Grill sirloin steak that’s juicy, tender, and full of flavor—no fuss. This method gives you the great flavor and tenderizing of a marinade, or you can keep it simple with just seasoning. Either way, you’ll get a perfectly grilled sirloin every time.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Grilled Sirloin Steak
- 🐄 Ingredients
- 👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Grill Sirloin Steak
- ⏰ How Long to Grill Sirloin Steak
- 👍 Tips to Get It Right Every Time
- 🧂 About the Marinade
- 🧂 Other Seasoning Options
- 🔥 Other Grilled Steak Recipes
- 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- 🥡 Leftovers and Storage
- ❓FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Peter:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Tried this recipe exactly as written. I had s sirloin steak that was almost a year old. The result was simply fantastic. Thank you"
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Grilled Sirloin Steak
- Juicy and tender every time – Sirloin steaks can be hit-or-miss, but this method gets it right without the stress.
- Simple or marinated—your call – Just season and grill, or take it up a notch with a quick marinade.
- Budget-friendly steak night – A great steak without the big price tag.
- Fast and flexible – 60 minutes to marinate (if you want), 10 to grill, and done.
- Gas or charcoal grill ready – No special tools, no hard-to-find ingredients.
🐄 Ingredients
- Sirloin steaks – Top sirloin preferred (tender and well-marbled). About 6–8 oz and 1 inch thick.
- Seasoning – Montreal Steak Seasoning or another steak seasoning mix you like. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder work fine too.
Optional: Bourbon Street–Style Marinade
Adds great flavor and helps tenderize, especially for regular sirloin.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Spices – Chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, pepper
- Cayenne pepper – Optional, for heat
- Adolph’s meat tenderizer – Optional but helpful for leaner cuts
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Grill Sirloin Steak
1. Preheating
Clean and oil the grates. Preheat to high—aim for a surface temp over 500°F.
This works great on gas or charcoal grills.
If you're using the marinade, wait to preheat until the steak is ready.
2. Preparing the steak
Trim your sirloin and season to taste if you’re not marinating.
Optional: If available, use a mechanical meat tenderizer, like a Jaccard tenderizer, to prep the meat.
Optional: Mix marinade. Place meat in marinade and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
✅ Pro Tip: For leaner or lower-grade cuts, use both a Jaccard and a meat tenderizer like Adolph’s in the marinade. It makes a real difference.
3. Grill
Place the steak on the hot grill. Flip every 5 minutes until it reaches 140°–145°F for medium—usually about 9 to 12 minutes total.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
👇 Scroll down for the full recipe card with step-by-step photos—or keep reading for tips, serving ideas, and seasoning options.
⏰ How Long to Grill Sirloin Steak
For a 1-inch thick sirloin steak on a hot grill, total cook time is usually 9 to 12 minutes. But don’t rely on time alone—use an instant-read thermometer for best results.
Approximate times by doneness
- Rare (125°–130°F) – 6–7 minutes total
- Medium-Rare (130°–135°F) – 7–9 minutes
- Medium (140°–145°F) – 9–12 minutes
- Medium-Well (150°–155°F) – 12–14 minutes (not recommended)
- Well Done (160°F+ ) – 14+ minutes (really not recommended)
Let the steak rest for 5 minutes after grilling. It’ll continue to rise 2–4 degrees.
You can’t uncook a steak—but you can always give it another minute if needed.
✅ Pro Tip: The more common ¾-inch thick sirloin will cook a bit faster—but it’s also easier to overcook. Expect less margin for error and slightly drier results if it goes too far.
👍 Tips to Get It Right Every Time
- Top sirloin is already tender enough for most cooks but can benefit from a little extra tenderizing. Lower-grade sirloin should be tenderized for the best results.
- Don’t overcook sirloin. It’s leaner and cheaper than ribeye or strip steak—but also less forgiving, especially past medium.
- Go for Prime or Choice grade if possible, and aim for 6–8 ounces per serving. A 1-inch thick steak is more forgiving than the thinner ¾-inch cuts.
- Let the steak rest at room temp for 20–30 minutes before grilling. It helps cook more evenly, especially for thicker cuts.
