Santa Maria Tri-Tip
A tri-tip roast with a simple salt, pepper and garlic rub, slow-roasted and then seared for a deep crust, sliced thin and served with a fresh, tangy Santa Maria-style salsa.
Nutrition per serving
about 4 oz (115 g) sliced beef with salsa- Net carbs
- 2.7g
- Calories
- 351kcal
- Protein
- 40g
- Fat
- 19g
- Total carbs
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 1.3 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
With chimichurri: A garlicky parsley-oregano chimichurri replaces the tomato salsa for a punchier, herb-forward sauce.
- Instead of the salsa, stir the parsley, cilantro, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, vinegar and salt together, then stir in the olive oil. Let it stand 15 minutes and spoon it over the sliced beef. Our chimichurri recipe has more variations.
Santa Maria flank steak: Flank steak takes the same rub and salsa and cooks in about 12 minutes on a hot grill or skillet — no slow roast needed.
- Skip the oven. Sear or grill the seasoned flank steak over high heat 5–6 minutes per side, until 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Rest 10 minutes and slice very thinly against the grain.
- Tri-tip
- Santa Maria salsa
- Tri-tip
- Santa Maria salsa
-
2 medium tomatoesleave out -
¼ cup white onionleave out -
1 stalk celeryleave out -
½ can diced green chilesleave out -
½ tsp Worcestershire sauceleave out - Also add
- Tri-tip
- Santa Maria salsa
Estimated cost $28.38 for 6 servings ($4.73 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and rosemary and rub it all over the tri-tip. Leave it at room temperature for 30–60 minutes (or refrigerate uncovered overnight and take it out an hour before cooking).
-
Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Set the roast on a rack over a sheet pan and roast 35–50 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 135°F (57°C).
-
Meanwhile, make the salsa: stir together the tomatoes, onion, celery, green chiles, cilantro, vinegar, Worcestershire and salt. Let it stand at least 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.
-
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Sear the tri-tip 1½–2 minutes per side, including the thick edges, until deeply crusted. Check the thickest part: it should read at least 145°F (63°C).
-
Rest the roast on a board for 5–10 minutes. Tri-tip has two grain directions, so cut it in half where the grains meet (near the bend), then slice each half thinly across its own grain.
-
Serve the sliced beef with the salsa spooned over or alongside.
Tips for success
-
Grill method: cook over indirect heat (the cooler side of the grill) until 135°F (57°C), then sear over the hot side 2 minutes per side. Red oak is the traditional Santa Maria wood. - Slow-roasting first and searing last (a "reverse sear") gives an even rosy color from edge to edge with no gray band under the crust.
- Leftover slices are excellent cold in a steak salad or rolled in lettuce with the salsa.
Nice to have, not needed
- A leave-in probe thermometer catches the roast at exactly the right moment — an instant-read thermometer works if you check often.
- A grill with oak wood or chips gives the authentic Santa Maria smoke — the oven-and-skillet method needs none.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Warm slices in a hot skillet 30–60 seconds per side, or serve cold on salads.
Prep tip: Keep a chunk of the roast unsliced for leftovers — it stays juicier, and thin cold slices make great steak salads.
Refrigerate the sliced beef up to 4 days and the salsa up to 3 days. The cooked beef freezes up to 3 months.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosWith chimichurri
FlavorA garlicky parsley-oregano chimichurri replaces the tomato salsa for a punchier, herb-forward sauce.
- + ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- + 2 cloves garlic
- + 1 tsp dried oregano
- + ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- + ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- no tomatoes
- no white onion
- no celery
- no diced green chiles
- no Worcestershire sauce
1.1 g net · 421 kcal · 40 g protein · 28 g fat · ≈$4.61 per serving (−1.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Santa Maria flank steak
ProteinFlank steak takes the same rub and salsa and cooks in about 12 minutes on a hot grill or skillet — no slow roast needed.
- tri-tip roast → flank steak
2.7 g net · 351 kcal · 41 g protein · 18 g fat · ≈$5.56 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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