How to Cook the Perfect Sirloin Steak
Juicy, tender sirloin steak is wonderfully full-flavoured. Here’s everything you need to know about how to pan-fry, griddle or barbecue sirloin steak to perfection. Scroll down for all the timings, temperatures and serving ideas you need.
Discover our sirloin steak recipes
What is sirloin steak?
Cut from the centre section of the loin on the animal’s back, sirloin is juicy and bursting with flavour. It has a bold, rich taste that pairs well with strong sauces. The meat is nicely marbled and has a layer of fat on one outside edge. A versatile cut, it can be cooked from rare to medium.
What is sirloin steak?
Cut from the centre section of the loin on the animal’s back, sirloin is juicy and bursting with flavour. It has a bold, rich taste that pairs well with strong sauces. The meat is nicely marbled and has a layer of fat on one outside edge. A versatile cut, it can be cooked from rare to medium.
Sirloin steak cooking times & temperatures
Sirloin steak COOKING TIMES & temperatures
Pan-frying, griddling or barbecuing over high heat, rather than slow-cooking or braising, is the best way to cook sirloin steak. Here are the recommended cooking times for a 2cm-thick sirloin steak (timings will vary depending on the thickness of your cut). Always ensure all the cut surfaces of the meat are thoroughly cooked.
How to PAN-FRY or GRIDDLE sirloin steak
Four simple steps to sirloin heaven.
Just before cooking, pat the sirloin steak dry with kitchen paper and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan until hot. Rub both sides of the steak with 1 tablespoon of oil.
Using tongs, hold the steak fat-side down on the base of the hot pan until a crust has formed and the fat has rendered. Place the steak flat in the pan. It should sizzle when it hits the surface. When a brown crust has formed on the bottom, add a knob of butter to the pan and cook the steak, turning just once, for the times listed. Baste the meat as it cooks.
Melt a knob of butter over the top, set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve.
How long to cook
—
Rare
3 to 4 minutes per side
Medium-rare
4 to 5 minutes per side
Medium
5 to 7 minutes per side
Well-done
7 to 8 minutes per side
How to BARBECUE sirloin steak
Light the barbecue and gather your cooking accessories.
When the barbecue coals are covered in white ash, pat the sirloin steak dry, season on both sides with salt and pepper and rub the surface with oil. Lay the steak on the grill with the lid on (use an upturned roasting tray or disposable foil tray if your barbecue is not lidded).
Cook for the times listed. To prevent the outside of the meat from burning, stand by the barbecue as you cook with a pint of water to hand. If the flames flare up, dampen the heat by flicking water on the coals until the flames die down.
Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
How long to cook on the barbecue
—
Rare
3 to 4 minutes per side
Medium-rare
4 to 5 minutes per side
Medium
5 to 7 minutes per side
Well-done
7 to 8 minutes per side
Steak cooking with our EXPERT chefs
Steak cooking with our EXPERT chefs
Learn how to achieve a restaurant‐style dinner without having to leave the house. The classes cover choosing your cut, from rump, sirloin and fillet to ribeye, tomahawk and T-bone, and how to cook to perfection, the right size cut for your dish, plus sauces and accompaniments.
WATCH Charmaine
Charmaine Katz, chef tutor at Waitrose Cookery School, shows how to pan-fry a perfect medium-rare steak.
LISTEN TO Angela
Listen to Angela Hartnett cook open sirloin sandwiches with dark fried onions & Béarnaise mayonnaise for Nick Grimshaw and guest David Harewood on episode 3, season 2 of Dish, the Waitrose podcast.
What to serve with sirloin steak
What to SERVE with sirloin steak
The ultimate side dishes for sirloin steak
To make...
Every home cook’s secret weapon – keep a flavoured butter to hand to melt over meat, fish, filled pasta and vegetables.
Follow these simple steps for the best homemade chips, which are fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside.
Asparagus with green harissa & tahini
Green harissa is sweet, spicy and fresh, making it the ideal time-saving ingredient to add depth to this simple dish by Ottolenghi.
And to buy...
Sauces & butters for steak to buy
Making steak for 10-20 people?
Making steak for 10-20 people?
Dinner parties are simple when you order freshly prepared dishes to your door with Waitrose Entertaining. Complement your steak with perfect vegetables & sides, and leave desserts, fresh fruit & cheese to Waitrose, too.
5 TIPS for cooking the ultimate sirloin steak
5 tips for cooking the ultimate sirloin steak
Before cooking, let the meat come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pat it dry with kitchen paper.
The best way to make sure the steak is cooked the way you like it is to use a probe thermometer: rare will read 48ºC, medium-rare 52ºC, medium 58ºC, medium-well 62ºC and well-done 68ºC.
To help the steak cook evenly, baste it with melted butter as it cooks – or use melted beef fat for added flavour.
After cooking, let your steak rest on a wire cooling rack over a tray in a warm place for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size). Resting allows the muscle to relax and retains the flavourful juices.
Finish with a sprinkle of salt.
Discover our steak hub with guides to other steak cuts: ribeye, fillet, rump and tomahawk.
Sensational sirloin steak recipes
Sensational sirloin steak RECIPES
New ideas for steak night.
Peppered steak & mushroom tagliatelle
4 ingredients for a delicious and quick midweek meal for 2 in just 15 minutes.
Beef tagliata, flame-roasted tomato & mozzarella salad
In this summery salad, the hot barbecue coals give the beef a wonderfully smoky flavour and quickly caramelise the early-season tomatoes.
Steak frites with tarragon butter
If you want a restaurant-style meal without having to leave the house, this is it.
The best tools for cooking steak
A digital food probe thermometer will eliminate guesswork.
A cast-iron pan will retain the heat as you cook.
If you prefer stainless steel, use a large ovenproof frying pan with a heavy base.
Good tongs will help you sear and turn with ease.
Great British beef
Waitrose is committed to high standards of animal welfare. Our beef is sourced with care from British farms who we know and trust, and our cattle have about 30% more space than the Red Tractor standard.
All our beef is from British farms
We work with farmers who share our award-winning welfare standards. Our beef cattle have about 30% more space than the Red Tractor standards and live on open pasture during the warmer months.