Chimichurri Marinated Tri Tip
Tri tip in a chimichurri-inspired marinade, grilled, then finished with fresh chimichurri.
People ask whether they can marinate tri tip in chimichurri. You can, but the raw table sauce is built to taste bright on the outside of the meat, not to soak into it. A marinade has a different job: season the beef from within and help it brown. So this version leans on a chimichurri-inspired marinade, the same parsley, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar, dialed in for the grill.
The changes are small but they matter. Fewer herbs, so they season the meat instead of scorching over the fire. A little Worcestershire for umami and browning, smoked paprika for color, and a touch of Dijon to hold the marinade together. It still reads unmistakably like chimichurri, but it works from the inside instead of sitting on top.
Then comes the part that makes it worth the trouble: finish the sliced tri tip with fresh chimichurri. The marinade builds flavor deep in the meat, the raw sauce lands bright and sharp on top, and you get two layers of the same herbs instead of one. Treat the sauce the way you would horseradish with prime rib, a finishing touch, not a requirement.
Cook it like any grilled tri tip, pulling at a medium-rare 130 to 135 degrees and slicing thin against the grain. The marinade does not change the method, only the depth of flavor you start from.
Ingredients
- 1 whole tri tip roast (2-3 lbs), trimmed
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh chimichurri, to finish (see Chimichurri for Tri Tip)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the marinade: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic, parsley, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
The Dijon is not there for mustard flavor; it emulsifies the marinade so it clings evenly. Keep the herbs lighter than a table chimichurri so they season the meat instead of burning over the fire.
- 2
Add the tri tip, coat it well, and marinate refrigerated 4 to 8 hours.
Overnight up to 12 hours is fine. Past about 24 hours the vinegar starts to break down the surface, so do not push it further.
- 3
Pull the tri tip 30 minutes before cooking and pat it mostly dry, leaving just a thin coating.
A drier surface browns. A wet, herb-caked surface steams and the herbs scorch.
- 4
Build a two-zone fire. Sear over direct heat 4 to 5 minutes per side, then move to the indirect side and cook to 130 to 135 degrees F for medium-rare.
Reverse sear works too: low heat first, then a hard sear. Go by a thermometer, not the clock.
- 5
Rest 10 to 15 minutes, then slice thin against the grain, carving the two muscles apart where the grain changes direction.
Discard the used marinade. Never reuse marinade that has touched raw meat.
- 6
Spoon fresh chimichurri over the sliced tri tip just before serving.
Make the finishing chimichurri 30 minutes to 2 hours ahead so the garlic mellows and the herbs infuse the oil.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
- Calories
- 430
- Protein
- 43 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Sat. Fat
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 700 mg
- Cholesterol
- 105 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredients and serving sizes.
Related Recipes
Chimichurri for Tri Tip
The single best sauce for grilled tri tip. Bright, herbaceous, acidic. Parsley, oregano, red wine vinegar, garlic, and olive oil.
Santa Maria Style Tri Tip Recipe
The traditional California method for grilling tri tip over red oak coals with Santa Maria seasoning. Direct and indirect heat, 30-45 minutes total.
Reverse Sear Tri Tip Recipe
The most precise way to cook tri tip. Low oven to temperature, then a scorching sear for edge-to-edge pink with a hard crust. No gray band.