Garlic butter & herb sirloin tips are seared on the stove top and ready in only ten minutes! Coated in rich garlic butter, these tender steak bites are best served over mashed potatoes.
If you've never had sirloin tips before, this recipe is a great place to start. Tender and juicy steak bites are coated in a rich garlic butter sauce and lightly seasoned with Italian seasoning.
Sirloin tips, or steak tips, are tender bite-size cubes of meat that are cut from one of several tender cuts of meat. Steak tips can be made with sirloin, flank steak, tri-tip, or even tenderloin.
Serve these garlic butter and herb sirloin tips over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta, or with a side salad for a complete meal. They're perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or date night at home.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Sirloin tips - Steak tips are most often cut from the sirloin, but can also be made of cubed flank steak, tri-tip, or tenderloin. I do not suggest substituting this with cubed stew meat. While these two cuts may look similar at the store, stew meat is made with very tough meat that is best prepared low and slow, like in a beef stew. For this preparation today, you'll need a tender cut of beef.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning add mild, savory flavor to your sirloin tips. Italian seasoning can be homemade or store bought. It can be substituted with any combination of these herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram, and sage.
- Garlic - I recommend fresh minced garlic for best flavor. I don't recommend jarred garlic, which often has a harsh flavor.
- Oil - We're using a high smoke point oil because your pan will be very hot. I do not recommend substituting the oil with butter for this step. Butter will burn when added at the beginning.
- Butter - Salted or unsalted butter works in this recipe. Adding butter later with the garlic adds flavor without leaving it in the pan so long that it burns.
Tips and tricks
Best pan to use - For this recipe, you'll need a cast-iron pan or stainless steel pan. A pan that can withstand high heat is best for getting a nice sear on your steak tips.
High smoke point oil - You need an oil with a high smoke point when searing steak on the stovetop. This means that your oil can withstand higher temperatures without smoking/burning. I recommend avocado oil, peanut oil, or any oil with a smoke point over 400 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. While I normally use olive oil in my cooking, I wouldn't recommend it for this recipe. Here's a great article breaking down the smoke points of many popular oils: Cooking Oils and Smoke Points: What to Know and How to Choose the Right Cooking Oil
Storage
Leftover steak tips will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
I do not recommend using a nonstick pan for this recipe. They can become damaged when sitting on high heat for long periods of time. If you only have a non-stick pan available, opt for a lower heat setting and don't let it sit over high heat with nothing in the pan.
No. These two cuts are very different. Sirloin tips are tender cuts of meat that can be cooked quickly. Stew meat is tough and includes connective tissue that must be cooked low and slow to tenderize it. Stew meat should not be used in this recipe.
I recommend serving sirloin tips with creamy mashed potatoes. They can also be served over a bed of white rice with steamed veggies or pasta like spaghetti aglio e olio.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Garlic Butter & Herb Sirloin Tips
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sirloin tips
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Warm a large cast iron pan over medium to medium-high heat on the stove top. Meanwhile, pat sirloin tips dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat.
- Once pan is hot, add canola oil. When hot and rippling, add sirloin tips to pan, spreading into an even layer with no meat touching, if possible (you may need to cook in two batches using a small pan).
- Sear your steak on the first side for 2 minutes, then flip. Cook for 1 minute, then add your butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Toss to evenly coat and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Oil - Use an oil with a high smoke point for pan-searing steaks. I recommend canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil. I do not recommend butter or olive oil.
- Pan - A cast iron pan or stainless steel skillet is best for searing meat at a high heat. I do not recommend using a nonstick skillet.
- Steak cuts - Sirloin tips can be substituted with any cubed tender steak - cube your own sirloin, flank steak, or tenderloin. I do not recommend using cubed stew meat - this cut of meat is tough and must be cooked low and slow to allow the connective tissue to break down.
Made this for my fussy teenager - minus the Italian seasonings, sadly - and with mashed potatoes and he loved it! I also thought it was delicious. Thank you.
If these directions are followed for sirloin tri tips...they are as tough as leather!!!
Hi Vivian, sorry to hear that your sirloin tips didn't turn out as expected. The cooking time for this recipe is fairly short, so the steak shouldn't turn out tough based on the cook time. Possibly the steak cut had more connective tissue, or the bites were very small (smaller pieces will cook faster).
Love this recipe!