Tri-Tip Recipe

4.42 from 51 votes

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This Tri-Tip Recipe creates the most tender beef and creamy velvety gravy ever. Serve over warm mashed potatoes and a side of Brussel sprouts! Comfort food at its finest!

plate with brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes topped with gravy and slow cooked tri tips

Simple Ingredients for Flavorful Tri-Tip

You might be surprised just how simple it is to get a Tri-Tip roast nice and flavorful. Here are some common ingredients used to get this recipe *just right*:

  • Olive Oil, Yellow Onion + Garlic – these three are the trifecta of delicious base flavor. Don’t skip this, they make a difference trust me.
  • Salt + Pepper – season as you go and then adjust at the end too.
  • Beef Consomme – beef consomme is such an easy way to get flavorful beef flavor without watering down the roast too much.
  • Bay Leaves + Thyme – two common herbs that pack a punch! You can always experiment here with different herbs or spices.
  • Butter + Flour – all that flavor from hours of slow cooking these ingredients together are not wasted! Butter and flour are mixed together with all of the leftover juices from the meat to make the gravy!
pot full of slow cooked tri tips and gravy with a spoon in it

Tender Tri-Tip: The Secret is in the Cut

Tri-Tip is usually found in larger cuts of about 2 pounds or more and sometimes in smaller steaks. It’s a triangular cut of meat that is part of the lower sirloin cut, but not yet part of the flank. Because of its location, it is on the leaner side of things. Which means that it’s more difficult to keep it tender. Well here’s the secret, you can increase tenderness in the way you cut the meat!

Repeat after me, cut against the grain. Against. The. Grain. What does that mean? Meat is technically animal muscle fiber and muscle fiber runs in grains. Do you see the parallel lines that run along your raw piece of meat? Cut perpendicular or in the opposite direction of those lines to cut against the grain.

The other thing that ensures tender meat is my slow-cooked method, more on that below!

How to Cook a Tri-Tip Roast

For full details on how to cook tri-tip, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is what you can expect when using this recipe:

Preheat Oven + Brown Meat

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven) heat olive oil over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, sauté onions for 3 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in pot. This should take about 5 minutes.

Slow Cook Tri-Tips in the Oven or in the Crockpot!

Pour in beef consommé, water, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir and cover. Place into a preheated oven and bake until the meat is fork-tender. Remove from oven.

For slow cooker directions, see the Crockpot Directions section down below.

How long to cook a tri-tip roast?

Whether you are slow cooking in the oven or the crockpot (on high setting) cook for 2-3 hours!

Remove Meat + Make Gravy

Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from the liquid in the pot.

Return to medium heat on the stovetop. In a small bowl, stir butter and flour together until smooth paste forms. Pour butter mixture into the hot liquid and whisk in to stir. Within a minute or so, the sauce should thicken to a gravy. If the gravy gets too thick, add in 1/2 cup water or until desired consistency is reached.

Add meat back in and stir to coat in gravy. Turn heat to low to keep warm before serving.

pot full of slow cooked tri tips and gravy with a spoon in it

Thickening with Cornstarch

If you don’t like using flour or want a gluten free gravy, you can thicken this with cornstarch! Take 1 tablespoon cornstarch and whisk it into 1/4 cup cold water. Stir it into the gravy, bring to boil to thicken and voila! Thicker gravy.

A Note About Making the Gravy Gluten-Free

Keep in mind the beef consommé (especially the Campbell’s) is NOT gluten free. If you did want to make this gluten free, consider adding gluten free beef stock. Beef stock is a little stronger than beef broth, thus more flavorful.

hand holding a fork of tri tips in gravy

Crockpot Directions

I know a lot of people will read through the directions above and think ‘wait, where’s the crock pot?’ Instead of ‘slow cooked people see ‘slow cooker’ which can be confusing. So, incase you are that person who is looking for those crockpot directions, here they are:

Brown the Meat

Start by browning the tri tips with salt and pepper in olive oil. Add those browned (not fully cooked) pieces of meat into the bottom of your crockpot.

