Slow Cooker Cajun Tri-Tip with Tomato Gravy

Tri‑tip is a triangular roast from the bottom sirloin, also known as a Triangle Roast, Bottom Sirloin Tip, Santa Maria Cut, or California cut. It’s a budget‑friendly cut of meat with big flavor and tender texture, perfect for a variety of cooking methods — grilling, oven roasting, or, as we’re doing today, slow cooking. Once simmered low and slow, tri‑tip becomes melt‑in‑your‑mouth tender and can be shredded for sandwiches or sliced to serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes and gravy. Cooking it in the slow cooker makes the tri‑tip incredibly tender while building a rich, concentrated tomato gravy — all with very little hands‑on effort from you.

Add the seared tri‑tip to the slow cooker. Scatter in 1 diced yellow onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, tuck in 1 bay leaf, and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. For easy removal later, tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine — this way you can lift them out cleanly when finishing the tomato gravy—salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in 4 cups of diced tomatoes. Any ripe variety will work — I used a mix of garden Romas and Early Girls for both sweetness and depth, but the key is choosing flavorful, in‑season tomatoes to build a rich tomato gravy base. Stir together 2 cups beef broth and 2 tablespoons tomato paste, then pour the broth mixture over the tomatoes and meat. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender.

About an hour before the tri‑tip is finished, thicken the gravy with a slurry. Whisk together 3 tablespoons of all‑purpose flour and 3 tablespoons of water until smooth, then pour the mixture directly into the gravy (not over the meat). Stir well to blend — this will give the sauce body and a silky texture as it finishes cooking.

Remove the tri‑tip from the slow cooker and let it rest for 15 minutes, tented loosely with foil to keep warm. For an even thicker gravy, turn the slow cooker to high, cover with the lid, and let the sauce simmer while the meat rests. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to partially purée the tomato gravy until silky. Blend just enough to thin and smooth the sauce while still leaving some tomato pieces for body and rustic character.

Enjoy!

For more Cajun and Southern recipes, check out these:

• Pimento Cheese Pasta Salad
• Summer Corn, Tomato & Jalapeno Fritters
• Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya
• Country Fried Chicken Tenders
• Southern Pea Salad🫛
• Southern Style Banana Pudding
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• Coleslaw
• Country Sausage Gravy
• Smothered Pork Chops
• Crispy Southern Fried Catfish
• Mint Julep Lemonade
• Shrimp and Cajun Cheesy Grits
• Cajun Macaroni Salad