Grilled Santa Maria Style Tri Tip

Thin sliced of grilled tri-tip on a cutting board

5 from 2 reviews

Grilled Santa Maria Style Tri Tip

Grilled Santa Maria-Style Tri-Tip steak is seasoned with a simple and flavorful dry rub, then grilled until tender with a slightly charred crust. Tri tip steak is best when cooked until medium-rare.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Santa Maria Style Tri Tip, Santa Maria Tri Tip

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Rest 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 249kcal

Author Chef Kathy McDaniel

Ingredients

For the Basting Liquid:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

For the Dry Rub:

1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Beef:

2 lbs beef tri-tip roast (one tri tip of approx 2 pounds)

To Serve:

Salsa Fresca (optional)
Pico de Gallo (optional)

Instructions

Beef and Dry Rub:

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Set aside.
Trim off any silver skin from the roast and then, pat it dry with paper towels. Season the tri-tip with the dry rub. Rub the seasoning all over the meat to coat it well.
Allow the meat to sit at room temperature covered, for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you refrigerate the meat, remove it from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling so it’s not cold.

Basting Liquid:

Combine the basting liquid ingredients in a sealable container. Cover and shake vigorously until well blended. You can also whisk all the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.

For a Gas or Pallet Grill

Clean and oil the grill grates. You can brush the grates with oil or use cooking spray. Preheat an outdoor gas grill to medium-high heat (between 400 – 425ºƒ) and turn off the burners on one side of the grill to create 2 cooking zones. A direct heat zone and an indirect heat zone.

For a Charcoal Grill

Clean and oil the grill grates. Light a chimney with enough charcoal to cover half of the grill (Fill a charcoal chimney ¾ full). When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out the coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty. This creates 2-zones, a zone of direct heat and a zone for indirect heat. Set the clean and oiled cooking grate in place, cover the grill, and allow to preheat for about 5 minutes.

Instructions for all grills

Place the tri-tip on the grill over direct heat (the side that is lit), and cook for about 5-8 minutes per side, basting both sides of the meat a few times. Next, move the meat to the cooler side of the grill and close the lid.
Grill over indirect heat covered, flipping and basting the meat with the reserved basting liquid about every 5 minutes or so. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 120°F to 125º F for medium rare or 130º to 135º F for medium.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and allow it to rest, tented with aluminum foil for about 10 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice against the grain and serve

Notes

Slice the steak against the grain. Check the photo above that shows you the two different ways that tri-tip fibers (or grain) run.
Always rest the meat for at least 10 minutes before slicing it or serving it.
If you purchase a tri-tip steak roast that still has the fat cap attached, you can trim it off or keep it on. I personally always remove it but, the fat cap can help in keeping the meat extra moist.
Season the meat and allow it to sit at room temperature for an our. This not only flavors the meat but also helps tenderize it.
Tri tip is best when served at medium-rare or medium.

Nutrition