Tri Tip Marinade (Plus the Best Tri Tip in the Oven)
This tri tip marinade recipe adds loads of flavor and tenderizes the beef for the best tri tip in the oven, on the grill, no matter how you cook it!
Are you looking for an amazing cut of meat that always delivers on flavor? We’re cooking up a Tri Tip in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, and I think you’re going to love it. The secret is in the awesome Tri Tip Marinade.
What is Tri Tip?
Tri tip is part of the bottom sirloin cut of beef that is triangular in shape, hence the name. It’s a flavorful cut of meat from a good level of marbling, though usually not as expensive at the more popular ribeye cut. It is hugely popular in California, where it is called the Santa Maria steak, traditionally seasoned and grilled.
I’ve enjoyed tri tip steak many times over the years, cooked in many different ways. I often grill mine, but I greatly enjoy cooking the tri tip in the oven because it’s just so easy. When I cook it this way, I prefer to use a marinade to build in extra flavor and juiciness, making it even more tender.
This cut of beef is more on the lean side, so it benefits from cooking at high heat. We’ll give it a quick sear a few minutes per side before finishing it up in the oven at a fairly high temperature, but not too high.
This is one of my favorite ways to make tri tip. I hope you enjoy it, too.
Let’s talk about how to cook trip tip in the oven, shall we?
Tri Tip Marinade Ingredients
- Soy Sauce.
- Olive Oil.
- Worcestershire Sauce.
- Brown Sugar. Or you can use honey.
- Orange Juice.
- Lime Juice.
- Sazon Seasoning. You can use others, but I love my homemade sazon seasoning for this recipe.
- Salt and Black Pepper.
- Hot Sauce. Optional, but I love it.
- Chili Peppers. I used a serrano and a couple spicy aji peppers from my garden. Use milder peppers for less heat.
- Fresh Garlic.
- Trip Tip Roast.
How to Marinate and Cook Tri Tip in the Oven – the Recipe Method
FOR THE TRI TIP MARINADE
Whisk the Marinade Ingredients. Whisk all of the tri tip marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
Marinate the Tri Tip. Place the tri tip roast into a large baggie and pour in the marinade.
Alternatively, you can use a large bowl. Massage the marinade into the meat and seal (or cover). Refrigerate and marinate the tri tip for at least 8 hours, or overnight. (You can marinate for 1 hour and still get good flavor penetration – 24 hours is ideal.)
COOKING TRI TIP IN THE OVEN
Bring the Roast to Room Temperature. Remove the tri tip from the fridge and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Brown the Meat. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Remove the tri tip from the marinade. Keep the marinade for a sauce later, or discard it. Sear the tri tip roast 4-5 minutes per side to achieve a nice crust. Transfer the tri tip to a rack covered baking sheet, or use a roasting pan with a rack.
Roast the Tri Tip in the Oven. Move the tri tip to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes (10-15 minutes per pound) to your preferred doneness. You’ll want 125-130 degrees F internal temperature when measured with a meat thermometer for rare, or 130-140 degrees F for medium-rare.
Rest the Meat. Rest for 10 minutes to redistribute the juices, covered, then slice against the grain into thin slices and serve.
Boom! Done! Your oven roasted tri tip is ready to serve. Looks so good, doesn’t it? Nice and juicy, wonderfully tender, amazing flavor. I love a good tri tip, one of my favorite cuts of beef.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Tri Tip Temp. Tri tip in the oven should roast for 10-15 minutes per pound at 425 degrees F for best results. Cooking times can vary for tri tip roast, so it is best to use a meat thermometer and cook to temp. Internal temperature for tri tip steak should be 125-130 degrees F for rare, and 130-140 degrees F for medium-rare, 140-150 degrees F for medium.
- Sazon Seasoning. I love sazon seasoning for my tri tip, but use the following seasonings as an alternative – 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, plus salt and pepper.
- Other Ingredients. You can include other ingredients to your preference for the marinate. Some other popular additions include lemon juice, mustard, and vinegar.
- Pan Sauce. You can make a nice pan sauce from the leftover marinade. To make it, add the reserved marinade to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to reduce slightly. Use as-is to pour over the meat, or swirl in a slurry of 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon water and heat through another 5 minutes for a thicker sauce.
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my tri tip marinade recipe, and cooking it in the oven. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you.
Where to Buy Tri Tip
I usually have to ask my butcher for tri tip, but I highly recommend the Wagyu Tri Tip from Snake River Farms. I get the most amazing, high quality steaks there. I’ve been a customer for years, and am now a proud affiliate.
- Buy Tri Tip Roast from Snake River Farms (affiliate link, my friends!)
Try Some of My Other Steak Recipes
- Chimichurri Steak
- Carne Asada (Grilled Marinated Steak – Mexican Style)
- Beef Barbacoa
- Grilled Tri Tip Steak Fajitas
- Grilled London Broil
- Lomo Saltado
- Tacos al Carbon (Grilled Steak Tacos)
- Pepper Steak
Try Some of My Other Marinade Recipes
- Flank Steak Marinade
- Carne Asada Marinade
- London Broil Marinade
- Pork Tenderloin Marinade
- Pork Chop Marinade
- Shrimp Marinade
- BBQ Chicken Marinade
- See all of my Marinade Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Tri Tip Marinade Recipe (Plus Tri Tip in the Oven - Oven Roasted Tri Tip)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or use honey
- Juice from 1 large orange about 1/2 cup
- Juice from 1 large lime about 1/4 cup
- 2 tablespoons Sazon seasoning see recipe notes for alternatives
- 1.5 teaspoons salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce or to taste, use your favorite
- 2-3 spicy chili peppers I used a serrano and a couple spicy aji peppers from my garden. Use milder peppers for less heat.
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pound tri tip roast silver skin and excess fat trimmed
Instructions
FOR THE TRI TIP MARINADE
- Whisk all of the tri tip marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Place the tri tip roast into a large baggie and pour in the marinade. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl. Massage the marinade into the meat and seal (or cover). Refrigerate and marinate the tri tip for at least 8 hours, or overnight. (You can marinate for 1 hour and still get good flavor penetration).
COOKING TRI TIP IN THE OVEN
- Remove the tri tip from the fridge and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Remove the tri tip from the marinade. Keep the marinade for a sauce later, or discard it.
- Sear the tri tip roast 4-5 minutes per side to achieve a nice crust. Transfer the tri tip to a rack covered baking sheet, or use a roasting pan with a rack.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes (10-15 minutes per pound) to your preferred doneness. You'll want 125-130 degrees F internal temperature when measured with a meat thermometer for rare, or 130-140 degrees F for medium-rare.
- Rest for 10 minutes to redistribute the juices, covered, then slice against the grain and serve.
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