15 Minute Easy Pan Seared Sirloin Steak
This is the top Sirloin Steak recipe you can make on a stovetop. It’s tender, juicy and easy to make in 15 minutes for an elegant weeknight dinner. Serve with sauteed potatoes and green vegetables for the perfect meal. Plus video tutorial!
Just like Baked Bone-in Pork Chops and Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, this Sirloin Steak recipe makes dinner a breeze. It’s one of my fave steak recipes along with Rib Eye Steak and T-bone Steak.
What is Sirloin Steak?
Sirloin steak is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef, and it comes from the rump. It’s lean, family-sized and less expensive than a New York Strip or a Rib-eye. Perfect for everyday cooking and a great recipe for college students.
The most tender sirloin steaks are normally smaller in size. The sirloin family includes the following:
- Top Sirloin Steak: this is the best cut for steak and the most tender, often labelled just as “sirloin” in supermarkets
- Bottom Sirloin Steak: this is the less expensive cut and can be chewy, so are best tenderized and/or cooked to medium rare to medium doneness
You may see some beef marketed as Sirloin Tip, but this is usually a cut from the round and not suitable for steak.
How to Cook Sirloin Steak
When cooking sirloin steak, you’ll want to get your side dishes prepared first. Classic pairings for sirloin steak are sauteed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and a green vegetable such as asparagus. During this time, you can let the meat rest at room temperature.
Pat dry the steak with paper towels to remove any excess moisture that could prevent a good sear. Season the steak with salt and pepper too.
Place a cast iron pan on high heat for several minutes to get it extremely hot. Make sure your ventilation is on! Then add the oil followed immediately by the steak.
Allow it to sear in the hot pan for several minutes per side depending on your desired doneness. Then flip the steak and cook the other side for several minutes. The final cooking step is adding melted butter and minced garlic to the pan for the most amazing flavor. It should cook for about one minute.
Remove your steak to a wire cooling rack or plate to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Stages of Steak Doneness
The following table shows the approximate cooking time and internal temperatures for various stages of doneness for a 1″ thick steak:
*Rare Steak: Let the steak rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking for the best results.**Well Done Steak: Cook on medium heat instead of high heat to avoid burning the steak.Note that the safe internal temperature for beef is officially 145°F according to the USDA even though it’s not always observed.
Tips and Secrets for Cooking the Best Sirloin Steak
- Select the smallest sirloin steaks you can find for the best tenderness.
- Remove steaks from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to reach room temperature.
- Pat steaks dry with paper towel before cooking for the best sear possible.
- Use a grill pan like this one to get a diamond grill marks on the steak.
- After cooking, remove the steak to a plate and cover for 5 minutes to let the juices go back into the meat.
- If your sirloin is of lower quality, score it by running a sharp knife tip across the surface about 1/8” deep to make it less chewy. You can also ask a butcher to do this for you.
Equipment for Cooking Sirloin Steak
- A cast iron pan like this one is ideal for cooking sirloin steak, and a grill pan will create a nice diamond pattern.
- An instant meat thermometer allows you to quickly check doneness without cutting into the steak.
- Kitchen tongs are helpful for flipping steaks in the pan.
- A simple wire cooling rack is perfect for letting the steak rest before serving.
Watch How to Make Sirloin Steak
This video tutorial shows you how to easily prepare pan-seared sirloin steak that’s tender, juicy and flavorful in just 15 minutes:
15 Minute Easy Sirloin Steak
Ingredients
- 2 sirloin steaks, 6-8 oz each, about 1-inch thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- fresh thyme or rosemary, garnish - optional
Instructions
- Pat dry the steaks and season both sides with salt and pepper. Have all your other ingredients prepared and set aside a wire cooling rack.
- Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat and allow to heat up for one minute. Make sure your ventilation/exhaust fan is on!
- Add olive oil and wait until it's shimmering before adding the steak. This is necessary to get a good sear.
- Fry for 2 minutes and then flip over.
- Fry on the other side for 2 more minutes.
- Pour the butter on top of the steak and scatter the minced garlic around.
- Cook one more minute until garlic is starting to turn brown on the edges. Remove
- Remove steaks to a cooling rack and cover lightly with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional rosemary or thyme, serve and enjoy!
Notes
| Doneness | Cooking Time per Side | Remove from Pan | Final Temperature |
| Rare Steak * | 1 minute | 125°F | 130°F |
| Medium Rare Steak | 3 minutes | 130°F | 135°F |
| Medium Steak | 6 minutes | 140°F | 145°F |
| Medium-well Steak | 7 minutes | 150°F | 155°F |
| Well Done Steak** | 9 minutes | 160°F | 170°F |
Nutrition
More steak recipes:
Editor note: Published Feb. 27, 2018 and updated on June 5, 2018
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This looks like such an incredible meal! I love having steak!
Thanks Madi!
Such great info on buying inexpensive. meat! Looks like I know what we are having for dinner!
Thanks, Michele!
Burnt the hell out of my steak and set my house full of smoke.
Sorry to hear that LeeAnn. Best to keep an eye on it and use lots of ventilation the first time around 🙁
Thanks. I needed to learn to cook sirloin.
Thanks for your review Cheryl – sirloin is delicious when cooked right 🙂
What a great article on the types of sirloin! Love the way you seared the steak and added the garlic butter. I love putting a pat of butter on right after I take mine off the grill.Yum!
Hi Linda, Thanks for your review and hope you enjoy it! 🙂
just made this for dinner! so delicious!
Hi Zoe, That’s awesome, thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This is bullsht! Cooks my steaks with lemon and mayonnaise!
Hi Tyvie, Thanks for your comment, but you can definitely add lemon juice at the end and/or mayonnaise 🙂