How to Cook a Top Sirloin Beef Roast

A simple no-fail recipe for cooking a top sirloin beef roast in the oven. It is tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned.

A sliced top sirloin beef roast on a cutting board.

I love a good roast beef. Top sirloin is one of the medium to higher priced roasts. There are definitely some cheaper roasts (eye of round and chuck roasts) and more expensive roasts (tenderloin and prime rib), but the top sirloin is a great middle of the road choice. It does not break the bank and it is still a nice and tender cut of beef.

But, like any roast, it is important to know how to cook it properly. An overcooked top sirloin roast is one majorly depressing meal. It can be tough and dry. But, it does not need to be that way and the top sirloin prepared and cooked properly is juicy, tender and delicious.

Medium rare roast beef sliced on a cutting board.

Top sirloin roasts come in various sizes and I find that I prefer the roast to be 5-6 pounds in size. The following recipe is based on 5-6 pound roast, but you could definitely use either larger or smaller cuts. But, be aware that the cooking times will vary if a different sized roast is prepared.

Sprinkling the seasoning on the roast.

Ingredients That You Need

It is very simple to cook a top sirloin roast. The seasoning used is a simple blend of salt, pepper, herbs and garlic. Feel free to mix it up with different spices.

  • Top sirloin beef roastthis recipe is based on a 5-6 pound roast
  • 5-7 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano

Sticking garlic into the roast.

Garlic Cloves Add Flavour To The Roast!

I love to stick a few garlic cloves in the roast. It adds a nice flavour right through all the meat. Simply, use a paring knife to spear into the roast about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. You can use whole cloves, or cut them in halves or slivers. Press the garlic clove or sliver into each of the slots in the meat. For a 5-6 pound top sirloin roast, I use 5-7 garlic cloves.

Seasoned raw beef roast resting on a cutting board.

How To Season A Top Sirloin Roast Beef?

Sprinkle the seasoning all over the roast. Sea salt, cracked black pepper, thyme and oregano, all blend to give the perfect seasoning for the roast.

Once seasoned all over, the roast is ready to go in the oven.

A raw beef roast on a roaster rack.

If the roast is not tied up, using some butcher twine helps to hold the roast together during the cooking.

Make sure to lay the beef roast in the roasting pan with the fat side up. Keeping the fat on the top helps to ensure a moist and juicy roast.

Cooking The Roast At Two Stage Temperatures

Cooking the top sirloin roast is simple. First, put the roast in a 450F preheated oven. Cook it, uncovered for 15 minutes at 450F.

Then, without opening the oven door, turn the heat down to 325F. Now, cook the roast until the internal temperature of the meat is 135F. This results in a medium rare roast. I actually pull it out just before it reaches 135F – usually once it hits 133F.

Cooked roast on a roaster rack.

How Long To Cook A Top Sirloin Roast?

For a 5-6 pound roast I find the total cooking time is around 3 hours. But, every oven is different and roasts vary in weight and shape, so instead of cooking for a certain length of time, it is much better to use a food thermometer to monitor what the actual temperature is inside the roast.

Cover the roast with aluminum foil and let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes.

Gravy being stirred in a roaster rack.

How To Make Beef Gravy?

At the bottom of the roasting pan there is a lot of beef grease and buildup. This is perfect for making gravy. If your roasting pan can go on stovetop, this is the perfect way to make gravy.

Place the roasting pan on the stovetop element and turn on to medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and use a whisk to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Once it is boiling, whisk in 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch.

Continue to whisk the gravy until it is thickened. Remove from the heat and strain it into a gravy boat.

A sliced beef roast with mashed potatoes and corn in the background.

Letting the roast rest for 10-15 minutes, pulls the juices back into the roast and results in juicy tender meat. Use a nice long craving knife to slice up the roast.

There are many different cuts of beef and the top sirloin roast is one of my favourites. It is not the most expensive, but it is still very tender and juicy.

Not only is a top sirloin an excellent roast to cook in the oven, but it is also awesome to smoke. I have detailed instructions for smoking a top sirloin roast that can be found here Smoked Top Sirloin Roast Beef.

How to Cook a Top Sirloin Roast

A sliced beef roast with mashed potatoes and corn in the background.
5 out of 5
36 reviews
Print
Simple instructions to make the perfect roast from a beef top sirloin roast. No fail recipe and detailed directions.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 5 pound top sirloin roast
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp salt , table or sea salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper , freshly cracked
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano

Instructions

  • Trim meat of any excess fat.
  • If the top sirloin roast did not come tied up, use kitchen twine to tie the roast up nice and tight.
  • The garlic cloves can be cut in half, in slivers or left whole. Use a paring knife to poke a one inch slot in the roast. Stick in a piece of garlic. Do this all around the roast with the remaining garlic.
  • Sprinkle the roast with the salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
  • Place the roast in a roasting pan with a rack.
  • Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the roast in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Turn the heat down to 325F and cook to desired doneness. The internal temperature of a medium rare roast beef is 135F and should take around 3 hours of total cooking time.

Nutrition

Per serving:

Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 61gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1909mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.03g

Nutrition Disclaimer

Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2014 but updated in 2022 with new information

Categories

A sliced top sirloin beef roast on a cutting board.

Did you try this recipe?

Leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. Or, take a picture to share on Instagram and tag me @theblackpeppercorn.

