Killer tri tip dry rub recipe that is savory and sweet. NO need for gravy or a sauce with this. Once cooked, just slice and serve for a WOW over the top flavor everyone will love. On our Instant Pot tri tip or in the oven it is delicious.
I made this tri tip dry rub recipe the other day to amp up our dinner and man was it good!! With just 5 ingredients youโll be blown out of the water too. One of many dry rub recipes on our site. (affiliate links present)
Tri-Tip Dry Rub Recipe
As you know, we buy meat in bulk each year. It not only saves me trips to the store but I also get to work with meat I normally wouldnโt purchase at the store, this is one cut.
Not that I wouldnโt love tri tip, it just is something out of my normal range of cooking ground beef, steak, or stew meat. Adding a sweet and savory coating of seasonings to the outside of it though brings those flavors to a whole new level. Used first on our air fryer tri tip, I knew it had to be shared with all of you.
What is the tri tip?
This cut of beef is the bottom or tip of the sirloin. The name comes from itโs triangular shape. Tip roasts are very rich in great flavors and lower in fat than most other cuts.
How is tri tip supposed to be cooked?
I mean that depends. It is great cooked on a smoker for sure but many prefer using their oven to make dutch oven tri tip. This way you can sear on the stovetop before baking. We recently made it in a pressure cooker and will add a link to that once the post is live.
Why is my tri tip chewy?
There are two different grains to this meat, different from any other. SO it is very important to slice it properly or it will seem chewy. When you cut the meat you will need to slice against the grain of the fibers to shorten them. This will make it more tender when chewing.
Ingredients
- Brown sugar, I always choose light
- Paprika smoked or regular
- Chili powder can be set to mild as I do below but could be enhanced if you wanted more heat to it
- Garlic powder is one of my go to spices
- Salt is a must and yes 1 tbsp is not incorrect, believe me it works so well together! Black pepper is up to you if that is a must then throw some in by all means.
- Depending on how youโre cooking it you may want to rub olive oil on first, then your rub.
You just mix it all together, easy peasy, in a bowl and youโre ready to season you baby! I choose to trim the fat side a bit but that is up to you. Some prefer to leave that on for moisture, and flavor.
Substitutions
Of course you could add and/or omit seasonings of your choice. I mean if onion powder is preferred over our garlic then do it. This combo is really our go to though. We even use it as a steak dry rub all the time. If my husband doesnโt use it I am super disappointed!
Iโm telling you, we use this stuff for ALL THE THINGS. Even our grilled steak recipe and air fryer steak bites are tossed in it before throwing them into the basket. They blow people away.
How to Coat Tri Tip with Dry Rub
Time needed: 5 minutes
Tri Tip Dry Rub
- Combine
Mix all seasonings together well in a bowl. Use a fork so you can break up any chunks of brown sugar and make it smooth.
- Prepare
Trim your meat (or not, depending on your preferences) and pat dry with a paper towel. If you are smoking it Iโd rub a bit of olive oil on the outside once dry to keep it moist. Follow your recipe.
- Coat
Pour half of dry rub on top and rub with hands to cover all areas.
Flip meat over allowing excess to fall off and pour remaining rub on the other side. Rub in and on sides as well. Lift meat up and allow excess to fall off before cooking.
Just as with any beef or tri tip recipe you should also allow meat to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to soak in and not be released upon slicing.
You will want a digital meat thermometer to test meat internal temperature. If you want it rare it should be 135ยฐ degrees F, 140ยฐ F for medium rare (this is recommended for the best texture and flavor). 145 degrees F would make it closer to medium โdonenessโ for you.
Always remove from gas grill or medium high heat (however youโre cooking it) before using your instant read thermometer. Put into the thickest part to get an accurate read.
Ideally for the most flavor you want it to sit on the outside for a bit before cooking. More time will deepen the taste. You can coat, wrap with saran wrap and set into the fridge for an hour, or coat and cook immediately if necessary.
How long is leftover tri tip good?
Ideally you should reheat it within 3 to 4 days. Remember to wait until it has cooled, then store in airtight containers or freezer bags. Keeping air out will keep it moist. I would save some of your gravy too to use for reheating.
- You literally can use on any of our easy beef recipes
- Use this mixture to make smoked steaks too.
- Our air fryer steak wrapped with bacon and this mix is amazing.
- For the holidays we tweaked this to make a smoked turkey rub version too
Tri Tip Dry Rub
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2-3/4 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 will make it mild, add more if you want more heat
Instructions
- Mix all seasonings together well.
- Trim your meat and pat dry with a paper towel. Then pour half of dry rub on top and rub with hands to cover all areas.
- Flip meat over and pour remaining rub on the other side. Rub in and on sides as well.
- Lift meat up and allow excess to fall off before placing it on the grill, smoker, dutch oven, pressure cooker to cook.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would like to recommend that the next time you are cooking a tri-tip, you grill it. This is an unusual roast in that it does best cooked like a steak. Sear it, then drop the temp and cook on the grill til it reaches medium-rare (or whatever doneness you like). Youโll be astonished how this beef rises like bread in the oven, and swells up to about twice itโs beginning thickness.
Look up Santa Maria style barbeque, for details on how this approach started.
Recipe looks good but my doctor put me on salt restriction due to blood pressure. I wish there were more salt free recipes available. Thank you for all the good ideas!!
@Rob, the idea behind making your own is that you can customize. Use a salt substitute or leave it out. Same goes for any ingredientโฆbe creative.
@Rob, I used nu salt. It has no sodium.