This Two Ingredient Grilled Tri Tip Roast recipe is my go to every time I grill a Tri tip. If you are not familiar with this cut of beef it is the tip of the sirloin. You will notice the cut is in a triangular shape, grainy and thick. This cut can be roasted in the oven or grilled. I prefer grilling it, hands down. I use this method to help tenderize the cut even more. And it’s very simple; beer and seasoning.

If you live in California, it’s common to see this cut of beef readily available. It’s also common for people to refer to grilling it “Santa Maria Style”. According santamariavalley.com, the Santa Maria style of barbecue has been around for 150 years. It was a way to get people together and enjoy a great meal. Traditionally, the beef is prepared with a dry rub and cooked over wood. It’s then served with Pinquito beans, salad, salsa and bread. It’s a very tasty and delicious cut of beef and definitely big enough to share around a good group of family and friends.

How to prepare the tri tip for the grill

The Tri tip has quite a bit of fat on one side, the bottom side, I leave it on. For this Two Ingredient Grilled Tri tip roast, I add generous amount of Montreal seasoning (this spice blend is found everywhere, it’s made my McCormick) on both sides. If for some reason you can’t find this seasoning blend, use coarse ground salt and pepper, granulated garlic and onion and a good pinch of crushed red pepper. NOTE: If you are using salt, pepper, onion and garlic. Add the salt, pepper and spices as you normally would. With that said, the quantities are approximate.

I then place it in a casserole dish and add one light beer to the roast. Any light beer will do. If you have a gluten sensitivity, use gluten free beer like Omission. (it’s what I used this time) Tightly wrap with clear plastic wrap and place in the fridge. I like to marinate the morning of my bbq, I feel like its just the right amount of time.

raw tri tip in dish ready to be marinated — Tri tip – top side.

tri tip with seasoning in dish — Tri tip – top side.

Typically I allow this to marinade about 6 hours or so and I flip it at the 3 hour mark so it marinades on the other side. I take it out about 30 to 60 minutes before I grill it, and discard the marinade. Once the marinade is discarded I season again on both sides.

How to Grill the Tri Tip Roast

Preheat the grill to medium high. Once the grill is ready, please the tri tip fat side up. You want to sear the meat for about 10 minutes. Flip to fat side down, keep an eye for flares. There is a lot of fat and you don’t want a fire. After about 5 minutes, flip back (fat side up). Turn grill onto medium low. Check it after 10 minutes, check the temperature, you can do a quick flip (keep and eye on the fat side) and then back to fat side up, about 8 minutes.

For doneness, thermometer should read 125° for rare, medium rare 135°, medium 145°, medium well 150°, and well 160°. Something to note, the roast will keep cooking, so I suggest removing it sooner than later. Example, if you desire medium rare, remove at rare temp, cover loosely with foil and let sit about 10 minutes. It will be perfect upon serving.

Once you are ready to serve, slice against the grain.

It should slice up beautifully at this point and be super tender. Add a favorite sauce if you wish and enjoy a beautiful Pinot Noir or a glass of my Summer Sangria.

grilled tri tip sliced with grilled vegetables

For another beef recipe, try this delicious Flat Iron Steak Lemon Soy and Crispy Garlic. If you are looking for some Summer BBQ Inspo, check out a round up of easy recipes here.

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