How to Broil Steak
Ever wanted to learn how to make a fancy steak dinner at home without a grill? Learning how to broil steak in the oven is easier than you think and makes for a delicious meal, whether you’re having at-home date night or hosting friends. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make steakhouse-worthy steaks in your own kitchen.
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It’s getting colder in Texas, and I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want to be spending time outside if I don’t have to. (Is my Southernness showing with this statement? I think it is, but I won’t take it back.)
Which is why a few years back, I learned how to BROIL STEAK in the oven because I could not be bothered to bundle up, go outside and fire up the grill and grill a nice steak.
So today, I’m going to be dropping some knowledge about what to do (and what not to do) so that you can broil steak in your oven, too.
Whether or not it’s freezing cold where you live, this is a great skill to have in your back pocket. We use it for at-home date nights, as well as homegating (you know, tailgating at home) and “fancy” dinner parties with friends, too.
More steak recipes to try: Grilled Steak Flatbread Pizza | French Onion Steak Pasta | Steak Alfredo
Looking for a side dish that’s perfect alongside this recipe? Check out Best Side Dishes to Serve with Steak.
What you’ll need to make Broiled Steak
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- Small baking sheet with a rim (like a jelly roll pan)
- Aluminum foil
- Tongs
- Instant read meat thermometer
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get from the store:
- Steaks — I used two 5 oz. top sirloin steaks because it’s juicy and versatile and can take the heat, but you can your favorite cut of beef from the butcher that has good marbling. Keep in mind that the thickness of the steaks will determine how long you cook them. Mine were about 2″ thick.
- Salt — medium-grain kosher salt is what I keep in my kitchen. You can use a similarly sized sea salt. You could also swap this out with a homemade steak seasoning blend if you prefer.
- Black pepper — freshly cracked black pepper is excellent on steaks. If you’ve got a pepper grinder, please use it. If not, regular pepper also works.
- Butter — this is optional, as you do not want butter beneath the broiler. However, if you want to finish your steak with a pat of salted butter or a compound butter, you certainly can and should.
How to broil steak in the oven
Preheat the oven and season the steaks
First and foremost, move the top rack of the oven to be about 4-6” away from the broiler. (You want the top of the steak to be at least 2-3″ away from the heating element and no closer.)
And then fire up the broiler! Every oven is different, but mine heats up to 550°F, so just know that you want your oven screaming hot to accomplish this cooking.
Next, line a rimmed baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil. (You may also skip this. While this isn’t 100% necessary for the cooking process, I find it makes the clean up significantly easier.) Set it aside.
After that, remove the steaks from their packaging. Pat dry with a paper towel so there’s not any extra moisture. (Extra moisture will cause smoke!)
Season steaks with salt and pepper on ALL sides.
As a rule of thumb, I use 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of steak. These steaks were 5 oz. a piece, so I used a little less than ½ teaspoon of salt on each. Crack some black pepper on top of the steak, too.
Broil the steaks
When the steak has been seasoned and the broiler is going, place the steaks on the prepared baking sheet, and transfer it into the oven.
How long to broil steak?
It depends on how thick the steak is. (The thinner the steak is, the less time it will cook for.) The ones shown in these photos are about 2″ thick.
I broiled them for 4 minutes, then remove them from the oven, flipped and broiled for an additional 3 minutes on the other side.
Once the steaks cook for a total of 7 minutes, use a instant read thermometer to take the steaks’ temperature.
To do this, stick the thermometer’s tip into the middle of the thickest steak, careful not to push through to the other side of the steak, and let it calculate the internal temperature.
Steak Temperature Guide
Steak continues to cook after it’s removed from heat, so pull it 5–10 degrees before your ideal temperature. Use an instant read meat thermometer* (affiliate link) to check.
| Rare | Cool red center | 125°F (52°C) |
| Medium rare | Warm red center | 135°F (57°C) |
| Medium | Warm pink center | 145°F (63°C) |
| Medium well | Warm pink center | 150°F (66°C) |
| Well done | Fully cooked through | 160°F (71°C) |
Eating raw or undercooked meat may increase your risk of food-borne illness.
When the temperature is within 5 degrees of your preferred level of doneness, remove it from the oven, and transfer the steaks to a plate. Cover with a piece of foil, and let rest.
The steaks will continue to cook after it comes out of the oven. We transfer them to a plate so that the cooking process slows down. (If they stay on the hot pan, they could overcook. I learned this lesson the hard way.)
