If your dinner goals include putting a delicious, home-cooked meal on the table with minimal effort, this Instant Pot tri-tip and vegetables is the recipe made just for you. ? It’s a healthy, flavorful mix of lean meat and roasted veggies, an easy dinner that will be a hit with the entire family!
You’ll be crossing your fingers for leftovers because this also makes the perfect sandwich meat and the easiest lunch to pack if you’re into weekly meal prep.
What do you use tri-tip for?
Tri-tip is the cut of beef from the bottom sirloin and gets its name from its triangular shape. It’s also referred to as a triangular sirloin roast, a culotte roast, or a California Cut.
A tri-tip roast is a leaner, healthier red meat option that also happens to be budget-friendly. However, it’s still tender and tasty! You’ll often see tri-tip roasted or grilled, and it’s often marinated first since it lacks the fat that contributes to flavor.
How to make Instant Pot tri-tip and vegetables
What’s great about this tri-tip roast recipe, is the Instant Pot cuts down the cooking time IMMENSELY. What would typically take over an hour to cook, is done in 30 minutes in the Instant Pot! (But keep in mind that it can take about 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to get up to temperature and begin cooking).
Plus, the marinade turns into a delicious gravy that you can enjoy drizzled onto the meat and vegetables. This is a healthy, hearty meal that will leave everyone wondering how you pulled dinner together so quickly!
Another plus, is that it only requires basic ingredients that are pantry staples. The fresh produce (carrots, onions, and potatoes) keep for months so they are always in my house because they make great meals when I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Marinade: olive oil, minced garlic, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, dijon mustard
- 2-pound Tri-Tip beef roast
- Olive oil
- Red wine
- Beef broth
- Carrots
- Onions
- Baby potatoes
- Cornstarch and water (to make the gravy)
You’ll definitely need an Instant Pot for this one (or a similar type of pressure cooker). This Tri-Tip recipe is written specifically for the type of quick, high-pressure cooking that an Instant Pot allows.
If you want to make Tri-Tip roast a different way, check out this previous post on How to Cook a Tri-Tip Roast in the Oven, or our sous vide tri tip.
Helpful tips.
If you don’t have some of the ingredients, it is easy to improvise. Here are some ideas for substitutions.
- Swap the fresh garlic for dry garlic powder.
- Out of Worcestershire sauce? Try using oyster sauce, miso paste, or A-1 steak sauce. They don’t have the same flavor profile as Worcestershire but they do have a great umami flavor.
- No red wine? No problem! Try sherry, white wine, apple juice, or just use extra broth.
- If you only have large potatoes instead of baby potatoes just cut the larger potatoes. Make sure they are the same size as a baby potato so they cook just as quickly.
When it is time to release the pressure, make sure you use an oven mitt and keep your face away from the pressure release valve. The steam and spurts of liquid that come out can burn you if you are not careful.
The Process:
Okay, back to the process of making this Instant Pot Tri-Tip and vegetables. Here’s a quick summary, but be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the full recipe!
- Make the marinade and pour it into a sealable plastic bag with the roast. Marinade the tri-tip roast for 1-3 hours in the fridge (this helps tenderize it too!).
- When it’s done marinating, remove the roast from the marinade, pat it dry, and sauté in the Instant Pot in olive oil. You only want to sauté for about two minutes on each side to brown it. Remove the roast from the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot. Pour in the remaining marinade and add the beef broth. Place the rack in the bottom of the pot and set the roast on top.
- Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally (about 20 minutes).
- Remove the lid and add the vegetables. Cook on high pressure for another 3 minutes and then do a quick release (protect your hand with an oven mitt!).
- Remove the Tri-Tip and vegetables, but leave the marinade in the Instant Pot so you can make the gravy. Simply mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then bring the liquid in the pot to a boil (Sauté setting) and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
Can I put frozen meat in the Instant Pot?
You absolutely can, and this is one of my favorite things about cooking with an Instant Pot! However, we don’t recommend using a frozen Tri-Tip for this recipe. It really should marinade first because that’s when it will absorb all that yummy flavor! Plus, the longer the meat marinades, the more tender it will be.
