If you’ve ever tasted the legendary Cardiff Crack from Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, you know just how unforgettable it is. This Cardiff Crack Tri Tip recipe brings all the rich, savory flavor of the original right to your kitchen—no road trip required.
Cardiff Crack Recipe
As much as y’all love Tri Tip with Santa Maria Seasoning, an icon from California’s Central Coast, this Burgundy Pepper flavor (aka Cardiff Crack) is beloved by the San Diego crowd. There’s a reason it’s sold online and shipped for “only” $50 lb.
What Is Cardiff Crack
Cardiff Crack is a flavorful, marinated tri tip steak that’s become a cult favorite in Southern California. It’s sold at Seaside Market, a specialty grocery store in Cardiff, and is so popular that people travel just to get it.
After testing and tweaking tons of versions I found online, this is the closest to the real deal. Now, they don’t give away their recipe so it’s not exact.
Rumor has it they use a seasoning mix from Everson spice as their base, albiet other ingredients are added to the mix. So, I worked from their list of included ingredients.
Please keep in mind Seaside Market uses a meat tumbler which most folks, including myself, don’t have. So unless you use one, the flavor won’t be exact.
You can use this tri tip marinade on Smoked Tri Tip and Sous Vide Tri Tip also.
Why You’ll Love This Tri Tip Recipe
- Irresistible Flavor: The burgundy pepper marinade gives it a savory, slightly sweet, and smoky taste that’s incredibly addictive.
- Tender Texture: The tri-tip is marinated to perfection, resulting in a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth bite every time.
- Easy to Cook: It’s pre-marinated and ready to grill or roast, making it super convenient for home cooks.
- Versatile Uses: Great in sandwiches, tacos, salads, or served as a stand-alone entrée with your favorite sides.
- Cult-Favorite Status: Its local legend and loyal fanbase make it feel like a special, must-try foodie experience.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the main ingredients to make this Cardiff Crack recipe. For the full list of ingredients, see the recipe card below:
- Tri-Tip Roast – It’s extremely easy to find tri tip on the west coast, but the east coast is another story.
- Burgundy Wine – Make sure you select a wine you enjoy the flavor of if drinking. I’ve tried pinot noir, merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and I preferred the cab the best. It melded best with the rest of the flavors.
- Dehydrated Garlic – You can use garlic powder or finely mined garlic cloves as a substitute.
- Onion Powder – You can use a slice of real onion as a substitute.
- Black Pepper – It’s imperative you use freshly cracked black pepper. The wine and pepper are the two main flavors, so the quality should be top tier.
Recipe Tips From Darcey’s Kitchen
After a few rounds of recipe testing, I’ve created a list of “tips for sucess”:
- The ideal time for marination is 24 hours. I did a round with a 48 hour marinade time and, while delicious, the wine flavor was more pronounced that I’d like. I highly recommend marinating for a minimum of 12 hours.
- Download this free Temperature Guide for Tri Tip to figure out what your final temperature should be. This is one of the rare cuts I prefer medium over medium-rare. It’s MUCH less chewy at a higher temperature, but still incredibly tender.
Uses For Tri Tip
Restaurants all over San Diego use this tri tip recipe to make other tri tip recipes. Here are a few of note:
Of course just serving it sliced next to a plate of corn on the cob and potatoes is perfect.
Cardiff Crack Tri Tip (Seaside Market Copycat Recipe)
If you’ve ever tasted the legendary Cardiff Crack from Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, you know just how unforgettable it is. This Cardiff Crack Tri Tip recipe brings all the rich, savory flavor of the original right to your kitchen—no road trip required. With a bold burgundy pepper marinade, this recipe is perfect for grilling season.
Servings: 8 people
Cost: $30
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Ingredients
- 2-4 lb tri tip roast
- 2 cups burgundy wine (*Note 1)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 tsp dehydrated garlic
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp honey
- ⅛ tsp dry mustard
Instructions
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Add all the marinade ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Place the tri tip in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the top. Shake so the marinade coats the entire roast. Let marinate between 12- 24 hours.
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60 minutes before cooking, remove the tri tip roast from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
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Prepare the grill for direct and indirect heat over medium high heat. Place the tri tip, fat side down on the direct side of the heat and grill for 7 minutes. Flip and grill for 7 more minutes.
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Move to the indirect heat side of the grill and cook for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for 10 more minutes, or until the interior temperature reaches 125-130℉ for medium-rare or 130-140℉ medium. The temperature will increase about 5-7℉ when resting. *Note 2
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Remove from the grill, place on a cutting board and loosely cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting against the grain into thin slices.
Notes
Note 2 – Check this Tri Tip Temperature Chart to select the final internal temperature you prefer your tri tip roast to be.
