This Sous Vide Tri Tip recipe nails the edge-to-edge perfection on the triangle shaped bottom sirloin cut, resulting in an amazingly tender and flavorful steak. The tri-tip roast is cooked low and slow in the water bath, and then seared quickly in the skillet for a peppery, garlic-y brown crust. 

Filled with delicious flavors, this recipe is incredibly easy to prepare with 3 easy steps: season, sous vide, and sear! 

What Is Tri Tip?

Tri Tip is a triangle-shaped cut of beef from the bottom sirloin. It’s also called “Santa Maria Steak” because the town of Santa Maria, California is home to the special barbecue grilled beef tri tip steak. This cut is usually about 2-inch thick, and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is a French cooking technique where the meat is first vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked to a precise temperature in a warm water bath for a long time. 

Why Cook Tri Tip Sous Vide

Tri tip is a lean and tender cut with excellent marbling. It’s very tender if you don’t overcook it. With traditional methods such as pan-searing, grilling, or baking, the meat can easily turn tough and chewy if you miss the small window of the perfect doneness.

The Sous vide technique eliminates this issue by controlling temp precisely and you can leave the beef in the water bath for a wide range of time.

In addition, the meat is perfectly moist and tender from edge to edge. It’s completely a game-changer!

Equipment You’ll Need

• Sous Vide Immersion Circulator: Anova is a great brand and it’s quite reliable.
• Zip-loc Bag: If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, you can use a zip-loc bag, and seal the bag with the “water displacement” technique.
• A Large Pot or Container: You’ll need to use a large pot or container to hold the water. 
• Kitchen Tongs

Tri Tip Dry Rub

You’ll love my favorite tri tip dry rub, which is made of garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dried oregano, rosemary, salt, and paper. 

This dry rub sticks to the surface of tri tip very well, and is incredibly flavorful. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Season

I used a classic Santa Maria rub in this recipe. Simply mix the seasonings and rub it around the steak. 

Step 2: Sous Vide

Place the seasoned steak in a zip-top back. Vacuum seal the bag and cook at 133°F (56°C) for 2 hours. 

Step 3: Sear

After the tri tip is sous vide cooked, let it cool down slightly and remove it from the bag. Pat dry with paper towels and add more dry rub. To finish up, you’re going to sear or grill it to caramelize the edges for the crispy and charred edges.

Tips And Tricks

• Vacuum seal the bag without a vacuum sealer: If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, a regular zip-top bag works fine using the water displacement technique. Just place the steak in the bag, and seal all but one corner of the bag. Slowly place it into the cold water, and make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
• Let it cool down slightly before searing.  After sous vide cooking, it’s best to let the steak cool down in the refrigerator or ice bath before searing.
• It’s important to wipe off any extra moisture completely as it inhibits proper searing.

Sous Vide Tri Tip Temperature Chart

Sous vide allows you to cook your tri tip roast to your desired doneness, with a wide range of cooking time. You will get different texture with different temperature settings. My favorite setting is 133°F / 56°C, which produces very tender and juicy steak with perfect rosy color.

If you’d like to try other temperatures, you can follow the chart below (Don’t cook it past medium doneness as it can become very chewy):

Temperature	Doneness
129°F (54°C)	Rare
133°F (56°C)	Medium Rare
145°F (63°C)	Medium

How Long Does It Take To Sous Vide Tri Tip?

There is a wide range of cooking time, and I find cooking it at 133°F/56°C for 2 hours gives me the best result.

Best Way To Sear Tri Tip After Sous Vide

Searing your tri-tip before serving will give you that perfect crust and flavor:

• First, pat your steak dry THOROUGHLY with paper towels, as any moisture on the surface can prevent it from browning properly.
• Add oil to your skillet and heat it until it begins to smoke.
• Add your sous vide cooked tri-tip to the hot skillet and sear it for 1-2 minutes on each side. 
• After searing, allow the tri-tip to rest for a few minutes before slicing. 

What To Serve With Sous Vide Tri Tip?

You can serve it with potatoes, rice or pasta, along with some simple side dishes include carrots, asparagus, and broccoli.

Pro Tip: Slice the meat into 1/4-inch thick slices against the grain. 

Do I Need To Trim The Tri Tip?

There’s usually a lot of excess fat (up to 1/2-inch) on one side of the tri tip. Some recipes keep the layer of fat on, but I prefer to trim the fat off the roast when cooking it sous vide, as the fat won’t render properly in the water bath. I also like to remove the silver skin so that the seasoning can penetrate easily.

FAQs

Can you overcook tri tip in a sous vide machine?

Although you cannot “overcook” a tri tip with sous vide method (it’s ok to leave the meat in a warm bath for an extra hour or two), the texture can become mushy if the steak is left in the water for too long. 

Can you sous vide frozen tri tip?

Yes, you can sous vide cook steak straight from frozen. For this recipe, you’ll need to cook the frozen tri tip for 3 to 4 hours. 

Does tri-tip get more tender the longer you cook it?

No, it doesn’t get more tender the longer you cook it. Cooking it longer than the recommended time in the sous vide water bath will make the steak mushy. 

How long do you cook tri-tip for medium-rare doneness?

For medium-rare tri-tip, set the temperature at 133°F (56°C) and cook for about 2 hours. 

More sous vide steak recipes

• Sous Vide Rib Eye Steak
• Sous Vide Flank Steak
• Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak