Sous vide tri tip is perfect tri tip and it requires very little hands-on time! The precision of the sous vide means this no-fuss recipe will give you tri tip that is tender, juicy and super flavorful. It’s beef the way it should be.
A good tri tip roast is a special occasion all on its own. It’s versatile when it comes to seasonings- use a dash of garlic powder and salt and pepper, or a dry rub like our barbecue seasoning , or this tri tip rub.
And just like other cuts of beef, you can easily create a meat and potato dinner that’s hearty and delicious. Serve it with smoked baked potatoes or baby roasted potatoes and roasted garlic spears for a delicious meal.
Whether it’s Santa Maria Tri Tip or this hearty Instant Pot Tri Tip, we’re always in the mood for a slice of tri tip steak (especially these leftover tri tip sandwiches).
Why This Recipe Works
This sous vide tri tip is extra special, and it might just be the best way to prepare this cut of beef!
It’s a mostly hands-off type of meal with very little active time and incredible flavor. Plus, you’ll get perfect tri tip every single time.
- Simple to make (the sous vide does all the work!)
- Tender and juicy with amazing flavor.
- With just six ingredients, this meal is quick and simple to prepare!.
- Great for family dinners, special occasions, and holidays.
The Ingredients
Tri tip sous vide style doesn’t require much. Only six ingredients are needed to make the perfect tri tip that everyone will rave about!
You will need:
- beef tri tip
- coarse salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs (plus extra to garnish)
- vegetable or canola oil
Simple ingredients are all that’s required for this easy sous vide tri tip! Make sure you’re using a plain tri-tip roast and not a pre-marinated kind that you often see at grocery stores.
Recipe Highlights
The sous vide machine works wonders! The low and slow sous vide process is incredibly precise and will give you perfect tri tip, cooked to the precise temperature that you set it for.
Here’s a quick look at the process, but be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
First step: set up your sous vide container with water and set the circulator unit to the correct temperature. Trim any thick fat from the tri tip, leaving a thin layer. Fold a wide cuff at the top of the sous vide bag.
Season the tri tip well with salt and pepper, then slide it into the bag with the fresh herbs.
Seal the bag. When the water reaches temperature, place the bagged tri tip in the warm water bath. Cook according to the time in the chart.
Remove the tri tip from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Brush oil over the tri tip and season it with salt and pepper.
Sear the beef in a heavy skillet (such as stainless steel or cast iron pan) over high heat. When it’s browned on one side, flip it and add fresh herbs and reserved sous vide liquid. Tilt the cast-iron skillet and spoon the liquid over the tri tip.
Transfer the tri tip to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain into thin slices. Arrange the tender steak slices on a serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs.
Sous Vide Tri Tip Time
Below is a helpful chart that shows various cook times for your tri tip. Set the water temperature to the desired internal temperature you want your steak to reach (see the temperature chart below).
For example, if you like your beef cooked to medium rare, set the water temperature to 132°F, then measure the thickness of your tri tip. If it is 1 inch thick, it will need to cook for 1 hour.
| Thickness of steak | Time to cook |
|---|---|
| 1/2 inch | 30 minutes |
| 3/4 inch | 45 minutes |
| 1 inch | 1 hour |
| 1-1/2 inch | 1-1/2 hours |
| 2-inch | 2 hours |
| Doneness Level | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 120-130°F |
| Medium rare | 130-135°F |
| Medium | 135-145°F |
| Medium-well | 145-155°F |
| Well done | 155-160°F |
Tips for the Best Results
- You can use this tri tip sous vide recipe with frozen tri tip, too! Simply season and bag it, then cook as usual. Just make sure to add an extra hour to your cooking time.
- Choose your favorite seasoning for the sous vide tri-tip in place of the salt and pepper. Try a dry rub, sliced garlic cloves, or a tablespoon of butter.
- If you do not have a vacuum sealer, use a closable plastic food bag (like a Ziplock freezer bag) and the water displacement system. Place the meat in the bag and partially close the bag. Lower the bag into the water keeping the top of the plastic bag just barely above the water, so the air is forced out of the bag. Close the bag completely and submerge it under the water.
- If the bag does not submerge completely, you can add a heavy object inside the bag as a weight.
- To get a good sear on the tri tip, pat the moisture off the beef and brush it lightly with oil.
