Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Tri-Tip with Coriander Gravy

"I'm still in shock! The recipe serves four but it didn't last beyond the two of us in one sitting." - Mike

Why This Recipe Works

Tri-tip is a lean, flavorful cut of beef that comes from the tender, triangle roast that's right in front of the hind quarters. It tends to be quite a bit less expensive than other types of steak, especially for the amount of flavor it delivers.

Typically, recipes call for tri-tip to be cooked quickly on a grill, under the broiler, or in a super hot skillet. But, it's also the perfect cut of beef to cook low and slow in a slow cooker or under pressure in an Instant Pot.

Cooking tri-tip in a slow cooker or instant pot creates tender, flavorful chunks of beef that beg to be smothered in gravy. Which is exactly what's happening here.

"I made this last night for dinner! It was delicious. I did the crockpot on high and the meat was fall apart tender. I served it with potatoes and green beans and the gravy..... Oh my! My brother had 3 helpings and everyone raved." - Lynn

Ingredient notes

Before you begin, gather up all your ingredients:

• A 3-pound Tri-Tip Roast
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion: Peel the onion and cut it into ¼-inch slices
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic: Peel the garlic and roughly chop each clove into 3 or 4 pieces
• Ground coriander
• Fennel seeds
• Smoked paprika
• Dried oregano
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 32 ounces chicken broth - or any other kind of broth. You can even just use plain water. I often use Better than Bouillon chicken or vegetable base mixed with water.
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Wait... anchovies? Yes! Paprika and oregano add some smokiness and depth to the sauce, and anchovies add that wonderfully intangible sense of umami that makes this dish extremely satisfying.

In this delicious gravy, the anchovies are literally blended up in a blender with the other ingredients. They contribute depth and flavor the the sauce without interfering with the creamy consistency.

The fennel and coriander gravy in this dish is actually just the broth the meat cooks in, boiled down and thickened with a bit of cornstarch. Both fennel and coriander are extremely aromatic and flavorful, and add a unique brightness to both the meat and the gravy.

Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions

Cut tri-tip into three pieces, dab excess moisture with a paper towel, and sprinkle each piece with a generous amount of salt.

Cook the steak in a hot skillet with a bit of oil until a rich brown crust forms on both sides.

Remove the pieces of steak from the skillet, setting them into the bowl of a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot.

Pro tip: Browning the meat is about creating flavor. Searing meat at high heat sets off something called the Maillard reaction. At around 285°F, amino acids and sugars rearrange themselves, creating a brown hue, and new flavor and aroma compounds. Cutting the meat into three pieces will help it cook a bit faster, and create more surface area for browning.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook until they are light golden brown.

Add the garlic, coriander, fennel, paprika, oregano, and ground black pepper to the onions and cook for another minute or so to toast the spices.

Add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. (There's a lot of flavor in those brown bits!)

Transfer everything from the skillet to a blender and add the anchovies. Puree until smooth, about 20 seconds, and then pour the gravy over the meat and add the remaining chicken broth.

1. Slow Cooker: Cook the meat on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until the meat is so tender it's falling apart.
2. Instant Pot: Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and the timer to 35 minutes with a natural release.

Remove the meat to a serving platter and cover to keep warm and pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan. Mix a bit of cornstarch into some of the hot gravy, whisking to prevent lumps, then pour the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan.

Cook the gravy for a few minutes, until it's thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like, then pour it over the meat and dig in.

What to Serve with Tri-Tip Steak and Gravy

Potatoes, of course. There's something about tender beef and rich gravy that begs to be eaten with potatoes. Here are a few of my favorite options...

• You know what's awesome with gravy covered steak? A big bowl of Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes. To be fair, there are very few things not made better with a generous serving of Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
• One of my all-time favorite super fast and delicious recipes from my Grandmother: 10-minute Au Gratin Potatoes.
• Simple, Perfect Roast Potatoes are exactly how roasted potatoes should be - richly flavorful, creamy on the inside, crisp and crackling on the outside.
• Crispy Fried Potatoes {Country Potatoes} are soft and creamy on the inside, and golden and crispy on the outside.

I also like to serve this dish with simple Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots and Microwave Green Beans with Bacon.

The whole plate reminds me of something my mother might have cooked for me as a child, leaving me feeling all cozy and cared for.

More Warm and Comforting Recipes:

One of the most popular Instant Pot and Slow Cooker recipes on this site is Asian Short Ribs. It's popular for a reason! The ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender, incredibly flavorful, and super easy to prepare.

If you love Indian food, you'll love this easy slow cooker Indian Butter Chicken recipe. The dish includes tender pieces of chicken floating in a creamy curry sauce and makes it easy to come home to a satisfying meal that's better than takeout. 

Smoked shredded pork tacos are a party in your mouth, easy to scale up for a crowd, and can also prepared in the instant pot, slow cooker, oven, or even in a dutch oven over the campfire.

Around my house, there's pretty much total consensus that double crust chicken pot pie is the very definition of comfort food. I've been making it on the regular for over 20 years and none of us are even close to being tired of it. And a conversation about comfort food is never complete without really good classic meatloaf and cream cheese mashed potatoes.