Tri tip usually gets ruined for three reasons: it’s under-seasoned, overcooked, or sliced the wrong way. You can fix two of those and still end up with tough meat if you miss the third.
This cast iron tri tip shows the full 3-Fix Kitchen Fix — how to season boldly, cook by temperature instead of time, and slice it correctly. There’s also a Skillet Remix at the end that pulls everything together, and that part lives in the video.
Problems This Fix Solves
– Bland tri tip
– Overcooked, dry beef
– Tough slices even when the cook looks right
– Confusion around doneness and slicing direction
Ingredients
– Medium-size tri tip (any size works — ours was 2.2 lb)
– Lucky Cajun Muy Thai seasoning (season heavy)
🔧 Fix #1 — Seasoning
Tri tip needs more seasoning than most people think.
– Season heavily with Muy Thai
– Rest 1 hour in the fridge
– Pull out and rest 30 minutes on the counter to take the chill off
This gives you deeper seasoning and more even cooking.
🔧 Fix #2 — Temperature (Not Time)
Tri tip should never be cooked by the clock.
– Sear over medium-high heat in cast iron
– Flip once
– Transfer to a 300°F oven
– Roast about 20 minutes, then start checking temperature
– Continue checking at 5-minute intervals
Tri tip cooks uneven by design. The thicker end stays rarer, the thinner end cooks more. That’s a feature, not a flaw — everyone gets the doneness they like.
🌡 Tri Tip Internal Temperatures (Pull vs Finish After Rest)
Rare
Pull: 120–125°F → Finish: 125–130°F
Medium-Rare (Sweet Spot)
Pull: 130–135°F → Finish: 135–140°F
Medium
Pull: 140–145°F → Finish: 145–150°F
Medium-Well
Pull: 150–155°F → Finish: 155–160°F
⏱️ Rest (Critical)
– Rest 5 minutes in the pan
– Then rest 10 minutes on the cutting board
Real talk: ours pushed the upper edge of medium-rare. Only about 5–6 slices landed squarely there, but because tri tip cooks unevenly, everyone still got what they wanted — and everyone was happy.
🔧 Fix #3 — Slicing (Non-Negotiable)
This is where most tri tips get ruined.
– The grain changes direction across the roast
– You must watch how you slice
– Slice against the grain or it eats tough every time
You can nail Fix #1 and Fix #2 and still fail right here.
🥣 Horseradish Sauce (Skillet Remix Base)
– ⅓ cup mayo + sour cream
– 5–10 dashes Worcestershire
– 1–2 tablespoons horseradish
– A few dashes hot sauce
Mix and serve over sliced tri tip.
🔥 Skillet Remix
There’s a final skillet move that brings everything together.
That step is shown in the video — and it’s worth sticking around for.
🧠 Kitchen Fix Takeaway
– Season more than you think
– Cook to temperature, not time
– Rest properly
– Slice against the grain — no exceptions
