Slow Cooker Tri-Tip (Crockpot Tri Tip Recipe)

Name: Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Roast (Only 4 Ingredients!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 495 min
Ingredients: 3 lb tri-tip roast (trimmed); 2 tbsp steak seasoning; 2 tbsp oil; 2 cups beef broth (or beef bouillon dissolved in 2 cups of hot water); 3 tbsp heavy cream

↓ Jump to Recipe

This Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Roast is as easy as it gets - just 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep! Then the slow cooker works its magic, turning it into a tender, flavorful dinner. The simple gravy comes together right in the crockpot, making this a cozy set-it-and-forget-it comfort food.

If you love crazy delicious dinners with minimal prep that cook while you go about your day, check out all our slow cooker recipes!

Slow cooked tri-tip roast on white platter with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Slow Cooker Tri Tip Roast Recipe is the ultimate hands-off Sunday dinner or even a cozy meat and potatoes weeknight dinner-with just four simple ingredients! A low-and-slow cook that fills the house with the most amazing smells.

This recipe is similar to one of our most popular recipes, Crock Pot Chuck Roast, but with a slightly different flavor and an easy new way to make a rich, savory sauce to serve over the top.

If you have an extra whole roast on hand, try this Smoked Tri-Tip and use up the leftovers for Tri-Tip Sandwiches.

Why this recipe is great

So tender it falls apart!
Super flavorful with only 4 ingredients. A truly delicious dinner the whole family will love.
Gravy is made right in the slow cooker.
Easy slow cooker recipe - just season sear, pour and go!
Great with lots of side dishes.

Skip to:

Why this recipe is great
What is tri-tip?
Ingredients for slow cooker tri-tip roast
Helpful kitchen tools
How to cook tri tip in crockpot
Variations and Substitutions
What to serve with slow cooker tri tip
How to store
FAQs
Tips & Tricks
More slow cooker recipes
Recipe
Comments

Such a simple, easy & delicious dinner.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brittney

What is tri-tip?

A tri-tip roast, also called a Santa Maria steak, is a triangular cut of meat that comes from the lower portion of the sirloin, or the bottom of the beef sirloin. In contrast, a sirloin tip comes from the top of the sirloin. This flavorful cut of beef is large, nicely marbled with fat, and can be ultra-tender and juicy if cooked correctly.

Tri-tip can be grilled, braised, roasted, or smoked. You can also cook tri-tip in the Crock Pot! This is the easiest way to get tender, pot roast style meat.

Ingredients for slow cooker tri-tip roast

Just toss 4 ingredients in, let the slow cooker work its magic, and by dinnertime, you've got tender, juicy roast.

Beef roast, cream, seasoning, oil, and broth on a white cutting board.

Tri-tip roast: If your roast has a fat-cap on one side, trim it off before seasoning.
Montreal steak seasoning: We love McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning. You can substitute this with another brand, just be sure that it includes salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.
Beef broth or beef stock: You can also use beef bouillon and hot water.
Heavy cream: This extra ingredient makes the gravy rich and creamy.

Helpful kitchen tools

How to cook tri tip in crockpot

The best thing about dinner in a slow cooker is that while the beef roast is cooking, go about your day. Do a load of laundry, go to work, finish a project, or take a nap. Dinner is taken care of!

Tri-tri tip roast on parchment paper before trimming.

Place the tri-tip roast on a cutting board and trim off any large pieces of fat. No need to get all of it, but if there is anything large go ahead and remove that.

Roast sprinkled with good amount of steak seasoning mix.

Sprinkle both sides with the store-bought steak seasoning. If you want to make your own combine some salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder together. Just make sure that is evenly coats the roast.

Searing the seasoned roast in pan. — In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Do a quick sear on both sides of the roast in the hot oil for 4-5 minutes.

Place roast in a 6 quart Crock Pot.

Wooden spoon scraping bits of cooking fond off the bottom of the pan.

In the now-empty skillet, pour in the beef broth and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up all those delicious browned bits from searing the tri-tip. That's pure flavor gold! This rich, savory liquid is going to take your roast to the next level, adding even more depth to the final dish.

Pouring broth and fond over the meat inside the crock.

Pour the beef broth over the roast. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat, or until it's very tender. If you check on it and it is not shredding, allow it to cook another hour or two.

Two forks shredding tri-tip into pieces before making easy gravy. — Once the meat is fall-apart tender, grab two forks and start shredding it right in the slow cooker. If any pieces are too long or tricky to handle, I like to take a pair of kitchen shears and give them a quick snip-makes it so much easier to serve and enjoy.

