Grilled Tri-Tip Steak, cooked to perfection and ready in minutes. Paired with herbaceous Chimichurri Sauce, it is an incredibly flavorful dish made with fresh, simple ingredients! This easy method for grilling tri-tip gives you delicious fork-tender steak every time!
What is Tri-Tip?
It is a triangle-shaped cut of meat from the lower part of the sirloin. It’s lean, thick, and tender, making it perfect for grilling and roasting!
Tri-tip is an overlooked and underappreciated cut of meat, but it is one of the best most affordable cuts of steak and it is perfect for grilling.
The Best Way to Cook Tri-Tip
While tri-tip is perfect for grilling and roasting, grilling is my absolute favorite method. Tri-tip is super easy to grill and takes hardly any time! Marinating the tri-tip first is essential to successfully grilling and ensuring a perfectly tender finish.
I season my tri-tip with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours before it is ready to be grilled. The flavors are simple, but incredibly effective and help create the perfect tender, juicy meat.
How to grill tri-tip
Tri-tip is one of the easiest cuts of meat to grill. The first key thing to remember is that you want your meat to come to room temperature before cooking to ensure the steak cooks evenly. Never cook the meat right out of the fridge!
Once your steak is at room temperature, preheat your grill to 400°F. Sprinkle a bit of extra salt and pepper or your favorite rub on all sides of the steak. This will help create a golden crust on the outside and tender meat on the inside.
Once the grill is hot, use a grill brush to apply a thin layer of cooking oil on the grill grates. Place the steak on the grill, fat side down, and allow it took cook for about 5 minutes. Then, flip the steak and cook for about 6-8 minutes on the other side, or until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 130°F for medium-rare and 140° for medium, which is the way I like my steak!
Take the steak off of the grill and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes as the steak becomes even more tender and the flavors are sealed.
Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri sauce is a herbaceous sauce that originated in Argentina. It is traditionally made with olive oil, parsley, garlic, and a dash of vinegar. I like a complex blend of herbs and spices, so I add cilantro and oregano for an even more robust, piquant sauce!
What to Serve with Tri Tip Steak
- Potatoes and Rice Dishes: Steak and potatoes are always a good idea. You can serve this tri-tip with creamy mashed potatoes, crispy fried potatoes, or cottage fries. If you’re a rice fan, try pairing it with cilantro lime rice for a flavorful meal.
- Salads: Steak pairs perfectly with salad, especially if you’re wanting a lighter meal. Ceasar Salad, Superfood Salad, or this Greek Quinoa Salad are all great options.
- Vegetables: My favorite grilled vegetable to pair with this steak is Grilled Eggplant. Tri-tip also pairs very well with asparagus, roasted radishes, or green beans!
Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 – 2 1/2 lb Tri-Tip Steak
- 2-3 tsp Sea Salt
- 2-3 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
Ingredients for the Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 small shallot
- 1 red jalapeno (or green jalapeno)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra Virgin olive oIl
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp red crushed pepper
Instructions
- Pat the tri-tip dry with a paper towel or clean cloth. Season the steak generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the meat on a plate. Cover loosely and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator, place it on the counter, and allow it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Heat the grill to medium-high, 400°F
- Use a grill brush to apply a thin layer of cooking oil on the grill grates.
- Place the steak on the grill, fat side down, and allow it to cook for about 6 minutes. Then, flip the steak and cook for about 6-8 minutes on the other side, or until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 130°F for medium-rare and 140° for medium.
- Take the steak off of the grill and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes as the steak becomes even more tender and the flavors are sealed.
- While the steak is resting, combine all of the ingredients for the Chimichurri sauce in a food processor or blender. Blend until slightly pureed, leaving just a bit of texture.
- Slice the tri-tip against the grain and pour a generous amount of the chimichurri over the steak.
- Enjoy!
Tastes great! And the Chimichurri Sauce is amazing!!
This was delicious! Fired up the grill and told winter we needed a break from heavy dinners! We served it with a mixed greens salad and air fryer roasted potatoes. Even my daughter, who says cilantro tastes like soap, liked this on her steak. Winner dinner!
Hi Juli! I am glad to hear it! And what a great idea to fire up the grill in the winter! Sounds like a lovely meal 🙂
My family is the “must have sauce on our steak” kind of family, so they will LOVE this recipe. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
This was absolutely amazing!