Tri-Tip for 10 to 100 guests
Standard scenario: adults, average appetites, two or three sides on the table. The "at the counter" column rounds up to pieces you can actually buy.
| Guests | Cooked meat | Raw to buy | At the counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3.5 lb | 4.5–5 lb | two ~3-lb tri-tip roasts (≈6 lb) |
| 20 | 6.5 lb | 9–10 lb | three ~3.5-lb tri-tip roasts (≈10.5 lb) |
| 25 | 8.5 lb | 11–12.5 lb | four ~3.5-lb tri-tip roasts (≈14 lb) |
| 50 | 16.5 lb | 22–25 lb | eight ~3.5-lb tri-tip roasts (≈28 lb) |
| 100 | 33 lb | 44–51 lb | 15 ~3.5-lb tri-tip roasts (≈53 lb) |
The yield: raw pound ≠ served pound
Tri-tip is a lean roast with little to trim, so most of the loss is cook shrink: about 65–75% of raw weight makes it to the cutting board when you pull it at medium-rare.
Buying tri-tip: what to look for
Roasts run 1½–3½ lb; two smaller ones cook more evenly than one giant. Look for a thick center and good marbling — untrimmed ("with fat cap") versions weigh more but shield the meat. Outside California it may hide at the butcher counter as "bottom sirloin roast."
Frequently asked questions
How much tri-tip per person?
⅓ lb of cooked tri-tip per adult when two or three sides share the table, ½ lb for hearty appetites or a meat-centered meal; kids about half. Since tri-tip keeps only 65–75% of its raw weight, that's roughly 0.44–0.51 lb raw per adult.
How much tri-tip for 20 people?
About 9–10 lb raw for 20 adults with a normal spread of sides — at the counter, three ~3.5-lb tri-tip roasts (≈10.5 lb). Scale with the chart above or the calculator for your exact crowd.
Why buy so much more raw tri-tip than you serve?
Tri-tip is a lean roast with little to trim, so most of the loss is cook shrink: about 65–75% of raw weight makes it to the cutting board when you pull it at medium-rare.
What internal temperature is tri-tip safe at?
USDA calls whole-muscle beef safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest. Doneness details and hour-per-pound charts are on the tri-tip cook-time page.
Why did my tri-tip come out chewy?
Almost always the slicing, not the cook. Tri-tip’s grain runs two directions — split the roast where the grain turns, then slice each half across its own grain. And keep it medium-rare: past 145°F this lean cut dries fast.