Packed full of flavor, tri-tip is one of the best beef cuts for roasting. The problem is that there is a very fine line between cooked perfectly and over-roasted. If tri-tip is overcooked, it will lose a lot of its flavor, and it will become an overly tough piece of meat. Therefore, it is important to understand how long to cook tri-tip in the oven at 375.
The length of cooking time will depend on the size of the tri-tip, as well as the desired ‘doneness’. At 375, the tri-tip should be cooked for between 10 and 14 minutes per pound. This can vary depending on the tri-tip cut. More fat generally means a shorter cooking time, but only slightly. The inside of the meat should reach 145F to 150F, minimum. The longer you cook, the dryer the meat becomes.
On this page, we want to discuss, in-depth, cooking the perfect tri-tip. This includes a detailed overview of the cooking process, as well as some other handy hints that should help you get more flavor from your tri-tip when cooking.
How Long To Cook Tri-Tip in Oven at 375?
If cooking tri-tip at 375, you should aim to be cooking for between 10 and 14 minutes per pound of meat. So, a 2 lb tri-tip could easily take up to 28 minutes, if you want it medium-done. Although, don’t take this as gospel. You should be aiming to cook to a certain internal temperature, rather than taking the tri-tip out of the oven as soon as it reaches your pre-determined cooking time.
According to the USDA, the minimum safe temperature for fresh cuts of meat, like the tri-tip, is 145F. Although depending on how you like your meat, it can be a bit cooler than this:
- Medium-rare tri-tip has an internal temperature between 130F and 140F. This roast will be very soft in the middle, with slight pinking on the outside.
- Medium is 140F to 150F. Most of the red in the center is gone, and the outside of the cut will start to gray.
- Medium well is 150F to 160F. For tri-tip, this is the ideal temperature as the fat will start to break down. This will spread more flavor throughout the meat.
- Anything cooked over 160F is ‘well done. You should avoid this temperature, where possible. It will be dry and tough to eat. There will be very little flavor.
You may notice that the medium-rare tri-tip is lower than the USDA minimum. It is safe to consume, although you may wish to avoid it if you are pregnant, or giving it to children. Just to be on the safer side.
Medium-well is probably the best temperature for cooking tri-tip in the oven. This is because many tri-tip cuts are well-marbled (i.e. a good amount of fat), and that fat isn’t going to start to break down until it cooks to 150F. This is when the fat will melt, allowing the flavorful juices to seep into the rest of the meat. So, an 150F to 160F internal temperature should be your main aim.
If you are aiming for the ‘right’ flavor for your tri-tip, then 12 minutes per lb in the oven should be fine. Although, make sure that you check that temperature before you serve it.
How Do You Measure The Internal Temperature of Tri-Tip?
You cannot tell the tri-tip is done just by looking at it. This applies to all meats. While coloring and the clearness of the juices can be a good guide, it isn’t an infallible method. If you want to cook meat safely, then you will need to use a quality cooking thermometer.
When you use a quality cooking thermometer, you can get an accurate reading of the meat’s temperature. The thermometer probe should always be placed in the thickest part of the meat. You want to measure the temperature as close to the middle of the tri-tip as you can. This is where the juices will have pooled.
It is important that you cook your meat for the desired amount of time before you start measuring. In the case of your tri-tip, it should be about 12 minutes per pound. You must remember that each hole that you poke in the tri-tip is another way for the internal juices of the meat the escape. This means that if you are constantly checking the temperature, you could end up with very dry meat.
As soon as the meat meets the desired internal temperature, remove it from the oven. It will cook slightly more during the resting process.
Do You Need To Rest Tri-Tip When Removing From The Oven?
The flavor of the meat is in the juices. This is why it is not recommended that you overcook the meat. When you overcook the meat, all of those juices will disappear, leaving the meat tasting lackluster. However, overcooking is not the only way to ruin the flavor of the meat. Failing to rest the meat can also have an impact on the meat juices.
When you cook tri-tip, all the meat fibers will constrict. This releases juices, and it will send them to the middle of the tri-tip. This means that the middle of the meat will be very juicy, but the top and the bottom of the meat will be quite dry during the cooking process.
If you cut the meat as soon as you remove the tri-tip from the oven, the pooled meat juices will just leak out. When those juices leak out, the flavor will be disappearing with it. For the juices that remain, you still have the issue of the top and the bottom part of the meat being rather dry, even if the internal temperature is perfect.
Read also: How Long to Smoke Ribs
When you rest tri-tip or any meat for that matter, it allows the meat juices to redistribute through the meat. This means that when you cut into the meat, the fluids won’t drain away, and every bit of that meat has a roughly equal amount of flavor.
The USDA recommends that the tri-tip is rested for a minimum of 3 minutes, although we recommend somewhere between 7 and 10 minutes, especially if the meat is well-marbled.
How Do You Cook Tri-Tip In The Oven?
Cooking tri-tip in the oven is a very hands-off process. Most of your job will be seasoning the meat and then checking the internal temperature of the meat. This will allow you to focus on cooking other elements of your dinner. In this section, we want to walk you through exactly how to cook tri-tip in the oven.