Cook on High for 2-3 Hours

Add in the onion, garlic, seasonings and beef consommé. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Thicken Gravy

Create a paste with the soft butter and flour and stir that into the hot gravy. After 30 minutes the gravy should thicken slightly. It will not thicken up very quickly, nor will it get as thick as it would cooking this on the stovetop, but it will still give you that velvet, smooth gravy.

Can I cook this in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you absolutely can! Similar to the crockpot directions, here is how you cook it in an Instant Pot.

Brown the tri tips with salt, pepper, onion and garlic in olive oil using the SAUTE function. Once browned, add in the seasonings and beef consommé. Cover and add lid. Switch to PRESSURE COOK add 15 minutes and press START. After cook time has elapsed, quick release pressure, remove lid and switch back to SAUTE function. Add in the butter/flour mixture and boil to thicken. Once thick, switch to KEEP WARM and serve over mashed potatoes.

Tri-Tip Storage Directions

Store any leftover meat in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

To Freeze – allow meat and gravy to cool completely. Place in a freezer safe container. Tri-tip will stay fresh up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Tri-Tips + Gravy

This recipe is meant to be eaten with mashed potatoes so I highly recommend that (the gravy and the tri-tips go so so well with it). But I also think a good easy roasted veggie on the side would be yummy too! Here are some links to mashed potato and veggie recipes:

tri tips in gravy with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts on the side

More Meaty Roasts to Try!

The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

plate with brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes topped with gravy and slow cooked tri tips
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4.42 from 51 votes

Tri-Tip Recipe

This Slow Cooked Tri-Tip Roast creates the most tender beef and creamy gravy. Serve over warm mashed potatoes and a side of Brussel sprouts!
servings 4 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 2 lbs tri tip pieces or a 2 lb. tri tip roast cut into large pieces
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 10.5 oz beef consomme 1 can
  • 1 can water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 3 tablespoons butter softened
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • more water if needed
  • 1 recipe of my Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large heavy-bottomed pot {such as a dutch oven} heat olive oil over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, sauté onions for 3 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in pot. This should take about 5 minutes.
  • Pour in beef consommé, water, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir and cover. Place into the preheated oven (or crockpot on high) and bake 2-3 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Remove from oven.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from the liquid in the pot. Return to medium heat on the stovetop. In a small bowl, stir butter and flour together until smooth paste forms.
  • Pour butter mixture into the hot liquid and whisk in to stir. Within a minute or so, the sauce should thicken to a gravy. If the gravy gets too thick, add in 1/2 cup water or until desired consistency is reached. Replace meat and stir to coat in gravy. Turn heat to low to keep warm before serving.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes and/or roasted veggies!

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: slow cooker tri tips, tri tip roast

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200 Responses
  1. Jacke

    I used the crockpot and this came out soooo delicious!! Didn’t change a thing. Served it with mash potatoes and peas. Whole family loved it!! It’s going into my,hard to get into,keeper recipe box. 🙂

    1. rachel

      When using the crock pot, did you put everything all in at once or did you cook everything as directed until you it was time to put ut in oven and that’s when you put it in crockpot?

  2. Carol

    I just made this dish tonight, what a hit! I served it with mash potatoes and sweet carrots. Thank you for the great recipe!

    1. Lauren

      Beef consume is like reduced beef stock; it’s really intensely flavored. I used Campbell’s brand for this recipe. It should be right next to the beef broth/stock.

  3. Amber

    Hi Lauren – I hope this is not a stupid question….I’ve seen some other comments about people using Chuck Roast or Stew Meat. I would cook this recipe in my crockpot – does it matter what type cut I use? Also – can you tell me how to “thicken up” the gravy? I wasn’t really sure how you do that. I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe – I love anything I can put in my crockpot!

