• Join the Club!
  • About
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • BLOG
  • MEMBERS ONLY
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • GCE Meal Plans
    • Digital Meal Planner
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Purchases
    • My Courses
  • SHOP
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Good Cheap Eats

eat well on a budget with easy recipes from Jessica Fisher

Find a Recipe
  • Budget Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
      • Yeast Breads and Rolls
      • Muffins and Quick Breads
      • Scones and Biscuits
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Lunches
    • Main Dishes +
      • Beef
      • Bowl Meals
      • Meatless
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Pork
      • Poultry +
        • Chicken
        • Ground Turkey
        • Turkey
      • Sausage
      • Seafood
    • Salads
    • Slow Cooker
  • Money-Saving Tips
    • Take the Pantry Challenge
  • Affordable Meal Planning
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Spicy Grilled Tri Tip Recipe

Jessica Fisher · March 30, 2015 · 4 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This spicy rub recipe for tri tip and other cuts of beef is super easy to prepare. Rub the meat and throw it on the grill for a super spicy grilled tri tip.

Spicy Grilled Tri-tip on a plate with roasted veggies

The first time I had tri-tip I didn’t understand what it was. The year was 1990. I was a senior in high school and on a road trip with the baseball team. I was a stat girl. I was probably distracted by the boys.

Fast forward four years and I was married and living on the Central Coast where tri-tip flowed abundantly. We could buy a large roast for about $1.99/pound. We ate a lot of tri-tip in those days. It was a cheap alternative to steak and we loved it!

It wasn’t until 2003 Kansas City when I searched high and low for a roast and came up empty that I realized how much I had taken my beloved cut of beef for granted. It is a California cut that butchers in most other parts of the country traditional carved into steaks or made into ground beef. Sad!

Within the next five years Food Network and everybody started telling the world about our tri-tip. (I wish they’d kept it a secret!) By the time we moved home to California, the cut’s popularity and a beef shortage jacked the price up to $4.99 — on a good day. I’ve seen it as high as $8 and $10 a pound. Ouch!

Still, though I would never spend that much on anything else but fish, I will pay the (sale) price for my dear tri-tip.

What is tri-tip?

A tri tip roast, also known as a triangle steak, come from the bottom sirloin. It’s called tri-tip because it comes from three different points of the ends of the crescent-shaped cut of beef. 

It’s a lean cut of beef with lots of beef flavor.

What do I need to make this grilled tri-tip recipe?

  • Tri-tip – We made with this a 2 pound roast, but you can adjust the seasoning if your steak is a bit larger or smaller.
  • Olive Oil – You want to rub the steak all over with the oil. 
  • Seasonings – We used a combination of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and thyme.

Spicy Grilled Tri-tip seasoned on a baking sheet

How to make this spicy grilled tri tip recipe

Take the chill off . About twenty minutes before cooking the roast, remove it from the refrigerator to take off some of the chill. There’s debate about the trimming the fat. Some folks like to keep the fat cap. Trim it or not, or buy it already trimmed.
 
Rub with oil. Heat a gas or charcoal grill. Place the roast on a sheet pan. Rub the olive oil all over.
 
Season the tri tip. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Rub the spice mixture all over the roast.
 
Cook the steak. Cook the roast on the hot grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°. This should be at least 20 minutes, but may be longer.
 
Let it rest. Remove the roast from the grill and tent it with foil. Allow it to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing it.

Slicing The Tri-Tip

Over the years, we’ve moved toward a simple seasoning that is out of this world. I think that’s what’s so appealing about tri-tip. It’s a simple cut of meat that packs a big punch. If you can’t find the cut in your neck of the woods or it’s not a good price, remember that this spice rub goes great on any cut of beef. Drizzle the meat with olive oil and then rub it well with the seasoning.

And an easy trick for slicing? Place a cutting board inside a sheet pan so that the pan will catch the drips!

What do I serve with this grilled tri tip steak?

I’m hoping I can find a good price this week so we can have it on Easter with my parents. Pictured, you see it served with Jessika’s Roasted Vegetables and Easy Garlic Green Beans. It’s also super yummy with Tastiest Scalloped Potatoes. Since my parents are going on Whole 60, we’ll probably serve it as you see it, with a side of Sautéed Mushrooms.