Pouring cream into the slow cooker to make easy gravy.

To make the gravy sauce, add in the cream.

Note: We call this a gravy, but it's really more of a rich and flavorful sauce. If you're after a thicker, more traditional gravy, just dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in the cream before adding it to the slow cooker.

Lid slightly off slow cooker to allow juices and cream to thicken into a gravy.

Then, let it cook for another 30 minutes on high with the lid partially off to help the sauce thicken up and meld all those flavors together. Once it's ready, serve it up with your favorite sides.

Variations and Substitutions

Try adding a teaspoon or two of dried herbs like thyme or rosemary to the seasoning mix.
Instead of cream, use half-and-half mixed with a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch before adding it to the slow cooker. Make sure to mix the cornstarch in well-never add it directly to hot liquid, or you'll end up with lumps instead of a smooth, thickened sauce.

What to serve with slow cooker tri tip

How to store

Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The next day you can enjoy a hearty dinner all over again.

Overhead Crock Pot with slow cooked tri-tip pot roast.

FAQs

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the Crock Pot?

For best results, definitely brown it first. Searing the roast gives it a beautiful crust on the outside and adds a lot of flavor. You won't regret taking the extra few minutes to sear it!

Does tri-tip get more tender the longer you cook it in the slow cooker?

Yes! You want to make sure that your tri-tip is fork tender and effortlessly shreds apart. If it's still tough after six hours, just let it go for another hour or two until it reaches that perfect fall-apart texture.

Why is my tri-tip not tender?

When cooking a tri-tip in a Crockpot, you want to take it past the stage where the meat fibers are still holding together to ensure it's fall-apart tender. Tri-tip is naturally a leaner cut, so if you slow cook it until it reaches that shreddable stage (around 200-205°F), the connective tissues will break down, resulting in juicy, flavorful meat. Cooking it low and slow for 6-8 hours will help keep it moist and tender.

Close up of tender slow cooker tri-tip roast drizzled with gravy and fresh parsley.

Tips & Tricks

Get extra flavor by pouring the broth in the skillet, scraping up the brown bits, then adding it to the slow cooker.
Cook the meat until ultra-tender. It should easily fall apart when prodded with a fork. If it is still a bit tough, keep cooking it.
If you want a thicker gravy, dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the cream before adding it to the slow cooker.

More slow cooker recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Recipe

A tri tip meal with green beans and mashed potatoes on a white plate with a fork.

Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Roast (Only 4 Ingredients!)

This Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Roast is as easy as it gets - just 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep! Then the slow cooker works its magic, turning it into a tender, flavorful dinner. The simple gravy comes together right in the crockpot, making this a cozy set-it-and-forget-it comfort food.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Save Rate

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 8 15

Servings:

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Misty

Ingredients

▢ 3 lb tri-tip roast trimmed
▢ 2 tablespoon steak seasoning we like McCormick Steak Seasoning (affiliate), but any brand works
▢ 2 tablespoon oil
▢ 2 cups beef broth or beef bouillon dissolved in 2 cups of hot water
▢ 3 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

Sprinkle both sides of trimmed tri-tip with steak seasoning.
3 lb tri-tip roast, 2 tablespoon steak seasoning
In a large skillet over med-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Sear on side of tri-tip for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil, flip the meat, and sear on other side for another 4-5 minutes.
2 tablespoon oil
Place seared tri-tip in a 6 qt slow cooker. Pour the beef broth into the hot skillet and scrape up the seared bits with a spatula. Pour broth into the slow cooker.
2 cups beef broth
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Start checking it at 6 hours. When prodded with a fork, it should fall apart easily. If it is still a bit tough, continue cooking for up to 8 hours.
Once very tender, use two forks to shred the meat right in the slow cooker. Add cream and cook on high for 30 minutes with the lid partially removed (this will allow steam to escape so the sauce can thicken slightly).
3 tablespoon heavy cream

Notes

Tips & Tricks

Get extra flavor by pouring the broth in the skillet, scraping up the brown bits, then adding it to the slow cooker.
Cook the meat until ultra-tender. It should easily fall apart when prodded with a fork. If it is still a bit tough, keep cooking it.
If you want a thicker gravy, dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the cream before adding it to the slow cooker.

Storage

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Add Your Own Notes

Click here to add your own private notes. They will only be visible to you. If you clear your browser's cache, they will be lost.

Nutrition

All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

Tried this recipe?Leave a rating or pin it for later!

Comments

5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Roast (4 Ingredients!)