Alright, folks, gather ’round! Today, I’m gonna share my little adventure with making a tri-tip roast in my trusty pressure cooker. Now, I ain’t no fancy chef, but I do love a good chunk of meat, and let me tell you, this method is a total game-changer. It is my favorite way to enjoy tri-tip now.
First off, I grabbed a decent-sized tri-tip from the store. Around 2.5 pounds, give or take. I gave it a good rinse under cold water and patted it dry with some paper towels. Gotta start with a clean slate, you know?
Next up, the seasoning. I’m a simple guy, so I just used some salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. You can get all fancy with your spices, but for me, this does the trick. Gave that roast a good rub down, making sure to get the seasoning into every nook and cranny.

Sear It Real Good
Now, here’s where the magic starts. I heated up some oil in my pressure cooker – just enough to coat the bottom. Once that oil was nice and hot, I tossed the tri-tip in there and seared it on all sides. We’re talking a good 3-4 minutes per side. This helps lock in those juices and gives it a nice color.
Under Pressure
- After searing, I took the roast out for a sec and poured in about a cup of beef broth. You can use water, but I like the extra flavor from the broth.
- Then, I placed a trivet in the cooker and put the tri-tip back on top of it. This keeps it from sitting directly in the liquid, which is important.
- Lid on, valve sealed, and I set it to high pressure. Now, the cooking time is crucial here. I went with about 30 minutes per pound of meat. So for my 2.5-pound roast, that was roughly 75 minutes.
The Big Reveal
Once the time was up, I let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. Then, I did a quick release to get rid of the remaining steam. Opened that lid, and boy, oh boy, the smell was heavenly!
I took the tri-tip out and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Gotta let those juices redistribute, you know? Then, I sliced it against the grain, and let me tell you, it was tender as can be.
Served it up with some roasted veggies and mashed potatoes. A simple meal, but it tasted like a million bucks. The pressure cooker really did a number on that tri-tip, making it super juicy and flavorful. Trust me, folks, if you haven’t tried this method yet, you’re missing out!
So there you have it, my pressure cooker tri-tip adventure. It’s easy, it’s tasty, and it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Give it a shot, and let me know how it turns out for you!