Tri-Tip Roast
Beef in the Midwest · down 10% this week
Per a typical 140g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Beef, bottom sirloin, tri-tip roast, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, choice, raw).
Buying tri-tip roast in the Southwest saves about 26% versus the Midwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- A triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, so look for a fat cap on one side and clear marbling through the muscle. Note that the grain changes direction partway through the roast, which matters later — a whole, untrimmed tri-tip lets you see where.
- What a good price looks like
- Runs $6 to $11 a pound and is one of the best-value roasts in the case when it is on ad. Under $7 is a good price. It was a regional California cut for decades and is still inconsistently stocked, so the price varies more by store than by season.
- What you actually get
- A 2 lb tri-tip cooks to roughly 1.5 lb and serves four to six. Loss is around 25%. It usually comes with a fat cap that is worth leaving on during cooking and trimming afterwards.
- How to store it
- Three to five days refrigerated. Its compact shape freezes well.
- In the kitchen
- A triangular roast from the bottom sirloin with a grain that changes direction partway through, which is why so much tri-tip eats tough. Find where the grain turns, cut the roast into two pieces there, and slice each across its own grain. Cook it like a big steak — hot sear, then indirect heat to about 57°C — rather than like a braising roast.
- Getting the most out of it
- Cook it like a large steak, not a pot roast: hot and fast to medium-rare, then rest. Because the grain shifts direction, cut the roast into two sections at the point where it turns, then slice each against its own grain. Getting that wrong is what makes tri-tip seem tough.
- Grilled Steak KebabsRecipe by Natasha's Kitchen~$3.55 / serving 2 in-season
- Santa Maria Grilled Tri-TipRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$4.54 / serving 0 in-season
- Grilled Tri-TipRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$6.90 / serving 1 in-season
- Grilled Tri Tip Steak RecipeRecipe by Foodie Crush~$10.47 / serving 0 in-season
- Tri Tip Sandwich RecipeRecipe by Foodie Crush~$10.86 / serving 1 in-season
- Tri-Tip MarinadeRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$13.81 / serving 1 in-season
See all 7 recipes with tri-tip roast →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA weekly retail meat report (conventional, per lb). Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Tri-Tip Roast — FAQ
What's the price of tri-tip roast this week?
As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of tri-tip roast in the Midwest is $9.85/lb, down 10% from last week. Prices come from the USDA's weekly retail meat report.
Which region has the cheapest tri-tip roast right now?
The Southwest has the cheapest tri-tip roast this week at $7.28/lb — about 26% less than the Midwest, where it runs $9.85/lb.
How much protein is in tri-tip roast?
A typical 140g serving of tri-tip roast has about 29.7g protein and 216 calories (9.9g fat), per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I cook with tri-tip roast?
SeasonSort indexes 7 recipes using tri-tip roast, each priced per serving from this week's data — starting from about $3.55 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.