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    Home » Entrees » Beef & Lamb Recipes

    Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Molasses Chili Marinade Recipe

    Published: May 8, 2011 · Modified: Mar 28, 2020 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 90 Comments

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    Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Molasses Chili Marinade Recipe

    Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Molasses Chili Marinade Recipe | cookincanuck.com

    As the rain drenched our garden beds and lawn on Mother's Day afternoon, all we wanted was to be nestled inside together, but the dinner hour was looming. Earlier in the day, we prepared a marinade for the tri-tip steaks we bought the day before and we were determined to grill them, despite the falling cats and dogs. My husband, determined that I should lift a minimal number of fingers on Mother's Day, braved the weather for the sake of a well-cooked steak. Now that is what I call dedication.

    The marinade is rich with the flavors of molasses, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chili powder. Truthfully, it would make dirt taste good, but I recommend trying it with steak, chicken thighs or pork tenderloin. Once the steaks are grilled, the reserved marinade and juices from the cooked steak are boiled into a sweet and savory thickened sauce that can be drizzled over the meat upon serving.

    Tri-tip steaks are particularly popular in California, but the reputation of this tender and flavorful cut is gradually spreading eastward. It is a small triangle that is cut from the bottom sirloin and is similar to, or can be found under the name of triangle, Santa Maria, Newport or culotte steak. If none of these are available, flank steak can be substituted.

    The recipe:

    In a large glass bowl or container, whisk together brown sugar, molasses, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and chili powder until the sugar is dissolved.

    MarinatedTriTip1

    Place tri-tip steaks in the marinade and turn until completely coated. Let marinate for about 1 hour, covered, turning the steak occasionally.

    MarinatedTriTip2

    Preheat grill to medium-high heat and brush with canola oil.

    Place the steaks on the grill (do not discard the marinade) and cook until desired degree of doneness is reached, about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Remove steak from the grill and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

    Transfer the marinade and any juices collected from the cooked steaks to a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil and let cook for about 10 minutes. Serve with the steak.

    MarinatedTriTipLS

    Other grilled steak recipes:

    Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing
    Cookin' Canuck's Soy-Ginger Marinated Flank Steak
    Guilty Kitchen's Skirt Steak Fajitas
    Eclectic Recipes' Margarita Marinated Grilled Steak
    For the Love of Cooking's Grilled Steak with Avocado Sauce

    Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Molasses Chili Marinade Recipe

    This grilled tri-tip steak is nothing short of amazing! The molasses chili marinade adds out-of-this-world flavor.
    4.17 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entrees
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Beef and Lamb Recipes, Grilling Recipes
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Marinating Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 510kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup molasses
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
    • 1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 pounds tri-tip steaks
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large glass bowl or container, whisk together brown sugar, molasses, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili powder and freshly ground black pepper until the sugar is dissolved.
    • Place tri-tip steaks in the marinade and turn until completely coated. Let marinate for about 1 hour, covered, turning the steak occasionally.
    • Preheat grill to medium-high heat and brush with canola oil.
    • Place the steaks on the grill (do not discard the marinade) and cook until desired degree of doneness is reached, about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Remove steak from the grill and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
    • Transfer the marinade and any juices collected from the cooked steaks to a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil and let cook for about 10 minutes. Serve with the steak.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 918mg | Potassium: 1128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 5.2mg
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Jack

        January 20, 2021 at 2:22 am

        5 stars
        As the rain drenched our garden beds and lawn on Mother’s Day afternoon, all we wanted was to be nestled inside together, but the dinner hour was looming. Earlier in the day, we prepared a marinade for the tri-tip steaks we bought the day before and we were determined to grill them, despite the falling cats and dogs. My husband, determined that I should lift a minimal number of fingers on Mother’s Day, braved the weather for the sake of a well-cooked steak. Now that is what I call dedication.

        Reply
      2. Joe

        October 18, 2020 at 7:10 pm

        One of the best marinates I’ve tried. Steak turned out beautifully. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you

        Reply
        • Dara

          October 19, 2020 at 11:59 am

          I'm so pleased to hear that, Joe!

          Reply
      3. Naomi

        September 03, 2020 at 1:06 pm

        5 stars
        This was so amazing!

        Reply
        • Joe

          November 28, 2021 at 5:48 pm

          5 stars
          Absolutely love this recipe. Easy and delicious.

          Reply
      4. Bon

        August 02, 2020 at 8:49 pm

        5 stars
        Our new fave! The marinaded steak was delish but the sauce at the end made it perfection!!! Thank you 🙂

        Reply
      5. Love Keil

        September 18, 2019 at 9:32 am

        5 stars
        OMG! This grilled steak was mouthwatering, I am drooling all over my screen, thinking about it! Thank you for the recipe~

        Reply
      6. Ashley

        September 18, 2019 at 8:03 am

        5 stars
        The marinade on this steak is perfect! It's the reason we choose to make this recipe again and again. Thanks so much for sharing!

        Reply
      7. Steven Guard

        August 25, 2016 at 9:01 am

        Used this marinade on two big TriTip roasts for a large group this last weekend and it was a huge hit. Several people asked for the recipe. It has become one of my favorite TriTip recipes!

        Reply
      8. Tammy

        January 01, 2015 at 12:02 am

        Dara, how would you cook the flank steak in the oven? The temperature and time, etc. Thank you in advance.

        Reply
      9. The Omnivore

        August 19, 2012 at 5:12 pm

        Yum! This marinade sounds fantastic and I bet it would be VERY tasty on tofu as well.

        Reply
      10. Dave S

        June 21, 2012 at 6:05 pm

        OMG...this was absolutely amazing....the picture looked terrific, but you know...you look at a picture and the finished result never looks the same. This did, and tasted as good as it looks.

        I have one of those Demi meat tenderizers with the 48 sharp spears that dig into the meat. So those permeated the marinade into the middle of the meat as well.

        SO good!

        I had never heard of tri-tip steaks before, so while I was in Whole Foods last weekend I asked the guy at the meat counter and he said he was just about ready to put them out. Talk about timing.....

        Reply
        • Dara (Cookin' Canuck)

          June 22, 2012 at 7:35 am

          Dave, I'm so glad you enjoyed the tri-tip! This is one of our favorite summertime grilling recipes.

          Reply
      11. Tanya

        May 28, 2012 at 9:20 pm

        This marinade was so flavorful! I substituted petite beef sirloin steaks because they were on sale, and they turned out great.

        Reply
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      I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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