If you’re looking for a steak recipe that is juicy, tender, and practically melts in your mouth, then look no further than this one! My Easy Oven-Baked Tri-Tip Roast is perfectly cooked, perfectly delicious, and is seasoned with my signature spice blend that is truly crave-worthy. It doesn’t get any better than this! I got this recipe from my mom, who made this all the time growing up, and I can’t wait to share it with you (along with some AMAZING ways to serve it). This is a recipe you’ll hang onto for ages!
Friends, want to know a funny thing that happens? The older I get, the more I appreciate my parents’ recipes. Sure, I love making the recipes of my fellow creators and friends (or even scrolling through TiKTok lookin for new recipes), but there’s something about my parents’ recipes that I always come back to. Whether it’s their juicy kofta kebabs or their Arayes, I find myself craving recipes that feel like coming back home. Maybe it sounds clicé, but the older you get, the more you realize that there’s truly no place like home.
So, when my mom came up to visit me in San Francisco recently, I found myself craving one thing and one thing only: her tri-tip. This was a dish that she made all the time growing up, and we ate it in everything from tacos to sandwiches to even rice. And every time we ate it, it was absolutely delicious.
This recipe is a twist on my mom’s recipe, because it’s prepared exactly the way she did, but it’s seasoned with my self-proclaimed signature spice mixture. I have been using this spice mixture to season everything from shrimp to tofu to yes, even tri-tip, and it is absolutely delicious. Trust me on this one!
3 Ingredients Needed to Make This Perfect Tri-Tip Roast
- Tri-Tip:Tri-Tip is a small, boneless, triangular-shaped cut of beef that, when cooked perfectly, is absolutely tender and delicious. You can get tri-tip from any butcher, even at Whole Foods! Plus, it’s a less-expensive cut of meat than a ribeye, so it’s great for those times when you’re craving steak, but don’t want to spend a ton of money.
- Coffee Grounds: Don’t knock it until you try it! Coffee grounds add the most delicious dark and smoky flavor to this tri-tip. This recipe is NOT the same without them!
- Kalejunkie Signature Spice Blend: My signature spice blend is my new favorite way to season everything from meats to veggies! It consists of cumin, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chipotle, and is too good.
How to Make This Delicious, Easy Steak Recipe
To make this recipe, start by allowing the tri-tip to come to room temperature. Next, prepare the spice mixture by mixing together the the coffee, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chipotle, and cumin in a bowl. Rub the tri-tip with the spice mixture, then let it rest while you preheat the oven to 350 F.
While the oven is preheating, heat a pan, on the stove, over high heat and add in a few tablespoons of olive oil (or avocado oil). Once the pan is hot, place the tri-tip inside of the pan and allow it to cook for about 4 minutes on each side. If you’re using a meat thermometer, place it inside of the tri-tip.
Then, remove the pan from the stove and place it into the oven. I like to cook my tri-tip so it’s medium rare, which means it reaches an internal temperature of 135 F. If you aren’t using a thermometer, this will take approximately 15-17 minutes. Once the tri-tip is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing it, serving as desired, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
How to Serve This Perfectly Juicy Tri-Tip
Now that you have this delicious tri-tip ready to go, there are SO many fun ways that you can serve it! These are just a few of my favorite ways, but feel free to get creative – and if you do, comment down below and let me know how you serve it!
- On tostadas: I recently shared my tri-tip tostada recipe on Instagram and it has been a favorite in my household! Paired with my homemade guacamole from my cookbook, LOVE TO EAT, it is crunchy, tangy, delicious, and such a fun way to enjoy this recipe.
- With Chimichurri: Steak and chimichurri go together like bread and butter. Slather this steak with my Easy Chimicurri Sauce and you’ve got match made in heaven!
- Add it to a Salad: Steak salads are absolutely delicious, and make for the perfect quick and easy lunch! I love swapping it out for the chicken in my Healthy Caesar Salad recipe
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Gayle McLeod
Ingredients
For the Tri-Tip:
- 1 ½ Pounds Tri-Tip
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Coffee Grounds
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Chipotle
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
Instructions
- To make this recipe, start by allowing the tri-tip to come to room temperature.
