A full guide to cooking tender, juicy sirloin steak in a pan, on the grill or in the air fryer.

The Best Way to Cook Sirloin Steaks

Sirloin is a fairly lean cut of steak, so it’s best served rare to medium rare. Any more than this, and it can become tough and dry. 

Which Cooking Method is Best for Sirloin?

The best methods for cooking sirloin steak are in a pan or on the grill. Cooking over a high heat will create a nice crust without overdoing the centre. 

Sirloin steaks cook very quickly, so a fast-reading meat thermometer is essential. 

The meat will continue to cook as it rests, so remove 2-4 °C early to achieve your desired result. Read our carryover cooking guide to learn more.  

How Long to Cook Sirloin Steak

When cooking in a pan, sirloin steak should take roughly 3-4 minutes per side for rare, 5-7 minutes for medium, or 7-8 minutes for well done. However, it depends on the thickness of your steak and how hot your pan is, which is why it’s essential to use a meat thermometer. 

Steak also continues cooking while it rests, so you should remove it from the heat 2-4 °C before it reaches your desired temperature.

Here are the recommended steak temperatures:

52 °C for rare, 60 °C for medium or 71 °C for well done. View our full steak temperature guide to learn more.  

How to fry sirloin steak?

Follow these simple steps to cook a sirloin steak in a skillet:

• Remove your steak from the fridge 30 minutes ahead to bring it to room temperature.
• Pat dry and season.
• Get your oil and butter sizzling first, then cook the steak over medium-high heat. This helps to get a nice brown crust on the steak.
• Add bashed garlic bulbs and fresh herbs to the pan. Spoon these over the steak with the butter as it cooks to infuse the meat with flavour.
• Flip the steak every 30 seconds to 1 minute. Otherwise, it will burn.
• Check the steak temperature often. Frying a sirloin steak only takes a few minutes, so it can become overdone in seconds. Use a good quality, fast-reading meat thermometer like the Thermapen ONE to avoid overdoing it.
• Factor in carryover cooking. Your steak will continue to rise in temperature as it rests, so cook your steak a few degrees under your desired temperature to get it spot on.
• For a medium-rare sirloin steak, remove it from the pan when it reaches an internal temperature of 52-54 °C. It will rise to 56 °C as it rests.

How to Cook Sirloin Steak on a Grill?

Follow these steps to cook a sirloin steak on a grill:

• Rest the meat for 5-10 minutes before slicing— this allows the juices to redistribute for maximum juiciness.
  Bring to room temperature for around 30 minutes before grilling.
• Preheat the grill to 230–260 °C. You want it hot for a good sear.
• Pat dry, rub with a little oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Place the steak over direct heat. For medium-rare, cook for 2–3 mins per side, flipping once between.
• Check the temperature. Remove when it reaches 52-54 °C, and it will rise to 56 °C (medium rare) as it rests. 
• Remove from the grill and rest for 5–10 minutes. This keeps it juicy and tender.

How to Cook Sirloin Steak in an Air Fryer

Follow these steps to cook a sirloin steak in an air fryer: 

• Take the steak out of the fridge around 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C.
• Rub the steak with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and any extras you like.
• Pop the steak in the basket. Cook for around 4–6 mins per side for medium-rare.
• Check the temperature using a meat thermometer for spot-on doneness. Remove when it reaches 52-54 °C, and it will rise to 56 °C (medium rare) as it rests. 
• Let it rest for 5–10 minutes to lock in the juices.
  
  

Sirloin Steak Recipe with Peppercorn Sauce

• Serves: 4
• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep time: 20 minutes
  
  

Ingredients

• For the sirloin steaks
• 4 sirloin steaks
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• A few sprigs of rosemary
• 4 garlic cloves, gently bashed with the skin on
  
  

For the herb-crusted mushrooms

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 1 small bunch of freshly chopped parsley
• Juice and zest of half a lemon (unwaxed)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• For the pink peppercorn sauce
• 50ml brandy
• 200ml single cream
• 15 pink peppercorns
• 5ml Dijon mustard
• Seasoning

How to Cook Sirloin Steak

• Remove the steaks from the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking, to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Pat the steaks dry with kitchen paper and season the steaks with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat.
• When the oil is moving, turn the heat down to medium-high and add the butter.
• Once the butter begins to sizzle, carefully lay the steaks in the pan and place the garlic and herbs in at the sides.
• Use a pair of tongs to turn the steaks every 30 seconds to 1 minute, so they get a nice brown crust, spooning over the juices as you do so.
• Using your Thermapen, check the middle of the steaks. Remove at 52-54 °C for medium rare, it will rise to 56 °C as they rest. 
• Allow the steaks to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

To Make Peppercorn Sauce

• Crush the peppercorns. You can use the bottom of a heavy pan.
• Combine the mustard with the cream, bring it to a boil, and then reduce until it has reached your desired thickness.
• Add the brandy and stir, then add the peppercorns and seasoning.

To make the herb-crusted mushrooms

• Mix all the stuffing in a small bowl, then blend with a hand-held blender into a coarse mix.
• Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and stuff them with the breadcrumb mix.
• Heat a fan-assisted oven to 180 °C.
• Place the mushrooms onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for roughly 20-30 minutes until golden on top and cooked through.
• Top the steaks with the pink peppercorn sauce and serve with the mushrooms and some maple-glazed carrots.

Laura Tulloch

Thermapen Chef & Caterer

@laura_sussexfoodie

"I love my Thermapen, it really helps me cook with confidence. As a caterer the health and safety of everyone you cook for is paramount, but that doesn't mean you have to compromise with your cooking. A simple reassuring check with the Thermapen throughout the process is all that's needed to allow you to enjoy, and confidently serve what you've made."