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Sous Vide it!
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This sous vide sirloin steak recipe transforms an affordable sirloin steak into a deliciously tender, perfectly cooked steak every single time. It's as tender as a filet mignon!
What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Transforms tough sirloin into tender, filet mignon-like texture after 4 hours
- Foolproof cooking method that delivers perfect results every time
- Set-it-and-forget-it cooking process
- Achieves exact temperature control for your desired doneness
- Creates a consistently cooked steak from edge to edge
- Perfect for meal prep - cook multiple steaks at once
- Great for special occasions when you want guaranteed results
- Significant cost savings compared to buying filet mignon
Suggested Kitchen Tools for Sous Vide Sirloin
- Sous vide immersion circulator or an appliance with the sous vide function (The Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro was used in this recipe)
- Large pot or container for the water bath if using an immersion circulator
- Vacuum sealer OR freezer-grade zip-top bags for the water displacement method
- Cast iron skillet or large skillet for searing or appliance with sear/sauté function like the Possible Cooker Pro
- Paper towels for patting steaks dry
- Set of long tongs for handling hot steaks
- Meat thermometer (optional but recommended)
- Measuring spoons for seasonings
Ingredients & Substitutions
Steak
- Used in Recipe: 1-inch thick top sirloin steaks (10 oz each)
- What it Does: Provides a meaty, flavorful cut that becomes tender like a filet through sous vide cooking
- Substitutions: New York strip, round steak, or any other lean cut of steak. Adjust cooking times for different thicknesses and desired tenderness.
- What I don't recommend: I don't recommend using a ribeye when sous vide cooking because the temperatures do not get hot enough to render the fat like you can through grilling or searing in a hot skillet. There is not enough time after the sous vide process to render the fat without overcooking the steak.
Seasoning
- Used in Recipe:
- Kosher salt (½ teaspoon per steak)
- Black pepper (¼ teaspoon per steak)
- What it Does: Enhances the natural beef flavor without over seasoning the steak.
- Substitutions:
- Any combination of seasonings you like on your steak.
- Any steak seasoning of your choice
When seasoning prior to sous vide cooking, use less than you would normally because the seasonings can easily overpower the steak during the sous vide cooking process, especially with longer cooking times.
Fat for Searing
- Used in Recipe: 1-2 tablespoons Smoked Tallow or regular tallow.
- What it Does: Creates a nice crust during the final sear without burning due to the high smoke point.
- Substitutions: Peanut Oil or any other neutral oil with a high smoke point. Butter will burn so I don't recommend searing in butter.
How to Sous Vide a Sirloin Steak
Setting up for Sous Vide Cooking
Setting up your Sous Vide Cooker will vary by appliance, but for immersion circulators you will want to have a large pot that the circulator can clamp onto.
For small kitchen appliances like the Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot, Ninja Speedi, Ninja Combi appliances, you will use the sous vide function along with the inner pot.
Fill the container or inner pot with at least 10 cups of water or to the sous vide line if your appliance has that marked. Set your desired cooking temperature (130℉/55℃ for this recipe) and the cooking time (4 hours for this recipe) and hit start to allow the water to heat up.
The time it takes for the water to heat up depends on the type of appliance you are using and could take longer than when you are prompted to "add food."
I recommend letting the water heat all the way to your desired temp before adding the food.
Preparing the Sirloin Steaks
You can season the steaks before you sous vide them, after you sous vide them (before searing), or what I prefer is to season both before sous vide cooking and before searing. I find this to provide the best flavor.
Quick Tip
Use less seasoning or marinade before sous vide cooking than you normally would to avoid over seasoning the food.
I typical use a light coating of kosher or fine grind sea salt and black pepper prior to sous vide cooking my sirloin.
For a 10 ounce, 1" thick steak I used ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper (fine grind) per steak.
Placing the Steaks into Bags
You can sous vide multiple steaks at once as long as you are cooking them to the same internal temperature.
While I prefer using a vacuum sealer to vacuum seal the steaks, a ziplock freezer bag also works fine. You will use the displacement technique when using ziplock bags.
Vacuum Sealing
When vacuum sealing your steaks for sous vide cooking, I recommend using one bag per steak. However, you can vacuum seal multiple steaks in one bag as long as there is space around each one for the water to flow around each steak.
Use your vacuum sealer according to manufacturer's instructions.
Displacement Technique
If you want to use a freezer zip lock bag, place the steak into the bag and close the bag about 50% at the top.
Submerge the bag into the pot of water just until the zip lock closure is about at the water line and zip it closed. This pushes the air out which helps prevent the bag from floating instead of being submerged under the water.
Here is a short video showing me seal the bag using the displacement technique:
Sous Vide Cooking the Sirloin
The technique I use results in a sirloin steak that is filet mignon tender and medium rare after searing. You can adjust the sous vide temperatures and the time to achieve the level of doneness and tenderness that you prefer.
