Tri Tip Roast Slow Cooker Recipe

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A tri tip roast slow cooker recipe that will blow you away. If you've never tried this cut of beef it is a must. Sometimes known as poor man's brisket, this cut of beef is a great roast when you're looking for high quality but a little easier on the wallet.

Overhead shot of a tri tip roast in a dish with potatoes and carrots and a pair of forks.

Anything you can cook in the crock pot, for me, is a winner - it has the best flavor. I love to use it, especially tailgating or at the deer camp. Anything you can throw all your ingredients into and let it cook itself is pure gold.

Slow cooking a tri-tip roast gives you a tender, fall apart roast that is full of flavor and easy to prepare.

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❤️ Why you'll love it
🧅 Ingredients
🥣 Instructions
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
🔌 Equipment
📘 Related Recipes
🧊 Storage
💡 Tips
👩‍🍳 FAQs
Tri Tip Roast Instant Pot Version
Tri Tip Roast Slow Cooker Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

It's certainly not the cheapest cuts of beef you can buy, you can buy a cut from the chuck roast area and it be cheaper. However, if you're looking for high quality (close to brisket-like quality) for a more cost-effective price a tri tip roast is the way to go.
The meat is full of long muscle fibers which is why cooking in the crock pot is best - but these muscle fibers do add a lot of great flavor!
Being able to just toss it into the slow cooker and let it do its thing while you get busy with housework (or tailgating) is awesome in my book. A few minutes of prep gives you a delicious home-cooked meal.
I find this recipe pleases the entire family.
Make beef tacos with any leftovers.

🧅 Ingredients

Recipes needed to make a tri tip roast with text overlay.

Tri Tip Roast
Onions
Pot Roast Seasoning
Garlic
Beef Broth
Rosemary
Potatoes
Carrots

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

🥣 Instructions

Step 1: Slice the onions and lay out on the bottom of your slow cooker.
Step 2: Coat the tri tip roast in the pot roast seasoning and lay on top of the onion slices.
Step 3: Sprinkle the garlic cloves on top of the roast.
Step 4: Pour the beef broth around the roast.
Step 5: Cover and cook on low for four hours.
Step 6: Add the carrots and potatoes and cook another four hours.

Hint: Depending on your butcher, you may find your beautiful triangle roast has a lot of fat on the outside. I like to trim this before adding to the slow cooker. This is usually left on there for occasions when cooking on a grill.

- Give a quick taste test at the end of the cooking time. You may need to add some salt and pepper to the gravy.

🔄 Substitutions and Variations

Garlic Powder - add a little of this for more flavor.
Olive Oil - you could wipe the inside of the crock pot with a little if you're afraid of sticking.
Chicken Broth - instead of beef broth.
Beef Stock - instead of beef broth.
Worcestershire Sauce - to add that Umami flavor, or soy sauce.
Green Beans - for more veggies.
Instant Mashed Potatoes - you can add these flakes for thickening the gravy at the end.

A white crock pot full of tri tip roast with carrots and potatoes.

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🔌 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You'll need a slow cooker for this recipe. I have an affiliate link to my favorite in the printable recipe card below.

I'm sure you've heard of the Mississippi Pot Roast. This is such a surprising combination that has become so popular. Check out my friend Sarah's recipe at The Magical Slowcooker with the above link.

Looking for a dessert for after your Thanksgiving meal? Check out this list of Best Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Desserts.

🧊 Storage

Once this tip roast recipe has cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

This recipe does freeze well. Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

💡 Tips

Expert Tip: Searing the roast in a large skillet before adding to the slow cooker will add some flavor, ensure the seasoning sticks to the tri tip roast and will help the roast hold its shape a little. I do this sometimes, but a lot of the time I want it to fall apart and if I'm tailgating I'd rather not have the fuss of another step in the recipe.

A spoon full of tri tip roast hovering above a slow cooker.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Where on the cow does the Tri Tip come from?

The tri tip area is from the bottom area under the sirloin. This is why a tri tip roast is also known as bottom sirloin roast.

What's the best way to serve this tri tip recipe?

We like to eat it with rice as a favorite side dish (we're in Louisiana - rice is what we do) - a lot of folks like crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
A perfect way to use leftovers is to make shredded beef bbq sandwiches. A few extra simple steps and you have a whole other meal.

Tri Tip Roast Instant Pot Version

If you have an instant pot and want to cook this tri tip roast quicker, you can use this same recipe. Add the roast once coated in the pot roast seasoning and give a quick sear all sides on saute mode.

Then add the remaining ingredients and pressure cook on manual for 60 minutes. Allow to slow release.

If you’ve tried this Tri Tip Roast Slow Cooker Recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!

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A close up of tri tip roast with potatoes and carrots and a pair of forks sitting in the dish.

Tri Tip Roast Slow Cooker Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

This tri tip roast slow cooker recipe is cooked low and slow and results in juicy, tender and fall apart meat that is packed full of flavor and can be served with next to anything.

Ingredients

1 Onion, diced
4lb Tri Tip Roast, trimmed
½ Cup Pot Roast Seasoning
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
5 Cups Beef Broth
2 Sprigs Rosemary
5 Gold Potatoes, halved
3 Carrots, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Slice the onions and lay in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Coat the tri tip roast with the pot roast seasoning and lay over the top of the onions.
Sprinkle the garlic over the top then pour the beef broth around the sides of the roast so as to not wash away the seasoning from the roast (as best as possible anyway).
Add the rosemary sprigs and cover with the lid. Cook on low for 4 hours.
After 4 hours have passed add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook for another 4 hours.
Discard of the rosemary sprigs and taste the gravy, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Turn off the slow cooker and see how the gravy thickens. If you need to, add a touch of instant mashed potato flakes to thicken some little more.