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Instant Pot Tri Tip is the perfect way to get a tender, juicy roast in a fraction of the time. This recipe combines a flavorful marinade, perfectly cooked vegetables, and a rich gravy, all made effortlessly in the Instant Pot. It’s a quick, hearty meal that’s perfect for any occasion.
Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast and Potatoes
If your dinner goals include putting a delicious, home-cooked meal on the table with minimal effort, our Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast is your answer to a hearty, flavorful meal made easy. Juicy roast, tender potatoes, and a rich gravy—all in one pot, all in no time!
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.
Here is Why This Pressure Cooker Tri Tip Recipe Works
Quick and Easy: Get a tender, flavorful roast without spending hours in the kitchen—thank you, Instant Pot!
One-Pot Wonder: Cook the meat, veggies, and gravy all in one pot; less cleanup, more time to relax.
Perfectly Cooked Veggies: No mushy mess here—carrots, onions, and potatoes are cooked just right.
Versatile Cooking Tips: High altitude? Thin roast? No problem! We’ve got you covered with adjustments to ensure perfect results every time.
What Do You Use Tri Tip Cut 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 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.
The Ingredients
- Meat: Tri Tip roast
- Produce: Carrots, onions, baby potatoes, garlic
- Pantry: Olive oil, beef broth, cornstarch, salt, pepper
- Condiments: Balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard
- Other: Red wine
How to Make Instant Pot Tri Tip and Vegetables
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.
- Marinate the meat.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute and brown all sides of the steak.
- Deglaze the pot with wine and pour in the marinade and broth. Set the tri tip in the Instant Pot.
- Cook on high then do a natural release (see the recipe card below for times).
- Remove the lid and add the vegetables. Finish cooking the meal on high pressure.
- Remove the Tri-Tip and vegetables. Reduce the sauce and thicken it with cornstarch.
Variations
Garlic Herb Version: Add a mix of fresh rosemary, thyme, and a few cloves of crushed garlic to the marinade.
Southwestern Spin: Mix in a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a dash of cumin to the marinade. Instead of cooking the beef in the marinade, add a jar of salsa along with the broth, then toss in some bell peppers and corn.
Mushroom Mania: Add a cup or two of sliced mushrooms to the Instant Pot along with the wine. Instead of cooking in the marinade, add some additional beef broth.
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. It all adds flavor the the drippings.
- 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.
- Placing the tri tip steak on a trivet prevents the steak from boiling which can make the beef tough. However, if you want pulled tri tip, go ahead and place it in the liquid and increase the cooking time.
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.
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, using a frozen Tri-Tip means you can’t marinate it first and that’s when it will absorb so much 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:
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.
More Recipes 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
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
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 or 15 minutes per pound. (It will take 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to heat up.) If you want to shred the meat, cook it for 20 minutes per pound.
- 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.
Video
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.
- The cooking time is based on a 2 pound tri tip.
- If the meat turns out tougher than you prefer, return it to the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for an addition 10 to 12 minutes. The extra time will turn a tough piece of meat into one that falls apart so you can shred it.
- Adding the marinade to the pot when you cook the roast will give the sauce a bit of an acidic flavor, similar to sauerbraten. For a milder flavor, replace the marinade with more beef broth during the cook time.
Recipe Variations:
- Garlic Herb Infusion: Enhance the marinade with fresh rosemary, thyme, and a few crushed garlic cloves for an aromatic twist.
- Southwestern Twist: Add smoked paprika and cumin to the marinade, then cook the beef with a jar of salsa and broth instead of the marinade. Toss in some bell peppers and corn.
- Mushroom Delight: Include sliced mushrooms in the Instant Pot along with the wine, and replace the marinade with additional beef broth for a rich, earthy flavor.
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Marinade was very tasty. Meat came out very tough and chewy. Carrots and potatoes were not done using the 3 minutes. Overall my husband would not eat it. Very disappointed with the recommended cooking times.
Thanks for the comment Janie, sorry it didn’t work out for you. Are you using a 2 pound tri tip? Make sure you cut your vegetables to about 1 inch diameter. Admittedly, I do not cook my vegetables to a soft, mushy state although I do know some people like them that way. If you like your vegetables super soft then increase the cooking time for the veggies by 2 minutes.
Does this recipe use the Pressure Cooker mode or is it the regular IP for the 30m?
Use the high-pressure setting for 30 minutes. When 30 minutes is complete then let is sit in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes while it naturally releases pressure.
What type of red wine do you reccomend?
A Merlot or Pinot Noir would work well but go ahead and use one that you particularly like.
It turned out really good! I was skeptical but I was wrong! Definitely worth making again!
I’m so glad you liked it, thanks for the comment
I just made this and my husband of almost 4 years said it was the best roast I have ever made! This is definitely being added to the recipe rotation. I did find the gravy rather acidic… I was wondering what I can do to lessen the tangy ness… just a bit. We are going keto soon… and I will be making this with radishes, cauliflower and broccoli and replacing the cornstarch with xantham gum. Thank you for sharing such a powerful and versatile recipe!
Thanks for the comment Jeanette. Yes, the gravy is a bit acidic and reminds some of the family of Sauerbraten. If you want to cut back on the acidic flavor of the gravy then just add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the marinade to the Instant Pot and increase the beef broth by 1/2 cup. If that is still too acidic for you then do not add the marinade to the Instant Pot. Just add 1-1/2 cups of beef broth and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of salt and some pepper.
I have a 1 lb tri tip. Should I cut the time it’s cooking? Tired of ruining good meats!
It really depends more on the thickness of the tri-tip. Your 1-pound tri-tip probably isn’t much thinner than a 2 pound tri-tip so I wouldn’t cut the time by that much. The marinade will also help quite a bit to get the tri-tip more tender. Since it is such a lean meat it will do much better with a long marinade.
We would here this 3 out of 5. Meat was still kind of tuff, there was quite a bit of acidic bite to it, and the potatoes and carrots were no where near to done at 3 minutes. I had to cook them another 5 minutes just to get them barely done.
Thanks for the comment. The veggies do need to be about 1 inch thick to cook within the 3 minutes time frame.
Was wondering, do you have to cook the tritip and the vege on a rack or can it be cooked in the broth? won’t that create a deeper flavor especially if only 1 hour was used to marinate?
You certainly can omit the rack. The veggies will soak up some of the flavor of the marinade if they are submerged however they get pretty soft and tend to fall apart.
++THANK YOU SO MUCH, THIS WAS THE BEST TRI TIP RECIPE EVER. EVEN THE GRAVY WAS THE BEST!! I DID MARINADE OVERNIGHT AND THE ROAST WAS VERY VERY TENDER. MY MAN AND I LOVED IT AND WILL HAVE IT AGAIN. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE WAS MY INSTANTPOT TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO COME BACK UP TO COOK SO DINNER WAS ABOUT 45 MINUTES LONGER THAN I PLANNED. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE GREAT RECIPE. WILL TRY MORE FROM YOU.
I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed the tri-tip. I will add the extra info about the time needed to come up to temperature. Hopefully that will help with planning dinner better. Thanks for the comment, Sandra.
That looks so tender and yummy! Thanks for all the great tips, Dahn.
You’re welcome Angie!