Tri Tip Serving Chart: 4 to 50 People
Raw, trimmed pounds to buy, for the same three portions as the calculator. Each portion is named for what lands on the plate: 4, 6, or 8 ounces of cooked, sliced tri tip. Tri tip loses about 25% of its weight in the cook, so you buy ⅓ lb, ½ lb, or ⅔ lb raw per person to get there. Half a pound raw and six ounces cooked are the same serving, before the cook and after.
The middle column is the default (the main event, tri tip plus a couple of sides). The first is the lighter portion, for when chicken, sausage, or ribs share the table, or the spread of sides is big enough to do the same job. Shop by the pounds, not the number of packages; the cut covers what to look for at the counter.
Round up, not down
You can’t buy part of a roast. When the math lands between two, buy the bigger one; leftovers make the next day’s sandwiches.
| People | With another meat⅓ lb raw each4 oz cooked | The main event½ lb raw each6 oz cooked | Big appetites⅔ lb raw each8 oz cooked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 people | 1.5 lb | 2 lb | 2.75 lb |
| 6 people | 2 lb | 3 lb | 4 lb |
| 8 people | 2.75 lb | 4 lb | 5.5 lb |
| 10 people | 3.5 lb | 5 lb | 6.75 lb |
| 12 people | 4 lb | 6 lb | 8 lb |
| 15 people | 5 lb | 7.5 lb | 10 lb |
| 20 people | 6.75 lb | 10 lb | 13.5 lb |
| 25 people | 8.5 lb | 12.5 lb | 16.75 lb |
| 30 people | 10 lb | 15 lb | 20 lb |
| 40 people | 13.5 lb | 20 lb | 26.75 lb |
| 50 people | 16.75 lb | 25 lb | 33.5 lb |
How Many People Does a Tri Tip Feed?
One trimmed tri tip, about 2 pounds, feeds 4 people as a main course with sides. Push it to 6 when the table is crowded with beans, salsa, garlic bread, and salad, or expect it to cover only 3 when you are feeding people who came for the meat. Sliced thin for sandwiches, one roast makes about 6.
Roasts vary, so here is the same math by sticker weight. These are trimmed weights, what the grocery counter sells. If you are buying fat-cap-on roasts from a butcher, knock about a fifth off the label, more with a heavy cap, before you read the row.
| Trimmed roast | With another meat⅓ lb raw each4 oz cooked | The main event½ lb raw each6 oz cooked | Big appetites⅔ lb raw each8 oz cooked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 lb trimmed | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 lb trimmed | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 2.5 lb trimmed | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 lb trimmed | 9 | 6 | 4 |
Where the Numbers Come From
Three things stand between the weight on the label and the meat on the plate. First, trim. An untrimmed tri tip carries a fat cap that can run close to an inch thick, and taking it down costs about a fifth of the weight, more with a heavy cap. Most grocery roasts arrive already trimmed, which is why every figure on this page starts from trimmed weight. Second, the cook. A medium-rare roast loses about 25% of its raw weight to rendered fat and moisture; pull it later and it loses more, which is one more argument for pulling at the right temperature. Third, the slice. Cutting across the grain, and switching direction at the seam, keeps every piece tender. If that seam is new to you, how to slice tri tip covers it.
Put together: 0.5 pound raw becomes about 6 ounces cooked, which is a generous restaurant portion. The hearty figure, two-thirds of a pound raw, lands at 8 ounces cooked, the size of a steakhouse cut once it is off the grill. The light figure, a third of a pound raw, gives about 4 ounces, which is plenty when the tri tip is one of five things on the plate.
Cooking Tri Tip for a Crowd
Past a dozen people you are buying several roasts, and that works in your favor. Two or three 2 to 2.5 pound tri tips cook in the same hour a single one does, since cook time tracks thickness, not total weight. They fit on one grill, rest while the next batch sears, and you slice in shifts so the first plates and the last plates both get hot meat. Buy roasts of similar size and thickness so they finish together. Warehouse clubs sell them in two-packs for exactly this reason, and they are often the best price per pound; the price index tracks what stores are charging this week.
For the biggest parties, serve sandwiches. The same pound of meat serves more people, and the line moves faster. Put out salsa and a horseradish cream and let people build their own. Round out the table with the traditional sides, which also happen to be the cheapest way to stretch the meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much tri tip do I need for 20 people?
About 10 pounds of raw, trimmed tri tip for 20 people as a main course with sides, or roughly five 2 pound roasts. If chicken or ribs share the table, 6¾ pounds is enough; for big appetites, plan on 13½ pounds. The calculator works it out for any head count.
How much does tri tip shrink when cooked?
About 25% of its raw weight at medium-rare, lost to rendered fat and moisture, so half a pound raw lands at about 6 ounces on the plate. Cook it further and it loses more, which is one more reason to pull it at the right internal temperature.
How many sandwiches does one tri tip make?
A 2 pound trimmed tri tip makes about 6 sandwiches at 4 ounces of sliced meat each. Slice it thin across the grain (how to slice tri tip) and it goes further. Our tri tip sandwich has the build.
Should I buy trimmed or untrimmed tri tip?
Trimmed is ready to cook and is what most grocery counters sell. Untrimmed, the butcher case version, costs less per pound, but about a fifth of that weight is fat cap that comes off before or after the cook, so the real price gap is smaller than the sticker suggests. Buy untrimmed if you want control over the cap and do not mind ten minutes with a knife. The cut shows what to look for at the counter.
How much will the tri tip cost for my party?
Take the pounds from the calculator and multiply by the price at your store. The tri tip price index tracks what stores are advertising this week by grade, from the USDA retail report, so you know whether the price in front of you is a good one. Warehouse club two-packs are often the best price per pound for a crowd.
How do I keep tri tip warm until everyone is ready to eat?
Rest it uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, then wrap it loosely in foil and a towel and hold it in a closed cooler. It stays in the 130s for an hour or more without cooking further. Pull it about 5°F early if you know you will be holding it, and skip the oven’s warm setting, which dries the surface. More on holding and warming in how to reheat tri tip.
What should I do with leftover tri tip?
Plan for it. Cooked tri tip keeps three to four days in the fridge, best as a whole piece, and it slices paper-thin when it is cold. That makes the best tri tip sandwich you will eat all week, or turn it into tri tip tacos. If leftovers are the goal, add a quarter more to the number the calculator gives you. To warm it without drying it out, see how to reheat tri tip.