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
Amazing! Never tried coffee on meat before. Followed to a T and It was perfect.
This was the best tri tip we’ve ever had!! My husband couldn’t stop talking about it!! So flavorful and juicy. It was super easy to make too! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made the Tri+Tip Roast tonight and it was a big hit 😁 The spice rub was incredible! Thank you!!!
I am so happy to hear that, Eileen! Thank you so much for making this recipe, and for your review!
I used this recipe on some fre grazed organic beef and it was amazing. Easy prep and quick cook time made it great.
I’ve never cooked tri-tip before, but gave your recipe a good and it turned out perfectly. I also didn’t have Chipotle powder, so used regular chili powder. It was really good. I love coffee flavor so I think I’d like to try it with fresh ground beans next time.
Ruined my $200 stainless steel pan. Preheated the pan to hot and used olive oil as suggested. Oil caught fire as soon as it hit the pan, scarring my pan and creating a safety hazard. Trying to get the stain out of the pain with barkeepers friend but no luck so far. I had no idea this could happen – would have hoped someone sharing recipes would be more cautious for beginners like me.
Alex, I am so sorry to hear that. I’ve never heard of that happening before, and it sounds like a defect with the pan. I am so glad that you’re safe and I am so sorry that happened to you.
I made this last night and it was delicious!
I did not have chipotle, so I used smoked paprika and a little cayenne. My daughter asked for the recipe it was so good. At first I was hesitant to use the coffee since my husband doesn’t like it. But I ground some fresh and didn’t tell him. He loved it too! 😊
Thank you for sharing this, also I appreciate easy one pan meal.
I am so thrilled that you and your husband loved this recipe, Elaine! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
Great recipes
Thank you so much, Martha!
Great recipe! My Tri Tip came out great!!
I am so happy to hear that, Aysia! Thank you so much for making this recipe!
getting ready to try this! Based on the comments it’s going to be epic. One question….I plan to use a cast iron pan. Does the type of pan matter, temp or cooking time? I don’t have a thermometer.
Tied making your way .turn out pretty good
I haven’t cooked in a really long time.thanks. Mario
Thank you so much, Mario!
Delicious! Found a 2 lb on clearance by chance today, have never cooked one. I too didn’t have chipotle so I used just a tad of red pepper flakes, chili seasoning and smoked paprika. Took the coffee grounds out of the keurig pod from this morning lol. Very very good! And so easy.
I did adjust the times and was glad I did as it still is too done for me. I seared three minutes each side and cooked 15 minutes in oven. It’s solid pink no red so next time I might adjust time down even more.
I am glad that you found a variation of this recipe that works for you, Jodi! Thank you son much for your review!