasty. Can't wait to try it.
Kristie VanOrnum says
THAT IS "I HAVE NOT SEEN A TRI-TIP SINCE I LEFT CALI"!! STUPID THUMBS
Lisa says
More places carry them now thankfully! I'm in NM and get mine from Albertson's or Sam's Club. Costco probably carries them too. Hope you find one!