Woodfired Garlic Tri Tip Sliders with Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce
Woodfired Garlic Tri Tip Sliders with Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce
These woodfired garlic tri tip sliders start with a proper roast, not a shortcut.
A proper roast instead of a shortcut, the through line of our grilling lineup.
Two pounds of tri tip gets a generous coat of Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic Seasoning and a rest, minimum 15 minutes, longer if you have the time, before the grill even comes on. That rest matters. The garlic and smoke notes from the seasoning work into the surface of the meat, and you’ll taste it in the crust.
Fire the grill to 425°F and set up both a direct and an indirect zone. The roast goes over the flame first, 5 to 7 minutes per side until a real char locks in. Then it moves to the indirect side, lid down, and finishes until the internal temperature hits 125°F. Pull it off the grill, tent it loosely with foil, and give it 15 full minutes. Do not rush this.
While the roast rests, yellow onion cooks down in a skillet, medium heat, a little oil, 8 to 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. That’s the only thing happening on the stove.
Slicing is where people lose tri tip. The grain shifts direction partway through the roast. You have to look before you cut. Against the grain: clean, tender, pulls apart at the bite. With the grain: chewy, stringy, a waste of a good roast. Take the extra ten seconds.
Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce on the bottom bun. Sliced tri tip. Sauteed onion. Another hit of sauce on top. Ten sliders from one roast.
The Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic gets the crust. The Mild BBQ ties everything together on the bun. Both products earn their spot here.
This is the version you keep making.
Flavor First.
Woodfired Garlic Tri Tip Sliders with Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Season the tri tip roast generously on all sides with Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic Seasoning. Place in the refrigerator and allow the roast to absorb the seasoning for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before grilling.
- Fire up the grill to medium-high heat (425 degrees F) and set up both direct and indirect cooking zones.
- Place the seasoned tri tip roast over direct heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes until a solid crust forms. Flip and repeat on the other side for another 5-7 minutes.
- Move the roast to the indirect cooking zone and close the grill lid. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F. The roast will continue to rise in temperature during resting and settle at medium-rare.
- Remove from the grill, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
- While the roast rests, saute the sliced yellow onion in a skillet over medium heat with a little oil for 8-10 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- Slice the tri tip thinly against the grain.
- Assemble the sliders: spread Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce on the bottom bun. Layer with a few slices of tri tip, a spoonful of sauteed onions, and another squeeze of Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce on top. Close with the top bun and serve.
Notes
- Tri tip grain changes midway — Before you slice, identify where the grain runs on each section of the roast. It shifts direction in the middle. Adjust your angle at the pivot point. Cutting with the grain makes it stringy; against it, the meat slices clean.
- Season early when you can — The minimum rest is 15 minutes in the fridge, but 45 minutes to an hour gives Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic time to fully penetrate the surface. The longer the dry rub sits, the deeper the garlic-smoke character shows up in the finished crust.
- Rest the full 15 minutes — Pull the roast at 125°F internal and tent loosely with foil. Carry-over will bring it to 130–135°F — medium-rare. Cut into it early and the juices drain onto the board instead of staying in the meat. The sliders get dry. Wait.
- Use the rest time for the onions — Start the onion saute right when the roast comes off the grill. Medium heat, a little oil, 8 to 10 minutes. They’ll be ready right as the tri tip finishes resting. No wasted time.
- Build a slider station — Set out extra Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce, pickled jalapenos, and sliced sharp cheddar or pepper jack so people can build their own. The base slider is complete on its own, but having options makes it a spread.
- Reheat without drying out — Wrap leftover sliced tri tip in foil and warm at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Or heat briefly in a skillet over medium for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Either works better than the microwave.
- Coleslaw, potato salad, or grilled corn keep the plate honest without competing with the sliders. Any of them hold up against the richness of the tri tip and the BBQ sauce.
- Set out extra Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce and pickled jalapenos at the table. Some people want more heat, some want more sauce — let them build their own.
- Sliced sharp cheddar or pepper jack adds a cheese pull to each slider if you want to go that direction. It works well with the mild sweetness of the BBQ sauce.
- These travel well to a backyard cookout. Cook the roast ahead, slice it cold, and let people assemble at the station.
- Store sliced tri tip and sauteed onions separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep slider buns at room temperature. Assemble just before serving — buns get soggy if they sit with the sauce.
- To reheat: wrap sliced tri tip loosely in foil and warm at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Or heat briefly in a skillet over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Both methods work without drying the meat out.
- The roast can be cooked ahead and refrigerated whole. Slice cold and serve at room temperature, or warm briefly in foil in a low oven before assembling.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
What is tri tip and how is it different from brisket?
Tri tip is a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, leaner than brisket, faster to cook, and naturally tender when pulled at medium-rare. Brisket requires many hours of low-and-slow cooking; tri tip is grill-ready in under an hour.
Can I make these sliders without a grill?
Sear the tri tip in a cast iron skillet over high heat, then finish it in a 400°F oven on a wire rack until it hits 125°F internal. The crust won’t have the same char, but the technique holds. Same rest time applies.
How do I know when the tri tip is ready to slice?
After 15 minutes under foil, the internal temperature should settle around 130–135°F. The roast will slice cleanly without excessive liquid running out. If it’s still steaming heavily, give it another 5 minutes.
Can I use a different cut of beef for these sliders?
Flank steak and skirt steak both work, cook time will be shorter since they’re thinner. Chuck roast sliced after cooking is a solid option if you want more fat in the mix. Adjust cook time based on thickness.
How much meat do I get per slider from a 2-pound tri tip?
With 10 sliders from a 2-pound roast, each slider gets roughly 2 to 3 ounces of meat. That’s two sliders per person as a main dish, or stretch it further as part of a bigger spread.
Do I need to marinate the tri tip overnight?
No. Even 15 minutes with Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic Seasoning builds a solid crust. A longer rest (45 min to 1 hour) deepens the garlic-smoke flavor, but an overnight marinade isn’t necessary and won’t dramatically change the result.
More like this: Burger & Slider Recipes · Steak & Beef Recipes · Game Day Recipes · Kinder’s Recipes
One Good Recipe a Week
No spam, no life stories. A recipe worth cooking, in your inbox.