    1. Lauren

      I recommend the tri-tips because they are the most flavorful and seem to be the most tender, but stew meat can work in a pinch. Thickening directions are all written out in the printable recipe at the bottom of the post 🙂

    2. Tal

      This is one of my favorite recipes to use with wild game. I routinely uses deer meat win place of tri tip. Right now I have a batch on using some sirloin steak that I need to use up.

  4. Nicki

    I hope I’m not asking a question that’s already been asked. I scrolled through comments and couldn’t find it, but may have missed it. My question is what is bee consomme and what brand do you use?

    1. Lauren

      Consomme is beef stock that has been reduced down, making it much more flavorful. I use campbells! Found in the red and white can next to the soups.

  5. Traci

    Found this on Pinterest, made tonight and got rave reviews from my sister and mom. Super easy and yummy! Perfect meal on this cold, snowy day.

  6. Lisa

    I made this the other night and it was fantastic! I used beef stew chunks as I couldn’t find the tri tips. I did share your recipe on my blog today, hope you’ll take a look.

  7. priscilla

    this was so delicious. everybody loved it. loved so much the family wanted again, so I’ve made twice in a week and a half.

  8. Sharon Rankin

    I made this for company last night and everyone RAVED and asked for the recipe. I couldn’t find tri tips, so I used chuck. The flavor is amazing and so yummy with mashed potatoes. I added mushrooms and like the addition. This is a definite make again…and again…and

  9. Luvnspooonfulll

    I was happy to come across this recipe, and then even happier when i made it and tasted it tonight….simply wonderful, and for it being so easy, i think even my daughter could pull this off……thank you for sharing….

  10. Julie

    Amazing!!! I used stew meat instead because that’s hat I had!! Sooooo good! Thank you from me, my husband and my 13 mo. old daughter!

  11. Megan

    Tri tip is actually a cut of beef that you can only get on the west coast. I live in CA, moved from TN. Had never heard of a tri tip before I got here. Not sure what the rest of the country would call it.

    1. shari bell

      I’ve been buying tri-tip here in NE Oklahoma for several years now. Ask your butcher for it, My butcher is from California and explained it to me.

      1. Jennifer

        5 stars
        I’m from Northwest Ohio and my butcher looked at me and smiled when I asked for it. I asked what was that all about. He asked if I had ever had it before because up until that day he had never cut one. 😄 So I went home fixed it up and dished up a plate and took it to him. When back a few days later to hear his review and he said that was one of the best tasting roast meat he had ever had. 😊 Like eating bread it was so tender.

  12. Nicole

    THANK YOU! I have been searching for a recipe for tri tips in gravy that wasn’t made up of artificial ingredients like packets of onion soup and cans of cream of mushroom. This looks and sounds divine! Can’t wait to make it tonight!

  13. Tammy

    Lauren, thank you so much. I just made this tonight and it was excellent. Even my very very picky 9 year old and my sometimes picky 8 year old loved it!!! The recipe was so easy and yet so very tasty.

  14. Slow Cooked Tri Tips and Gravy with Mashed Potatoes | What2Cook

    […] Recipe: Slow Cooked Tri Tips and Gravy with Mashed Potatoes […]

  15. Jamie

    I made this for dinner with fresh french bread and it’s AMAZING! The gravy is so good I want to lick my plate clean.

    1. Kelli

      Jamie – Did you make yours in the slow cooker or as the directions stated, in the oven? I would love to make these in the slow cooker for a meal to come home to but, I thought I would get someone else’s feedback!!!

  16. Kim Fischer

    Unbelievably good recipe. Had to do some searching to find the tri tip roasts, but well worth the effort. Have made this three times and every time I get nothing but rave reviews. Thanks do much for the recipe .

  17. Erica

    Exactly what I’m looking for! Better run out and get me some potatos! Going to use stew meat from the butcher though…Think I should cook it longer??

