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Home / Recipes / Beef / Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip [Grill, Air Fryer, Crisplid]

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip [Grill, Air Fryer, Crisplid]

May 25, 2016 By Jill Selkowitz / 2 Comments Updated August 6, 2019 / As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases; see all disclosures.

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Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip on the barbecue grill is a delicious sirloin, with a simple rub and cooked to perfection on the Barbecue Grill. If it’s raining outside, use your Air Fryer or Mealthy Crisplid on your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker.

Santa Maria Style Barbecue Grilled Tri-Tip

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

Tri-Tip is a triangular piece of beef from the bottom sirloin. Up until the early 1950’s Tri-Tip was used for ground beef.

It often times was tossed aside by butchers and wasn’t cooked whole until the early 1950’s.

It became popular in Santa Maria, California and is traditionally cooked over a wood fire with a cast iron grate that can be lifted up and down by a pulley. The  locals used their native coast live oak, which is often referred to as red oak wood. The seasoning is very basic, salt, pepper, garlic.

 

Cast of Ingredients for Santa Maria Style Barbecue Grilled Tri-Tip

Cast of Ingredients for Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

I’ve tried making tri-tip with so many different seasonings, spices and marinades and I always come back to this very simple recipe.

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  • Ingredients for Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip
  • Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

Ingredients for Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

  • Tri-tip
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder

The instructions on the recipe card below are for using a Charcoal Grill, an Air Fryer and a Mealthy Crisplid!

 

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Remove some of the fat, but leave some on one side. Mix together seasonings and rub it into both sides of meat.

(If you prefer an Argentine flair, prepare my Argentine Chimichurri Sauce and use instead of the seasonings listed here.)  I like to use garlic with parsley, Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper. If you would like a stronger smoky flavor, try the Rachael Ray Applewood Smoked Sea Salt.

It gives a great smoked taste that many people, including my husband, love. I’m not a fan of smoked meat, so it’s a bit too much for me when we cook on the grill, but I do love it on rice and on meat cooked inside.

 

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Some people like to add extra pepper, so if you like pepper, use a bit more. It helps make a nice crust while searing.

Another recipe to try on the grill is my Baby Back Carolina Style BBQ Pork Ribs. It is my favorite recipe when cooking St. Louis and Baby Back style ribs on the grill!

 

A close up of a charcoal grill

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect (one side of grill) heating. We mostly use our Extra Large Charcoal Grill for all of our grilling and a Weber Chimney Starter to light the coals.

A delicious paring for a side dish is my Instant Pot Pasta Cheese and Peas Salad, Pressure Cooker Basic Risotto Recipe with Peas and Carrots, or my incredible Instant Pot Colcannon recipe.

 

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Dump the hot coals on top of the cold coals. Since we use a Weber Chimney Starter, rather than lighter fluid, the hot coals will start to spread and heat the cold coals, as opposed to all the coals turning white right away.

 

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Place the Tri-Tip on to the Charcoal Grill, fat side up and give it a good sear, about 4 minutes. Flip over the meat and sear the other side for about 4 minutes.

 

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip on the grill
Move the Tri-Tip over to the other side of the Charcoal Grill (in my case, to the left) and close the lid for ten minutes. Open the lid and flip over the Tri-Tip. Close the lid again. After ten minutes, insert a thermometer into the meat.

For rare to medium rare, the Digital Meat Thermometer should read 120-130 degrees.

 

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Cover the meat and allow it to rest for 15 minutes, so that the juices will redistribute and not all leak out when you slice the Tri-Tip.

 

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Slice the meat thin and against the grain.

 

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Garnish with Argentine Chimichurri Sauce or Gremolata, if desired and serve with Mexican Corn on the Cob (Elote), Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, or Mushroom Risotto and a green vegetable.

Finish off  your meal with a cool bowl of my Creamy Grapes Salad.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

  • J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
  • Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
  • Alton Brown Salt Box
  • My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
  • Microplane Stainless Steel Zester
  • OXO Stainless Steel Tongs
  • Digital Meat Thermometer
  • Extra Large Charcoal Grill
  • Weber Chimney Starter
  • Rachael Ray Applewood Smoked Sea Salt

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

  • Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
  • Mealthy Crisplid

Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes! 

If you share a picture of something you make from our blog, tag it with #thisoldgalcooks so we can see it. We might feature it on Instagram! It makes my day when I see you’ve made one of our recipes!

Here is the handy printable recipe:

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 53 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 392kcal
Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper freshly ground
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
  • 3 pounds Tri-Tip

Instructions

  • Mix together seasonings and rub into both sides of meat.
  • Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect (one side of grill) heating.
  • Add soaked wood chips to fire, if using.
  • Place tri-tip over fire, fat side up and brown well, about 4 minutes.
  • Turn over and brown the other side.
  • Move meat to the other side of the grill, without the fire and close the cover.
  • Turn over meat every 10 minutes until thermometer reads 125-130 degrees for medium rare.
  • Remove from grill and rest for 15 minutes. Slice across the grain.

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Place tri tip into air fryer basket and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
  • Turn temperature down to 340 and cook for 10 minutes on each side for medium rare.

Mealthy Crisplid Instructions

  • Place trivet and Crisplid basket into Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.
  • Place tri tip into basket fat side up.
  • Place Crisplid over cooking pot. Set temperature to 500 degrees and cook for 3 minutes each side (6 total).
  • Reduce temperature to 330 degrees and cook for 10 minutes, flipping over after 5 minutes.
  • Check temperature and continue cooking until your desired doneness.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip
Amount Per Serving
Calories 392 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 150mg50%
Sodium 1865mg81%
Potassium 793mg23%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 48g96%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Calcium 69mg7%
Iron 3.8mg21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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© ThisOldGal.com - Sharing the recipe link to any of my recipes posts are both encouraged and appreciated. Unauthorized and improperly attributed or non-attributed use of this material, including screen shots, copy/paste of full recipes to any social media site, website, mobile application or service (e.g., copymethat, recipe keeper, pepper) or cookbook, without the requisite attribution or otherwise with express written permission from Jill Selkowitz is strictly prohibited. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

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Santa Maria Style Barbecue Grilled Tri-Tip

Santa Maria Style Barbecue Grilled Tri-Tip

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May 25, 2016

About Jill Selkowitz

Hi, I'm Jill. I'm a mom to Tonkinese cats and enjoy sharing restaurant quality meals, easily made at home. With my easy step by step photos and directions, new cooks will be able to follow along and cook like rock stars.

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Hi, I'm Jill, cooking enthusiast. Here you'll find top chef quality recipes with step by step photos and directions. More About Me

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