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

  • Making this recipe for the second time.We enjoyed it So Much the last time that we had to make this again . Also sent it on to friends. Thank you, Jan

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  • Absolutely the best roast I have ever done! Just the best. I used the convection oven suggestions.

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  • How do I print out the recipe for my home made cookbook?

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    • Hi Charlaine. You are right, I have not made a recipe card for this recipe, so there is no simple way where are you to able to print a recipe card. Sorry about that. I may need to add that to this post so you can print it. Once I do I will reply to this comment and hopefully you will be notified. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

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      • Have a great real meat market in my area (plain old fashion kind) and picked up an 8 pounder to cook up. I’ll let you know how it turns out- I expect greatness and some wonderful sandwiches to follow. Just found your site so much to check out!

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        • Awesome! An 8 pounder is sure to produce you an awesome meal – especially when gotten from a meat market or butcher. So glad you found my site! I hope you enjoy it and if you have any other questions about any of my recipes, feel free to ask.

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  • Hi. I got home and realized I have a TIP instead of a top. Are your instructions the same for a tip to make a roast beef? Would you do anything different?

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    • Sirloin tip roast will work fine as a roast but it is generally a tougher cut of meat than a top sirloin. You might not need to cook it as long although it does depend on the size. I often find sirloin tip roasts are smaller than the top sirloin roasts in my local grocery store

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  • My roast is ready for the oven. It’s an 8.55 pound top sirloin roast. I’m trying to estimate cooking time. Including the 20 minute sear time, I’m thinking 3.5 hours to cook then resting time. Your thoughts?

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    • That is a nice size roast!! It can be really hard to know time. Yes, I would aim for 3.5 hours and see. Do you have a digital thermometer? That truly is the best way to know. I hope the roast turns out well for you!

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  • Hello Steve this looks delicious! Do you not add any type of oil to the roast either so it doesn’t dry out???

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    • No I don’t. I do not find that it is needed. The roast still comes out moist and juicy!

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  • Steve. You are the man. Made a perfect roast. Can you say beef dip. That was the best roast I’ve ever cooked thanks to you. Bookmark this recipe you won’t regret it. The whole family was in heaven.

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    • Thanks so much! I am glad that it turned out well and everyone enjoyed it!!

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  • Hi Steve, here’s my problem and I can’t figure out what I keep doing wrong, I’m cooking approx 3-4 lb
    roast and after I let it stand to room temperature for around an hour, season and also I stuff a few garlic cloves into , I pre heat oven to 450 and cook uncovered for 20 min , then cook at 300 for around 2 1/2 hours, it looks great but is so dry and tough
    What am I doing wrong? could it be that maybe not enough fat ( butcher leaves very little and says this is the best way to serve) I don’t mind serving this way but dry , tried this 2 times and both came out the same HELP
    Thanks a ton
    Dave

    • Reply
    • Hey Dave! Sorry to hear that you have been having problems with the roast. So, regarding the fat – I don’t like a lot of excess fat on the roast, but as you can see in the picture, there is a little fat cap that I have left on and I put it in the oven with the fat cap on top. I don’t know how much that would result in a moist roast compared to yours. My feeling is that you might be cooking it for too long. DO you have a thermometer? What is the internal temperature of the roast when it comes out of the oven? I prefer my roast to be 135F or just below, and I am wondering if yours might be higher which could result in a drier roast. If you don’t have a digital thermometer, I cannot recommend one enough. I use mine all the time and find that judging the doneness of a roast based on temperature is much more reliable than based on the time it has been in there. Every oven is different and every roast is different in size and shape so knowing the internal temp really helps you know when it is perfectly done. Hope this helps!

      • Reply
      • When I cook a roast, my family LOVES gravy, so I always ask the butcher to put extra suet on it. Also, I inject a can of Campbell’s Beef Consomme into the roast before roasting.

        Moist and tender each and every time, oh and the suet makes for great gravy as well.

        Hope this helps.

        • Reply
        • some great ideas! thanks!!

