Name: Tri Tip Sandwich
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 225 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ teaspoons salt; 2 ½ teaspoons black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 2 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon minced rosemary; One 2.5 pound tri-tip roast; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup red wine vinegar; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard; 4 ciabatta rolls, grilled/toasted (or roll of choice); 1 cup creamy horseradish sauce; 1 cup sliced and lightly caramelized red onions; 8 slices cheese

Tri tip sandwiches with the top off and some grilled ciabatta on the side.

I love a good Tri Tip Sandwich. The very first time I ever had tri tip was in a sandwich, from Cold Spring Tavern. It’s a hidden gem in Santa Barbara, in the woods right off the I-154, that only serve their grilled tri tip sandwiches on the weekends. I instantly became hooked and ended up going there dozens of time during my four years living in Santa Barbara.

Our sandwich today is inspired by Cold Spring’s tri tip sandwich, that I’ve loved for years. We made a couple tweaks to suit our taste, but have still kept the sandwich pretty simple so the flavor of the tri tip really shines through.

What is Tri Tip?

Tri tip is a full flavor (and lower in fat) cut of beef at the very bottom of the sirloin. The name comes from its triangle shape and its bottom “tip” location of the sirloin.

A tri tip sandwich usually consists of sliced tri tip, caramelized onions and creamy horseradish sauce. For our version, we like to use a grilled or toasted bread with a soft interior and crusty exterior (such as ciabatta or hoagie roll). We also like adding slices of melty cheese to our sandwiches.

How to Make Our Tri Tip Sandwich

Tri Tip Ingredients

Tri tip roast, 2.5 pounds with olive oil.

Tri Tip Dry Rub

Basting Ingredients

Ingredients for a tri-tip basting marinade.

Sandwich Assembly

Ingredients to make a tri tip sandwich. Including ciabatta rolls cheese and onion

Process

Place all dry rub ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk together.
Generously sprinkle mixture over the tri tip and rub all over the meat.

Grilled tri tip rub ingredients in a bowl mixed together.

Tightly wrap tri tip in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. This will allow all the flavor to infuse into the meat.
Unwrap meat and gently pat dry. Brush with 1 tablespoon of oil

Tri tip with rub wrapped in plastic wrap.

Tri tip with rub being brushed with olive oil.

Place all basting ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. The basting marinade will help to keep the beef moist while it cooks, as well as add a bright and tangy flavor to the beef.
Preheat grill to 375˚F or place grill pan over medium-high heat and preheat oven to 350˚F. Add tri tip and sear for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to sear for 3 to 4 minutes. Lower heat to 350˚F (or medium heat) and baste roast with basting marinade. Flip and baste other side of the roast, then close grill lid. (If cooking on stovetop, place beef in oven at this time). Continue to flip and baste beef every 8 minutes for about 16 minutes for medium-rare or for 22 minutes for medium.

Grilled trip tip being brushed with seasoning.

Remove tri tip from grill or oven. Allow beef to rest for 6 to 8 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. It’s important to allow the beef to rest so the juices can redistribute.
Thinly slice beef into 1/4-1/2″ pieces for tri tip sandwich.

A tri tip that has been freshly grilled resting on a baking sheet.

Spread tops and bottom of rolls with creamy horseradish sauce.
Top bottom rolls with a few slices of beef.

An open sandwich with mayo on both sides.

An open sandwich with tri tip on one side.

Top each with 2 slices of provolone cheese.
Place sandwiches until a broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese melts.

A grilled tri tip sandwich with cheese on one side.

A grilled tri tip sandwich with melted cheese over the meat.

Top each sandwich with red onions.

Grilled tri tip sandwich with caramelized onions on top.

Gently press roll tops over each sandwich. Serve!

Grilled tri tip sandwich on a cutting board.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Make Ahead

The tri tip can be made up to two days ahead of time. (It’s best to slightly undercook the beef so that it doesn’t overcook when reheating). Once beef has cooled completely, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

When ready to use, unwrap beef from plastic wrap and place onto a baking sheet. Heat in oven, at 350˚F, for 10 to 15 minutes or until beef has just heated through. Remove from oven and allow beef to rest, about 8 minutes. Thinly slice and assemble sandwiches.

Freezing

We recommend tightly wrapping the beef after rubbing with the dry rub. Then place the wrapped beef in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to use transfer beef (still wrapped) to the refrigerator and thaw overnight. Unwrap and pat dry, then cook according to recipe instructions.

What Else Can Be Added to the Tri Tip Sandwich

We like keeping our sandwich simple, to really let the flavor of the beef shine through, but when we’re feeling extra some of our favorite additions are: