This Teriyaki-Barbecue Roasted Tri-Tip is coated with a sweet and tangy glaze and burst of garlic. You can’t beat the ease of only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep. And the meat is so tender!
This roasted tri-tip is one of my mom’s recipes dating back over 50 years! As with all my favorite childhood meals like her cranberry chicken, Chinese spare ribs, rice pilaf, and marble squares, it seems like she only made it occasionally. I, on the other hand, make it pretty frequently – my family asks for it all the time.
This tri-tip recipe is so simple with a 2-ingredient sweet and tangy glaze and a layer of dried garlic, yet it’s so incredible. I’ve often joked that if I had to choose a last meal on earth, it would be this tri tip, along with the rice pilaf and roasted broccoli. I would die happy.
Helpful Tips
- Let rest at room temperature before cooking. Let the raw steak rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, which helps it cook more evenly.
- Roast the tri tip properly. Rely on an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. (See the guide below for cooking times.)
- Let rest and slice against the grain. Let the cooked steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and slice against the grain for maximum tenderness. NOTE: Tri tip has TWO different grain directions (See important information below about Tri Tip.)
- Don’t skip the large amount of dried garlic. The entire top of the roast is coated in a layer of dried garlic. Don’t skip it! (See more about dried garlic below.)
Teriyaki Barbecue Roasted Tri-Tip
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 pound Tri-Tip steak
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (such as Baby Ray's)
- 1/2 cup THICK Teriyaki sauce/marinade
- 2 tablespoons dried (dehydrated) garlic flakes (or more to cover)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- If there's an excess amount of fat on the roast, remove some of it. Place fattier side of the roast down on a rack in a shallow pan.
- In a small bowl, mix the BBQ sauce and Teriyaki sauce together (set 1/4 cup aside.) Use the remaining sauce to coat both sides of the roast.
- Sprinkle dried minced garlic to completely cover the top of the roast.
- Bake 45–60 minutes for an internal temperature of 120°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, and 140°F for medium in the thickest part (I usually cook mine medium-rare.) Cooking time will vary depending on the weight and thickness of your roast.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. NOTE: steaks will continue to cook another 5°F after you remove them from the heat and are resting, so pull them a little earlier than your desired temperature.
- Slice across the grain. NOTE: tri-tip has TWO different grain directions which intersect near the top point of the "triangle." So make sure to cut each portion of the triangle roast against the grain.
- I always serve this with some of the reserved sauce, my favorite rice pilaf, and roasted broccoli.
Nutrition
Other Notes
What is Tri-Tip Steak?
Tri-Tip is short for Triangle Tip. It’s a cut of beef from very bottom of the bottom sirloin, near the flank steak, in the shape of a triangle like a boomerang. Its well-marbled fat content allows it to cook up beautifully and juicy, whether it’s on the grill, smoker, or roasted in the oven, and a less expensive cut of meat compared to sirloin and tenderloin.
It’s also known as Santa Maria steak, having first gained popularity in Santa Maria, California. If you can’t find it at your grocery store, most butchers will know what it is and be able to cut it for you. I have heard of people swapping tri-tip with a thick London broil or sirloin steak, but I personally have not tested this particular recipe with those cuts of steak.
Temperature to Cook Tri-Tip
Tri-tip steaks range from 2 & 1/2 to 4 pounds. You can cook them to 120°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, and 140°F for medium. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to check for your desired level of doneness. For safety the FDA recommends cooking to at least 145°F, but I’ll leave that up to you!
Make sure to let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute. Note: steaks will continue to cook another 5°F after you remove them from the heat and are resting, so pull them a little earlier than your desired temperature.
How to Cut Tri-Tip
When you look at a steak, you will see thin long lines (or fibers), running in one direction through the meat. For the best results, cooked tri tip should be thinly sliced against (perpendicular/crosswise) the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes it more tender and easier to chew. NOTE: tri-tip has TWO different grain directions which intersect near the top point of the “triangle.” So make sure to cut each portion of the triangle roast against the grain.
Dried Garlic vs. Fresh Garlic
Dried garlic is more concentrated, but milder and less pungent than fresh garlic and doesn’t burn as fast due to its low moisture, so it can withstand a long cooking time. The dehydrated flakes also add texture to a dish when used as a topping and a consistent garlic flavor in every bite, like in this tri tip recipe. Plus, no peeling or chopping, and a longer shelf life so it’s quick and convenient.
Serving Suggestions
I always serve this roasted tri tip with our favorite creamy rice pilaf and roasted broccoli. It’s the best meal! But you simply can’t go wrong with a different rice, a baked potato (or an air fryer baked potato) or sautéed mushrooms and a nice green side salad.
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Any leftover steak should be wrapped tightly in foil or placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator, then eaten within 3 days. Ideally leave it whole, don’t slice it up.
- Reheat. While you certainly can reheat cooked steak in the microwave, for best results low and slow in the oven is best. Place the whole (unsliced) steak on an oven-safe rack set over a baking sheet, tent loosely with foil. Depending on the size of your steak, and reheat the meat for about 25 minutes at 250F or until the internal temperature registers 110 degrees on a meat thermometer.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I have been using this recipe for years and realized i never gave it the stellar review that it deserves. Amazing results, every time. It is a family favorite and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It is simple and fast, and I have further simplified it by using just a thick teriyaki baste and glaze for the sauce. Try it! You won’t regret it!
This is my go to tri-tip recipe. I skip the barbecue sauce and just go with Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze. It is nice and thick. I also use fresh garlic. I have made this several times (when tri-tip goes on sale) and it comes out great every time. My family loves it and the leftovers never go to waste. Thanks!!
This was incredible. Juicy and delicious. Can’t believe how simple it was. My whole family asked when I’m making it again.
I’m certainly getting a kick out of this. I didn’t think you would eat the roast as rare as the picture you posted. This meat will get tough if overcooked. Be careful.
I had never really had/made a tri-tip roast before but you sold me and I’m so glad! Even my picky kids cleaned their plates. I made your rice pilaf (OMG) but served with roasted carrots. Awesome dinner!
First time making a tri tip (I’ve always been intimidated for some reason.) This was SO easy and DELISH. Thank you for providing all the helpful tips and information about tri tip. I will definitely make this again!
Just FANTASTIC!
Dessert can DEFINITELY be a meal. I know because I ate it for dinner twice this weekend. The beauty of being an adult. :P
Granted, you have to love garlic for this, but I LOVE this tri tip. I always forget about it, too. When are you making this and inviting me over? :oP
Hi Amy, can you use this recipe and cook on an outdoor gas grill?
Hm. I’ve never made/tested this on a grill. As a general rule, I would say yes, but typically when grilling you would flip the steak halfway through cooking. You wouldn’t want to do that here or all the garlic flakes will fall off. So maybe baste all over, but after you flip add the dried garlic. Cooking times will also vary whether you’re using gas or charcoal.
Thank you.
Looks familiar and delicious and is roasted to a T, rare!
Perfect for you and the rest of the world!
I was wondering about that because it’s SO perfect in this picture. I guess if you like shoe leather…. ;o)
This was so good! This was my first time cooking with garlic flakes (can you believe it!) My husband loved this recipe and said “why don’t you make tri tip more? Lol.