Juicy, meaty grilled sirloin tip steaks or flap steaks make for a quick and flavorful weeknight steak dinner without the expense of ribeye or strip steak. And you’ll feel like you’re at a steak house when you top them with a shallot herb compound butter!
Do you just want to be able to buy some meat and simply put it on the grill: no marinating, no brining, no thinking ahead? Yes?
Well then, I have the dinner for you. This meal is our new favorite and I’ve been making it over and over. We just can’t seem to get enough of it. And it’s easy enough I don’t mind making it again.
While I do love to marinate since it’s the best way to get flavor into my meats, sometimes I forget or I’m running late and just thinking about dinner at 5 pm. (I’m not the only one! I know it. 🙂 ) That’s when I need something quick. Something good. Something the whole family will enjoy. Add in my desire lately to Not Heat Up The House. Please. And here we are! Quick and easy, no marinating needed, grilled steak tips.
How to Make Grilled Sirloin Tip Steaks
Since you aren’t marinating the steak, this is truly a 30 minute meal from pulling out all the ingredients to sitting down to eat. To get everything on the table at the same time, I start by salting the meat and setting it aside. Next, I turn on the grill so it will be hot once I’m ready to cook. Then, while the meat is hanging out and the grill is heating, I make the compound butter.
Making the Shallot Butter
To make the shallot butter, start by softening up the stick of butter. If you use grass-fed butter, it’ll soften no worries in about 10 minutes. If you are using grain-fed butter (the standard US butter), cut the stick into 8 pieces and the smaller pieces of butter will soften in about 10-12 minutes.
While your butter is softening, chop up the herbs and saute the shallots and garlic in a tablespoon of butter. Let it cool for a few minutes (your butter is probably still softening anyway), then mix everything together.
Lay out a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and spoon the butter onto the paper in a row. Then fold over the paper and tuck it under the butter, pushing the wax paper up against the butter until it makes an even tube of butter. Put the butter into the fridge to chill while you make the rest of dinner.
If you need a visual on how it’s done, here is a video showing just how to form the butter into a log.
Tip: You don’t have to make the butter into a log if you don’t want to. You can put into a tub or a bowl! Also, it’s okay if the butter is still soft when you eat. This is actually better than fully chilled butter since it will melt easier and taste more flavorful.
Making the Steak and the Rest of Dinner
Now your grill is about hot and the compound butter is chilling, so it’s time to make the rest of dinner. I chose to pair the steak with some Israeli couscous (though orzo would be great too) and grilled broccoli. If you decide to make these sides, measure out the couscous and water now and chop up the broccoli.
Then put the steak on the grill. Let it grill on high with the cover up for about 15 minutes, turning from time to time to get all the sides browned. You want to get the steak to medium, since sirloin tips are mushy if cooked less. I find that a temperature of 140F is perfect for the tips.
While the steak is grilling, toss the broccoli with a little olive oil and kosher salt and put into a grilling basket. Add it to the grill to the side of the steak, giving it a stir every few minutes. (If the broccoli isn’t done when the steak comes off the grill, lower the heat to medium and cover the grill. Check after about 2 minutes. That’s about how long mine takes if it needs more time.)
And don’t forget the couscous! Once you’ve added the sirloin tips and broccoli to the grill, bring the salted water to a boil and cook the couscous according the package directions. Toss the couscous with a little olive oil and salt.
Let the grilled sirloin tip steaks rest for a couple of minutes, then cut against the grain, and slice it into bite-sized pieces. Serve the steak with the shallot butter, grilled broccoli, and Israeli couscous.
Items you may want:
What are sirloin tips?
First of all, sirloin tips are regional. If you’re from New England, you may not even realize that everyone else doesn’t even know what you’re talking about! Since I’m from New England, I had no idea until fairly recently that the rest of the world calls the cut flap meat. And that they find the cut as a steak instead of cut into strips.
Flap steak is a thin cut which comes from the bottom sirloin. It is somewhat similar to hanger steak or flank steak. As with those cuts, flap steak coarse grained with a meaty flavor which benefits from high heat cooking (like grilling) and is best to cut against the grain for maximum tenderness.
