How to Cook Air Fryer Tri Tip Roast {30 Minutes}

Once you make this perfectly seared + tender Air Fryer Tri-Tip you will never go back to grilling this fantastic cut of meat. It is so amazing that we stopped everything to make another one and we wanted to tell you about it! It is air-fried in just a few minutes.

🐄 Why This Recipe Works

Simple | It takes just a few basic steps to get a perfectly cooked tri-tip.

Three ingredients | There is no long grocery list or expensive spices – Just three ingredients.

Perfectly seasoned | You are going to love our star of the show: the rub. I recommend stocking up!

Flexible | You can swap out the spices to fit your preference, the cooking method remains the same.

🥩 Ingredients

All you need is a quality air fryer and a few ingredients to make this delicious dinner idea. You can use a basket or a tray air fryer. You will find that there are some things the air fryer does really, really well. Tri-tip is one of those things.

Tri-Tip Roast | This is a juicy and delicious piece of meat. Made popular in California, it is sometimes considered a leftover scrap and in the old days it was discarded. In fact, this delicious cut of meat works perfectly in the Air Fryer, as well as on the grill, in the oven, broiled, or even smoked.

Trader Joe’s Coffee BBQ Rub | There are so many wonderful things I can tell you about this rub. It’s absolutely delicious! It has a subtle spiciness, sweet flavors, and it’s also smoky and a little bit salty. It is perfect for steak, fish, pork, and even chicken. If you don’t have Trader Joe’s near you, you can make your own homemade coffee rub.

Garlic Powder | You just need a little bit of garlic powder to give you a great flavor.

🧂 What is Tri Tip Steak

Tri-tip (also called a Santa Maria steak or Triangle Tip) is a triangular piece of meat that is found near the backside of the cow. It can range from 1.5 – 5 pounds. Before it was prepared like a steak in the Santa Maria market, it was often used for ground beef or discarded.

Tri-tip is a cheap and lean portion of the sirloin, so it will not be as tender as a ribeye, but don’t let that deter you! This cut of meat has beautiful marbling. For a beautifully tender cut of meat, tri-tip is substantially lower in cost than its neighbor – the ribeye.

The flavor is amazing! The one we cooked today was a small 1.5-pound cut that was perfect for the three of us. For best results, do not overcook it. Well done is not a good option for this cut.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

Air Fryer | Just one simple tool is all that you need to make this tender and juicy roast. This cut will fit into all types of fryers so pull out those Cosori, Ninja basket or Ninja Foodi, Instant Vortex 7 in 1 or the 10 in 1. The Chefman 2 Qt might be a bit too small but if you cut up the roast, it can be done.

If using a tray version, start by putting it in the bottom tray as you may already know that the upper one heats stronger and faster. Save that for getting a crust.

🍽️ Instructions

Allow the tri-tip to come to room temperature before you begin. This will allow the meat to retain moisture as it cooks and it will also absorb the rub more effectively. Set it out on the counter for about 20-30 minutes for a 1½ pound steak.

Step One: Heat the Air Fryer for about 10 minutes at 400º so it is piping hot. 

Step Two: Create the rub for the Tri-Tip by combining the garlic powder and Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub. Pat the Tri-Tip dry and then cover the entire roast with the dry rub.

Step Three: Place it in the Air Fryer for 5 – 7 minutes. Turn it over and set the time for another 5-7 minutes. Check the temperature so you don’t overcook it. 

Do you see the juice in the finished photo? That is accomplished by allowing it to rest for 10 minutes after you remove it. Don’t skip this step.  Allowing it to rest is essential!

Don’t have an air fryer? You can smoke your tri-tip, cook it on the grill, or even sear it off in a very hot skillet and bake it in the oven for about 12 – 14 minutes (for 1½ pounds of meat) at 400º. If you have a convection setting on your oven, it works exactly like the air fryer but on a larger scale.

⏲️ How to Cook Tri-Tip Perfectly

At 400º, it should take 5-7 minutes per side to get a nice medium temperature for the steak. Here are the temperatures to watch for depending on your desired level of doneness.

Medium Rare	130-135º
Medium	140º
Medium Well	155º
Well Done (not recommended for tri-tip)	165º

The best option when cooking beef is to start with the shortest time and work up, testing the temperature of the meat as you go. I always suggest testing, as everyone’s Air Fryer is slightly different and not everyone likes a medium-rare piece of meat. 

For perfect doneness, you want to watch the internal temperature using a thermometer probe. Remove the meat before it comes fully up to the temperature you want since it will continue to cook for a little bit as it rests.

🍴Expert Tips

You can use another, larger cut of steak to replace the tri-tip roast in this recipe. You will need to adjust the cooking time a bit. Just keep an eye on the temperature of the meat for your desired doneness.

Allow your beef to rest, as this will help prevent it from drying out. Beef should rest after cooking for about fifteen minutes. It will continue cooking during this rest period, so you should remove it from the heat source before it reaches your desired final temperature. Do not skip out on resting your meat.

Change out the seasonings in the rub to change the flavor. You could try a simple blend of garlic, salt, and pepper such as the Kinder’s rub from Costco. We also love this Yucatan Dry Rub for a little Mexican flavor.

An all-purpose rub like this one is also an excellent choice. Change it up by using this steak tips recipe idea. The horseradish sauce is amazing.

Always watch your food, as every air fryer will heat just slightly differently. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to cook your meat to your preference.

When slicing your tri-tip roast, be sure to cut against the grain. Cutting meat with the grain results in a chewy, unappetizing texture. Cutting against the grain makes an incredible difference!

This is literally the difference between loving and hating tri-tip. It must be cut against the grain for melt-in-your-mouth results. The unique cut of tri-tip means you may have to turn the meat slightly as you go to stay against the grain.

👩‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

🥔 Serving Suggestions

If you want a complementary type of meat for a party, try this Air Fryer Jerk Chicken.

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