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up close of sliced grilled steak lined on a platter showing what temp to cook it
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Grilled Sirloin Steak

These Grilled Sirloin Steak recipe will be your new go-to way to make steak!  The steak is seasoned with a dynamic smoked paprika, garlic forward spice rub that creates a caramelized seasoned crust once grilled, and then is finished with a rich Cajun butter for melt-in-your-mouth tender, juicy steak with tantalizing complex notes. And the best part of Grilled Sirloin Steak?  It’s SO easy with practically zero clean up!  Season, rest, then grill – that’s it!  The fantastic spice rub and butter is also extremely versatile and can used with your other favorite cuts of steak as well.  I’ve included tips and tricks and detailed directions for how to grill steak to achieve melt in your mouth, juicy, steak even if you have never made steak before! Serve your grilled steak with your favorite sides like corn salsa, strawberry spinach salad and fruit salad and your perfect summer meal awaits!
Servings 5 -6 servings

Ingredients

  • 5-6 to top sirloin steaks, 1 1/2“ thick (about 3 lbs.)

CAJUN SPICE MIX

  • 1 TBS EACH garlic powder, kosher salt (NOT table salt)
  • 2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, regular paprika, onion powder, chili powder
  • 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried thyme, pepper
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

CAJUN BUTTER

  • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon reserved Cajun spice mix (in directions)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoons lime zest (1 lime)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced herbs (any combo of fresh parsley, fresh thyme, oregano, chives)

Serving Suggestions

Instructions

  • Spice rub: Whisk the Cajun Spice Mix seasonings together in a small bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon to a medium bowl to use later in the Cajun Butter; set aside.
  • Season and refrigerate steak: Pat steaks dry with a paper towel. Lightly coat in olive oil. Season all sides with remaining Cajun Spice Mix and rub it in a bit. Place the steaks in the fridge, uncovered, for 1 to 48 hours. If you are short on time, you can skip refrigerating and let the steaks rest at room temperature for 60 minutes before grilling.
  • Cajun butter: Meanwhile, make the Cajun Butter by adding all of the butter ingredients to the bowl with the 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Mash all of the ingredients together until blended. Add softened butter to a piece or plastic wrap and form into a log as your roll up the plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until firm (about 45 minutes) or until ready to use.
  • Bring steak to room temperature: When ready to grill, remove the steaks from the fridge and let them rest at room temperature for 60 minutes before cooking. If the Cajun butter is firm, remove it from the fridge to soften at bit at this time.
  • Prep grill: Heat grill to 450-500 degrees F with the lid closed (you will grill with the lid open), this will take about 10-15 minutes. Thoroughly clean the grill using a wire brush. Once the grill reaches temperature, grease the grill using tongs holding a wad of paper towels greased with vegetable oil.
  • Grill steaks. Add steaks and grill to desired doneness (see temperatures below), using tongs to turn the steaks once (never a fork). You want the temperature to register 5°F lower than the desired doneness (steaks will continue to cook after removing from the grill).
  • Rest and butter: Transfer steaks to a cuttingboard or platter. Add a generous slice of Cajun Butter to each steak and loosely tent with foil. Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain. Serve with additional butter if desired.

Notes

HOW LONG TO GRILL STEAK

For a 1 1/2-inch-thick steak, here are general cooking times (make sure to use a meat thermometer for accurate cooking times):
 
  • 6 to 8 minutes for rare (120° will rise to 125°)
  • 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare (130° will rise to 135°)
  • 10 to 12 minutes for medium (140° will rise to 145°)
  • 12 to 15 minutes for well done (150° will rise to 155°)
  • Note that the USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to an internal temperature of 145°F, but most steak lovers will find this overcooked.

Grilling Tips for Success

  • Adjust serving size: use the up and down arrows next to the servings to increase or decrease the desired number of steaks and the ingredient measurements adjust accordingly.  Note, this will not change the 1 tablespoon Spice Mix added to the Cajun Butter in the directions, so manually adjust accordingly. 
  • Steak cut: you can use any pricier cut of beef for this recipe such as ribeye, rib steak, filet mignon, New York strip (New York steak, shell steak, strip steak or sirloin strip), porterhouse and T-bone.  Do NOT use flank steak or skirt steak without marinating first.
  • Kosher salt: is a must for steaks because it aids in dry brining (more on that in the post) because its large texture doesn’t clump like table salt. I recommend Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt.  Table salt is twice as concentrated and will make the steak too salty.
  • Use vegetable oil:  it is important to grease your grill with a high smoking point oil such as vegetable oil. Do NOT use olive oil because it has a lower smoking point, which means that overheating will not only smoke you out but can adversely impact its flavor and produce low levels of harmful compounds due to the high antioxidant content in the oil.
  • Use an instant read meat thermometer!  You can pick up an inexpensive instant read thermometer at the grocery store or Amazon, or I am obsessed with this digital probe thermometer – you will never overcook any protein again!  Instant read thermometers can be temperamental, but this digital probe thermometer retrieves temperature precisely to within ±1.8°f (±1°c )!
  • Storage: grilled steak should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.  Sirloin steak can also be frozen in an airtight container with excess air squeezed out or vacuum-sealed to prevent freezer burn.  Frozen grilled steak is good for up to three months.
  • How to serve: the most common way to serve grilled steak is as the main entrée with sides. Just pick any of the sides in the post and call it dinner! That being said, grilled sirloin steak is also a chameleon and delicious in salads, pastas, fajitas, etc. See the post for TONS of fun ideas to mix up how you serve steak.  
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
  • Storage:  let grilled steak cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container.  Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
  • Microwave: it’s best to slice the steak before reheating so it heats evenly.  Transfer sliced steak to a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 30 seconds then at 15 second intervals as needed.
  • Skillet: warm sliced steak in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat, stirring often until warmed through.
  • Oven: transfer steak to a baking sheet, cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or just until warmed through.