Tri-tip internal temperature.
Tri-tip is cooked like a steak, not like a brisket. USDA FSIS puts whole-muscle beef at 145 F with a rest of at least 3 minutes, and its own doneness chart calls that medium rare. Steakhouse and pitmaster convention pulls tri-tip lower, around 130 to 135 F for medium rare, and that is below the USDA minimum. Both numbers are printed here, and which one you use is your decision, not ours. What tri-tip is not is a low-and-slow cut: take it to a collagen window and it dries out rather than pulling apart.
145 F (62.8 C), then rest at least 3 minutes before carving or consuming
Steaks, chops and roasts (whole muscle). Food thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, fat and gristle, read before removing from the heat source. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
What this covers at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-tip roast | smoke then sear, grill, roast | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Beef Board: roast or grill then slice across the grain. The grain changes direction at the bend. | Sirloin |
| Top sirloin steak | grill | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Lean; do not push past medium. | Sirloin |
| Sirloin bavette / flap | grill | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Beef Board: hearty texture, marinate and grill; fajita meat. | Sirloin |
Preference, with the minimum printed beside it
beef industry
Steaks and roasts, final temperature after rest. Culinary preference, as published by the industry body cited below.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 145 F, rest at least 3 minutes | At or above the minimum. |
| Medium | 160 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 170 F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Roasts rise 5 to 15 F after leaving the heat; allow 15 to 20 minutes standing time.
beef convention
Steaks, steakhouse and pitmaster convention, pull temperatures. Culinary preference, barbecue convention.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120 to 125 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium rare | 130 to 135 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium | 140 to 145 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium well | 150 to 155 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 160+ F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Craft convention: 5 to 10 F rise on a steak during a 5 to 10 minute rest.
Rare, medium-rare and medium figures are culinary preference ranges that fall below the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 145 F with a 3 minute rest. USDA does not consider them safe. Where the two differ, the USDA minimum governs.
Where the thermometer goes
Into the thickest part of the roast from the end, level with the grate, so the tip sits in the centre. Tri-tip is a wedge, so the thin end runs well ahead of the thick end. Read the thick end and pull the whole roast on it.
- Time:
- Tri-tip: 60 to 90 minutes at 225 F then a sear. Approximate.
- Rest:
- 10 minutes for a tri-tip.
- Slice:
- Across the grain; on tri-tip, find the two grain directions and cut each half separately.
- The danger zone. Bacteria grow fastest between 40 F and 140 F, doubling in as little as 20 minutes. Never leave food out of refrigeration more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the air is above 90 F. Hold hot food at or above 140 F and cold food at or below 40 F.
- Where the probe goes. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food, not touching bone, fat or gristle. For thin foods insert through the side. Check large or irregular pieces in several places. For a whole bird check the innermost thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
- Colour is not doneness. Appearance and colour are not reliable indicators of safety or doneness. A burger can be brown and unsafe or pink and safe. Pork at 145 F can be pink. Smoked chicken can stay pink at the bone at 165 F.
- The 3 minute rest is part of the 145 F rule. For whole-muscle beef, pork, lamb, goat and veal the safety rule is 145 F AND a rest of at least 3 minutes before carving or eating. The rest is not optional and it is not the same thing as the long barbecue rest.
- 01Slicing tri-tip in one direction end to end.
- 02Cooking tri-tip to a collagen window; it is a steak-style cut.
Cook it, then log it
The beef temperature page covers every cut. The sirloin cut guide has the woods, the mistakes and the recipes. Also: ground beef internal temp.