How to cook top sirloin roast in oven

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Today I’m showing you how to cook sirloin steak in the oven! I’m a big fan of cooking steaks on the stove and then finishing them in the oven — I do this with other cuts too, including filet mignon and New York strip. This one has a little extra richness from the butter, and always comes out perfectly cooked. But that’s not the only reason to love this top sirloin steak recipe. It’s also easy (marinade takes a few minutes to make), full of flavor, and definitely fool-proof. If you don’t want to make grilled sirloin, this is the ultimate alternative.

Beef top sirloin steak recipes are a great way to incorporate a reasonable cut of steak, without sacrificing any flavor. And you don’t need a grill for this steak dinner, but you can still enjoy it outside!

Sirloin steak is a popular cut of beef that comes from the sirloin of the animal, which is the rear back portion. It’s leaner than a ribeye and more flavorful, but less lean, than a filet mignon. Top sirloin steak is preferred for simple steak recipes, such as this steak in the oven, whereas bottom sirloin is larger and less tender.

Why You’ll Love This Top Sirloin Steak Recipe

• Rich and flavorful
• Perfectly juicy and tender
• Grill marks without a grill needed
• Quick and easy to make
• Healthy steak dinner with plenty of protein

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for perfect steak, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Sirloin Steak – This method will technically work with any cut of steak, but works best with more tender cuts, such as sirloin, filet mignon, New York strip, ribeye, t-bone, or porterhouse. I used top sirloin steak, which is recommended for this recipe. Bottom sirloin is less tender and more suitable for roasts and slow cooking. I love grass-fed top sirloin steaks from this meat delivery service.
• Unsalted Butter – If you’re concerned about the high heat, you can cook sirloin steak in avocado or olive oil if you like, but I love the flavor that butter imparts. If using butter, just be sure to have your stove top fan on when searing the steaks.
• Sirloin Steak Marinade – Many purists say that all a good steak needs is salt and pepper, and you can certainly go that route (use 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper per pound of meat). However, I think that middle-of-the-road cuts such as sirloin benefit from a great steak marinade. Follow my simple balsamic steak marinade recipe, which uses common ingredients: coconut aminos (or soy sauce), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. You can substitute minced garlic instead of the garlic powder, but remove it from the steak before cooking, so that it doesn’t burn.

This section shows how to cook top sirloin steak in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Marinate. Whisk together the sirloin steak marinade in a bowl, then add the steaks and move around to make sure they are evenly coated. You can marinate in a zip lock bag or in a small baking dish.
2. Bring to room temperature. Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, to let them come to room temperature, which will help them cook more evenly.
3. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. At the same time, preheat a cast iron grill pan on the stove top over medium-high heat. You want to get it really hot so that you can get a nice sear on your steaks.
4. Sear. Once the oven is just a few minutes away from being preheated, add the butter to the skillet and heat until melted. Add the steaks in a single layer. Sear for about 2 minutes, without moving around, until browned with grill marks on the bottom. Flip and sear for 1-2 minutes on the other side.
5. Cook steak in the oven. To finish the top sirloin steak in the oven, add your probe thermometer (if using) into the thickest part of one of the steaks and transfer the cast iron pan to the oven. Cook until they reach your desired doneness (see below for recommended cook times).
6. Rest. Remove the steaks from the pan (to prevent further cooking from the hot pan), transfer to a plate, tent the top with foil, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve. Now it’s time to dig into your perfectly-cooked steak. Yum! I recommend serving each steak with a tablespoon of herb butter if you have a few minutes to make it — here is how to make compound butter for steakr if you have a few minutes to make it.

After a quick sear on the stove, you’ll let the steak finish in the oven at 400 degrees F (though it may not be necessary for rare or medium rare steaks that are 1″ thick or less). A probe thermometer to test internal temperature is the best way to know for sure, but use this oven steak time chart as an estimate.

Note: Steak temperature will increase by an additional 5 degrees when resting.

