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GET IT NOWMy Top Sirloin Roast Recipe Has A Special Crust + Juicy Inside
I love making roasts for special occasions, and this top sirloin roast is one of my new favorites. It’s simple enough for a cozy dinner, but impressive enough for holidays or hosting. Here’s why:
- Juicy and tender with a horseradish crust – Many sirloin roast recipes have a super basic seasoning, which is fine, but this one has so much flavor thanks to its herby, garlicky, and buttery horseradish crust. And it delivers that ultra tender texture inside, too.
- Perfectly cooked, every time – A quick sear and my trusty time chart for the oven (it works for any size roast!) make it foolproof to get your ideal doneness.
- Easy to make – You just need your top sirloin roast and some pantry staples, and the active steps don’t take long. I love that most of the time is hands-off!
- Perfect balance between special and affordable – This isn’t as expensive as a beef tenderloin or prime rib roast, but high end than my sirloin tip roast.
Whether you choose this roast as a holiday recipe or for another day you’re having company, it’ll wow your guests, without hurting your wallet or spending all day in the kitchen. That’s what I call a win. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my top sirloin roast recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Top Sirloin Roast – This cut, sometimes called a top butt roast, comes from the cow’s hip bone. It’s relatively lean with some marbling, and middle-of-the-road in terms of price. If you’ve had top sirloin steak, a top sirloin roast is the same cut but is not sliced. I usually pick mine up at the butcher for the best quality.
- Prepared Horseradish – The key ingredient for the special crust! Many brands are very processed, but I use this one that is just horseradish, vinegar, and salt.
- Garlic & Herbs – I used rosemary and thyme. Feel free to swap in other herbs, like parsley, sage, or oregano. Fresh ones work better here than dried, but if you have to use dried, replace each tablespoon of fresh with a teaspoon of dried.
- Unsalted Butter – I like this brand. Let it sit out at room temperature for easy mashing.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – My rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of pepper per pound of meat. This helps make your beef roast extra juicy and flavorful!
- Olive Oil – For searing. Avocado oil works, too.
How To Cook A Sirloin Roast
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Tie and season the roast. Tie it tightly with butcher twine at 1-inch intervals, pat it dry, and season generously with salt and pepper. (If you’re new to this process, I’ve got a step-by-step visual in my beef tenderloin recipe.) Let it come to room temperature.
- Mix the herb butter. Meanwhile, mash the butter, minced garlic, horseradish, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl.
- Sear the roast. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until very hot. Sear the beef on all sides, until browned.
- Add the topping. Quickly spread the butter mixture over the roast, insert a probe thermometer into the center, and place it in the preheated oven.
- Bake. To cook top sirloin roast to exactly the doneness you like, see my time and temperature chart below.
- Let it rest. Transfer the roast to a cutting board right away to prevent overcooking, and tent aluminum foil over it. Wait 10 minutes for the juices to settle before slicing. It’s worth the wait!
Roast Cooking Time Chart
I tested this sirloin roast recipe over half a dozen times for different roast sizes and doneness levels. The rule I found is, your roast will need 6-7 minutes per pound in the oven (after searing) to reach rare doneness. From there, each additional level of doneness will take another 3-7 minutes, depending on size.
You can use my cooking time chart below, but I highly recommend a probe thermometer (I have and love this one) for best results. Insert it right before placing the sirloin roast in the oven and it will beep when it reaches your perfect temperature.
| Roast Weight (lb.) | Rare (115 degrees F) | Medium-Rare (125 degrees F) | Medium (135 degrees F) | Medium Well (145 degrees F) | Well Done (155 degrees F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | 15-18 min | 18-21 min | 21-24 min | 24-27 min | 27-30 min |
| 2.5 lb | 16-20 min | 20-24 min | 24-28 min | 28-32 min | 32-36 min |
| 3 lb | 18-22 min | 22-27 min | 27-32 min | 32-37 min | 37-42 min |
| 3.5 lb | 20-24 min | 24-30 min | 30-36 min | 36-42 min | 42-48 min |
| 4 lb | 22-26 min | 26-34 min | 34-42 min | 38-37 min | 37-42 min |
*Note: These times and temperatures are when you’d remove the roast from the oven — the internal temperature will rise another 10 degrees while resting. The time can vary a bit based on the shape of your meat.
My Recipe Tips
- If you have time, leave the tied sirloin roast uncovered in the fridge overnight. This step is not required, but will get you a better crust.
