How to Cook Tri-Tip Steak (Easy Pan Method)
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If you are wondering how to cook the most flavorful and juicy tri-tip steak with an easy pan method in 30 minutes, you’ve landed on the BEST recipe. This is a quick and easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love!
Serve this juicy steak with family favorite side dishes like roasted green beans and red skin mashed potatoes.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 4-6 people
- Dietary Info: Gluten Free and Dairy Free
- Method: Stovetop
- Technique: Rub the steak with seasoned olive oil, then sear it in a cast iron pan on both sides. Continue cooking on lower heat until it reaches the desired internal temperature.
- Flavor & Texture: This tri-tip steak is super juicy and tender (never overcooked!) with a gorgeous flavorful crust.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Trip-tip steak is a delicious cut of meat! It makes the best juicy steak with little time. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Juicy and Tender: Coating the steak with extra virgin olive oil helps lock in moisture, resulting in a juicy and tender texture. Allowing the steak to rest after cooking further ensures optimal juiciness.
- Perfect Searing: The cast iron skillet’s high heat provides the ideal environment for achieving a golden-brown crust on the steak during searing. This enhances the overall texture and gives a nice caramelized sear. This will be your favorite way to make tri-tip for a weeknight meal.
- Versatility in Doneness: The recipe provides a range of cooking times to accommodate different preferences for doneness, from rare to well-done. You can tailor the cooking time to achieve the perfect level of doneness for your taste. Achieve perfectly cooked steak every time!
If you love tri-tip steak, be sure to try my grilled tri-tip steak with chimichurri next! You’ll also love my steak marsala with mushroom sauce, baked pork chops at 425°F, and pan seared T-bone steak.
Made With Amore,
“Absolutely loved the simplicity of this. I sent pictures of our finished steak to family and everyone thought it looked yummy. Ours took a little longer to cook because it was closer to two inches, but still came out juicy and moist! We’re going to use the leftovers for taco Tuesday.”
– Audrey
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Tri-Tip Steak
Simple seasonings are best to let the flavor of the meat shine! Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions and tips.
- Tri-Tip Steak: Choose a quality tri-tip steak that’s approximately 1 to 2 inches thick for a flavorful and juicy result. Pick a cut that has a good marbling of meat and fat throughout for the best flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Coating the steak generously with extra virgin olive oil provides a rich and savory base for the seasoning.
- Salt: Kosher salt or sea salt enhances the natural flavors of the tri-tip steak and helps create a delicious crust during searing.
- Finely Ground Black Pepper: This adds a bold and aromatic element to the seasoning, complementing the meat’s taste. Using finely ground ensures it coats the meat more evenly.
- Fresh Rosemary Leaves: Chopped fresh rosemary leaves bring a fragrant flavor! Feel free to substitute with another fresh herb if you prefer.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Don’t have extra virgin olive oil? Use canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil for a neutral flavor.
- Don’t have Kosher salt? Replace with sea salt or regular table salt. Adjust the quantity based on the salt’s granule size. Try soy sauce or tamari for a different flavor profile.
- Mushroom Topping: Sauté mushrooms in the same skillet, adding a rich and earthy component after cooking the steak.
- Blue Cheese Crust: During the last few minutes of cooking, crumble blue cheese on top of the steak and let it melt for a decadent crust.
How to Pan Cook Tri-Tip Steak
This cooking method requires minimal effort and the best results. Follow these instructions and you’ll have a wonderful, juicy steak! See the recipe card below for the full instructions.
- Take the tri-tip cut steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking and let it come to room temperature (this yields more even cooking). Pat the tri-tip steak dry with paper towels.
- Combine olive oil, kosher salt, finely ground black pepper, and chopped rosemary leaves in a small bowl.
- Rub each side of the tri-tip steak with the seasoned oil, ensuring an even coating.
- Heat the cast-iron skillet or heavy-duty skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, carefully place the seasoned tri-tip steak into the hot skillet.
