This oven roasted tri-tip takes advantage of coating a beef tri-tip roast with Dijon mustard. This not only flavors the meat, but acts as a binder to hold fresh herbs in place as it cooks. This is a beautiful tender juicy recipe for cooking tri-tip in the oven that’s not only incredibly easy but impressive enough for entertaining.
Looking for more impressive steak recipes, don’t forget about the trusty T-bone and my recipe for Grilled T-bone Steaks with Cowboy Butter.
Table of contents
About this Recipe and Why It Works
This oven-roasted tri-tip recipe is one of my “go-to” recipes when I’m entertaining guests. Hands off cooking, easy to prepare, can be prepped ahead of time and an impressive beef dinner to satisfy those beef lovers.
The recipe comes from Cooking School I attended in Heidelberg, Germany.
Even though our project was to learn to make dumplings, spaetzle and a German dessert, I actually found this oven roasted tri-rip recipe to be the best take-away of the day.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off those roasts that were lined up on roasting pans, slathered with Dijon mustard and piled high with fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs. I was intrigued. And with good reason.
Super simple in preparation, the beef spent a short time in the oven and with a very surprising flavorful end result.
This roasted tri-tip recipe shines with dijon flavor and the rosemary and thyme infused flavors are evident on the palate.
A super easy oven roast recipe, I’m hoping you’ll give this one a try.
What Exactly Is A Tri-Tip Roast?
A tri-tip is actually part steak and part roast and absolutely beefy delicious. Where is the tri tip roast cut from? It’s a cut taken from the bottom of the sirloin.
The top sirloin produces cuts great for grilling, while the bottom sirloin produces cuts like the tri-tip roast and the sirloin bavette, which are good for roasting or grilling.
Tri tip roasts may be labeled as bottom sirloin roast.
It’s a lean triangular muscle with plenty of beefy flavor. Tri-tip roasts are most famous grilled as the Santa Maria Tri-Tip.
How To Cook Tri-tip In The Oven
I’m no stranger to tri-tips. I’ve reverse seared them, and I’ve Santa-Maria’d them on the grill. I’ve also cooked them in a crockpot for a long roast. They’ve always been full of flavor and tender in texture.
Tri-tips are good candidates for the grill, for the oven, or even a smoker.
I usually opt for to cook a beef tri-tip roast in the oven. It’s the best way to cook a tri-tip roast during colder months. This oven roasted tri-tip is easy, hands off, and it fills the house with mouthwatering aromas.
Tri-tip roasts usually weigh in at 2 pounds, with a thickness of about 2 inches. Even though it’s considered a lean cut, it should be nicely marbled. The beauty of a tri-tip roast is it takes less time to cook than other roast beef cuts.
How to cook a tri-tip roast in the oven, slow or fast? Simple.
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. A hot oven like this will sear the outside of the meat quicker leaving the meat tender and juicy on the inside.
- Step 2: Let the tri-tip roast come to room temperature. Some say to slice off the layer of fat from the roast, but I prefer to leave it on for flavor and to keep the roast juicier.
- Step 3: Place the tri-tip roast on a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Using a basting brush, liberally coat the top of the roast with Dijon mustard.If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can use a baking dish, or better yet, a cast-iron skillet.
- Step 4: Cover the roast with fresh stalks of rosemary and thyme, gently pressing the fresh herbs into the mustard. The sticky mustard helps them stay in place.
- Step 5: Place the meat in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and continue roasting to desired doneness. About 20 minutes longer.
- Step 6: Remove the beef tri-tip roast from the oven and tent it with foil. Let is rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the meat to continue to cook while drawing the juices into the meat so they don’t spill out all over the cutting board.
- Step 7: Remove the fresh rosemary and thyme, slice the tri-tip against the grain and serve.
How Do You Know When A Tri-Tip Roast Is Done?
A good guide line for a beef tri-tip roast is as follows:
- Rare, (120 degrees)
- Medium rare (135 degrees)
- Medium (140 degrees).
- Tip: Your best friend when cooking any type of meat is an instant read thermometer. Use one to determine the internal temperature of the meat by inserting the probe into the meat half-way. When desired temperature has been reached, remove from the oven and tent the meat.
Questions You May Have
There’s really no reason to trim or cut the fat from a tri-tip roast. Leaving the fat will lock in the natural juices and add flavor as it bakes in the oven.
With a cut of meat like a tri-tip, always cut against the grain. Why against the grain? It shortens the muscle fibers and makes it easier to chew. With its triangular shape, the grain of the meat changes direction. Be aware of this and follow the pattern of the meat. Look for the direction the grain is running, and then cut the meat against that pattern. To make it easier, cut the roast in half where the grain changes direction, then carve.
A 2-inch thick or greater sirloin roast or London Broil.
Tips For Success
- How Do You Select A Good Tri-Tip Roast? Look for a well marbled roast with good red color.