If there are leftovers, which I doubt. We’ll be making these Tri-Tip Sandwiches.

Tools I use to make this recipe:

  • Ergo Chef chef’s knife
  • Ergo Chef cooking tongs
  • sheet pan
  • plastic cutting boards
  • instant-read meat thermometer
A plate of Tri-tip and vegetables
Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
0 from 0 votes

Spicy Grilled Tri-tip

This spicy rub recipe for tri-tip and other cuts of beef is super easy to prepare. Rub the meat and throw it on the grill for a super supper.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grilled steak, tri-tip steak
Servings: 4 -8 servings
Calories: 36kcal
Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

  • 1 tri-tip roast about 2 pounds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • About twenty minutes before cooking the roast, remove it from the refrigerator to take off some of the chill. There’s debate about the trimming the fat. Some folks like to keep the fat cap. Trim it or not, or buy it already trimmed.
  • Heat a gas or charcoal grill.
  • Place the roast on a sheet pan. Rub the olive oil all over.
  • In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Rub the spice mixture all over the roast.
  • Cook the roast on the hot grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°. This should be at least 20 minutes, but may be longer.
  • Remove the roast from the grill and tent it with foil. Allow it to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing it.

Notes

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1745mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Iron: 1mg

Spicy Grilled Tri-tip | Good Cheap Eats

Are you looking for more good cheap eats?

  • read through the recipe archives
  • subscribe to my weekly newsletter
  • follow me on Periscope
  • check out my recipes on Life as Mom
  • follow my Good Cheap Eats pinboard on Pinterest

Filed Under: Beef, Grilling, Recipe Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, whole 30

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin says

    March 30, 2015 at

    Yum! I didn’t even know what tri-tip was when I went to visit my sister in Santa Maria a few years ago. Our friends made it for us and I will never forget how delicious it was. I bought some of the spice mix that was available in the area, but it had MSG in it. So I’m so grateful that you have shared a much healthier spice blend. YUM!

    Reply
  2. Ellen says

    April 3, 2015 at

    We don’t have tri-tip here, sadly enough. I bought some chuck roasts on a good sale recently. Would it be possible to do this with them?

    Reply
    • Jessica Fisher says

      April 3, 2015 at

      Yes, but I’d roast them in the crockpot or the oven, not the grill.

      Reply
  3. Ellen says

    April 15, 2015 at

    I’m going to attempt to braise this in the oven per the instructions from “The Kitchen Counter Cooking School”. I added a bit of water and juice to the pot before clamping on the lid. Fingers crossed. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

HI! I’M JESSICA.

Jessica preparing food in a kitchen

I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter their budget. Click here to learn more.

SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES

2021 Grocery Savings Challenges

printed card of GCE system on refrigerator with magnets

Get a Free Printed Card of the Good Cheap Eats System

bowl of dry onion soup mix

Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix to Replace the Packets

Ralphs receipt with groceries in a flatlay

How to Audit Your Grocery Spending

flatlay of groceries cookbook and money with coins and bills

Save Money on Groceries Right Now with These Simple Tricks

LET’S CONNECT

HUNGRY FOR MORE?

grocery cart with peets coffee

Footer

Disclaimer/Disclosure

Please note that the advertisements posted here do not necessarily represent Jessica Fisher’s views and opinions.

Also be advised that some of these advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site (when you click through). You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices.

To better serve my readers, I have implemented Google Analytics cookies in order to better know visitor demographics. For opt outs, go here.

For more specific details on my disclaimers/disclosures, go here.

Head here to view our complete privacy policy.

Tags

30-minute meals appliances baking basics buttermilk Cakes casserole cheddar chocolate christmas cooked chicken cooking for one or two dairy-free DIY Convenience easy meals efficient kitchen enchiladas Food processor GCE basics gluten-free grains granola grilled grocery savings challenges holiday Holiday Food instant pot leftovers meal planning 101 meal prep mother's day no cook packable pantry pantry staples pressure cooker quick dinner ideas real food products save money on groceries shop thanksgiving time-saving tips updated Veggies Most whole 30

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Dish Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in