Okay, so I’ve been seeing all these fancy air fryer recipes online, and I finally caved and got one. My first mission? To see if I could actually cook a decent tri-tip in it. I mean, tri-tip is usually a grilling or smoking thing, right? But I was curious, and honestly, a little lazy to fire up the grill.
So, first things first, I grabbed a tri-tip from the store. It was about 2.5 pounds, a nice size for experimenting. I patted it dry with some paper towels – gotta get that excess moisture off for a good crust.
The Seasoning Part
- I’m a simple guy when it comes to seasoning. I mixed up some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little paprika in a bowl. Nothing crazy.
- Then I rubbed that mixture all over the tri-tip. I mean, I really massaged it in there, making sure every inch was covered.
Into the Air Fryer!
I preheated my air fryer to 400 degrees. Some recipes said lower, some said higher, but 400 felt like a good middle ground.
I placed the seasoned tri-tip right in the basket. No oil needed, which is kinda the point of an air fryer, right?
The Waiting Game (with a Flip!)
I set the timer for 20 minutes, then went to do… I don’t know, watch some YouTube. After 20 minutes, I flipped the tri-tip over. It was already looking pretty good, starting to get that nice brown crust.
I cooked if for another 15-20 minutes. Honestly, I should have used a meat thermometer from the start, it’ll make things easier. I was aiming for medium-rare, around 130-135 degrees.
It hits around 130. So, I pulled the tri-tip out of the air fryer and let it rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes. Gotta let those juices redistribute, you know?
The Moment of Truth
After resting, I sliced into it, and… wow. Seriously, it was pretty darn good. The outside had a nice crust, and the inside was juicy and pink. I was actually surprised at how well it turned out.
So, can you cook a tri-tip in an air fryer? Heck yeah, you can! It might not be exactly the same as grilling or smoking, but it’s a super easy and tasty way to cook it, especially if you’re short on time or just don’t feel like dealing with the grill. I’d definitely do it again!