Flap steak/sirloin tips need to be cooked to at least medium since the meat tends to be overly soft and chewy when cooked rare or medium rare. This makes it a great steak for those who like their steak more cooked but don’t want to deal with the ‘steak should be rare’ crowd.
Though I chose here to use a quick salt it and go method of preparing the sirloin tips, the steak takes marinades very well. Its loose structure allows the flavors to penetrate easily into the meat.
More Quick Grilling Recipes (no marinating required!)
- Grilled Eggplant and Halloumi Sandwich
- Tender and Juicy Grilled Breaded Chicken Breast
- Grilled Tuscan Steak (Bistecca alla Fiorentina)
- Grilled Sicilian Swordfish with Oregano and Summer Squash
- Paprika Rubbed Steak with Brandy Blue Cheese Sauce
If you try my recipe for Grilled Sirloin Tip Steaks, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.
– Happy Grilling, Annemarie
Grilled Sirloin Tip Steaks with Shallot Butter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb sirloin tips strips, or flap meat steak cut into 4-5 strips
- kosher salt and black pepper
Shallot Butter
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs: mix of parsley, chives, and thyme
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat grill. Liberally salt and pepper sirloin tips and let them sit on the counter while the grill heats.
- Once the grill is hot, place the sirloin tips on the grill and cook them on high, uncovered, turning every few minutes. When the tips are well browned and read at about 140F on a thermometer (pink but not red in the center) take them off the heat to rest for 3-4 minutes.
- Slice the sirloin tips against the grain into bite-pieces. Serve with the shallot butter.
Shallot Butter
- Melt the tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat in a small skillet. Once it is sizzling, add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
- Add the softened butter, herbs, and salt to the bowl with the shallots. Mix it all together. Either transfer the butter to tub for the table or shaped it into a log.
Notes
- Softening Butter: To soften butter quickly, cut it into 8 pieces and spread them out a bit. This will allow each piece to warm up. Also, unsalted butter softens faster than salted.
- Shaping the Butter into a Log: To shape the butter into a log, transfer the butter to a piece of wax paper, spooning it out so it is in a rough log shape. Then bring the wax paper over the top and tuck it under the edge of the log. Using a ruler or the edge of a baking sheet, press the wax paper up against the log using pressure to squeeze it into a smooth shape. (You can use parchment paper or plastic wrap in place of the wax paper.)
- Grilled Broccoli: Chop 1 pound of broccoli into bite-sized florets. Toss with olive oil and salt (a little garlic powder is nice too). Place into a grill basket (I like this wire mesh one.) and put it on the grill to the side. Stir occasionally as you grill the meat. If the broccoli is not done enough to your liking when the meat is done, reduce the heat on the grill to medium, cover the grill, and let the broccoli cook for 2-3 minutes more. Keep a close eye so the broccoli doesn't burn.
- Leftover Butter: This recipe makes more than enough butter for dinner. Use the remaining butter on other grilled meats, on bread, and on grilled or roasted vegetables. The butter lasts for 1 week in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. (To freeze - slice or scoop out tbsp sized amounts and freeze them separately, then put them in a sealed bag.)
- Calories: Calories are an estimate. Calorie counts are for the steak and butter only and assume 1 tablespoon of butter per person.
Danielle says
Shallot butter sounds amazing. We bought loads of shallots the other day and I am going to have to make this with them.
justalittlebitofbacon says
I love the shallot butter. I used the rest on bread and on veggies later in the week.
Natalie says
I love sirloin steak! Looks so delicious and full of protein – as I always prefer 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe!
justalittlebitofbacon says
You’re welcome. 🙂
Marie says
We call them sirloin tips in Canada too. I have never heard of flap meat until now. Anyway you call it, it looks so delicious and the shallot butter sounds incredible too!
justalittlebitofbacon says
That’s good to know! I never heard of flap meat until the internet told me that’s what everyone else calls them. 🙂 Honestly, I think sirloin tips sounds tastier.