What Sauce Goes with Tri Tip? (8 Tasty Sauces)

Tri tip is a delicious and versatile cut of meat that can be cooked in a variety of ways.

Whether you grilled, smoked, or slow roasted your tri tip, it’s always delicious.

But to take it to the next level, you need a good sauce.

A good sauce can transform a dish from good to great.

So if you are wondering what sauces to serve with tri tip, then you are in the right place.

I’m sharing 8 of the best sauces for tri tip including BBQ sauce, chimichurri sauce, au jus sauce, and more.

See Also: What Salad Goes With Tri Tip? 10 Best Salads

What Sauce Goes with Tri Tip?

When looking for the perfect sauce to accompany your tri-tip, you can’t go wrong with a classic BBQ sauce. This smoky and tangy sauce is the perfect complement to the rich flavor of tri-tip. If you’re looking for something a little different, try a chimichurri sauce. This Argentinean sauce is made with fresh herbs and spices, and it adds a bright and flavorful touch to any dish.

Still looking for ideas?

Then simply keep reading!

1. BBQ Sauce

If you like the sweet and smoky flavor of BBQ sauce, then you’ll love this recipe.

This sauce is made with apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, honey, and coconut aminos.

The apple cider vinegar gives the sauce a nice tang, while the brown sugar and honey add sweetness.

The hot sauce adds a bit of spice, and the coconut aminos give the sauce a savory umami flavor.

To make the sauce, just combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

You can also make this sauce in a pan on the stovetop by simmering all of the ingredients together until they are well combined.

If you want to make a spicy BBQ sauce, you can add some cayenne pepper to the mix.

2. Chimichurri Sauce

This beautiful colored sauce is perfect for taking your tri tip to the next level.

It is made with white wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, olive oil, sea salt, and fresh oregano.

The acidity from the vinegar cuts through the fat of the meat, while the olive oil adds a smoothness and body to the sauce.

The oregano and red pepper flakes give it a nice flavor, and the sea salt helps to bring out all of the other flavors.

You can substitute any type of vinegar in this recipe, but I think that white wine vinegar gives the best flavor.

You can also use dried oregano instead of fresh, but you will need to use less because it is more potent than fresh.

If you don’t have red pepper flakes, you can use crushed black pepper or even leave it out altogether.

To make this sauce, simply combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

You can also add a bit of water if you want it to be thinner.

I like to serve this sauce over grilled tri-tip with some grilled vegetables on the side.

3. Au Jus (no drippings necessary)

Known for being great with meats like prime rib and roast beef, au jus is a classic French sauce made from the natural juices that come from cooking meat.

While you can make au jus with the drippings from your cooked meat, it’s actually quite easy to make without them.

All you need is some beef broth, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper.

Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a pot and simmer until heated through.

You could also add a bit of red wine for extra flavor.

If you don’t have beef broth on hand, you could use chicken broth or even water.

The dijon mustard can be replaced with regular yellow mustard, and the worcestershire sauce can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.

This sauce is the perfect finishing touch to your tri tip dinner.

4. Creamy Horseradish Sauce

If you like how horseradish tastes, then you’ll love this creamy horseradish sauce.

This sauce is perfect for tri tip, as it adds a bit of heat and a lot of flavor.

The sauce is made with sour cream, black pepper, and prepared horseradish.

You can use mayonnaise in place of the sour cream, and if you don’t have any horseradish on hand, you can use mustard.

To make the sauce, simply mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least an hour.

This will allow the flavors to meld together.

For a bit of a twist, you could also add some chopped dill or chives to the sauce.

5. Marinara Sauce

Marinara has been a classic choice for dipping and dressing up tri tip for as long as anyone can remember.

This smooth, slightly chunky sauce is made with whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Parmesan cheese is also added to give it a bit of salty flavor.

You could also use Romano cheese if you prefer.

Making your own marinara sauce is quite easy, and only requires a few simple ingredients.

1. I usually start by heating olive oil in a pan, then adding garlic and red pepper flakes.
2. After the garlic becomes fragrant, I add the whole peeled tomatoes and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Once the sauce has thickened, I add some Parmesan cheese and give it a final stir.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also add some ground beef or sausage to the sauce.

6. Alfredo Sauce

If you prefer your sauce to be creamy, thick, and full of flavor, then you’ll want to try making an Alfredo sauce.

This classic Italian sauce is made with heavy cream, parmesan cheese, butter, and garlic.

It’s rich and decadent, and it takes your tri tip to the next level.

If you’re looking for a lighter version of this sauce, you can substitute the heavy cream for milk.

You can also use less butter, or even omit it altogether.

I like to make my Alfredo sauce in a pan on the stovetop.

1. I start by melting the butter and then adding the garlic.
2. Then, I add the heavy cream and let it simmer until it thickens.
3. Finally, I add the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

For a fun twist on this classic recipe, you could try adding some sun-dried tomatoes or spinach leaves.

7. Pesto Sauce

Known for its strong basil flavor, pesto is a versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes.

While it is most commonly used as a pasta sauce, it can also be used to enhance the flavor of grilled meats, like tri tip.

Pesto is made with a few simple ingredients: pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.

If you don’t have pine nuts on hand, you can substitute them for almonds or sunflower seeds.

The cheese can also be swapped out for another variety, like pecorino romano.

As for the garlic, you could use fresh cloves or jarred minced garlic.

To make the sauce, simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

You can add more or less olive oil to reach your desired consistency.

For a twist on this classic sauce, try adding some roasted red peppers to the mix.

8. Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce

If you want a little spice in your life, this Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce is for you.

It’s packed with flavor from the pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic, and the olive oil and lemon juice give it a lovely brightness.

The tomato sauce itself is pretty simple to make, but it really comes to life with the addition of these ingredients.

If you don’t have pine nuts on hand, you could use almonds or even sunflower seeds.

As for the Parmesan cheese, you could use any type of hard cheese that you have on hand.

1. I usually make this sauce in just a few steps: I first sauté the garlic in olive oil until it’s fragrant.
2. Then I add the tomato sauce and let it simmer for a bit.
3. Finally, I add the pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice and let the sauce simmer until it’s nice and thick.

If you want a little extra spice, you could also add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.