What to Serve With Tri-Tip Steak? Delicious Sides to Complement It!

There’s something special about a tri-tip steak that feels like it gives off festivity vibes. The delicate cut of meat, resting against the finest china, is accompanied by various sides that only complement this scrumptious grilled tri-tip steak beautifully.

Most people would prefer to enjoy a thick cut of steak all on its own. But a steak dinner requires more than just steak to keep it exciting. A hearty salad may make it even more exciting, or perhaps a side of French fries dipped in chimichurri sauce will complete the meal! Let’s take a look at some of the delicious sides to go with tri-tip steak.

Table of Contents

• What Is Tri-Tip?
• What Goes Good With Tri Tip?
  • Potato Salad
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Baked Beans
  • Grilled Corn
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Creamed Spinach
  • Green Beans
  • Green Salad
  • Grilled Vegetables
  • French Fries
• The Best Way to Cook Tri-Tip?
  • How to Make Grilled Tri-Tip?
  • Making Chimichurri Sauce
• How to Make Tri-Tip Sandwiches?
• What to Serve With Tri-Tip Steak?
• What to Serve With Tri-Tip Steak? FAQs

What Is Tri-Tip?

A tri-tip is a triangular-shaped cut of meat from the lower part of the beef sirloin. It’s a bit of an overlooked cut of meat since there’s a singular cut of it, stretching to two depending on the size of the meat. It’s thick, tender, and perfect for grilling, toasting, and sliding between bread to make a terrific tri-tip sandwich.

What Goes Good With Tri Tip?

There are many side dish recipes that go with tri-tip, depending on your preference and, of course, the flavors you’re willing to experiment with. If you’re looking for some insight into the perfect side dish to pair with your steak, then you’ve come to the right place.

Choose from a variety of recipes below:

• Potato Salad
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Baked Beans
• Grilled Corn
• Mashed Potatoes
• Creamed Spinach
• Green Beans
• Green Salad
• Grilled Vegetables
• French Fries

Potato Salad

Potato salad is one of the common side dishes to serve alongside tri-tip sandwiches. Offering a wonderful, creamy contrast to the meaty, juicy, savory tri-tip. Potato salad can be made a few hours ahead of dinner time, allowing it to chill so that it fulfills its purpose once it’s ready to eat.

You can add your own flavorful additions to your potato salad, like sweet potatoes, for instance, whether you’re looking for a more herby or sweetened version of the salad, a perfect complement to your main meal.

Below you will find the ingredients you need to make it and instructions on how to prepare it.

• Potatoes
• Apple cider
• Sour cream
• Mayonnaise
• Dijon mustard
• Red onion
• Celery stalks
• Dill pickle
• Parsley, dill, chives, or cilantro
• Salt
• Black pepper

1. Boil your potatoes in salted water, then remove and place them into an ice bath.
2. Drain the potatoes and peel them. Chop the peeled potatoes into bite-sized chunks, then add to a large bowl.
3. Splash vinegar over the potatoes and season with salt lightly.
4. Add the onions to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Wait for several minutes, then rinse.
5. Stir the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard in a bowl.
6. Add the mayonnaise mixture, onions, celery, pickles, eggs, and herbs to the potatoes and gently stir to combine thoroughly.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve alongside the grilled tri-tip steak for maximum satisfaction at the dinner table.

Sweet Potato Fries

Classic french fries are gorgeous, but have you ever paired your meat-based dishes with sweet potato fries? They’re super easy to prepare and don’t require much of your time. Here’s how to make them:

1. Cut the sweet potatoes into long thin chips, and bake them until they’re a nice golden shade.
2. Add a sprinkle of salt so they crisp up considerably. For further seasoning, add smoked paprika and chili pepper flakes if you wish.
3. Add your favorite dip for these fries, though chimichurri sauce will work just as well with this delicious side dish.

Pair this with your scrumptious main dish for a fantastic meal.

Baked Beans

Baked beans are a classic side dish to have with many meat-based dishes, which is why they’re so popular at barbecues. Their mouth-watering smoky flavor is what makes them a terrific candidate for tri-tip steak.

Easy recipes like baked beans are important since they’re so versatile, save time and require minimum preparation. Plus, they’re perfect for soaking up the dribbling meat sauce from your tri-tip sandwiches.

Or simply dip your tri-tip sandwiches into the baked beans for a spectacular finish to the meal.

Grilled Corn

Corn on the cob is the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Toss this sweet veggie onto the grill to char it slightly before serving. Grilling your corn provides that delicious smoky flavor that pairs terrifically with most meaty dishes. Try tri-tip sandwiches with a side of grilled corn for a delightful dinner.

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are another classic side dish that’s simply unmissable when wondering what to serve with tri-tip steak.

If you’re wondering what to choose from a large number of side dishes, worried that it’ll take too much of your time, grab some potatoes and get mashing. These won’t take long at all, and if you add a little cream cheese, extra salt, and garlic powder to the mix, you’ll have a dish worth devouring in no time.

This will pair perfectly with your tri-trip sandwiches, topped with chimichurri sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Creamed Spinach

Creamed spinach is another delicious side dish to opt for when serving tri-tip steak. Though, if you’re looking for dairy-free dishes, then you may want to skip this one.

For this side dish, you’ll need:

• Baby spinach
• Butter
• Onion
• Garlic
• Milk
• Double cream
• Cream cheese
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Parmesan

1. Cook spinach in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.
2. Drain and place the spinach in a bowl of ice water. Once the spinach has cooled down considerably, drain as much water as you can.
3. Melt some butter in a large pan, add onions, and cook until limp, then add garlic and cook till aromatic.
4. Add milk, double cream, and cheese to the pan.
5. Simmer until the cream cheese starts to melt. Season with salt and cayenne.
6. Add your spinach and parmesan to the mix and combine. You can prepare this whilst your tri-tip steak is cooking to save some time and have a side dish that’s ready at the same time as your main dish.

