This Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak is seared over high heat for a flavorful crust and juicy, tender interior, then topped with a bold caper relish made with tangy pepperoncini and sun-dried tomatoes. It's an easy but memorable way to turn an affordable top sirloin steak into a restaurant-worthy meal.
We grill a lot of steaks here on the Ranch, here’s a couple of our favorites, Grilled T-bone Steaks with Cowboy Butter. And Grilled Flank Steak with Caramelized Sweet Corn.
Quick Look: Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak with Caper Relish
- 🧁 Serves: 4
- ⭐ Features: Fast Dinner✓ Juicy Steak ✓ Amazing Relish Topping ✓
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍪 Cook Time: 10 minutes + 10 minute rest time
- 🕑 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Beginner
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? The bright, caper relish adds bold flavor to affordable grilled top sirloin without overpowering its naturally beefy taste.
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This isn’t just another grilled steak with steak butter or a basic steak seasoning.
I use a simple paprika and brown sugar rub to encourage browning and build a savory-sweet crust. Once cooked, it’s served with a bright briny relish of capers, pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, onion, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. It adds big flavor while letting the beefy flavor of the sirloin steak shine. I've grilled a lot of steaks over the years, and top sirloin is one of my favorite cuts when I want a steak without the price of a ribeye.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak with Caper Relish
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- What Cut Of Sirloin Should You Buy?
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak With Caper Relish
- How To Grill Sirloin Steak
- What Temperature Should Sirloin Steak Be?
- Chef Lea Ann’s Tips For Success
- What To Serve with Sirloin Steak
- Make Ahead, Storage
- Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak, FAQ’s
- Explore More Grilled Steak Recipes
- Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak with Caper Relish
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally Flavorful: A top sirloin steak is a lean, yet beefy flavored cut. Grilling this steak at a high heat to create a crust locks in the juices.
- Simple Steak Rub: I use a simple Kosher salt, paprika and brown sugar rub to encourage browning and build a savory-sweet crust.
- Quick: Grilling a sirloin steak is a quick cooking method. Done in around 10 minutes with a 10 minute rest before slicing.
- Unique: The caper relish brings memorable flavor.
- Affordable: A grilled top sirloin steak is one of my favorite choices for a steak dinner. It’s readily available at your grocery store, and it’s affordable, selling at a price much lower than luxury steakhouse cuts. Without sacrificing that beefy flavor.
What Cut Of Sirloin Should You Buy?
A generic “sirloin” is a broad term that can include either the tender top sirloin or the tougher bottom sirloin. Top sirloin specifically comes from the upper, more tender portion near the tenderloin, making it much better suited for grilling.
I always look for USDA labeled Top beef sirloin steaks. Even though they’re leaner and less tender than ribeyes, T-bones, or strip steaks, like this Bison New York Strip, they stay juicy and flavorful when grilled correctly.
Key Ingredients
- Top Sirloin Steak: 1.5 pounds, 1 ¼ inch thick.
For My Go-To Steak Rub
- Sweet Paprika, Brown Sugar and Kosher Salt
For The Caper Relish
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Purchase a jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. The tomatoes will bring a sweet, tart and deeply savory layer of flavor to the steak relish.
- Pepperoncini: Buy a jar of sliced pepperoncini to make prep easier.
- Capers: Salty, briney and a bit gourmet.
- Dijon, Onion and Garlic
How to Make Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak With Caper Relish
- Step 1: Sprinkle steaks with steak rub and gently rub in on all sides. Let the steak come to room temperature while you make the relish.
- Step 2: To make quick work, use a small food chopper to blend sage, caper, pepperoncini, sundried tomatoes, Worcestershire and Dijon.
- Step 3: In a small skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onion and sautee until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the ingredients from the chopper and keep warm to steep the flavors while you grill the steak.
How To Grill Sirloin Steak
The formula is easy: High-heat sear → moderate heat to finish → temperature-based doneness → rest → slice against the grain
- Step 1: Heat the grill to 500 degrees. Once those grates are searing hot, turn the heat down to 350 degrees.
- Step 2: Add the steaks to the grill. You should hear a strong sizzle when the meat hits the grates. That’s how you get those beautiful grill marks.
How To Know When Sirloin Steaks Are Done
- Step 3: Cook the steaks a total of about 7 minutes, only turning once. But please don’t rely on time. Use the clock as a guide and a digital read thermometer as the decision maker. Test the interior by inserting the top of the thermometer in the center of the steaks, reaching only half way through. The temperature should read 130 – 135 degrees for medium rare. Keep in mind, once tented, the interior temperature of the steak will rise another few degrees.
- Step 4: Remove the steaks to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
Why I Grill Sirloin at 500°F, Then Reduce the Heat
This is a technique I’ve tested specifically for this steak.
- I start with a very hot grill, about 500°F to get the grates hot enough for a good sear. Then I reduce the grill to about 350°F before adding the steak.
- For a 1¼-inch top sirloin, I’ve found this gives me the combination I’m looking for: a nicely browned exterior without having to leave the steak over intense heat for the entire cooking time. The result is a flavorful crust with a tender, medium-rare center.
- It’s one of those small cooking techniques that makes a noticeable difference.
What Temperature Should Sirloin Steak Be?
For this recipe, I recommend medium-rare.
| Doneness | Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 125°F |
| Medium-rare | 135°F |
| Medium | 145°F |
| Medium-well | 150°F |
| Well done | 160°F |
Keep in mind that the steak will continue to rise in temperature as it rests, so don’t wait until it reaches your final target temperature before removing it from the grill.
