Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast

Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast with vegetables is a delicious and hearty meal. You can enjoy perfectly tender and juicy roast beef with potatoes and carrots for dinner any day of the week. This is a super easy Instant Pot recipe that makes a delicious meal for Sunday dinner or any night of the week. It is a complete meal, so you need nothing else to prepare for dinner. 

overhead view of Instant Pot tri tip roast and vegetables on a large platter


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Instant Pot Tri-Tip Roast Recipe

Shredded tri-tip Instant Pot roast is a healthy and flavorful dish of lean meat with roasted veggies. It’s an easy-to-make dinner that the entire family will enjoy. Now all you need is the perfect dessert.

This Instant Pot tri-tip recipe is perfect at any time, but especially when it is too cold to grill outside!

What Is Tri-Tip?

Tri-Tip is a cut of meat that is triangular shaped and comes from the bottom sirloin. It is a lean cut meaning it is lower in fat than many other beef cuts, this lower fat content makes it a healthier cut of beef. Note that tri-tip often comes with a piece of fat attached to it, but you can cut that off.

A tri-tip makes a good pot roast. This triangle roast is a leaner and healthier red meat choice that is also budget-friendly. However, it still cooks up tender and tasty! Because pot roast cooks for a longer period of time, it’s perfect for tougher cuts of beef.

  • Tri-tip is also called a triangular sirloin roast, a California cut, or a Coulotte roast, it is called that because of the meat’s triangular shape. 

If your dinner goals include putting a delicious, home-cooked meal on the table with minimal effort, this tri-tip roast made in an Instant Pot with roasted vegetables (baby carrots and potatoes) is just made for you. The roast is rubbed and sautéed with an enticing blend of paprika, garlic powder, minced onion, and salt and pepper. The flavor is further enhanced during roasting with rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.

Instant Pot Tri-Tip Roast Recipe Tips

  • You can use oil instead of butter for searing the tri-tip.
  • Not all Instant Pots have a saute function that allows you to brown the roast. However, you can sear the meat in a frying pan, or you can skip this step. Your shredded tri-tip Instant Pot roast will still be tender even if you don’t brown it first.
  • If you don’t have any beef broth on hand, you can use water and beef bouillon. You can also use other flavors of broth in a pinch.
  • You can use other herbs or remove the large sprigs if preferred. Fresh herbs give the meat a lovely and aromatic flavor, but it won’t drastically affect the flavor of the dish to remove them.
  • There is no need to cut the baby potatoes as they will cook perfectly whole.
  • You can cut the onion into smaller pieces if preferred.
  • Use the trivet/rack included with your Instant Pot for best results. The meat may scorch if you place it directly on the bottom of the pot.
  • Use a quick release when the meat is done cooking. This way, the meat won’t continue to cook.
  • Be sure to slice the roast against the grain so you get tender cuts.

Equipment Needed

This recipe must be made in a 6-quart, or bigger, Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. If you have just bought an Instant Pot and are wondering how it works, here’s a helpful video.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Baby Potatoes, a mix of red and gold
  • Baby Carrots
  • Onion
  • Beef Broth
  • Fresh Rosemary
  • Fresh Thyme
  • Bay Leaves
  • Butter
  • Garlic Powder
  • Dried Minced Onion
  • Paprika
  • Salt – you can use regular salt or kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
Instant Pot tri tip roast ingredients

How to Cook a Tri Tip Roast in an Instant Pot

  1. Place the paprika, garlic powder, minced onion, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well.
  2. Sprinkle spice mixture on all sides of the tri-tip and rub to ensure it sticks.
seasoned tri tip roast on a cutting board
  1. Set your Instant Pot on the sauté setting and add the butter.
  2. Sear the tri-tip in the melted butter for 5 minutes on each side.
seared tri tip roast in an Instant Pot
  1. Remove the meat.
  2. Place the trivet insert inside the Instant Pot.
  3. Place the meat on top of the trivet. 
  4. Quarter the onion.
cutting an onion in half
  1. Add the onion and the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot.
tri tip roast ingredients in an Instant Pot before pressure cooking
  1. Set the Instant Pot on high pressure and cook for 30 minutes.
  2. Release pressure naturally for 20 minutes then manually release any remaining pressure.
Instant Pot tri tip roast, carrots, and potatoes on a platter

Cooking Time for an Instant Pot Roast

A basic rule for cooking pot roast in an Instant Pot is to allow 20 minutes per pound. You also need to let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally, so you need to add a full natural release of about 25 minutes (total, not per pound). Doing so helps lock in the juices and keep the meat moist.