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  • Hi Steve. I’m cooking two top sirloins for a family dinner tomorrow. Each one is about 6 pounds. They will be on a rack in my big roasting pan. Will the time change with two in a convection oven? I’m hoping 3 to 3.5 hours will bring them to medium. What do you think?
    Thanks.
    Wendy

    • Reply
    • Sorry I am replying past when you said you were going to cook them. I would keep the roasts apart and make sure they are not touching each other. The time might be increased a bit, but my bet would be that it might not change much at all. I hope they turned out well for you!!

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  • If you enjoy your meat medium rare to rare, the suggested cooking time was WAY too long. We made the mistake of not checking the temperature before the suggested time. If we tried this again we would start checking the temperature after 1 1/2 hours.

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  • Hi Steve,

    This looks great and I am planning on cooking my roast tomorrow. Couple questions, my roast is just over 3lbs, I know cooking time varies and I’ll watch it’s internal temp to know when to take out, but roughly, how long do you think it will take?

    Also, are the temps you listed for both convection and regular ovens?

    Thanks so much!

    • Reply
    • Sorry for the delay. With it being 3 pounds only, I would start checking the temp after 90 minutes.

      • Reply
  • How long would you suggest cooking a 2 lb. roast?

    • Reply
    • Sorry for the delay. A 2 pound roast would not take too long. I would start checking them temp early, probably after the first hour to see where it is at.

      • Reply
  • Not clear if you are using convection roast or just roast. Also, are you tying it up into a rolled roast?

    • Reply
    • I use convection roast as I find that it seals in the juices nicer and results in a better roast. If you don’t have that, a regular roasting in the oven will work great too!

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  • one more question, we like our beef medium / well. what temp should i take the roast out at?

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    • For medium well I would aim for a target temp of 150-155F. Well done would be 160F and over.

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  • Hi. i am going to try this recipe as all my others have failed :(. i am cooking a 5 pound roast, with a rack. You mention one of the seasonings to use is salt, will that not draw our moisture?

    Also, if i wanted to add vegetables should there not be any water at the bottom of the pan?

    • Reply
    • If you add vegetables, I would add maybe 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.

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  • hi… this looks yummy, but what if I’m just one person with a very tiny 1lb roast? I’ve read that it should cook for about 10 minutes per pound, but looking at your instructions, that doesn’t sound right.
    If a 6lb roast takes 3 hours, then that’s more like 30 minutes per pound!
    I’m also concerned that if I cook it on high for 15 minutes to start, it’ll be almost finished before I even get to lower the temperature.
    Thoughts? Advice? Thanks.

    • Reply
    • You would want to start monitoring the temp fairly quickly. Not sure how well this method would work with such a small roast, but I would check after the first 15 minutes and see what the temp is and then go from there.

      • Reply
    • I think @ 1bs. you really only have a steak. maybe pan sear for 2min. turnover sear 2min. and put in 325 degree F oven for 6-8min. aprox. (cast iron works great for this) they are stove to oven safe and create great flavor.

      • Reply
  • I bought two sirloin roasts on sale a while back and found your recipe before I cooked the first one – HUGE HIT! I rarely reuse new recipes but this one is an absolute keeper. Thanks for posting!

    • Reply
    • So glad it worked out well for you!! Thanks for stopping by

      • Reply
  • Hi Tim, got a question. I’m cooking for a wedding reception with approx 75-80 people. Trying to keep a decent budget. Would the top sirloin be a good cut to serve. If not what would you suggest . Also would it be a good idea if using the top sirloin to slice it all and keep in the steam table pans versus having a carving station. Thanks for the help

    • Reply
    • Top sirloin would be a fine cut to serve. Also, my preference would definitely be to have a carving station.

      • Reply
  • I use your recipe every time, always turns out great, thankyou finally a med rare roast beef.

    • Reply
  • I made it for New Years and my whole family loved it. Except I added olive oil and worcestershire sauce to the spices and rubbed it all over. It was so juicy and tender. Thanks for your post and thanks Google to leading me to it 🙂

    P.S. I didn’t have a roasting pan with a grill, neither did I have a thermometer, instead I took a chance and put a 2.8 kg roast for 3 hours.

    • Reply

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