- Step 5: To serve, slice the steak against the grain and sprinkle with the pepperoncini caper relish.
Chef Lea Ann’s Tips For Success
- Pay attention to thickness. My cooking time is based on a steak about 1¼ inches thick. A thinner or thicker steak will cook differently.
- Since sirloin steak is a lean cut, they should not be overcooked. Don’t grill sirloin past medium or they’ll taste dry. A quick sear and a cut against the grain is a sirloin’s best friend.
- Don’s solely rely on minutes per side. Use a meat thermometer.
- Don’t slice with the grain. Top sirloin is a lean cut, and the grain can be hard to determine. Turn the steak on it’s side, find the grain, return the steak to flat, and slice against that grain.
- Don’t skip resting. The resting period for any steak allows the juices to redistribute inside the steak. When you slice the steak the juices will stay within the meat, rather than run all over the cutting board.
What To Serve with Sirloin Steak
For a fresh steak meal, I like to side it with no more than a tossed green salad topped with our favorite salad dressing, Homemade Blue Cheese Salad Dressing. If you’re looking for a bigger meal, try serving it with:
Make Ahead, Storage
- You can make the caper relish a couple days in advance. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, then gently reheat stovetop.
- Store any leftover steak in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat any leftovers in a 200 degree oven until the meat is just warm enough to eat. You don’t need to re-cook it and if you do, the steak will become tough. Don’t use the microwave to reheat grilled sirloin, it will turn the texture rubbery. You can freeze leftover steak with the relish in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Be sure to label and date. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak, FAQ’s
Yes. When outdoor grilling isn’t an option, a heavy cast-iron skillet or stovetop grill pan works well. Heat the pan until very hot, sear the steak over high heat until a browned crust forms, then reduce the heat and continue cooking until the steak reaches your desired internal temperature. The important principles remain the same: start with a hot cooking surface, don’t overcook the sirloin, use a thermometer and let the steak rest before slicing.
Sirloin is relatively lean, so overcooking can make it dry and less tender. Cooking it to medium-rare or medium, allowing it to rest, and slicing against the grain all help produce a more tender bite.
Explore More Grilled Steak Recipes
And if you’re steak lovers like us, don’t miss my category for Beef Recipes. You’ll find one of the most popular steak recipes, a butcher’s cut for Merlot Steak with Blue Cheese Butter.
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Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak with Caper Relish
Ingredients
- For The Sirloin Steak Rub
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak 1 ¼ inches thick
- For The Caper Pepperoncini Relish
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage or 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
- 2 Tablespoon capers drained
- 3 Tablespoons Pepperoncini peppers
- 2 Tablespoons Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ Cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic thin sliced
- ½ Cup sweet onion chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar salt. Use a small whisk to combine and then pat over steak on both sides. Let the steaks rest at room temperature for one hour. In the meantime prepare the caper relish.
- Add sage, capers, pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, Dijon and Worcestrshire to a small food chopper. Give it a about 8 whirls, just enough to break apart the ingredients.
- In a small skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onion and sautee until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ingredients from the chopper and keep warm to steep the flavors while you grill the steak.
- Heat the grill to 500°F. Once the grates are searing hot, reduce the grill temperature to 350°F, then place the steak on the hot grates.
- Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once. For medium-rare, remove the steak when it reaches about 135°F internally. Rest 5-10 minutes, then slice against the grain and serve with the warm relish.
Notes
- Pay attention to thickness. My cooking time is based on a steak about 1¼ inches thick. A thinner or thicker steak will cook differently.
- Since sirloin steak is a lean cut, they should not be overcooked. Don’t grill sirloin past medium or they’ll taste dry. A quick sear and a cut against the grain is a sirloin’s best friend.
- Don’s solely rely on minutes per side. Use a meat thermometer.
- Don’t slice with the grain. Top sirloin is a lean cut, and the grain can be hard to determine. Turn the steak on it’s side, find the grain, return the steak to flat and slice against that grain.
- Don’t skip resting. The resting period for any steak allows the juices to redistribute inside the steak. When you slice the steak the juices will stay within the meat, rather than run all over the cutting board.
Nutrition
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I have had gorilla’s, and also monkeys and even a moose or two in my fridge after a trip to Costco. Why, oh why, do we think it’s perfectly reasonable to by the 25 lbs of cottage cheese you will be eating 3 times a day for the next 10 days, the 35 lbs of ground beef you don’t have room for in the freezer, and the 8 gallons of pickled onions you have no hope of using before you retire? Costco must have subliminal messages over the loudspeaker or something…
I like the relish though. Gonna have to grill me up some flank steak!
LOL – ths stupidest thing I ever bought was a gasoline can sized Soy Sauce.
That looks really tasty. By my calculations, at 4 peppers per recipe, you have enough for a lifetime supply! You might just start putting one on the side of the plate for every meal. (like an Italian restarant I liked in Texas). Love the bowl, too. I’ve seen those at TJ Maxx and admired them more than once. 🙂
Yup, I’ve used those peppers like 4 times and the jar still looks full. They really pack em in there too. 🙂
I buy that gigantic jar as well! But I eat them up…I love them. And those dishes…I’d have to have them too.
Did you see those Tracey Porter dishes that Pioneer Woman had on her blog a couple of weeks ago?? Now those I HAVE to have.