- Presentation Tip: Sprinkle the sliced tri-tip roast with small leaves of fresh thyme.
- Want To Double This Recipe? Just make sure the tri-tip roasts aren’t touching in the oven. Give the roasts room for air to circulate around them.
Storage
Place any left over tri-tip in an air tight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Left over tri-tip is great for sandwiches, just slice the meat as thin as you can. To freeze leftovers, place in a freezer container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
In Conclusion, Oven Roasted Tri-tip
It’s amazing how the herbs and spices infuse flavor deep into the meat for a delicious entree. Cooking a tri-tip in the oven; it’s a perfect recipe for entertaining and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
I hope you give this oven roasted tri-tip a try. It’s a great recipe for entertaining, yet easy enough for a weeknight family meal.
What To Serve With A Beef Tri-Tip Roast
- Crispy Roasted Smashed Potatoes with or without the Chimichurri Sauce
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Baked Potatoes
- Green Vegetable Medley
And if you’re looking for more beef recipes, don’t miss my Main Course Beef Category. You’ll find lots of steak, burgers and roasts recipe, including the most popular on my site for Italian Steak Tagliata recipe.
Related Recipes
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Oven Roasted Tri-tip With Rosemary and Thyme
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pounds Tri-Tip Roast
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Let the tri-tip roast come to room temperature. Some say to slice off the layer of fat from the roast, but I prefer to leave it on for flavor and to keep the roast juicier.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. A hot oven like this will sear the outside of the meat quicker leaving the meat tender and juicy on the inside.
- Place the trip tip roast on a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Using a basting brush, liberally coat the top of the roast with Dijon mustard.If you don't have a roasting pan, you can use a baking dish.
- Cover the roast with fresh stalks of rosemary and thyme, gently pressing the fresh herbs into the mustard. The sticky mustard helps them stay in place.
- Place the meat in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 and continue roasting to desired doneness. About 20 minutes longer.
- Temp To Cook Tri-Tip: Rare, (120 degrees) medium rare (135 degrees) or medium (140 degrees)
- Tent the roast with foil and let is rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the meat to continue to cook while drawing the juices into the meat so they don't spill out all over the cutting board.
- To serve, slice thin against the grain.
Notes
Nutrition
Oven Roasted Tri-Tip with Rosemary and Thyme…It’s What’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Mmmm, what a great cut of meat! I usually cook tri-tip on the grill, but lately have been doing it in the oven more and more. Much easier to control the degree of doneness. Your recipe looks great — love how you’ve flavored it. Thanks!
What a brave soul you are for roasting tri-tip for guests. I love the flavor of a perfectly cooked tri-tip but I’ve always found it a tricky meat to cook perfectly. Too long and it gets tough, unless you cook it for 2 hours and then it’s pull apart tender. But the best flavor comes in the manner that you use here, to the perfect temp for medium rare IMO. Love your Dijon coating and herbs. Sounds like the perfect complement for tri-tip.
Looks and sounds delicious. I really like tri tip but I rarely see it in our local stores so it requires a trip to Knoxville to get it, which we need to do.
Oh, how I would love to win this Deiss Kitchen Tool. I love your website and recipes etc. The giveaways are so nice. Thank you for a chance to win. Diane T
What a perfect way to cook this tri tip. I have a sous vide and typically do that to it, but I need to add some mustard and rosemary to the bag next time! Merry Christmas!
I’d like to enter the drawing for the Deiss kitchen tools.
Thank you for a chance to win and thinking of the emailers! Good luck everybody!
I love that orange building too and nobody would get lost trying to find that color bc it stands right out! Lol.
Merry Christmas to you and your family! ?
Great ideas for food & travel. Would love to win your 4 gifts. Thanks
I would love to win some Deiss kitchen tools. Thank you for the chance!
What a great giveaway that I’d like to enter, please. I’d really like to have these kitchen gadgets to update my utensils and most especially add the instant-read meat thermometer since I make prime rib a lot!
Thanks,
Roz
I’d love to win the digital thermometer and cooking tools! Tri tip is one of my favorites and I’m anxious to try your additions of Dijon, rosemary and thyme to my usual prep.
I would very much like to win the Deiss Kitchen tools. Thanks for the opportunity to enter and possibly win.
Hello Lee Ann, Please enter me in to your Deiss Kitchen drawing. I have really enjoyed many of your recipes! John
Tri tip looks GOOD and easy to make.
I would love to win. It is hard find a tri-tip beef in my area. We need a good butcher shop near me.
My husband and I lived in Hohenfels, Germany for three years. I loved every minute of it and wish we could move there. Your pictures are gorgeous!
I would like to win
Hi Lea Ann, I love your recipes and have learned so much from you. I would like to enter the drawing for the Deiss kitchen tools.
I would like to win