Slow Cooker Tri Tip Recipe
Tri tip braised low and slow in a crockpot until fork-tender. A hands-off method that turns a lean cut into something rich and shreddable.
This is the least traditional tri tip on the site, and worth being honest about: the Santa Maria way is fire, not a slow cooker. But low, moist heat takes the cut in a different direction, tender and shreddable, that has its own place.
Cooked this way, tri tip stops being a sliceable roast and becomes pull-apart beef for sandwiches, tacos, and busy weeknights. It is not the cookout centerpiece, but for a hands-off dinner that feeds a crowd, it earns its spot.
The key is time and temperature. Tri tip is lean and carries only a little collagen, but what it has breaks down into gelatin as the internal temperature climbs into the 195 to 205°F range and stays there. What starts out firm gradually becomes moist, fork-tender meat, soaked in the braising liquid.
This approach is especially appealing if you want a low-effort, mostly hands-off meal. You can season and sear the tri tip (if desired), set it in the slow cooker with some liquid and aromatics in the morning, and come back to a ready-to-eat dinner. It’s also a smart way to use a previously frozen tri tip or a thinner roast that might easily overcook or dry out on the grill.
Which cooker to use
Slow cooker This is the recipe as written. The step people skip is the sear in step 2, and it’s the only browning this dish will ever get, since nothing in a crockpot browns anything.
Dutch oven The same braise with better control, and you can sear in the pot instead of dirtying a skillet. Hold it at 300 F and start checking at three hours, because a Dutch oven runs hotter than a crockpot on low and gets there sooner.
Grill Hours at 200 F is what breaks the collagen down, and a grill can’t hold heat that low that long without drying the meat out first. If you have a fire lit, Santa Maria tri tip is what to cook on it, and for pull-apart beef with smoke in it the shredded tri tip does that.
Ingredients
- 1 whole tri tip roast (2-3 lbs), untrimmed
- 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into rings
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Season the tri tip generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- 2
Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the tri tip for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned.
Don’t skip this step. The sear builds a crust that adds flavor even after hours of braising.
- 3
Place sliced onions and smashed garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Set the seared tri tip on top.
- 4
Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary around the sides, not over the top of the meat.
- 5
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 195-205°F and the meat shreds easily with a fork.
This is a different approach than grilling. You’re cooking well past medium-rare to break down connective tissue. The result is tender, shreddable meat.
- 6
Remove the tri tip and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain for sliced serving, or shred with two forks for sandwiches and tacos.
Strain the cooking liquid and reduce it by half in a saucepan for a rich au jus to serve alongside.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 40 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Sat. Fat
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 560 mg
- Cholesterol
- 110 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredients and serving sizes.
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