These cooking instructions will give you a medium-done tri-tip. If you do not want any pink, cook it for an extra 10 minutes. Even if your tri-tip is well done and without a trace of pink, it will still be very tender.

It seems that many times a tough roast was cooked for too short a time, or a natural release was omitted. A three-pound roast should take around 85 minutes. Add in the 10 minutes or so that it takes for the pot to come to pressure, and you get 95 minutes. This may sound like a long time, but keep in mind that a low and slow version takes about six hours!

Can You Cook From Frozen?

You can by adding on another 10 minutes per pound. However, I personally do not recommend it. For consistent results, starting with thawed meat is best.

How Long Will A Roast Last in the Refrigerator?

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Leftover Instant Pot tri-top roast makes delicious sandwiches.

How to Freeze Pot Roast Leftovers

Pot roast can be safely frozen in your freezer for up to three months. Place the leftover pot roast in a freezer-safe storage container. Pour the cooking liquid from the roast or the roast’s gravy over the meat, so it doesn’t dry out during the freezing process.

Best Way to Reheat Frozen Pot Roast

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Loosen the pot roast from the pouch by placing the sealed package under warm water for a couple of minutes. Cut the pouch open and place the contents in a covered oven-proof dish. Roast for approximately 60 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly heated.

Instant Pot tri tip roast slice, potatoes, and carrots

Love having beef for dinner? Try these recipes!

Favorite Instant Pot Meat Recipes

Check out more of my roast beef recipes and the best Instant Pot recipes here on CopyKat!

Instant Pot tri tip roast and vegetables on a platter

Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast

Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast with vegetables is a delicious and hearty meal. Get the easy recipe and find out how to make the best tri tip roast beef in an Instant Pot. You can enjoy perfectly tender and juicy roast beef with potatoes and carrots for dinner any day of the week.
4.50 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Tri Tip Roast
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Calories: 374kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 pound tri-tip roast
  • 1 pound baby potatoes mix of red and gold
  • 1 pound baby carrots
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dry minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Place the paprika, garlic powder, dry minced onion, salt, and pepper in a small dish. Mix well.
  • Sprinkle over the entirety of your tri-tip and give a light rub to ensure it sticks.
  • Place your instant pot on the saute setting and add the butter.
  • Sear the tri-tip for 5 minutes, in the butter, on each side. Once finished, remove the meat, place the trivet insert inside the instant pot and place the meat on top of it.
  • Quarter your onion and add the remaining ingredients to the instant pot with the tri-tip.
  • Set on high pressure, or manual, and cook for 60 minutes, then naturally release for 20 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • If you don’t have any beef broth on hand, you can use water and beef bouillon. You can also use other flavors of broth in a pinch.
  • You can use other herbs, or remove the large sprigs of herbs, if preferred. These give the meat a lovely and aromatic flavor, but it won’t kill the dish to remove them.
  • There is no need to cut the baby potatoes. They will cook perfectly while whole. 
  • You can cut the onion into smaller pieces, if preferred. 
  • You can use oil instead of butter for searing the tri-tip. 
  • This recipe must be made in a 6-quart, or bigger, instant pot.

Equipment

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1192mg | Potassium: 1035mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 8349IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 4mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Loraine

    3 stars
    Made this in an 8 qt instant pot last night. I believe it would be to Salt the meat first and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle the spice mix on the meat just before you saute it. I followed directions exactly and it came out bland.

  2. Lora Meyer

    4 stars
    One thing that you don’t mention in your instructions is scraping the bits off the bottom after searing the meat with the beef broth. This is an essential step so that you don’t get a bitter taste from those bits burning. Other than that, your recipe was wonderful. The potatoes came out very tasty and the meat just fell apart. The recipe is a keeper. Thanks!

  3. Mary Halvorson

    4 stars
    In your main directions you say cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Is this standard? You mentioned earlier in the guidelines to cook according to weight. So is this recipe for a 1 1/2 lb roast? I am going to give it a try and I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks.

  4. John M Freer

    Recipe sounds terrific but I don’t have a Instant Pot, can I make it in a slow cooker (Crock Pot).
    I would saute meat in a frying pan and then put in slow cooker.

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