- Gas or charcoal both work. Just get the surface temp hot—around 500°F—and keep the lid closed while cooking.
🧂 About the Marinade
This simple marinade boosts flavor and helps tenderize lean sirloin.
It’s inspired by the Bourbon Street Sirloin from Applebee’s™, but even without the branding, it just works.
No additional seasoning is needed if you use the marinade—skip the salt and pepper.
Marinade Ingredients
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Pantry spices – Chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, black pepper
- Cayenne pepper – Optional, for a bit of heat
- Adolph’s meat tenderizer – Optional but recommended
✅ Pro Tip: Adolph’s works with an enzyme from pineapple—not MSG.
How Long to Marinate
Let the steak marinate in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours. You'll see results in as little as 30 minutes with increase flavor, but longer gives more tenderness and flavor.
Make sure the meat is fully coated and kept cold in the fridge the entire time.
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🧂 Other Seasoning Options
While I recommend the marinade, you can season sirloin like any other steak. A little salt and pepper works fine, or use your favorite mix like Montreal Steak Seasoning.
We often use All-Purpose Seasoning (7:2:1 or 7:2:2), which includes some garlic.
Want something different? Try one of these:
- Cowboy Coffee Steak Rub – bold, smoky, and totally different
- Simple Beef Kabob Marinade – great if you want something quick and flexible
- Steak Kabob Marinade – a little more complex, but loaded with flavor
🔥 Other Grilled Steak Recipes
If you’re in a grilling mood, try one of these next:
- Grilled Filet Mignon – tender and quick-cooking
- Grilled New York Strip Steak – rich and beefy
- Grilled Porterhouse Steak – big flavor, two cuts in one
- Grilled Ribeye Steak – juicy, marbled, and full of flavor
- Marinated Flank Steak – bold and perfect for slicing
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve your grilled sirloin steak with one of these easy sides:
Try a simple dessert like Grilled Pineapple or Apple Berry Crumble.
🥡 Leftovers and Storage
Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Slice it cold across the grain for salads, wraps, or steak and eggs.
To reheat, use a skillet over low heat with a bit of oil. Add a splash of water and cover to keep it from drying out.
❓FAQs
Top sirloin usually doesn’t need much, but regular sirloin benefits from a little help.
A mechanical tenderizer like a Jaccard works best. If you don’t have one, some people use a narrow knife to puncture the meat about 15 to 20 times on each side. It’s not quite the same, but it helps.
A chemical tenderizer like Adolph’s™, made with a natural pineapple enzyme, can also improve tenderness. You can skip tenderizing entirely, but the steak may be a little chewier.
Sirloin comes from a well-used muscle group behind the short loin, so it’s leaner and a bit tougher than ribeye or strip steak. That also makes it more affordable.
Top sirloin is the most tender cut in this section and is usually labeled that way. Bottom sirloin is what most “sirloin steaks” are, and it’s less tender but still tasty when cooked right. The tri-tip roast also comes from the bottom sirloin, and under that is the sirloin tip roast.
If you're outside the U.S., this can get confusing—what Americans call sirloin may be called the rump elsewhere.
📖The Recipe Card
Grilled Sirloin Steak (Juicy, Easy & No Marinade Needed)
Ingredients
- 2 sirloin steaks - 6 to 8 oz and 1 inch thick each
- salt and pepper to taste - or seasoning of choice.
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1½ teaspoons Adolf's meat tenderizer - optional
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup water
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the grill
- Clean and oil the grates. Preheat to high—aim for a surface temp over 500°F. If you're using the marinade, wait to preheat until the steak is ready.(This works great on gas or charcoal grills.
Prepare the steak
- Trim your sirloin. If not marinating, season to taste.
- Optional: Use a mechanical tenderizer like a Jaccard if you have one.
- Optional Marinade: In a 1-gallon zip lock bag, mix 1 cups water, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1½ teaspoon Adolf's meat tenderizer, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon oregano. Add the steaks and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
Grill
- Let the steak rest at room temperature while the grill heats. Grill with the lid closed, flipping every 5 minutes, until the internal temp reaches 140°–145°F for medium-rare—usually 9 to 12 minutes total.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Top sirloin is preferred—6 to 8 oz and about 1 inch thick.