For this, you will need:
- A cut of tri-tip. Ideally, you will want a well-marbled cut for the most flavor.
- Oven
- Baking/roasting tin
- Quality meat thermometer
- Salt ; Pepper
- A plate, to rest the meat.
- Frying pan (if sealing the meat).
Step 1: Heat The Oven
For this method, you will want to heat the oven to 375F. There are far faster and slower roasting methods available, but most people find that 375F is the ideal temperature for basic cooking of tri-tip. It will give a good amount of crispiness on the outside of the meat, while also not taking a huge amount of time.
Step 2: Season the Meat
Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on the meat. Rub the salt and pepper in. If you just sprinkle on the surface, the salt and pepper will fall off.
Not only will the salt and pepper add flavor to the meat, but the salt will help to crisp up the outside of the tri-tip, which is important for a roast.
Step 3: Sealing The Meat (Can Be Skipped)
Some people may wish to seal the meat, but this isn’t 100% required. If you wish to seal the meat, then quickly fry each side of the tri-tip for 30 seconds to a minute each. Do not cook any longer than this, otherwise, it could dry out the meat. It may also ruin the time guidelines we gave previously.
Step 4: Cooking Your Tri-Tip
Leave the tri-tip in the oven for at least 12 minutes per pound. You can go up to 14 minutes per pound if you want a well-done tri-tip.
During this part of the cooking process, the oven door should remain closed. If the oven door is opened, the internal temperature of the oven can plummet and this could have an impact on the meat cooking process.
Guidelines:
- 1lb tri-tip should take 12 minutes.
- 1.5lb tri-tip should take 18 minutes.
- 2lb tri-tip should take 24 minutes.
- 2.5lb tri-tip should take 30 minutes.
- 3lb tri-tip should take 36 minutes.
Step 5: Checking The Internal Temperature
When your tri-tip has cooked for the desired amount of time, you will need to use a proper meat thermometer. A digital one will be more accurate.
You will want to place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. The probe should go through to the center. Tri-tip is at its most flavorful if you have an inside temperature of between 145F to 160F. We recommend at least 150F if the meat is well-marbled.
Avoid cooking under 140F, unless you enjoy your meat rare. This would be below minimum safe cooking temperatures as per the USDA. Not especially dangerous, but still worth bearing in mind.
Anything over 160F, and the meat is overcooked. It will be tough to eat.
If the meat is within a couple of degrees of your desired cooking temperature, then remove it from the oven i.e. if you want 150F, then an internal temperature of 148F is fine. The meat will cook a little more when you rest it.
If the meat has not quite reached the desired temperature, then cook for another few minutes and test.
Step 6: Resting the Meat
Once the tri-tip has been removed from the oven, put it on a plate. It should stay there for 10 minutes. Do not poke any holes in the meat (e.g., do not lift it with a fork). The only holes in the tri-tip should be from when you measured the temperature which, hopefully, you only did once or twice.
Step 7: Cutting The Meat
After 10 minutes, you can cut the tri-tip. You should always cut against the grain to ensure that the muscle fibers are as short as possible. This can make the meat easier to chew.
If you have overcooked the tri-tip, then it is especially important that you cut against the grain. This can help to soften things up a little.
Why is The Tri-Tip Tough?
If your tri-tip is tough, then it means that one of two things has occurred:
- The internal temperature is over 160F, so most of the juices will have evaporated.
- You didn’t rest the meat for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Unfortunately, it is tough to make a tough piece of meat more tender. While cutting against the meat grain can help to soften things up a little, it won’t do much.
This is why it is so important to start checking the temperature of the tri-tip early. It prevents overcooking.
Summary
A tri-tip should be roasted to an internal temperature of between 150F and 160F. This ensures the most flavor, particularly if the meat is well-marbled. This should take between 12 and 14 minutes per pound. Tri-tip should be rested for at least 10 minutes when removed from the oven to ensure the maximum amount of flavor.
FAQs
How Long Does Beef Take to Cook at 375?
This will depend on the beef cut. The thicker the meat, the longer it will take to cook. Most cuts of beef should be between 12 and 20 minutes per pound. The aim is an internal temperature of 145F to 160F.
What Temperature Should I Cook My Tri-tip In The Oven?
Anywhere from 200F to 425F is fine. The lower the temperature, the longer things will take to cook. However, low temperatures mean more flavorful meat. Most people will cook their tri-tip at 375F.
How Long Does It Take to Cook a 2 lb Tri-Tip?
This depends on the cooking temperature. At 375F, a tri-tip should take around 24 minutes. Although, check the internal temperature of the meat before removing it from the oven. It should be at least 145F.
How Long Do I Cook Tri-Tip In The Oven at 350?
This will depend on the size of the meat. Aim for 13 to 14 minutes per pound. The temperature in the middle of the tri-tip should be 145F, although a minimum of 150F to 155F is preferred to ensure more flavor.