Leave a comment

Recipe Rating




211 comments

  • 5 stars
    Mmm

    • Reply
  • Came out very well.I choose not to tie or over spice.Just salt pepper garlic and onion this keeps and holds the true beef flavor after searing along with the rest of your recipe and directions.This is the best recipe for my $76.00 investment.Thank you

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Made this first thing this morning so could greatly cool by lunchtime and I could slice and freeze two large portions for future meals in their drippings. Enough said about me…this recipe is fantastic! I did substitute the oregano with rosemary and I cooked it too long (I was concerned I had ruined it), but the final result was a very tender and delicious roast. Going forward I won’t be making this any other way. Thank you also for the detailed instructions. I’m convinced they made a world or difference in getting these results. Woohoo!!!!

    • Reply
  • Just put it in the oven..confused about cutting off the fat and then placing it fat side up..I musta had a different cut as the fat I cut off was not on the top or the bottom but an end..I can’t wait till it comes out of the oven..looks like a great recipe 🌸

    • Reply
  • Thank you never cooked one before. Great help.

    • Reply
    • So glad this was a help for you cooking the roast!

  • 5 stars
    Sooo much flavour & cooked to perfection, juicy & tender !!!
    Thank You Carl

    • Reply
  • Your recipe is right on so simple glad to know people know how to roast a sirloin roast hard to find in the grocery store. Great recipe for gravy also Thankyou again for the recioe

    • Reply
  • I want to give it a try but i was wondering do u keep it uncovered while cooking thank u in advance

    • Reply
    • Yes, I do keep this uncovered while it is in the oven.

      • 5 stars
        Flavor was perfect! I adjusted the cook time a bit since our roast was really lean.

        • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Great flavor and very tender. I followed the recipe with a 3 pound roast. Cooked to 133 degree.

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    This was about the only affordable roast my grocery store had on New Year’s Eve morning it looked good and I love sirloin steak but got home and started thinking I had made a mistake by purchasing bc my how to cook meat book had no recipe for this cut? I turned to the internet and stumbled on your recipe. I read it through followed the directions to the T including the gravy and I can say it was excellent! My company raved and I will save this recipe and cook another sirloin roast in this same way. Thank you for the great instructions and for not ruining my New Year’s Eve!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Amazing! I made this for Christmas and the family loved it and went back for seconds and To Go containers! Thank you for the recipe and tips. It’s true that the time it should cook is ONLY a guideline. The meat temperature probe is king here. My roast was 13 lbs and only took a little over 3 hours to reach 128 degrees which resulted in rare/medium rare. Note that my oven does run hot. Perfection. Don’t hold back on the spice recommendations. Thanks again!

    • Reply
    • So glad this roast turned out well for the family!

  • Made this with couple of additions – mixed herbs with butter and coated top and ends before cooking.Meat sat out for about an hour before cooking. I put roast on a rack in pan and placed cubed turnip, carrots, parsnips, leeks and mini potatoes in pan. My roast was about 3 lbs and cooking time was 1 hour. Cooked to 137F on instant read thermometer and result was medium rare. Vegetables were perfectly cooked too. Roast was delicious and more tender than I expected.

    • Reply
      • I can’t wait to try this. I am going to reverse smoke it first. I use to do this all the time with steaks for my large family and then barbequed them. Kids went their way for a bit, now they are back with a lot of add ons. Time to smoke and oven roast!!! I trust this will be amazing.

        • Reply
  • I NEVER leave comments on recipes but this was the best roast beef I have ever made. THANK YOU! Tender, nicely med rare and delicious

    • Reply
    • Thank you so much for your kind comment! Glad you loved the roast!

  • 5 stars
    This is awesome…tender tasty and so easy!

    • Reply
    • Awesome! So glad it turned out well for you

  • 5 stars
    Awesome!! Have done 5 or 6 roasts this way. Perfect every time!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Just made it and it’s very good! Nice blend of spices and the cooking times are right on the money! I like this style of recipe: simple, to the point, and most importantly, good!

    • Reply
  • This is the only recipe I use when roasting top sirloin. Absolutely delicious, thanks for the recipe.

    • Reply
    • So glad you enjoy the roast recipe! This is the only way I cook it as well.

  • I can’t wait to try this

    • Reply
  • My family loves roast beef and I always thought I had to get prime rib or tenderloin to make a good one. Made this recipe and everyone loved it. Thanks for saving me a few bucks!

    • Reply
  • I have never cooked a roast as well as I have using this recipie-thanks Steve!!

    • Reply
    • So happy that you enjoyed the roast!!

    • Big thanks for the recipe and info re top sirloin. Not great at oven roasting here. Nervously studied up lol and settled on trying this for Canada Thanksgiving today. Somehow worked for my rare eating partner and well-done eater me. Took it out around medium – 60+C. Served with a variety of roasted vegies and gravy over all. Super tasty meat.

      • Reply
      • So glad to hear it worked well for your Thanksgiving!!

        • I can’t wait to try this. I am going to reverse smoke it first. I use to do this all the time with steaks for my large family and then barbequed them. Kids went their way for a bit, now they are back with a lot of add ons. Time to smoke and oven roast!!! I trust this will be amazing.

          • Reply
          • I hope that the roast turned out amazing for you!

Subscribe to the newsletter and never miss a recipe!