Tips For The Best Sirloin Steak

• Choose quality steaks. The better your steak is to begin with, the better your oven steak recipe is going to turn out. Get the best you can afford.
• Thick steaks work best. Look for steaks that are at least 1 inch thick, preferably 1.5 inch thick. Thicker steaks are easier to cook (and harder to overcook), more flavorful, and usually have a better texture.
• Marinate steak recipes for 3 to 8 hours, but not any longer. If the steaks sit in the marinade for too long, they can get mushy. Keep the sirloin steaks in the fridge while marinating.
• Bring steaks to room temperature before cooking. This is not absolutely required, but will help them cook more evenly.
• Cook steaks on cast iron. It heats up exceptionally well, for the best searing, and goes straight from the stovetop to the oven. I recommmend this cast iron grill pan to get grill marks, but a cast iron skillet works great as well.
• Don’t move the steaks around. Moving the sirloin steaks in the pan will prevent getting a good sear. Instead, add them and don’t move them until it’s time to flip.
• Don’t overcook. For best results, use a probe thermometer, which you insert before placing the sirloin steaks in the oven, set to your desired temperature (see steak cook time chart above), and it will beep exactly when your steaks are ready. If you don’t have one, a regular instant-read meat thermometer will work, but piercing the meat right after cooking will cause some of the juices to leak out, which is not ideal.
• Resting is super important. Don’t skip it. This allows the juices to soak into the meat, so they won’t all escape when you cut into your steak. It’s one of the best secrets to super juicy sirloin steak!

• Store: Unfortunately, I don’t recommend cooking sirloin steak recipes ahead of time, as it’s very easy to overcook them when reheating. However, if you must store leftovers, they will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• Meal prep: While a whole top sirloin steak might not reheat very well, you can slice it and use in soups, sandwiches, or salads for meal prep.
• Reheat: If you do need to reheat leftover steak, use the method I use for reverse sear steak:
  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
  • Place the steaks in a baking dish with a little broth at the bottom and seal the top with foil.
  • Reheat sirloin steak in the oven for about 10 minutes, until warm.

• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing cooked steak for the same reason that it’s not great to make ahead, but if you have leftovers to freeze, you can do so for 2-3 months. Like meal prep, these are then best used in recipes, such as soups, sandwiches, salads, or casseroles, instead of the original whole steak form.

There are so many options for sides that pair perfectly with easy sirloin steak recipes:

• Toppings – Try compound butter, sauteed mushrooms, or crab meat and hollandaise sauce for steak oscar.
• Potatoes – Roasted or mashed are classic choices, but I usually make mashed cauliflower or roasted rutabaga for healthier options.
• Asparagus – Roasted asparagus, air fryer asparagus, or sauteed asparagus are all quick to prep.
• Broccoli – Keep it simple with roasted broccoli or sauteed broccoli, or a little fancier (but still so easy) with parmesan roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
• Creamed Spinach – A classic steak house side!
• Salads – Try creamy cucumber salad, tomato cucumber avocado salad, or garden salad.

If you like this recipe for sirloin steak, you’ll love these other ways to cook steak:

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Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Prepare the steak marinade according to the instructions here. Marinate the steaks for 3-8 hours (but not longer). (Alternatively, you can simply season generously with salt and pepper and skip the marinade, but the marinade makes them so juicy!)

2. Remove the steaks from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking, to let them come to room temperature. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). At the same time, preheat a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes.

4. Once the oven is just a few minutes away from being preheated, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the steaks in a single layer. Sear for about 2 minutes, without moving around, until browned with grill marks on the bottom. Flip and sear for 1-2 minutes on the other side.

5. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Bake for 2 to 6 minutes, to your desired level of doneness.

   For a 1.5-inch (4 cm) thick steak, that's usually 2 minutes for rare, 3 minutes for medium rare, 4 minutes for medium, 5 minutes for medium-well and 6 minutes for well done.

   Use a meat thermometer to be sure – 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) for rare, 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium rare, 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium, 150 degrees F (66 degrees C) for medium well, and 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) for well done. Steak temperature will increase by an additional 5 degrees when resting in the next step.

6. Remove the sirloin steaks from the oven and transfer to a plate. (Do not leave in the pan or they will be overcooked.) Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Serving size: 8 oz steak + marinade

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 475

Fat 26g

Protein 49g

Total Carbs 5g

Net Carbs 5g

Fiber 0g

Sugar 1g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

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