How to Marinate Tri Tip

But, first things first - in order to make your tri trip steak wonderfully tender and tasty, before searing it on the grill, we need to marinate it.

While you can use different types of rubs to add some extra flavor to your meat such as dry rubs, wet rubs and spice pastes, I almost always go for marinades. Why’s that?  Well, I do like to keep it simple and easy when it comes to cooking and nothing takes much effort than just leaving your meat in the fridge to soak up all those beautiful juices.

Next time you’re hosting a barbecue, try one of my 3 favorite tri tip marinade recipes and follow my easy tips for marinating tri tip to turn this lean cut of beef into the star of the show!

3 Tri Tip Marinades

I've put together my 3 favorite tri tip marinades for you to try -- they are all super easy and very flavorful.  I hope you love them!

Santa Maria Tri Tip Marinade

Make this California classic for your next barbecue. This easy Santa Maria Tri Tip Marinade will make your tri tip steak lip-smackin’ good!

Here are the ingredients you'll need for this easy marinade recipe:

1. tri-tip roast
2. sea salt
3. ground black pepper
4. garlic powder
5. paprika
6. onion powder
7. dried rosemary
8. cayenne pepper
9. olive oil
10. Dijon mustard
11. red wine vinegar

Sesame Ginger Tri Tip Marinade

This Sesame Ginger Tri Tip Marinade sure packs a punch that will spice up your tri tip the right way and it is so easy to make!

Here are the ingredients you'll need for this easy marinade recipe:

1. 3 lbs tri-tip roast
2. sesame oil
3. green onions
4. garlic
5. rice wine vinegar
6. raw honey
7. fresh ginger
8. crushed red pepper flakes
9. olive oil
10. low sodium beef broth
11. low sodium soy sauce

Balsamic Tri Tip Marinade

All you need are a few basic ingredients to make this Balsamic Trip Tip Marinade that will make your tri tip steak the hit of the party!

Here are the ingredients you'll need for this easy marinade recipe:

1. tri-tip roast
2. garlic
3. rosemary
4. ground black pepper
5. olive oil
6. low sodium soy sauce
7. balsamic vinegar

So now you know how to marinate ti tip and you have three great tri tip marinade recipes to get you started this summer.  Look out because your tri tip is gonna taste amazing and be so flavorful and tender! I'd love to know which is your favcorite of these tri tip marinades.

Check out my chicken marinades and steak marinades video for tons of great marinade recipes, too! 

You can also enjoy any of these tasty marinated tri tips with a little homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce!

Tips for Marinating Tri Tip

• If you don’t see tri tip at the store, you can always ask the butcher to cut it for you - they don’t even charge you extra and they usually know what ti tip is.
• Marinate your food in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.  You can use either a sealable bag or a sealed container to make sure all the liquid is safely inside.
• For best results, you’ll want to let the marinated ti tip set in the fridge for at least 6 hours but no more than 24 hours – any longer and the muscle fibers break down too much and the texture becomes mushy.
• If you can’t get to cooking your marinated tri tip within 24 hours, you can also freeze the meat in the marinade to be used later.  That’s a benefit of using the freezer ziplock bags - you can just toss them right into the freezer for later.  Then, when it’s time to cook, thaw the meat and cook.
• Make sure to discard the unused marinade once it’s time to cook the meat and don’t use it as a sauce unless you cook it first because it will have raw meat juices in it and to keep other foods away from the raw meat and marinade to avoid contamination.

Is Tri Tip Tender?

Tri tip in a fairly-tender, lean cut of beef that's sometimes also known as triangle steak because of its triangular shape. You can smoke it, grill it or roast it in the oven.  Just like flank steak, tri tip is very flavorful.  To make sure the meat comes out tender and juicy, you can marinate it for a few hours. My favorite way to tenderize the meat is marinating it. Not only is it super easy and mess-free but the meat turns out perfectly juicy and tasty!

How Long Do You Marinate Tri Tip?

My favorite thing about marinades is that not only do they add a flavorsome punch, but they also tenderize the meat. Marinating is magic, I tell you! Marinating time varies depending on the meat and the ingredients in your marinade.

For tri tip, I usually try to marinate the meat for 8 hours at least but not for more than 24 hours. Leave the tri tip marinating for too long and the muscle fibers start to break down too much, leaving your steak mushy. And that’s the last thing you want your steak to be!  If you don't get to cooking your tri tip after 24 hours. just toss it in the freezer for later.

How Long Do You Cook Tri Tip?

After the meat has soaked up all the wonderful flavors from your marinade, it’s time to cook it! Total cooking time depends on how big your steak is. Tri tip takes roughly 15 minutes per pound to cook. So, for a cut that's about 3 pounds, expect it to cook for a good 40 minutes at least.  You're looking for the internal temperature to reach 145 degrees F.  When cooked, allow the meat to rest as well for about 5-8 minutes. This part is crucial in making your steak tender because it gives time to the juices to freely flow through the meat. After the meat had rested, you’re ready to serve your steak!  Just cut across/against the grain and serve!