- Try this for a ‘flavor burst’: Just before the tri-tip is finished browning, add a pat or two of butter to the skillet. When the butter melts, remove the skillet from the heat, tilt the skillet, and spoon the butter over the top of the meat.
Waiting to Slice the Tri Tip
With sous vide cooking, there is no need for a ‘rest’ time and there is no ‘carry over’ cook time. However, we recommend letting the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing.
If you slice the meat immediately, it will have barely any red color to it and will appear overcooked. But it’s not! This is a feature of sous vide cooking, and it is only temporary.
Here is what happens: As the sliced meat sits at room temperature for a couple minutes and is exposed to the oxygen in the air, it will begin to ‘bloom’ as the myoglobin in the meat comes into contact with the oxygen. The meat will gradually turn pink and then red, so much so that it might even look more rare than it actually is.
Fresh rosemary, thyme, and basic salt and pepper, along with the magic of the sous vide, transform this cut of beef into a tender, juicy, perfectly pink tri tip!
For more sous vide recipes, try our sous vide wild turkey, ribeye steak, confit duck legs, bison ribeye, and sous vide Tomahawk steak.
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More Recipes You Will Love:
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin is pork cooked to perfection. We pair it with a simple cider garlic sauce that adds a boost of flavor to the tender pork. Serve it on truffle mashed potatoes with a Moroccan carrot salad on the side.
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Sous Vide Tri Tip
Ingredients
- 3 pound beef trip tip
- 2 tablespoon coarse salt divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
- Fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
Instructions
Prepare the Water Bath:
- Fill your sous vide container with water. Attach the immersion circulator unit and set it to the desired temperature according to the chart in the post or see the notes below. We set our sous vide unit to 130°F for medium rare.
Prepare and Cook the Tri Tip:
- Trim any thick fat from the tri tip, leaving just a very thin layer.
- Fold a wide cuff at the top of the sous vide bag. This step will keep the sealing area clean, ensuring a good seal to the bag.
- Season the trip tip well with 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Slide it into the bag with several sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs. Seal the bag.
- When the water reaches the programmed temperature, place the bagged tri tip in the water bath. Cook the tri tip based on the thickness of the steak. Calculate 30 minutes for every half inch of thickness. A ¾ inch steak will need to cook for 45 minutes. A 1-inch thick steak will need to cook for 1 hour. A 1-½ inch steak will need to cook for 90 minutes. A 2-inch steak will need to cook for two hours.
Finishing the Tri Tip:
- Remove the tri tip from the bag, reserving any liquid that has been released from the meat, and discard the herbs.
- Pat the tri tip dry with paper towels.
- Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over the tri tip and season it with salt and pepper.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to a heavy skillet (a cast iron skillet works great). Heat the oil over high heat until it just begins to smoke.
- Carefully place the beef in the skillet and sear. When the tri tip is browned on one side, turn it over and add a few fresh herbs to the pan.
- Add the reserved liquid from the sous vide bag to the skillet. Tilt the skillet and spoon the liquid over the tri tip while it is browning. Total searing time will be 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the tri tip to a cutting board, let it rest for 5 minutes then slice it across the grain. Arrange the tri tip slices on a serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
- With sous vide cooking there is no need for a ‘rest’ time for the meat and there is no ‘carry over’ cook time. However, there is a benefit to letting the meat rest for a few minutes. Meat cooked in the sous vide water bath doesn’t come in contact with oxygen. Once you open the bag and the meat gets exposed to the air, it will begin to ‘bloom’ as the myoglobin in the muscle fibers reacts with oxygen.
- If your meat is frozen, follow the instructions as written but add 1 hour to the cooking time.
- Choose your favorite seasoning for the tri tip in place of the salt and pepper. Try a dry rub, sliced garlic cloves, or a tablespoon of butter.
- If you do not have a vacuum sealer, use a resealable plastic bag and the water displacement method. Place the tri tip in the bag and partially close the bag. Lower the bag into the water keeping the top of the bag just barely above the water so the air is forced out of the bag. Close the bag completely and submerge the bag.
- To get a good sear to the tri-tip pat the moisture off the outside of the beef and brush lightly with oil.
Doneness Temperature for Sous Vide Steak
Set the water temperature to your desired internal temperature for the steak.- Rare = 120-130°F
- Medium rare = 130-135°F
- Medium = 135-145°F
- Medium well = 145-155°F
- Well done = 155-160°F
