Baked Sirloin Steak

Learn how to cook top sirloin steak in the oven perfectly every time, with this fool-proof method for an easy, tender, and flavourful top sirloin steak recipe everyone will love.

1 recipe Balsamic Steak Marinade
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 (8 oz) sirloin steaks

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.

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 flavour 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 tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. 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.

How To Cook Sirloin Steak In The Oven:
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.

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.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6). 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.

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.

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).

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.

Now it's time to dig into your perfectly-cooked steak. Yum. I recommend serving each steak with a Tbsp. of herb butter if you have a few minutes to make it - here is how to make compound butter for steak if you have a few minutes to make it.

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).

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.

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

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.

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven.

Bake for 2-6 minutes, according to your desired level of doneness. Use a meat thermometer to be sure; 120°F (49°C) for rare, 130°F (54°C) for medium rare, 140°F (60°C) for medium, 150°F (66°C) for medium well, and 160°F (71°C) for well done. Steak temperature will increase by an additional 5° when resting in the next step.

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.

How Long To Cook Steak In The Oven At 400°F?
After a quick sear on the stove, you'll let the steak finish in the oven at 400°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.

Cook's Notes:

Here are some important tips to help you achieve success:

• 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. Steak temperature will increase by an additional 5 degrees when resting.
• 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" thick, preferably 1.5" thick. Thicker steaks are easier to cook (and harder to overcook), more flavourful, and usually have a better texture.
• Marinate steak recipes for 3-8 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.
• Cast Iron Grill Pan: The best pan to go from stove to oven and perfect for steaks. You need this to get those grill marks.
• Alarm Thermometer: If you want perfect sirloin steak in the oven, you've got to use a thermometer. I love this one because you can set the temperature that you want the meat to reach and it will go off when it's hit that temp. No more overcooked meat.

Serving Suggestions:

• 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.​​

Storage Instructions:

• 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°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.