BBQ tri tip roast cooking on a charcoal grill

BBQ Tri TipRecipes, cooking methods, and where to find the best tri tip.

Start with the classicBrowse 50 recipes

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  1. Santa Maria Style Tri Tip1h 20mServes 6
  2. Smoked Tri Tip2h 45mServes 6
  3. Tri Tip Tacos15 minServes 4
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A California Tradition

One Cut. One State. Every Way to Cook It.

Tri tip is now the centerpiece of a California BBQ tradition that goes back to the vaqueros and rancheros of the 1800s. The Santa Maria style pit barbecue they practiced over red oak fires is one of the oldest regional BBQ traditions in North America, and it lives on in backyards, ranches, and roadside grills up and down the Central Coast. Grill it over red oak, smoke it low and slow, reverse sear it, or finish it sous vide. Tri tip rewards the effort every time.

Pick Your Fire.

  1. The original

    Santa Maria Style

    Red oak fire, simple rub, direct heat. The cooking technique that started it all, and what makes it different from smoking or reverse sear.

    Grill it over red oak

  2. Charcoal Grill

    Two-zone fire on a Weber kettle or barrel grill. Sear over direct heat, finish over indirect, pull at temp. The method most home cooks will actually use.

    Master the two-zone fire

  3. Smoker

    Low and slow at 225°F over red oak or cherry wood. Two to three hours total. More bark, deeper smoke ring, still unmistakably tri tip.

    Go low and slow

  4. Oven

    No grill? An oven cooks tri tip cleanly. High heat to roast, optional cast iron sear to finish.

    Roast it at 425°F

Many ways to cook it. 50 recipes to go with it.

All 8 MethodsAll 50 Recipes

The whole table

The Santa Maria plate.

Tri tip never shows up alone. Here is the full Central Coast spread, from the rub to the last pour, with a recipe for every part of it.

Browse all recipes
  1. MainSanta Maria Style Tri TipRed oak coals, a simple rub, and a hot grate.1h 20m
  2. RubSanta Maria Seasoning (SPG Rub)Two parts salt to one each of pepper and garlic.5 min
  3. SauceSanta Maria Salsa RojaA chunky tomato salsa with celery, spooned on top.20 min
  4. SidePinquito BeansSmall pink beans simmered with bacon and tomato.3h 20m
  5. BreadGrilled Garlic BreadFrench bread with garlic butter, grilled until it chars.13 min
  6. PourCentral Coast SangriaRed wine, citrus, and stone fruit, chilled.15 min
  7. Pouring wine or beer?Central Coast pairings for tri tip

The Locator

Find Tri Tip Near You.

It started on California’s Central Coast and keeps spreading. Restaurants, butchers, and wineries serving real tri tip, mapped across the state.

Explore the tri tip map
Where it startedSanta MariaSan Luis ObispoPaso RoblesLos OlivosSanta BarbaraOjaiBakersfieldWhere it startedSanta MariaSan Luis ObispoPaso RoblesSanta BarbaraSanta MariaSan Luis ObispoPaso RoblesLos OlivosSanta BarbaraArroyo GrandeBuelltonOjaiVenturaAtascaderoBakersfieldCamarilloNipomoSanta PaulaBig PineCambriaCasmaliaChatsworthGaviotaNew CuyamaOaklandOrcuttSanta MonicaSanta YnezSolvangTempletonThousand OaksWestlake Village

Plan the Cook

How Much Tri Tip Do You Need?

Half a pound of raw tri tip per person covers a normal dinner. The serving calculator sizes the shopping list for any head count, a lighter or bigger portion, and trimmed or untrimmed roasts.

Open the calculator

How many are you feeding?

Raw, trimmed weight to buy. ½ lb raw per person, which cooks down to 6 oz on the plate.

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