A tri-tip is a large cut of meat that usually feeds, and pleases a crowd. It’s perfect for the holidays, whichever ones you may celebrate, and is usually fairly easy to bake up. So, how long do you need to bake it at 350 for a perfect medium rare?
How long you cook tri-tip in the oven at 350 will depend on the type of roast you’re using and how done you’d like the end result to be. Bottom sirloins that weigh about 2-3 pounds need 30 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
Top sirloin tri-tip needs a little less time to cook because of how deliciously marbled it is. You’re looking at about 25 minutes for a top sirloin tri-tip roast. Both of these will result in a medium-rare roast.
Here’s a quick guide for how long to cook tri-tip in the oven at 350 F:
- Medium rare: 10 minutes per pound
- Medium: 12 minutes per pound
- Well done: 14 minutes per pound
A bottom sirloin may need a few more minutes to cook, while top needs less. Adjust by 5-10 minutes per pound, depending on where your tri-tip was cut from.
How to Know When Your Tri Tip Is Done Cooking
While some people like a little bit of pink in their tri-tip, you should still ensure that it’s fully cooked past the ‘danger zone’ of temperatures before you indulge. How can you tell when your tri-tip is done cooking?
A thermometer is your best tool for gauging how done your tri-tip is. Medium rare tri-tips are done when their internal temperature reaches 145 F. Want your roast with even less pink on the inside? The interior temperature of the meat for a well-done tri-tip should be close to 160 degrees.
When using a meat thermometer, be sure to place where the tri-tip is the thickest. This will guarantee that you receive a precise reading of the internal temperature.
In the event that you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can also slice off a portion of your meat. If you see that it’s still pink on the inside with a rim of browned meat, it’s likely ready to dig into safely.
Will Foil Impact Tri Tip Cooking Time?
Adding foil to a tri-tip while you’re cooking will not make it cook any faster or slower. However, leaving the foil on will help retain some of the tasty juices through the cooking process. It’s important, though, that you remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time so that a nice crispy crust forms on the meat.
That said, you don’t need to wrap the tri-tip in foil if you don’t have any – or if you just don’t want to. If you plan to introduce moisture to the tri-tip in the form of gravy, it’s not as crucial to cover your meat. It comes down to a matter of preference.
Can You Bake a Tri Tip From Frozen?
It may be tempting to pop your tri-tip right from the freezer to the oven and cut out the middleman of thawing it, a process that’s usually done overnight. It is possible to bake tri-tip in the oven at 350 F from frozen. However, it’s not recommended.
Putting tri-tip right from the freezer to the oven will usually result in uneven cooking – and longer cooking. If you did forget to take the meat out the night before your big holiday dinner, you will at least need to give it about 10-15 more minutes in the oven to cook, depending on how thick it is.
For best results, you should not only thaw your tri-tip but let it rest on the counter for about 30 minutes before popping it in the oven to get it to room temperature.
Should You Rest Tri Tip After Baking?
After you bake your tri-tip, you’re likely going to want to get it on the table as soon as possible for everyone to start enjoying. However, as with many oven-baked goodies, patience is key to the perfect temperature.
It’s crucial to allow your tri-tip roast to rest after you remove it from the oven. Allowing it to settle for roughly 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the roast, helps the juices evenly distribute throughout the meat. After it has had time to sit, you’re ready to start slicing and serving.
How to Keep Tri Tip From Getting Tough
Did you take a bite of your delicious dinner only to realize that it’s chewy and dry? Your tri-tip roast may be tough for a number of reasons. There’s a chance you overcooked it. The meat’s fibers will tighten up and dry out if they are cooked for an excessively long time, especially after the meat inside passes 160 degrees F.
Another reason may be that you didn’t let your tri-tip rest for long enough after it came out of the 350-degree oven. As stated, a tri-tip needs to rest for at least 10 minutes before being cut into. This makes the roast juicier and more delicious by redistributing the liquids throughout the meat.
Tips For Tender Tri Tip
No one wants a tough tri-tip, especially if you’re baking it up for a rich holiday dinner. If you’ve struggled with dried-out tri-tip in the past, you know how frustrating it can be. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to make it perfectly moist and tender.
One option is to cook the roast for a shorter period of time. This will produce a tri-tip that is more likely to be rare. Rare or medium-rare tri-tip will be much more tender than well-done tri-tip.
Finally, you need to take into consideration what kind of tri-tip you have; trimmed or untrimmed. Trimmed tri-tip has had the fat removed. While that’s good for when you want to cut down on fats, it will make the tri-tip drier in the end. If you’re cooking a trimmed tri-tip, trim a few minutes off of the oven time for even more tender meat.
How to Slice a Tri Tip After Baking
For the best possible cut of tri-tip steak, you’ll want to cut against the grain. This is because of the way the muscle fibers of the meat react to being cut.
Muscle fibers are severed lengthwise when you slice with the grain, and long fibers are harder to break apart with your teeth. On the other hand, muscle fibers get split in half when you cut against the grain, allowing for a more chewable bite.
How to You Store Tri Tip
While tri-tip served to a crowd might get eaten up entirely, there’s still a chance you’ll end up with leftovers. These leftovers make for an amazing sandwich – or you can eat them as is with your favorite side dishes.
To store the tri-tip in the fridge, allow it to cool down to room temperature first. Then, seal it up in an airtight container or any container where you can remove as much of the air as possible. Tri-tip will last for three days in the fridge.
You can store it in the freezer similarly, though it will last there longer than it will in the fridge. A tri-tip stored in the freezer will last for about three months. After that, it’s best not to eat it, as it’s more likely to have depreciated in terms of both flavor and texture.
Delicious Tri Tip With Red Wine and Herbs Recipe
How Long to Cook Tri Tip in Oven at 350 F
If you’re feeling hungry, here’s a recipe that will let you get started with your next tri-tip roast. It’s a basic recipe, but one that’s marinated with red wine and plenty of herbs and spices for an extremely flavorful oven-roasted tri-tip.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound top sirloin tri-tip roast
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine thyme, basil, mustard, pepper, and salt. Thoroughly rub the mixture all over your tri-tip until it is completely covered. Place the tri-tip in a plastic bag in the fridge overnight - at least 8 hours. Four hours before you plan to cook, add your red wine to the bag or container and seal it again.
- You’ll want to initially preheat your oven to 450, though you’ll be cooking at 350. While the oven is preheating to 450, let your meat sit out of the refrigerator so that it can come to room temperature. Allowing your tri-tip to come to room temperature will ensure that it cooks evenly.
- Once the oven hits 450 and the meat is at room temperature, place it on a baking tray and allow it to roast for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 350. Roast the meat for another 25 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 140F. If you slice into the meat and see only a bit of pink in the center, you can be confident that it’s done.
- Remove your tri-tip from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes to redistribute the juices.
Notes
This roast tri-tip should be about medium rare. If you want it well done, allow for 4-8 minutes more cooking time in the oven. If you’d like to retain the juices, wrap the tri-tip in foil until the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 413Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 41g
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