  18. Allison B.

    Yum! I made this tonight and it was SO good. Thanks for sharing. I love your site! My husband hates onions so I left those out, but added a little onion powder for flavor when I was seasoning the meat. Worked out great!

  19. Sarah McK

    This is a perfect cold weather recipe. I added carrots at the beginning and mushrooms at the end. So delicious, and made my house smell amazing too.

  20. Vannessa @ Wordchef's Corner

    This looks amazing… For a fantastic comfort food meal. nothing beats a tasty, tender beef in gravy with mashed potatoes!

  21. Carla @ Carla's Confections

    Haha completely agree with you. I tried to go vegetarian and it lasted all of a month, which I’m surprised it even lasted that long!!! I just have to have meat in my life. I love meat, and carbs, and chocolate, and all other tasty foods haha. This meal looks super delicious! Really beautiful photos Lauren!

  22. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious

    I could never do a low carb diet either! And I totally need to make this ASAP! This is exactly why I can never be a vegetarian

    1. Lauren

      Either setting is fine. The high setting would have the meat done pretty quick…maybe 2 hours. And the low setting would be more like 4-6 hours. The longer you cook this the more tender and fall-apart-ish this all becomes.

    2. TRISH PATTERSON

      My slow cooker cookbook says that high on a Rival crockpot is 300 degrees. They offer that information when explaining how to convert recipes for the slow cooker. I found so much valuable information re: slow cooking in the slow cooker cookbook.

    1. Debra

      Where does the slower cooker part come into play in this recipe? It looks to me that it exclusively uses an oven. If I were to make it in a slower cooker, what are the instructions? Thank you.

      1. Elizabeth

        I made this in the slow cooker because I was confused, as well, when I bought the ingredients and thought it was a slow cooker recipe (should have read the recipe itself!). I didn’t have the time to make it in the oven, since I work all day. I just followed the initial instructions about cooking the onion and garlic and browning the meat. I then added the meat mixture to the crock pot. I used the whole can of consomme but only 1/2 can of water instead of a whole. I put it in the slow cooker on low for about 10 hours (8 would have been enough, I suspect) and then added the flour/butter paste to the crock pot without removing the meat. It thickened up nicely and tasted great!

  23. Sue M

    This may be the dumbest question but what are TRI tips, we have beef or sirloin tips but I can’t say I have veer seen TRI Tips??? Looks delish….I have to make this soon with some kinda tips I find…..

    1. Lauren

      It’s a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin cut. If you can’t find it cubed up, look for a tri-tip roast {usually 1 1/2- 2 1/2 lbs} and cut it yourself. When in doubt, ask the butcher.

      1. Kathy

        The cut is alittle harder to find in the south. It’s a cut deveoped in Caifornia years ago, but has not migrated as quickly as I wish. I’m from Calif and my family has enjoyed tri tip many times while living there. I now live in Georgia and it can’t be found in ‘regular” grocery stores. It can, however be purchased in high end grocery stores and some mega stores. I will have to do a heart felt search to find it just to make this recipe. My daughter just asked me to make it and I said yes. So the search is on…..

  24. Katie @ Blonde Ambition

    This sounds so good.. We just got our first rain of the season, so I’m craving a hot, comforting dish ~ preferably with gravy ~ right now!

  25. Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel

    This needs to happen to my face! It’s all blustery outside right now (finally!) and it’s about dang time I eat some blustery-weather food!

  26. Julia

    Ice cream is the reason I can’t become vegan. Or low carb. Or be on any real diet. I blame ice cream for everything. That’s besides the point… this looks delicious!

  27. carrian

    Oh, I so need this. Not even kidding. It’s kinda cloudy and rainy today so I feel all nostalgic for the Pacific Northwest where I grew up and even more so seeing this recipe. We had slow cooker tri tip or rump roasts on at least one sunday a month. Love your recipe!

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