- Next, prepare the spice mixture by mixing together the the coffee, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chipotle, and cumin in a bowl.
- Rub the tri-tip with the spice mixture, then let it rest while you preheat the oven to 350 F.
- While the oven is preheating, heat a pan, on the stove, over high heat and add in a few tablespoons of olive oil (or avocado oil). Once the pan is hot, place the tri-tip inside the pan and allow it to cook for about 4 minutes on each side.
- If you're using a meat thermometer, place it inside of the tri-tip.
- Then, remove the pan from the stove and place it into the oven. I like to cook my tri-tip so it's medium rare, which means it reaches an internal temperature of 135 F. If you aren't using a thermometer, this will take approximately 15-17 minutes.
- Once the tri-tip is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing it, serving as desired, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
Looks really good!
One problem… My computer is freaking spinning like crazy (too much javascript or too many third party ads (with too many scripts).
Hi Robert, I’m sorry to hear that! Ads are what help me run the site and be able to bring so many recipes to you, for free!
I don’t have chipotle. Anything I can use as a substitute or is it gonna be fine to just omit this ingredient?
Hi Sarai, you can use crushed red pepper instead, or just omit!
I am 73 and I think this was the best tri tip I have ever cooked. Did not use coffee or chipotle. I did use crushed red pepper. Miss read one tsp and used 1 tbs. Used almost all of it on 2 lbs and it was delicious.
WOW! Elizabeth, I am SO thrilled to hear that! Thank you so much for your review, this truly means the world to me!
This was absolutely amazing. Followed it to a ‘t’, with the exception of using two small 1lb tritips. Just fantastic!!
Sided with green onion mashed potatoes and garlic parm green beans. Cannot get over the coffee grounds. They vanished as coffee but depth of flavor added! 10/10 thank you!
Wow, I am SO thrilled that you loved this recipe!! Thank you so much for making it, and for leaving such a kind review!
On average, used coffee grounds contain between 3.59 and 8.09 milligrams of caffeine per gram. This is quite a bit less than the 12 milligrams of caffeine per gram of fresh ground coffee. I learned this at Kauai coffee plantation.
Tyler, I don’t believe it was the coffee grounds that kept you awake. You likely were excited about this great recipe ! Aloha !
Such a good tip, thank you so much for sharing this!!
It was definitely tender and juicy, however, it was way too spicy for my 6 year old. Will definitely make again but will use a different spice mixture.
I have an untrimmed tri-tip roast. Do you suggest trimming the fat before cooking? Mine has a pretty thick slab on one side.
Hi Sally! I would personally trim it away, yes.
Thank you. This was delicious. I followed your recipe to the “t” — oops I didn’t have chipotle powder but I will get it for next time because I love chipotle. This time I just used a little bit of paprika and cayenne even though that’s just not the same. I love that your recipe contained coffee grounds. I have never read that in a recipe for rub and it was a little thrill to try it and especially to really enjoy it. I arrived here via Google and I’m glad I found your blog.
I am thrilled that you found my blog, Susan, and that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving such a kind review!
I used your recipe last night using a 4 pound tri-tip. I was barely able to fit it into my cast iron skillet to brown it. I doubled the recipe and watched the thermometer carefully. It turned out perfect! Thank you. Terry
I’m so happy that it turned out well for you, Terry! Thank you so much for your review!
gave this recipe a shot after work and wow what a good one. I thought the coffee portion of the rub was a bit strange, but it really added that extra level of flavor and aroma that knocked my socks off. Cooking times were perfect, the tri-tip came out of the oven, made some killer tacos with it, saving the other half for a sandwich tomorrow. Would definitely use this one again. .
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dan! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving a review!
It looks like the recipe calls for fresh coffee grounds, but the comment from Alohafleurlei made me wonder if we can use used coffee grounds instead. Thank you!
Can this be rubbed, pan seared and cooked for maybe 10 min. the day before, then put in for another 5 minutes next day before serving?
Hi Valerie, I would recommend either cooking it fully the day before or cooking it the day of.