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Slow cooker tri-tip is the ultimate solution for tender, flavorful shredded beef that practically melts in your mouth. This is an easy and versatile recipe and it’s perfect for sandwiches, tacos, or meal prep.
This recipe only takes 15 minutes of prep time, and it makes a great weeknight dinner. You can even stretch it into a couple of meals and add it to beef tacos, chimichangas, burritos, or a tortilla casserole. The options are limitless.
Here is Why This Crock Pot Tri Tip Recipe Works
Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor: The slow cooker does all the hard work while you go about your day.
Rich and Savory Goodness: Red wine, garlic, and fresh herbs infuse the beef with incredible depth of flavor.
Perfectly Tender Every Time: Slow-cooked for hours, this tri-tip practically shreds itself. No knife necessary.
Meal Prep Hero: Makes enough for sandwiches, tacos, or freezer-friendly portions to save the day on busy nights.
The Ingredients
- Meat: Tri-tip roast
- Produce: Onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary
- Pantry: Beef broth, Smoked paprika, salt, pepper, oil
- Condiments: Dijon mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
- Other: Red wine
Note: You can substitute the wine for extra broth if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
Variations
BBQ Slow Cooker Tri Tip: Add ½ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce to the cooking liquid and skip the red wine. Serve with coleslaw on buns.
Chipotle-Lime Crock Pot Tri tip: Mix 1 tablespoon of chipotle chili powder and the juice of one lime into the cooking liquid. Great for tacos or burrito bowls.
Asian-Inspired Tri Tip: Swap the Worcestershire sauce for hoisin sauce and add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger. Serve over rice or in lettuce wraps.
Tips for Slow Cooker Success
- Look for a well-marbled tri tip roast for the best flavor and tenderness.
- Don’t skip searing the tri tip! It locks in flavor and adds a rich, caramelized crust.
- Place the sliced onions on the bottom of the slow cooker to keep the meat from sticking and add extra flavor to the cooking liquid.
- The meat should shred easily with a fork. If it’s still tough, let it cook a little longer.
- Use the flavorful cooking juices to drizzle over the shredded meat or as a base for a gravy or sauce.
- When you sear the roast, make sure the skillet is very hot. You don’t want to cook it all the way through, you’re only looking to give the tri tip a nice brown crust.
- Use the broth to deglaze the skillet after you brown the beef roast. The broth will pick up extra flavor and you can add it to the crock pot.
- Season the tri tip and sear it on both sides in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the roast on top of the onions in the slow cooker and cover it with the Dijon mustard and paprika.
- Combine the ingredients for the sauce and pour over the tri tip. Toss in the herbs and cover the crock pot.
- Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours until the roast is so tender it shreds.
Storage
Refrigerating Leftovers: Allow the shredded beef to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing Leftovers: Place leftovers in a freezer-safe resealable bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of the cooking liquid to prevent drying out. Alternatively, zap in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through
Conclusion
This slow cooker tri tip is your dinner hero, juicy, flavorful, and versatile enough to star in anything from meal prep bowls to a cozy Sunday roast. It’s the kind of recipe that makes you look like you’ve been in the kitchen all day… without actually being there.
More Recipes You Will Love
Slow Cooker Pot Roast: The easy, everyday pot roast just got easier with this slow cooker pot roast recipe!
Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables: Tender, tasty Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables, with lots of fresh thyme and cooked for hours, creating a rich flavor sauce with very little hands on.
Slow Cooker Spicy Vegetables Lentil Stew: A hearty, thick lentil stew chock full of vegetables and satiating enough as a complete meal.
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Tri-Tip in the Crock Pot
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2-½ to 3 pound Tri-Tip roast
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt/pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 dry bay leaves
- Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
Instructions
- Add the sliced onions to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Brush the tri-tip roast on all sides with the oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat until very hot and add the meat. Sear for about 3 minutes on each side and edges to a deep crust. (Turn on your stove vent and open your doors)
- Transfer the seared meat to the slow cooker. Brush the Dijon mustard on the exposed top of the tri-tip and dust with the smoked paprika.
- Combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, red wine and garlic together and pour around the sides of the tri-tip. Add the bay leaves and fresh herbs.
- Place the cover on the cooker and set the temperature to low and cook for 8 hours or until the meat shreds when tested with a fork. Remove the tri-tip from the cooker and place on a platter until cool enough to handle. Using two forks, shred the meat then drizzle with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid remaining in the cooker.
Notes
- Be sure to turn on the stove vent and open the doors when searing the tri-tip, otherwise the smoke will set off you smoke alarm.
- After the tri-tip has cooked for 8 hours, check it with a fork, if it shreds easily, it is done cooking. If not, cook it a little longer.
- This recipe makes a large amount of shredded beef. Divide the shredded meat into portions the size your family needs. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and place in a sealable container and freeze. The meat will keep, frozen, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator when ready to use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Hi! My trip tip roast is a bit smaller….1.46 pounds. Would you be able to tell me how much to decrease the time? Thank you!
Great question about adjusting the cooking time for your 1.46-pound tri-tip roast. While the size of your roast is smaller than the 3-pound one used in the recipe, the thickness of the meat is an important factor to consider. Since this recipe is designed to cook the tri-tip until it’s tender enough to shred with a fork, I recommend starting to check the meat after 4 to 6 hours of cooking. If it doesn’t shred easily at that point, continue cooking it a bit longer until it reaches the desired tenderness. The key is to ensure that it cooks through and becomes perfectly tender, so a little bit of monitoring towards the end of the cooking time will do the trick.
I have a tri tip already seasoned. What do you recommend for the slow cooker.
You can follow the recipe except you won’t need to season the tri tip with salt and pepper since yours is already seasoned. The rest of the ingredients in the recipe are wonderful flavor enhancers.
I cannot get your recipe it’s not at the bottom of this page!! This sucks so I’m just having to eyeball everyone of the ingredients thank you
the recipe is there, you just have to click the button that says “I want it”
I am cooking this today and it is in the crockpot. My brother used to make the best tri-tip on the grill and I miss it! But I cannot wait to taste this!
Thanks for the comment. Enjoy!
Hi, Deborah….this slow cooker method is a great tri-tip recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as your brothers from the grill.
Never thought of cooking a tri-tip in the slow cooker — it’s always been a grill or oven thing for me. Great idea, though — gotta try this. Thanks!
It turns out great and makes fantastic shredded beef.
I absolutely love this recipe! My second time making it & it’s so deliciously flavorful! Thank you!
Thank you, Mari….I agree with you, this is easy and delicious! Watch out blog space for more delicious tri-tip recipes.
I made this today. My youngest child, who does not like meat and douses all food I make with ketchup, loved this. She had three helpings and said she wants to eat this every day for the rest of her life! We are all in awe! The rest of the family loved it too, but this was really a turning point for her. What a keeper of a recipe! Thanks!
Wow, Brandy! Kudos to your daughter for three helpings! Thanks for sharing this great review! I am thrilled that your family enjoyed this recipe! ♥️
I just made a tri-tip in my sous vide, and I just didn’t like the results. I might have to find other time and temperatures, but in the mean time, I’ll follow your recipe for some old fashioned cooking!
Hi, Mimi….How disappointing is that! I love using my sous vide but have not used it for a tri-tip. There must be a way to fix the problem. Last resort there is always a good beef/veggie soup. lol
Made this recipe last week. Best Tri-Tip we’ve ever had. Made sandwiches on ciabatta buns and used the juice from the cooker to dip the sandwiches in. Doesn’t get any better than that.
Oooh, that sandwich sounds delicious, Mike! I must give that a try…if you have some leftovers you could use it for fajitas, they are also delicious and it is an easy meal to put together. Thanks for your comments, we love hearing from our readers.
Could I have some to make a sandwich? That looks so flavourful and amazingly delicious.
Sure, Angie! It makes a great BBQ sandwich with caramelized onions on a burger bun! Also, it is delicious in fajitas! Thanks for your comments.