With 55+ sides for Tri Tip to choose from, you can create endless yummy dinners. All these side dish recipes are naturally gluten-free, with plenty of dairy-free options available as well. You’ll also find my entertaining menus for all four seasons.
Tri-tip roast is a family favorite, and we especially love this Smoked Tri Tip roast. So I wanted to share all our favorite side dishes that will complete your next family dinner.
Tri-tip is a great family dinner option that’s reasonably priced, easy to cook, and both juicy and tender.
This beef roast pairs well with just about any side dish you can think of. And I’ve included some of my favorite sauces below, too, for extra special dinners.
Potato Sides
- Grilled Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Salad (no egg option)
- Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potato
- Roasted Sweet Potato
- Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes
- Pan-Fried Rosemary Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato
Potatoes are the perfect pairing to tri-tip for our family. Don’t get me wrong… we love the pasta options below, we just really love potatoes.
The grilled potatoes and my mom’s potato salad are my favorites for the summer. In the winter, you’ll find me making any of the mashed potatoes or the roasted potatoes and carrots for a 2-for-1 side dish.
Pasta Side Dishes
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- One Pot Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- One Pot Caprese Pasta
- Lemon Cream Sauce tossed w/1 pound of pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Grilled Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
- Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad
In the winter months, creamy pasta is so good with tri-tip, and in the summer, try any of my pasta salads for outdoor cookouts.
Try my BBQ version of tri tip with the mac and cheese, or the Garlic Rosemary version with the Lemon Cream Sauce Pasta.
Salads
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Apple Spinach Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Easy Green Salad
- Caesar Salad (made w/o the chicken)
- Best of Summer Salad
- Bacon Kale Caesar Salad
- Citrus Spinach Salad
- Cilantro Lime Slaw
You can’t go wrong with any of these fresh flavorful salads, choose whichever one fits the season you’re in. My favorite meals include a salad and cooked vegetables. I love the combination of fresh and cooked that brings so much depth of satisfaction to a meal.
Vegetables
- Roasted Broccoli
- Prosciutto Asparagus
- Garlic Roasted Carrots
- Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
- Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
- Prosciutto Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Sage Carrots
- Roasted Green Beans
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Lemon Herb Zucchini
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Roasted Asparagus
- Sautéed Spinach
- Mashed Butternut Squash
One of my favorite ways to add veggies is after I’ve removed the tri tip from the smoker, is Grilled Veggies. I increase the temperature, then I load it up with veggies to grill while the tri tip is resting.
But any of these stovetop and roasted veggie options work great too, especially in the colder months. Choose 1-2 depending on whether you’re serving a salad with your roast.
Sauces
- Cilantro Chimichurri
- Lemon Cream Sauce
- Garlic Butter Sauce
- Garlic Cream Sauce
- Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Garlic Butter Sauce
Fresh flavored cilantro chimichurri is perfect to pair with summer tri tips. My Garlic Butter Sauce bridges the gap of any season, and the cream sauce options are my favorite for winter roasts.
Entertaining Menus for Tri Tip
- Spring: Rosemary Smoked Tri Tip + Lemon Cream Sauce + Roasted Asparagus + Strawberry Spinach Salad and/or add my Creamy Mashed Cauliflower + Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Honey Ice Cream for dessert.
- Summer: BBQ Smoked Tri Tip + Cilantro Chimichurri + Grilled Potatoes + Watermelon Feta Salad + Peach Crisp with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for dessert.
- Fall: Rosemary Smoked Tri Tip + Garlic Parmesan Pasta + Honey Glazed Carrots + Broccoli Salad + Apple Crisp and Maple Ice Cream for dessert.
- Winter: Rosemary Smoked Tri Tip + Mushroom Cream Sauce + Mashed Potatoes + Roasted Broccoli + Apple Spinach Salad with Death by Chocolate for dessert.
Bonus tip for reheating
- I like to thinly slice the tri-tip against the grain and pan-fry it in a skillet or on my Blackstone outdoor griddle over fairly high heat.
- This method quickly sears the leftover tri-tip, reheating it without way overcooking it.
- In the above photo, I cooked some potatoes and shishito peppers on the griddle, then quickly seared the tri-tip and served it all up with Basil Aioli. It’s a quick leftover remake that tastes so good!
I really hope you enjoy these easy Side Dishes for Tri Tip! If you do get a chance to make these, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.