After the steaks have rested for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute, place it on a cutting board and slice thin.
Serve with your favorite side dishes and vegetables. Enjoy immediately!
What not to do while broiling steak:
Do NOT add butter or olive oil to the baking sheet pan while broiling the steak. I’ve made this mistake once… and my entire house was filled with smoke after.
The broiler runs hot, and the smoke point of many fats are lower than the broiler itself, which will cause a mess.
The steak doesn’t need butter to taste good, but if you’re feeling decadent, you can always add it when serving.
Additionally, do NOT use parchment paper to line the pan, as that can burn in the high heat.
how to store:
Store the steak in a food safe storage container in the fridge if there is any left. I tend to pre-slice my steaks before serving them, so whenever I have leftovers, I let them come to room temperature instead of microwaving.
If you have a whole steak leftover that hasn’t been sliced, leave it that way! You can give it a quick sear in a skillet with a little bit of butter or avocado oil to heat it up the next day.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Broiled Steaks are one of my favorite dishes to serve to friends for a fancier “dinner party” situation because they’re incredibly easy to make. The only problem with them—and it’s not really a problem—is that you have to cook them while your guests are at your home.
Here are a few tips and tricks for whipping up these broiled steaks in no time flat:
- If you’re serving a crowd, use a larger baking sheet to cook all the steaks at the same time. Give the steaks a little room on either side so they can all cook evenly, and check the temperature of each before you remove them from the oven, too.
- Choose side dishes that can be made ahead of time. Our go-to sides for steak are steamed green beans, mashed potatoes and garlic bread. If you’re hosting people (or having a date night at home), pre-make the side dishes so that the only thing that needs cooking are the steaks.
- Make a compound butter (like Garlic Butter Steak or Rosemary Garlic Herb Butter)… or use a pat of salted butter. If you’re feeling fancy, add this directly on top of the steak once it’s out of the oven or on the plate, ready for slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everyone likes their steak cooked based on their personal tastes. Whichever temperature you choose OK, so long as you remember that your steak’s internal temperature will hit the desired temperature while it rests, not while it’s cooking. (If it hits the internal temp while it’s cooking, the steak will overcook on you. Lessons learned, friends.)
RARE steak has a cool, red center and will reach the temperature of 125°F.
MEDIUM RARE steak has a warm red center and will reach the temperature of 135°F.
A MEDIUM steak has a warm pink center and will reach the temperature of 145°F.
A MEDIUM WELL steak has a slightly pink center (think very slightly) and will reach the temperature of 150°F.
WELL DONE steak is cooked completely through, meaning there is very little pink left in the middle. It will reach the temperature of 160°F
Remember that the steak will hit the temperature while it’s resting, so remove it from the broiler about 5-10°F before the desired temperature.
Use a digital meat thermometer to make your job easy. Nobody likes guessing when it comes to steak, and guessing incorrectly could lead to overcooked meat.
Simply poke the thermometer’s tip into the center of the steak. Ideally, you want it to go into the thickest part of the meat because that’s the part that will take the longest to cook. Be careful not to push it all the way through the other side.
Let the thermometer tell you what the temperature is, and then transfer the steak to a plate and cover if it’s within 5-10 degrees of your ideal temperature or pop it back into the broiler for a little more time if you want it more cooked through.
No. Broiling happens in the oven, while grilling happens on a grill.
Quick tips for making Broiled Steaks
- Double or triple the recipe for a dinner party! Use a larger sheet pan, and cook all the steaks at the same time. Just be sure to take each steak’s temperature before removing them all from the broiler.
- Store leftover steak in a food-safe container in the refrigerator.
- Let leftover sliced steak come to room temperature before eating it. Heating it in the microwave will make it tough.
- Have a whole (unsliced) steak leftover? Store it whole, and sear it in a skillet the next day with a little butter or oil.
More steak recipes you might want to try…
Start off a meal with something like Steak Bruschetta with French Onion Marmalade.
Make another classic steak recipe, like Grilled Steak or a Cast Iron Ribeye.
Here’s how you can make this at home…
How to Broil Steak in the Oven
EQUIPMENT
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Ingredients
- 10 oz. top sirloin steaks (about 2" thick)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter optional
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Instructions
- BEFORE you fire up the broiler, place the rack 4-6” from the broiler/top of the oven. (The closer it is, the faster the steak will cook and the more caramelized it will get. I’ve found that we like it better closer to the broiler because it gives it more flavor, as well as cooks faster. BUT you want the steak to be at least 2.5-3" away from the broiler, as any closer could cause some flare ups.)