- Sear the steak for about 4 minutes per side, or until a golden-brown crust forms. Reduce the heat to medium. For medium-rare steaks (internal temperature of 135-140°F), continue cooking for about 15 minutes, turning the steak once to ensure even cooking on both sides. Refer to the internal temperature guide in the recipe card notes for the desired doneness.
- Once the steak reaches the desired doneness, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Cover the steak loosely with aluminum foil and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This redistributes the juices, resulting in a more flavorful and tender steak.
- Place steaks on a cutting board and cut them into thin slices against the grain for a tender texture.
- Serve the tri-tip steak slices with your favorite sides (like crispy oven baked potatoes and Longhorn Brussels sprouts), and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Tri-tip steak is a flavorful and tender cut of beef, originating from the bottom sirloin area. It is often recognized for its triangular shape, versatility, and popularity in grilling and roasting. Other names include bottom sirloin roast,
Santa Maria steak, triangle steak, Newport steak, triangle roast, bottom sirloin butt, California cut, sirloin tip, and sirloin tip roast.
The best way to cook tri-tip steak is to sear it on high heat in a cast iron skillet for a golden-brown crust, then finish over lower heat in a skillet or in the oven until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Rest before slicing for a juicy result.
It depends upon how thick your steak is and to what internal temperature you’d like to cook it. For a steak about 2 inches in thickness and cooked to a medium-rare doneness (135-140°F), it will take 8 minutes to sear it and an additional 15 minutes to cook it through, totaling 23 minutes of cooking. Always use a meat thermometer to check the temperature for doneness in the thickest part of the steak.
Store leftover cooked tri-tip steak in the refrigerator. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
This pan cooked tri-tip steak tastes wonderful with any of your favorite side dishes! I recommend pairing it with my family’s favorite side dishes, like creamy risotto alla Milanese, creamy roasted cauliflower soup, and Italian stuffed artichokes. Round out your meal with a classic Italian chopped salad and a slide of one bowl moist carrot cake for dessert!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Choose a quality cut. Opt for a well-marbled and high-quality tri-tip steak for the best flavor and tenderness.
- Allow the steak to come to room temperature before cooking. This ensures even cooking throughout the meat.
- Check the internal temperature of the steak using a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches your desired level of doneness.
- Allow the cooked steak to rest for 5-10 minutes under loosely tented aluminum foil. This allows the juices to be redistributed, ensuring a juicier result when sliced.
More Steak Recipes
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How to Cook Tri-Tip Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tri-tip steak, approximately 2 inches thick
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Take the tri-tip cut steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking and let it come to room temperature (this yields more even cooking). Pat the tri-tip steak dry with paper towels.
- Combine olive oil, kosher salt, finely ground black pepper, and chopped rosemary leaves in a small bowl.
- Rub each side of the tri-tip steak with the seasoned oil, ensuring an even coating.
- Heat the cast iron skillet (or heavy-duty skillet) over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, carefully place the seasoned tri-tip steak into the hot skillet.
- Sear the steak for about 4 minutes per side or until a golden-brown crust forms. Reduce the heat to medium. For medium-rare steaks (internal temperature of 135-140°F), continue cooking for about 15 minutes, turning the steak once to ensure even cooking on both sides. Refer to the internal doneness guide in the notes for the desired doneness (use a meat thermometer).
- Once the steak reaches the desired doneness, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board.
- Cover the steak loosely with aluminum foil and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This redistributes the juices, resulting in a more flavorful and tender steak.
- Place steaks on a cutting board and cut them into thin slices against the grain for a tender texture.
- Serve the delicious cast iron skillet tri-tip steak slices, and enjoy!
Notes
- Rare: 125-130°F
- Medium-Rare: 135-140°F
- Medium: 145-150°F
- Medium-Well: 155-160°F
- Well-Done: 165°F and above
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely loved the simplicity of this. I sent pictures of our finished steak to family and everyone thought it looked yummy. Ours took a little longer to cook because it was closer to two inches, but still came out juicy and moist! We’re going to use the leftovers for taco Tuesday 🙂
So thrilled you loved it. Yummmy idea for the leftovers!