Juicy tender steaks that look as pretty as filet mignon but for half the cost? This pan-seared top sirloin steak recipe can give even the best steakhouse a run for the money.
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In this recipe:
This Top Sirloin Steak is a popular pick because of its exceptional flavor. This lean cut of beef holds big bold flavor and is perfect for quick cooking methods. This easy recipe uses four simple ingredients, so you can make a top sirloin filet in no time.
All you need is a cast iron skillet, twine, butter, canola oil, salt, and your sirloin steak recipe. Give it a good sear, and you’ll have a 5-star juicy steak ready in less than an hour. Serve with Red Wine Pan Sauce and Steakhouse Keto Creamed Spinach for best results.
What Is A Top Sirloin Filet?
Top sirloin cuts come from the top mid-back of the cow—also known as a baseball cut. It’s a leaner muscle like a tenderloin or filet, meaning it’s a tender cut, but you won’t see as much marbling as a ribeye. Unlike the filet mignon, one of the biggest benefits of this cut is that a sirloin steak has a more beefy flavor and is less expensive.
Because of their bolder flavor, we love a grilled top sirloin steak over a charcoal grill or seared in cast iron. They are a perfect steak for a quick and hot cook with a rosy medium rare center and delicious steak dinner. To amp up the umami, because they are lean, we top these with a quick red wine sauce for steaks or our favorite homemade compound butter recipe (the roasted garlic being our favorite!).
Top Sirloin Steaks Ingredients
- 4 Top Sirloin steaks – look for steaks of even size and thickness
- Salt – we always use kosher salt
- Canola oil – or your favorite neutral cooking oil
- Butter – we always use unsalted butter
- Red Wine Pan Sauce – this is optional, but we love it for an elevated steak dinner.
Best Way To Cook Sirloin Steak
Prep the steaks
Pat each top sirloin steak with paper towels to dry them off completely, and then tie them with butcher’s twine along the circumference of the steak. This helps the steaks to retain their shape.
Season steak liberally with salt and place on a wire rack on a baking sheet to let the steaks dry. A very dry steak will get a better all-over crust in a cast iron pan.
Place steaks in the fridge for two to four hours to air dry.
Pan Sear
Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and then when heated. add the oil and butter—swirling to coat the pan.
When done frothing, add each seasoned steak to the pan, gently setting them into the hot cast iron. You will hear the steaks immediately sizzle as you sear them. Sear steaks for 2 to 3 minutes without touching them. This is when the Maillard reaction happens, and the beautiful crust is formed. If you move the steak or pull on it, you risk tearing the meat.
Using long tongs, flip the sirloin steaks and top them with the remaining butter. When you initially try to flip them, if they pull or resist you in any way, let them sit for 30 seconds longer and then try again.
Reduce the heat to medium and let the cook steaks 3-4 minutes longer until they are done —use a meat thermometer to check they reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees F for a beautiful medium rare.
Remove from heat and rest, tented with foil for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, as the steaks rest, make the pan sauce if desired. If you choose to skip the sauce, we highly recommend serving this with compound herb butter.
To serve
Remove the twine and serve hot with crushed black pepper and freshly minced parsley.
RECIPE TIPS
Letting the steaks come to room temperature before cooking them is key to getting an even cook throughout.
What to serve with pan-seared steaks
Serve these steaks with crisp blanched green beans, smoked brussels sprouts, smoked baked potato, or crispy beef tallow fries.
We love this steak with our favorite red wine sauce for steaks, but it’s also a great recipe to serve with brandy peppercorn sauce or classic bearnaise sauce.
Leftovers & Reheating
Refrigerate Store leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge. Eat within three to four days.
Freezer: Store cooked steak in a freezer bag for up to six months in the freezer. Note that it will dry out over time. We don’t recommend freezing steak once cooked; rather, enjoy it immediately. Use leftovers in scrambles, sandwiches, salads, and just simple meat snacks.
To Reheat: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Wrap the steaks in foil with a dab of compound butter. Once preheated, pop the steaks into the oven and cook until the steaks are heated through.
The best way to make a boneless top sirloin steak tender is not over to cook it. Because this is a lean cut, the longer you cook it, the more it will dry out and become tough. Quick cooking methods, like this pan sear or grilled top sirloin, are the best way to enjoy this cut short of pounding it flat with a mallet….
Hot and fast. This tender, lean cut benefits from quick cooking methods, like pan sear cast-iron skillet method or cooking over a hot charcoal or gas grill, and keeping the internal sirloin center cut steak temperature below 140 degrees F. Medium-rare to medium is best for a good steak and taking it past that will ruin your dining experience, making you think this a tough, bland cut.
More Delicious Steak Recipes
If you enjoy this top sirloin filet, check out these other steak recipes that are great for nearly any occasion!
Beef Recipes
Sous Vide Ribeye
How To
How to Grill a Steak
Beef Recipes
Sous Vide Denver Steak
Steak Recipes
Pan-Seared Hanger Steak Recipe
I hope you’ve found this top sirloin steak recipe easy and delicious. Have you ever made a sirloin filet in a skillet before? Let me know how your steak turned out in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe. What did you pair it with? Did you make the optional wine sauce to go along with it? If not, there’s always next time!
Pan Seared Top Sirloin Steak Recipe
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Top Sirloin steaks about 1 to 1 ½” thick and 3” wide
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 4 Butter divided
Instructions
Prep the steaks:
- Remove the steaks from the packaging and pat dry if needed.
- Tie with butcher’s twine along the circumference of the steak to help with even cooking.
- Season the steaks liberally on all sides with salt. Set on a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- Place them in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours.
Pan Sear:
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and 1 tbsp butter and swirl to coat the pan.
- When the butter has finished frothing, add the steaks and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes without touching them to form a crust.
- Flip the steaks and top them with the remaining butter, divided evenly over the surface of each.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the steaks cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, until they reach an internal temperature of of 125 degrees F.
- Remove from heat and rest, tented with foil 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the pan sauce if desired.
To serve:
- Remove the twine from the steaks and serve hot with crushed black pepper and freshly minced parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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on sale near me, top sirloin for $5.97/lb so I bought a few and used your cast iron skillet method, they came out awesome! Love the website.
Thanks, Dave! I’m glad I could help. I think sirloin is a GREAT cut and Ive got recipes for grilling and sous vide too if you stock up while it’s on sale.
Cheers,
Wonderful!!!
Thank you greatly ☺️ 🙏