- Don’t forget to bring to room temp. Whether you do the step above or not, I recommend this for even cooking.
- It’s important that your horseradish isn’t too wet. I squeeze out any excess moisture with a paper towel. If you don’t, the butter mixture will be watery.
- The horseradish butter mixture is soft and sticky, so it’s helpful to use 2 spoons to dollop it onto the roast. Then just spread gently. It will start to melt, so be careful not to let most of it slide off.
- I recommend using a cast iron skillet. You can sear the roast and pop it straight into the oven without needing to transfer it to a roasting pan, plus this material gets you the best sear. I use this one, which is enameled, so it doesn’t require seasoning or leech metals.
- The time to brown the roast can vary. 2-3 minutes per side is usually just right for me, but it might be a little more or less time for you. Make sure to get that nice golden crust before adding the horseradish topping and placing your top sirloin roast in the oven.
- Tongs are the easiest tool to turn the roast when searing. I have these long silicone ones and they make it super easy.
- Be careful not to scrape off the crust when transferring to a cutting board. Been there, done that! If your tongs catch on the top crust, it can fall off.
Top Sirloin Roast (With Garlic Herb Crust)
Make my easy top sirloin roast recipe with a buttery garlic herb crust! It’s juicy, tender, and perfect for a holiday feast or cozy dinner.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Pat the roast dry with paper towels. If you have time, place it in the fridge, uncovered, for 8-12 hours or overnight. (This is not required, but helps create a better outer crust when searing later.)
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Use kitchen twine to tie the roast tightly, at one-inch intervals.
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Pat the roast with paper towels again. Season all over with salt and pepper. Let it come to room temperature on the counter for 1 hour before cooking.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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In a small bowl, mash together the butter, garlic, horseradish, rosemary, and thyme. Set aside near your stove.
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Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering and very hot. Add the sirloin roast, sear on all four sides, about 2-3 minutes per side on all 4 sides, until a brown crust forms. On the last side, sear for only 1 minute before moving onto the next step. (It will continue to sear while you do the next step.)
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Working quickly, immediately spread the butter mixture over the beef, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part in the center, and transfer to the preheated oven. (Alternatively, if you don’t have an oven-safe pan, transfer to a roasting pan before placing in the oven.)
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Bake the top sirloin roast in the oven until it reaches your desired internal temperature: 115 degrees F (46 degrees C) for rare (17-22 minutes), 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) for medium rare (22-27 minutes), 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) for medium (26-28 minutes), 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) for medium well (28-32 minutes), or 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) for well done (32-36 minutes). (Temperature will continue to rise while resting in the next step.) See my time chart in the post above for estimated times based on the size of your roast.
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To prevent overcooking, immediately transfer the roast to a cutting board after removing it from the oven. Tent with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to settle – the internal temperature will rise an additional 10 degrees.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/8 of the entire roast
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get a beautiful crust and tender inside, and just generally make this recipe easier.
- Time chart: Have a different size roast? My roasting time chart makes it easy to get exactly the doneness you like.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: Mix the herb butter ahead of time and let the roast dry in the fridge overnight for an even better crust!
- Reheat: Warm slices in a skillet with beef broth to keep them juicy. Leftovers also make a great vegetable beef soup or steak salad.
- Freeze: Layer slices with parchment paper in a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Sirloin Roast Recipe
Serving Ideas
I’ve got plenty of easy side dish ideas to round out your meal:
- One pan meal – I love this shortcut! Toss veggies with oil and your favorite seasonings, and spread on a large sheet pan first. After searing, transfer the roast to the pan and roast it all together in the oven. Larger roasts take the perfect amount of time for hearty options, like onions, carrots, turnips, other root vegetables, or butternut squash, while smaller ones are better with broccoli and cauliflower, or brussels sprouts.
- Potatoes – You can roast potatoes together with the top sirloin roast in the same way as the veggie option above, or whip up mashed sweet potatoes while you wait. For a lighter option, my mashed cauliflower is creamy and flavorful.
- Other veggies – You could also just saute green beans while the main finishes in the oven, or finish baking my brussels sprout casserole while it rests.
- Salad – For the holidays, you can’t go wrong with my winter salad, pomegranate salad, or broccoli cranberry salad.
1 Comment
Holly
0Made this for my husbands birthday dinner. He absolutely loved it. It had so much flavor. We had it with cream spinach and cauliflower mashed potato’s will definitely make this again.