We’ve shared a few recipes on using the Instant Pot for frozen meat, including:
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Frozen Turkey Breast
- Frozen Cornish Game Hens in the Pressure Cooker
Hooray for more Instant Pot magic! We’re loving this quick, home-style family meal! It’s a classic made easier, and a great one to add to your weekly dinner rotation. Now all you need is the perfect dessert. 😉 Maybe an easy and delicious chocolate cake or a blondie brownie. You can mix either of those desserts in one bowl!
SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:
- Braised Herb Lamb Shanks just might be the perfect dinner! The lamb is fall-off-the-bone tender, flavored with fresh herbs, wine, and beef broth. Don’t be intimidated by this one, it’s simple but impressive!
- Want to know the best way to make Caramelized Onions? Here’s a handy how-to, because they’re great on EVERYTHING.
- Our Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are the ultimate comfort food! Plus, it’s easy and quick, which means more time to savor each bite! Or go back for seconds. 😉
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Instant Pot Tri Tip and Vegetables
Ingredients
Marinade for Tri-Tip:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Tri-Tip and Vegetables
- 2- pound Tri-Tip beef roast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 1-½ cups beef broth
- 6 to 8 carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 to 3 onions peeled and quartered
- 1 pound baby potatoes
For the gravy:
- 2-½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a closable plastic bag. Place the tri-tip roast into the bag with the marinade. Press the excess air out of the bag, zip it closed.
- Place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours. The longer you let it marinate, the more tender it will get.
- Heat the Instant Pot on Saute mode and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, pat the Tri-Tip roast dry and place it in the hot Instant Pot (make sure you save the marinade for later).
- Saute the Tri-Tip for 2 minutes on each side to get it brown. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot (scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the cooked-on bits off the pot). This is important to prevent the Instant Pot from getting a ‘burn’ notice.
- Pour the remaining marinade into the pot then add the beef broth.
- Place the rack in the bottom of the pot and set the Tri-Tip on the rack.
- Secure the lid and place the valve in the sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. (It will take 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to heat up.)
- Let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the carrots, onions, and potatoes to the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid and place the valve in the sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes then do a quick release (use an oven mitt to protect your hand from the steam). If you like your vegetables extremely soft then increase the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- Remove the Tri-Tip and the vegetables and set aside (leave the juices in the pot to make a gravy).
FOR THE GRAVY:
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the water.
- Select the Saute setting on the Instant Pot. Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil and slowly add the cornstarch mixture. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes while whisking constantly.
- If the gravy is too thick, add additional broth to get the consistency you like.
Notes
- Cut the vegetables to about 1 inch thick so they cook at the same time. Larger chunks of vegetables will need to cook longer. If the vegetables are larger than 1 inch thick then you will need to increase the cooking time.
- This cut of meat is also called a triangular sirloin roast, culotte roast or a California Cut.
- Use an oven mitt or pad to protect your hands when you release the pressure from the Instant Pot.
- If your tri tip is a bit thin then you will want to reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes. If it still gets overcooked and is a bit tough then stick it back in the Instant Pot for another 30 minutes. The extra time in the pressure cooker will turn a tough piece of meat into one that falls apart so you can shred it.
For high altitude cooking times:
- Over 2000 feet = 32 minutes
- Over 3000 feet = 33 minutes
- Over 4000 feet = 34 minutes
- Over 5000 feet = 36 minutes
- Over 6000 feet = 38 minutes
Andrée
Monday 18th of October 2021
Made this meal last night and it came out delicious. I didn’t have Worcestershire sauce so subbed liquid aminos instead and added about 4 cups whole mushrooms. I cooked the veggies & potatoes for 15 minutes instead of 3 minutes then just let out the steam. They came out perfectly cooked. The meat was super tender as well so I think the extra 12 minutes benefitted both the veggies & the meat. Adding this recipe to my personal cookbook, mahalo!
Dahn Boquist
Monday 18th of October 2021
Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it, the mushrooms sound like a great addition.