- Regular sirloin should be tenderized for best results. Top sirloin often does fine without.
- Both mechanical (like a Jaccard) and chemical (Adolph’s) tenderizing can be used. You can skip one or both, but the steak may be less tender.
- The marinade works in 1 hour but is better at 2–4 hours.
- Thicker steaks will need more time.
- Use an instant-read thermometer—never cook steak by time alone.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published May 1, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Frank Wagnon says
never marinade a steak. Never punch holes in a steak. Maybe a little salt and pepper and or garlic. Always let it set 5-10 minutes before cutting . You marinate and punch hole in chicken and pork so you can give it flavor so you can eat it ....like tofu. Beef stands on its own
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Frank,
Welcome to the blog. But we disagree.
Dan
Sue Miller says
Dr.Dan,
We love this recipe - easy and delicious! The very best thing was the recipe adjuster! This made it so easy to adjust the recipe correctly and made it so convenient!
Thanks from Michigan!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Susan,
Thanks for the report. I will let my developer look into it.
Dan
Robin says
Hello,
I love your site and have tried many of your recipes. For this particular recipe when I use the print button I’m just taken to the top of the page.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Robin,
The print button generally works. There are issues occasionally with Safari but rarely other browsers. It will usually work with a restart of the browser to clear out the junk the browser has built up. Also, it opens in a new window so some security settings or popup blockers can interfere.
Dan
John says
Dear Dr. Dan. I moved to a condo with no grills allowed! Can I make this on the stove top? I think it would be helpful if you added a "stovetop tip" to your grilling recipes. Thanks for all you do! Best, John
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi John,
Welcome to the blog.
This should work fine as a stovetop to oven recipe like I cook strip steaks. See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/pan-seared-oven-roasted-strip-steak/
It is impossible to generalize all grill recipes to stovetop but there are "grill" pans for the stovetop which work fairly well but should not be used on glass top stoves.
Please feel free to ask on any specific recipe.
Dan
Dan
Cathy Russo says
Hi John,
I have a Gothem Smokeless Electric Grill (I've also used a Black & Decker Smokeless Electric Grill, prior) for winter BBQs and they work wonderful. The juice dripping on the coils give the meat a delicious flavor. I think you would really enjoy it. It's worth the money ((should be under $100. )
Ronald Graham says
We prepared this dish and it was the best top I think I’ve ever eaten, the only variation was I used fresh ground dried California chilies, because they have a sweet and earthy flavor. And since my wife can’t handle spicy, I cut the cayenne pepper in half. This is our new goto cheap steak recipe, Thanks,
Carol Rankin says
Very tasty. Definitely a keeper.
Peter says
Tried this recipe exactly as written. I had s sirloin steak that was almost a year old. The result was simply fantastic. Thank you
Nick says
Is this a copy of the Applebees Bourbon Street steak, no, but it isn't a bad marinade. Enjoyed, but wasn't what I was hpping for...
Shawnece Grear says
can i use my george forman grill? i stay in apartments and can not use a grill
Dan Mikesell says
I would try it. I can't give you a time but check the temperature of the steak.
Dr Dan says
It's not a porterhouse but very good for what is is. I do really love the flavor
Christine says
Where did you get that tenderizer thing from? Now I want one.
Dr Dan says
The jaccard (that's the tenderizer thing for the rest of you) fell apart during cleaning. Just 2 screws but I can't seem to find them yet. It is "fun" and I think I was too aggressive.
Barbara says
Just use a fork and punch a bunch of holes in it. It’s the same thing.
Chris says
I've been meaning to get one of those jaccards but haven't gotten around to ordering one.
Nice looking steaks.
intuitivenutrition says
I just tried this recipe at Applebees a few weeks ago and I was wondering the same thing! I was suprised at how flavorful and tender it was- I thought I just got lucky! I can't wait to try this myself. Thanks for posting this recipe!