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.
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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.

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211 comments

  • Hi Steve,i`m so pleased I came across your article.I`m cooking my beef now for tomorrow.Any tips on how to keep it juicy and what can I do with the gravy???

    • Reply
  • Steve
    Please help, I am cooking this tomorrow but I have a 9.5 sirloin tip roast. Any idea as how long should i cook it? Also, the butcher said I should cover it, should I?

    • Reply
    • I don’t cover it myself and as for time, I am not sure. I would suggest using a digital thermometer and cook it to your desired internal temp.

      • Reply
  • I realized I got a much bigger roast for our family dinner… So how long should I budget for a 12# roast to cook?

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  • I usually cook it on my BBQ with a rotisserie.set your BBQ on high wait till it heats up. I have a three burner so I usually turn the middle one of you want indirect heat. And I usually do a 2lbs roast. Setting the rotisserie on the BBQ I turn the heat down to low right after I close the lid and the 15 min. Per pound….usually get medium rare.for a 5 pound roast just over 1 hour

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  • does leaving the lid off not cause it to loose moisture during cooking?

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    • The higher temperature for the initial part of the roasting performs a searing type effect that should seal in the moisture. I have found this method results in a very moist roast beef.

      • Reply
      • You were right! I thought it had to a typo when u said to continue cooking at 325, I thought it would be more like 225! I also used the rack against my better judgement and again u were right! I made this for my father in law for Father’s day and it was a hit! Thanks so much!

        • Reply
        • So glad it turned out well and everyone enjoyed it!!

          • Reply
  • Does it have to be on a rack ?

    • Reply
    • While it does not have to be on a rack, I personally prefer the way a roast cooks on a rack. The heat circulates around the roast much more evenly on a rack.

      • Reply
    • roasting on a bed of root veg is a great alternative to a rack, makes for tasty gravy as well.

      • Reply
      • Cool idea!!! Thanks

        • Reply
  • Can I use fresh thyme and Orlando? I have them fresh out my back door. Thanks

    • Reply
    • Orlando? Do you mean oregano? If so, yes both are fine and will be tasty!

      • Reply
      • I’ve been reading recipes all day planning Christmas dinner. This response gave me quite a lol moment. I needed it!

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  • Many thanks! Great recipe!

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  • Just had to say, best roast I’ve ever made!(after many unsuccessful attempts) Excellent recipe. My family loved it! I too finally know what I was doing wrong. Thanks

    • Reply
  • I don’t have a roasting pan. Do you think that I can do this is a Dutch oven? If so, should it be covered? Thanks!

    • Reply
    • I think it should work ok. No, do not cover it.

      • Reply
  • Really helpful article. I have never cooked this type of roast but I want to put it in my smoker for a couple of hours then wrap it in aluminium foil and finish it in the oven. It weighs 8.64 pounds and the cap is off. I’m thinking of using it with coleslaw in an Asian style bread wrapper that is a little crusty on the outside. Think that would work?

    • Reply
    • You can disregard this question. I have already done the smoke and oven foil wrapped cook.

      • Reply
  • 450 then 325?

    • Reply
    • yep – that is how I cook mine.

      • Reply
      • I put a 4 lb. Sirloin Tip roast in the oven at 4:30 this afternoon, thinking it’d be done medium rare by 7:00 pm. I put the convection setting at 300 degrees. I tested the temp in the middle of the roast at 6:30 and it’s a 140 degrees, just a 5 degree difference from what I shoot for. It’s happily resting now. I’m originally from Buffalo and we’re having Beef on Weck sandwiches.
        This is a great article. I didn’t read it until after the roast was done. I couldn’t seem to find anything about using convection to roast sirloin tip but this article came up finally. One horrible suggestion on another site said to cover the roast with water and boil it for one hour!! Can you imagine?

        • Reply
        • Some people are confusing top sirloin with sirloin tip.These are totally different cuts.A tip is tougher and more suitable for braising.

          • Reply
        • Dang… never heard of a Buffalo beef of weck sandwich. Looked it up and will be making those very soon!

          One of the excellent features of Pinterest. Checking out a great recipe like Steve’s and getting another great recipe idea in the comment area like yours Nancy.

          • Reply
  • Hi Steve,
    Are your listed temperatures adjusted for a convection oven? When I put my convection to 450 it stops at 425.
    Please advise.
    Thanks

    • Reply
    • Set the oven for 450f and let it drop to 425f

      • Reply
  • Steve, this recipe was excellent! The roast I had was around 2.5 pounds. I followed the instructions to a tee except to 140 instead of the recommended 135 as I don’t like it too rare. Cannot BELIEVE what an awesome roast we had.!! I know now what I’ve been doing wrong! Thanks again a keeper !!

    • Reply
    • I have a 2 lb. roast and am wondering how long you cooked yours for.

      • Reply
  • Hello,
    I just wanted to tell you that I first tried your recipe for the sirloin tip roast just before Christmas. It was well received by everyone. People commented on how tender and flavourful it was. It is such a dull and dreary winter day that I’ve decided to have the sirloin roast for dinner tonight. The leftovers make wonderful sandwiches the next day.
    Thank you.

    • Reply
  • This is delicious. I bought a sirloin roast on sale a month ago. I’d never cooked one so found this recipe online. It was so good that I am in the process of making another that I got on sale this week. I suspected they might be reduced after the holidays and wasn’t disappointed. Smells so good right now!

    • Reply
  • Purchased a top sirloin beef roast for my first Christmas dinner with my husband and had no idea what it was, how to cook, etc. Thank you for coming to the rescue! The roast was in longer than we wanted due to a longer Christmas service than anticipated, but in spite of it being less medium than we wanted, it was incredibly juicy from the sear. Flavorful and delicious with the gravy recommendation. I have put Dad’s roasts to shame!

    • Reply
  • Hi Tim! Cooking this Two nights. Will the roast to get a nice sear on it as shown in the picture? It looks delicious!

    • Reply
    • It should. I have a convection oven so it seems to brown the outside quite nicely.

      • Reply
  • Great article/directions! My first time cooking one of these… Looks somewhat easy…(I hope!).. Thank you!

    • Reply
  • This is a fabulous article. Just in my time of need too. Big thanks! Especially love the idea about garlic cloves right into the roast. Kudos for your efforts in creating such a great article. To your continued success and many more recipes to come!

    • Reply
    • Thank you for posting this great recipe for everyone to see/ I was not sure how to make roast top sirloin for Christmas, but now, I do. Thanks for haring. Many blessings for you and family.
      Merry Christmas!!

      • Reply

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