Green Beans

Trying to keep things healthy when looking for the perfect side dish to serve with your tri-tip steak, then look no further. You can never go wrong with a plate of creamy green beans. Here’s how to prepare them:

1. Wash and slice some mushrooms, and cook them in a pan alongside your green beans. Aim to start with the mushrooms and toss them into a pan along with some green beans.
2. Use a small amount of oil, crushed garlic, and salt.
3. Add a few spoons of sour cream, finishing with a thin layer of cream over each green bean.

Green Salad

A simple green salad with vinaigrette dressing is another great accompaniment to have with your tri-tip sandwiches. The tangy flavors of the salad dressing pair wonderfully with the juiciness of the meat.

Simply chop up your favorite greens and season with salt and pepper, drenching in vinaigrette dressing before serving.

Grilled Vegetables

A side dish consisting of hearty grilled vegetables is the perfect dish to serve alongside meat cuts like tri-tip steak. You can even toss some leftover vegetables on the grill if you want or slide these grilled vegetables into the tri-tip steak sandwich for a decadent feast.

French Fries

Without forgetting the classic cut of fries that pairs well with almost every type of meat, slice your potatoes, season them with your choice of seasoning, and drop them into a deep fryer. Serve with chimichurri sauce and tri-tip sandwiches for a complementary addition to your main dish.

The Best Way to Cook Tri-Tip?

While tri-tip is certainly great for grilling and roasting, grilling is probably the best option, producing impeccable outcomes.

Marinating the tri-tip is an essential step in achieving a moist cut of meat that’ll satiate your taste buds in no time. Season your tri-tip with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then pop it in the fridge for an hour or two before it’s time to take it to the grill. The flavors, though simple, are incredibly effective in creating perfect, tender, and juicy meat.

How to Make Grilled Tri-Tip?

Tri-tip is one of the easiest cuts of meat to grill. Initially, you’ll want your meat to come to room temperature before proceeding to cook your fine cut of steak. You should use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat, monitor its doneness, and proceed from there.

Here’s how to make the succulent, juiciest grilled tri-tip:

• 1 to 2½ lb tri-tip steak
• 2 to 3 tsp sea salt
• 2 to 3 freshly tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder

1. Pat the tri-tip dry using paper towels, then season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place the meat on a flat plate, covering loosely with cling film and popping it into the fridge.
3. Remove the meat from the fridge, and pop it on the counter, allowing it to reach room temperature. Meanwhile, heat the grill to 400F.
4. Place the steak on the grill, fat side up, and allow it to cook for 6 minutes, then flip the steak and cook for another 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130F for medium rare and 140F for medium.
5. Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, allowing the meat to become tender and flavorful.

Making Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is an excellent sauce to have with chicken, vegetables, or salad. Drizzle this impeccable sauce all over your trip-tip steak and enjoy it with your favorite side dishes for an incredible meal.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• 1 small shallot
• 1 red jalapeno
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ cup parsley
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ½ tsp red crushed pepper

1. Combine all these ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until slightly pureed, leaving little clumps for texture.
2. Slice the tri-tip against the grain, and pour a generous amount of chimichurri over the steak.
3. Serve alongside your favorite side dishes, and enjoy!

How to Make Tri-Tip Sandwiches?

Wondering how to make tri-tip sandwiches? Well, it’s just how you’d make any ordinary sandwich, really. You can use leftover tri-tip meat for this one. A tri-tip sandwich brimming with juicy meat, melted cheese, thinly sliced red onions, and smothered between two thick slices of your favorite bread. Ah heavenly.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Onion powder
• Minced rosemary
• Tri-tip roast
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Whole grain mustard
• Toasted bread
• Horseradish sauce
• Caramelized red onions
• Slices of cheese

1. Place salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, minced rosemary, and onion powder in a mixing bowl, and whisk these ingredients together. Then sprinkle generously over tri-tip meat.
2. Wrap your tri-tip firmly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or 24 hours if you wish.
3. Unwrap your tri-tip and gently pat it dry, then brush with a tablespoon of oil.
4. Place the baste marinating ingredients such as red wine vinegar, olive oil, and whole grain mustard into a separate mixing bowl and whisk together.
5. Preheat the grill to 375F and add your tri-tip steak to the grill searing for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
6. Lower the heat to 350F and smother the roast in the baste, flipping the meat and basting the other side.
7. Continue to flip and baste the meat every 8 minutes for 24 minutes for medium rare and 32 minutes for medium.
8. Remove the tri-tip from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board. Allow the beef to rest for 8 minutes, then begin slicing the tri-tip steak thinly.
9. Spread the bread with horseradish sauce, add cheese to one slice of bread, followed by a tri-tip.
10. Place the sandwiches onto a broiler for a couple of minutes or until the cheese has melted, top with red onions, then place the second slice of bread over the meat and cheese slice, and serve immediately with your favorite side dish of grilled meats if you wish.

What to Serve With Tri-Tip Steak?

Making tri-tip steak is almost as simple as grilling or roasting most meats; remember to add a tasteful marinade before proceeding.

Amongst many side dishes to choose from, grilled veggies and creamy spinach might be the best options to go for, especially if you’re looking for a contrasting flavor to accompany the juiciest bite!

What to Serve With Tri-Tip Steak? FAQs