- Preheat the broiler. It should be around 550°F.
- Line a small baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil.
- Season 10 oz. top sirloin steaks with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper, and place it in the oven.
- Broil for 4 minutes, and then flip using tongs.
- Broil for 3 minutes to cook the other side. Take the internal temperature of the steaks. Be sure to remove the steaks when they are within 5 degrees of your ideal internal temperature. It will continue to cook when you remove it from the oven.
- Remove from the oven, and transfer to a plate.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes. This is important to redistribute the juices of the steak. If you cut it too early, all the juices will run out!
- Once the steaks have rested, top with 1 tablespoon salted butter (or a compound butter of your choosing), slice it and serve with your favorite sides for an at-home steak dinner!
Video
Notes
- Rare (cool red center: 125°F
- Medium rare (warm red center): 135°F
- Medium (warm pink center): 145°F
- Medium well (light pink center): 150°F
- Well done (cooked entirely through): 160°F
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is the recipe developer, food photographer and founder of The Speckled Palate, where she shares recipes, many Southern and Louisiana-inspired, and easy, low-key entertaining ideas since 2011. Whether you’re searching for a weeknight dinner or a party menu, Erin’s recipes are made for sharing with the people you love. Learn more about Erin and learn more about TSP.
We love these easy to follow steps. This recipe is delicious!
We usually grill our steaks, but boy I think this broil method is our new favorite way to cook steak! Tender and delicious. So simple, thank you!
I’d never broiled steak before but with your super clear instructions enjoyed our delicious steak without freezing in front of the grill!
Turned out perfect and so juicy!
I have always struggled with top sirloin coming out tender and juicy, not anymore! This was amazing!
WOOHOO! SO happy to hear this technique worked out for you, Kathleen! Here’s to juicy, perfectly cooked steaks at home again and again!
I had never made steak before but this was the perfect first recipe to try! So thorough as easy to follow!
This is our go-to method of making steak! It’s perfect every time!
The only thing I would change is,…skip the foil.
I did it — I followed your directions and the steak came out perfectly. Thank you so much !!!!!
What’s the butter for ??
You can add butter or compound butter to the steak once it comes out of the oven! I don’t recommend adding it in the broiler because it will create a lot of smoke.
I agree, simple and delicious
So glad you enjoyed this, too, Jeremy!
can we get more adds I can barely see the information i’m here for?
Hey Brian. Thank you for your feedback.
Did you know that I CAN put more ads on my website? I made an intentional choice to serve *less* ads for a better user experience, which means less income for me. Since, you know, those ads are how I get paid for my work, which is available for you here for FREE.
Also. there’s a “jump to recipe” button at the top of every post which will allow you to jump over the majority of the ads on the page (which, again, means less income for me, but a better experience for you) and takes you straight to the recipe card, which serves a single ad.
I would never expect to come into your place of work and tell you how to do your job. These ads allow me to continue to offer free recipes here. Thanks.
What about a marinated sirloin? I want to experiment with broiling it instead of doing kebabs or stir fry like I normally do. Gonna throw caution to the wind and try something new..hoping it won’t burn so I will do the 6 inches of space for the top rack and stick to 4 & 3 minutes cooking time and hope for the best (I’m a rebel and don’t use cooking thermometers).
P.S. – In regards to the commenter about the ads on your page, there are quite a few and some did get in the way but I was mostly able to navigate through it. I’ve had recipe blog sites where I can’t even scroll down b/c the whole screen freezes there are so many pop ups. It will freeze up my whole computer so I get where they’re coming from. I can’t recommend to those bloggers enough to be careful with the balance as I wind up just ex-ing out of them without being able to view the recipe or subscribe which defeats the purpose I’d think! Anyway, thanks for this recipe, can’t wait to try it, I was looking for a simple guide for broiling a sirloin.
Hey Sue. Just seeing your comment now — sorry for the delay! Yes, marinated sirloin should work here, and I think it would be delicious using this same method. Pat it dry before popping it under the broiler. I hope it’s delicious!
You would think the meat would be burnt that close to the broiler. But no. The steaks turn out perfectly browned and perfectly cooked medium rare. Thank you so much. My wife actually gave me a compliment.
So happy to hear this worked out for you, Ricky, and that you got a compliment out of it, too! I hope that this method comes in handy for y’all for years to come. 🙂 It’s been a game changer for us, too.