Best 3 pound Instant Pot tri tip recipe with a dry rub and killer gravy using the drippings. Full of flavor cooked in your Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker to medium rare with a quick cooking time. Use fresh or frozen roast in Instant Pot to make this family favorite one pot meal.
Have you tried Instant Pot tri tip yet?? You might want to try something new and this is the best way to make it quickly in your pressure cooker. Just one of over 100 easy Instant Pot recipes we have here on The Typical Mom.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Tri Tip
Made as a Ninja Foodi recipe you can pressure cook as explained in the recipe card below or you can use the lid that is attached to make air fryer tri tip too. Both are wonderful but with a different outer texture for sure. If you like a bit of crisp on the dry rub you should go with this lijnk above.
We use our VERY popular tri tip dry rub to make this with a rich thick gravy at the end so there are rich flavors all the way around with this method friends. This is a bit of a pricier cut so you want to make sure it turns out perfectly.
If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the model I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.
Frozen Instant Pot Tri Tip
Believe it or not the cook time with defrosted or rock hard meat isn’t much different at all, many times it is the same. The biggest difference in why it would vary is how well done you want it to be when done. Ours is medium rare because with this cut that is ideal for sure. Same goes with our dutch oven tri tip, the moistest.
Using the high pressure function with a natural release at the end is a great way to cook large pieces of meat. The longer it cooks the more it will break apart and begin to shred. This time it was sliced.
Should you tenderize tri tip?
You wouldn’t want to tenderize it like cubed steak but if you wanted to use a marinade for a few hours you could. We used a dry rub instead for added flavor. I choose to trim the fat layer before coating and cooking, but that part is totally up to you. Some would never do such a thing. Either way I d
Should I sear tri tip before pressure cooking?
Yes, it is helpful to lock in the moisture and tenderness. All brands and models have the saute function. On the Crockpot Express it is called brown, it is the same thing. I use a pair of small tongs to grab it and flip it over on to the other side to brown the outsides lightly first. Just a bit of rub will come off, that is okay.
With large cuts of meat cooked this is important. I do this using the saute function with just a bit of olive oil at the bottom of the pot. I mean, no sense in getting a pan on the stovetop dirty, one pot meals are the best I tell you! Once you have the rub patted down on both sides allow the excess to fall off so it isn’t caked on.
About 2 minutes is usually enough to get it nice and seared, but not too brown. This step will keep the juices in and give the outside a bit more texture.
If you’re new to using any sort of electric pressure cooker, you need to know how to deglaze. What does that even mean and why do you need to do it?? Glad you asked…..
What does deglazing mean?
After you saute this easy beef recipe you will need to remove it. Use a bit of broth or water and scrape the bits of stuck on meat off the bottom with a wooden spatula which is what “deglazing” means. Why?? Because if not you might get that dreaded burn message on the screen if you don’t.
Pressure Cooker Tri Tip Cooking Time
No matter what pot you have, follow these directions for about 25 minutes. There is a printable recipe card with ingredients needed at the bottom as well. Trim the fat off your tip roast if you like, we do. Then pat dry with a paper towel and lay on a cutting board.
How to Make the Gravy
I just use the drippings in the pot with the broth to make pressure cooker gravy at the end. To make that thicker you want to switch to the saute function with the lid off. Whisk in a little dish some cornstarch and cool water or some of the drippings from the pot into a sort of roux or slurry, pour that in. Stir until it thickens it up in literally like 1 minute, it is so easy.
Instant Pot Tri Tip Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb tri tip
Tri Tip Dry Rub
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, to thicken gravy
Instructions
- Trim the fat off your meat. Pat dry with paper towels and lay on a cutting board.
- Mix together ingredients for dry rub and pour half on top. Rub down with hands. Allow excess to fall off when you flip meat over.
- Pour remaining rub on bottom and rub down.
- Set pressure cooker to saute function. Pour olive oil inside pot. Place meat inside and brown for about 2 minutes on each side. Then remove and put on a plate.
- Turn pot off and pour broth inside. Use a wooden spatula to deglaze pot (scrape off stuck on bits off bottom of pot).
- Place a trivet inside your pot. Put your meat on top.
- Close lid and steam valve. Set to high pressure for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute natural release if you like middle pink. If you want it more medium allow for a 10 minute natural release, then quick release remaining steam.
- Set on cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- While you're waiting on meat to rest, make gravy in pot.
- Take out trivet and set pot to saute.
- In a small bowl ladle out some of your hot liquid. Whisk in 2 tbsp cornstarch until mixture is very smooth. Pour into pot that is bubbling. Use wood spatula to consistently stir so lumps do not form. Saute for about 1-2 minutes and then turn off. Pour gravy into a bowl. Slice and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other beef recipes you’ll love
This is the best way to cook tri tip in your 7 in 1 machine for sure! Want to cook other cuts of beef in it too? Next try our smoked tri tip. Cooked properly and for the right length of time (don’t overcook this baby, you want a bit of red in the center) it’s a great cut.
We also love adding other sauces with other cuts like we did with our Mississippi roast in Instant Pot for dinner with brussel sprouts. For a load of others, take a peek at our Instant Pot beef recipes like pressure cooker brisket and more look here too.
Is tri tip a tough cut of meat?
It is not as tender as our Fall-Apart Brisket in the Oven because this cut is tougher. The grains go in two different directions with fibers that don’t break down as easily so you’ll want to slicing against the grain is key and cooking it in a way that keeps it moist is a must.
Zero stars as any website that has to talk BS backstory doesn’t deserve anything in life. Give the recipe and stick to it ffs
Paul, I’m so sorry for what you are going through in life. Maybe talking to a therapist will be more beneficial than trying to hurt others.
Sending healing thoughts your way.
This is the second time, at least, that I’ve used this recipe. After searing the meat, I remove it and cook minced onion for a few minutes. Then add the broth, meat and I usually put potatoes in a small steamer on top of the meat to cook at the same time. Less clean up and a delicious meal!! The gravy comes out good, too!!
Oh yay glad it has always been a hit, thanks for the note 😉
This recipe is hard to follow unless you have exactly a 3 lb tri-tip. It would be nice to know exactly how much time is needed in the instant pot per pound of meat. I don’t want to cook my 1 and 1/2 lb tip for just my husband and myself for the full-time stated yet when the kids are here I don’t want to cook our 6 lb roast with the time stated either. I would really love to try this recipe.
If you have a smaller tri-tip like 2 lb. do you adjust down the cooking time?
@Rainy, That’s what I was wondering myself. I just went through the recipe twice and can’t see anything about cooking a smaller tri-tip
@Rainy, When you go to print the recipe you can adjust serving size. This adjusts the tri-tip # size. Serving for 5 changed the tri-tip weigh to 2#
Like the others I have a 2.5 lb tri tip. I did change the serving size but it did not change the cooking times. I’m thinking people are wondering if at 25 min with a 5 min natural release it would be too well done. I’m not sure. But I think I will try 20 min and a 5 min natural release. I honestly feel that the NR is the key, meat seizes up when no NR. Just a thought.
This will be the second time I’ve made this recipe. Tender, tasty tri tip!! Mmmm. Steamed veggies full the plate!! Thank you for this instant pot winner!!
Yeah success