Oven Roasted Tri-Tip with Santa Maria Rub

4.84 from 18 votes

Tender tri-tip roast, seasoned with Santa Maria dry rub and ready in under 45 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Resting Time4

Total Time4 45

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Hilda Sterner

Prepare Santa Maria Dry Rub seasoning and set aside.
Wash the tri-tip roast and pat it dry. Trim some of the excess fat, leaving some behind for enhanced flavor.
Mix baste ingredients and use to generously baste the tri-tip. Set aside the remaining baste for later.
Rub the tri-tip with all of the Santa Maria Dry Rub, making sure to coat all the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for four or more hours.

Tip: Bring the tri-tip to room-temperature by removing it from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to cooking it.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Baste the tri-tip roast with the remaining oil and vinegar baste. Heat a large, seasoned cast-iron skillet, then sear the meat on all sides.
Transfer the pan to the oven and insert the probe. Set the probe to the desired internal temperature (see next step). Roast the tri-tip, fat-side up, for 10 to 15 minutes per pound.
Cook until the internal temperature in the thickest part reads
125°F for rare
135°F for medium-rare
145° for medium
150° for medium-well
160° for well-done
Tent the tri-tip with foil and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Serve with Chimichurri sauce on the side.

My Santa Maria spice rub recipe is portioned for an average-sized 4 to 5 lb. roast. If your roast is smaller, you can save some of the rub for another purpose. Although it may seem like we're overly seasoning the roast, a lot of the seasoning will remain in the pan once it's cooked.
If you cook the roast while still cold, it will require additional cooking time.
Remember that the temperature of the roast will continue to rise after it's removed from the oven. Keep this in mind when deciding how long to cook and rest the tri-tip.
When eating tri-tip, it's a good idea to slice it across the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes the steak easier to chew. However, if you did this with a large tri-tip, you'd end up with very long slices. I recommend slicing it with the grain to portion it out and slicing it against the grain as you eat it.
Store leftover tri-tip in a ziplock bag or an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
Leftover tri-tip makes great sandwiches, especially when topped with caramelized onions (see my Tri-Tip Sandwiches recipe).