Best-Ever Tri-Tip Sandwiches with Garlic Aioli
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We’re making classic tri-tip sandwiches even better with garlic aioli, fried onions, provolone cheese, and peppery arugula. These sandwiches are next-level and great for using up leftover steak. Serve these at a BBQ or as a casual dinner party meal. They’re so delicious!
At this point, between my smoked tri-tip and famous tri-tip dry rub, you’re probably thinking that I’m trying to solicit some kind of steak sponsorship. Which, ok, maybe I am! But also, as a west coast kid and a person with a general love for grilling, it’s always been a favorite of mine.
After testing a million tri-tip recipes, I ended up with quite a bit of leftovers. And what’s a girl to do with an abundance of steak? Sandwich it, of course.
This is truly the ultimate steak sandwich. It has melty provolone, garlic aioli (the best sauce!), crispy fried onions, and fresh arugula. Together, these elements work to create a savory, borderline decadent, sandwich situation.
As a culinary school graduate, tri-tip is the cut of steak I always serve to guests. It’s an L-shaped cut of steak that comes from the bottom of the sirloin. It has a similar taste and texture to brisket. But, brisket comes from the lower chest area, and tri-tip comes from the hindquarter. Even through tri-tip is usually found in west coast supermarkets, it’s also starting to make its way across the states!
What you need
You can use any tri-tip recipe you like. Or, use leftover steak instead! This recipe would be amazing with ribeye, sirloin, or even New York strip steak. The sandwiches also have rolls, provolone, homemade frizzled onions, and arugula.
To make the garlic aioli, you need mayonnaise, fresh garlic, lemon juice, Morton’s Kosher salt, & black pepper.
Keep a batch of fried onions in the freezer for easy sandwich making. I like to make a double or triple batch of the onions so I have them on hand for all kinds of recipes!
Garlic aioli
Make the sandwiches
If you like a saucier sandwich, add the garlic aioli after you toast the sandwich. The bread will soak up a bit of the aioli when you broil it.
Reheat tri-tip without drying out
If you’re using leftover steak to make these sandwiches, you’ll want to make sure that you reheat the steak the right way. Otherwise, you might end up with tough, hard-to-chew sandwiches which no one likes. First, wrap it tightly in tinfoil. Heat it in the oven at 325°F for 5-10 minutes. You can also microwave the slices for about 1 minute if you’re in a hurry, they just might dry out a little.
Tips for storing leftovers
To store leftover sandwiches, I recommend that you leave all of the ingredients separate from each other. If you store assembled sandwiches, they will get soggy in the fridge! Just place all of the ingredients in separate airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat and assemble the sandwiches fresh when you’re ready to eat!
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Tri-Tip Sandwiches with Fried Onions & Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
Garlic Aioli
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 large cloves)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Steak Sandwiches
- 1 pound smoked tri-tip, (grilled or roasted work too!)
- 4 Dutch crunch rolls (or rolls of choice)
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced Provolone cheese
- 2 cups frizzled onions
- 2 cups arugula
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- Serrated knife
- Carving knife
Instructions
Garlic Aioli
- Add the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Steak Sandwiches
- Preheat the broiler on high. Let it heat for about 5 minutes while you make the sandwiches.
- With a sharp carving knife, thinly slice the tri-tip against the grain. (If you're using leftover tri-tip, wrap it tightly in tinfoil and heat it in the oven at 325°F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.)
- Using a serrated knife, slice the rolls in half horizontally. Place all 8 halves on a sheet pan. Spread 1/2-1 Tablespoon of garlic aioli on the cut side of each halve of bread.
- Divide the tri-tip between the bottom half of each sandwich. Top the tri-tip with 2-3 slices of provolone cheese. Broil the sandwiches until the cheese is melty and the top half of the sandwich roll is a bit toasted.
- Top the melted cheese with a handful of frizzled onions and a handful of arugula (about 1/2 cup each). Finish with sandwiches with the top of each roll. Slice in half and enjoy right away!
