These coffee marinated tri-tip roasts are incredible! They have a rich, beefy flavor, and they make the perfect main dish for cookouts. This recipe is also great for weekly meal planning and Sunday dinner.
These coffee marinated tri-tip roasts are coated in a flavorful balsamic espresso marinade and then cooked low and slow. Each bite will melt in your mouth. Coffee adds a deep richness to beef and is one of the easiest ways to flavor steaks and roasts. Luckily, tri-tips are easy to find at your local market or butcher shop. These triangular cuts of beef are incredibly versatile and can be baked, grilled, or smoked. The optimal doneness for this cut is medium-rare to medium. Refer to our steak temperature guide for more information.
Tri-tip recipe ingredients:
- Beef tri-tip roasts: you’ll need two roasts, weighing in at 2 pounds each.
- Balsamic vinegar (substitute with red wine vinegar)
- Espresso powder
- Brown sugar (dark brown preferred)
- Garlic
- Soy sauce (Tamari for gluten-free diets)
- Salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
Marinating time:
For best results, marinate these tri-tip roasts for a good amount of time. We recommend at least 8 hours, but up to 12. Once marinated, season the tri-tip roasts with salt 10 minutes before grilling.
Grilling Coffee Marinated Tri-Tip Roasts:
- Preheat the grill to 275 degrees F or set up for indirect cooking.
- Remove roasts from marinade and place onto grill. Brush the remaining marinade on the roasts.
- Cook tri-tip for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until they reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees.
- Move roasts over to the hotter part of the grill, and reverse sear them for 3 minutes per side. Doing this will produce a delicious crust on the roast. Watch for burning.
- Once the roasts have cooked through, remove them from the grill and tent with aluminum foil. Rest the meat for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Store leftover coffee marinated tri-tip in an airtight container or resealable food-grade bag in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze in vacuum-sealed bags for up to 3 months.
Find the perfect side dish:
Pellet Grill Funeral Potatoes
Creamy Jalapeno Popper Corn
Texas Creamed Corn
Smoked Hasselback Potatoes
Coffee Marinated Tri-Tip Roasts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tri-tip roasts, about 2 roasts
- for marinade:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup espresso powder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place tri tip roasts in a resealable plastic bag. You might need to use two. If so, divide marinade in half and distribute accordingly. Pour marinade over roasts making sure that all surfaces are well coated. Seal bags and place into refrigerator for 6-8 hours. *If you plan to marinate the roasts for longer than 8 hours, prepare the marinade without salt. Twenty minutes before grilling, remove the meat from the marinade, and season with salt.
- Preheat grill for 275 degrees F or set up a two-zone cooking area for indirect cooking.
- Remove roasts from marinade and place onto grill. Brush the remaining marinade on the roasts.
- Cook tri-tip for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until they reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees F. Medium-rare is preferred for this cut. Move roasts over to the hotter part of the grill, and reverse sear them for 3 minutes per side. This will produce a delicious crust on the roast. Watch for burning.If using a pellet grill, remove the roasts and increase the heat of your grill to 500 degrees. Once fully heated, place the roasts back on the grill. Sear for 3 minutes per side.
- Once the roasts have cooked through, remove from grill and place onto a large cutting board. Loosely tent with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice into 1/4' to 1/2' slices, and serve. The leftovers are great in sandwiches!
- Store leftover sliced roast in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
