Air Fryer Tri-Tip

Method

1. Check that the roast fits without touching the heating element and follow the air fryer manual for meat and preheating. Pat the meat dry, rub with oil, and season.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F if the model recommends preheating.
3. Place the roast in the basket with space around it. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn.
4. Continue cooking and begin checking the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer at 20 minutes total. Continue in 3- to 5-minute intervals as needed.
5. USDA's safe minimum for whole beef is 145°F / 63°C followed by a 3-minute rest. Remove at a temperature consistent with safe handling and your preferred final doneness, accounting for carryover heat. Rest at least 5 to 10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.

Useful adjustments

• A thin 1.5-pound roast can reach temperature much earlier than a thick 2-pound roast.
• Insert the thermometer from the side into the thickest center, away from large fat seams.
• If the exterior needs more color after the center is safe, use a short higher-temperature finish while monitoring closely.
• The grain changes direction in tri-tip; rotate the roast as you slice so every piece is cut across the grain.
• Distinguish a whole tri-tip roast from cut tri-tip steaks before following a timing example. Record the cut’s weight and thickness, and use a food thermometer rather than treating a different-sized cut as equivalent.
• Check that the meat fits with room for airflow and can be turned safely. A higher quart number does not guarantee enough uninterrupted cooking width.