Here is a chart showing the results with various times/temps.
| Desired Doneness | Temperature | Cook Time | Tenderness Level* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120°F (50°C) | 1 hour | Level 1 |
| 2 hours | Level 2 | ||
| Medium Rare | 130°F (55°C) | 1 hour | Level 1 |
| 2 hours | Level 2 | ||
| 3 hours | Level 4 | ||
| 4 hours | Level 5 | ||
| Medium | 140°F (60°C) | 1 hour | Level 1 |
| 2 hours | Level 2 | ||
| 3 hours | Level 4 | ||
| 4 hours | Level 5 | ||
| Well Done | 155°F (70°C) | 1 hour | Level 1 |
| 2 hours | Level 2 | ||
| 3 hours | Level 5 |
Tenderness Scale:
- Level 1: Sirloin texture
- Level 2: Sirloin texture
- Level 4: Very tender sirloin
- Level 5: Filet Mignon tender
Important Note: For food safety, rare temperature (120°F/50°C) can only be used for maximum 2 hours. For cooking times longer than 2 hours, temperature MUST be at least 130°F (55°C).
Once the water temp has reached the temperature you set, place the sealed bags with the steaks into the water and use a rack or plate, if needed, to weigh them down.
It is important that the steaks are submerged under the water line.
Set the time to a minimum of 1 hour or maximum of 4 hours.
Quick Tip
Cooking 1" steaks longer than 4 hours changes the texture of the meat and it becomes mushy, so I don't recommend any longer than a 4 hour sous vide time.
Searing the Steaks
After the sous vide process is complete, you will want to sear the steaks to create that nice crust.
I recommend using a little coarse salt and pepper to lightly season before searing.
You can use any skillet on the stove, your grill, or any appliance that has the sear/sauté function to sear the steaks.
If you are using the same appliance to sear the steaks that you sous vide cooked in, empty the water and dry the pot before heating up the oil.
- Remove steak from the bag and pat completely dry with paper towels
- Salt and Pepper or season as desired.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat or your appliance on sear/sauté on high or the grill on high.
- Add oil and wait until it's nearly smoking (I used my smoked tallow)
- Place the steaks into the pan or pot and gently push down so the surface of the steak connects with the hot cooking surface.
- Sear steak for 90 seconds per side and remove and place on cutting board.
You do not need to let the steaks rest before cutting and serving. This sirloin is so tender I cut it with a butter knife!
Enjoy!
How to Set up the Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro for Sous Vide Cooking
- Fill the cooking pot with water to the sous vide line marked inside the pot
- Use tepid water, not too cold and not too hot. Using boiling water will throw off the sous vide temps too much.
- Select the sous vide function on the right side of the control panel
- Set the desired temperature and time and hit start.
- Put the lid on - this is very important for temperature regulation
- When the display says to "add food," check the water temperature and, if it has reached your set temperature, add the bags/containers of food. If it hasn't, let it continue to heat up for another 10-20 minutes.
- Once the water temperature has reached your desired cooking temperature, add the sealed bags (or containers) of food.
- The food needs to be completely submerged under the water, if it isn't, place the rack into the pot to hold it down. You can also place a bowl filled with water to sit on the rack to further hold down lighter foods.
Notes:
- Don't press any buttons on the display when it says to "add food," that message will go away on its own.
- The Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro is fairly accurate within 2-3 degrees of your set temperature and I have had great success using it to sous vide many different foods.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
How to Store Leftover Sous Vide Steaks
There are several ways to store leftover sous vide steaks, but my preference is to either refrigerate or freeze them before I sear them.
This works great for meal prep! You can sous vide several steaks, let them cool completely and then freeze them (or refrigerate) until you want to warm and sear them.
Refrigeration before searing
After the steaks have finished sous vide cooking, place the bags into the refrigerator. You can remove the steaks from the sous vide bag and place them into another bag if desired.
The sous vide steaks can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days before searing.
Freezing before searing
Before freezing it is very important that the steaks are cold, so I recommend refrigerating for 8 hours before freezing.
Place the sealed bags with the steaks into the freezer and freeze for up to 6 months.
Quick Tip
Sous Vide Sirloin Steaks are great for meal prep. When you are ready to thaw and warm through, simply sous vide them for about an hour and then sear and eat!
How to Reheat Sous Vide Steaks
Sous Vide
To warm the steaks, you can place the steak in a sealed bag and use the sous vide function set to 120℉ for about 1 hour. This will warm the steak through, but not over cook it.
The sear if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
In our testing, we found that while the 1" steak is cooked through after 1 hour, the extended cooking time allows the gentle heat to break down the tougher muscle fibers and connective tissue in the sirloin. This transformation isn't complete until the 4-hour mark, which is when we achieved that coveted filet mignon-like tenderness.
The beauty of sous vide is that you can't overcook the steak during this time - it will maintain the perfect temperature while becoming more tender.
No, the timing and temperature are the same for 1 steak or for 10 steaks. What is important is the steaks are individually sealed in bags or if multiple steaks are in one bag that there is room in between them for the water to evenly cook the steaks.
They cannot be stacked or pressed close to each other or they will not cook properly.
While you technically can cook longer than 4 hours at 130°F, we don't recommend it. Our testing showed that after 4 hours, the texture of the steak begins to deteriorate, becoming mushy and soft rather than tender and melt-in-your-mouth. Four hours is the sweet spot for achieving that perfect filet mignon-like texture - going longer will actually make your steak less enjoyable.
More Sous Vide Recipes
From dinners to desserts, using the sous vide function on your appliance or using an immersion circulator makes cooking easy! It's set it and forget it when you follow these recipes.
Enjoy!
Sous Vide Sirloin Steak Recipe
Equipment
- Any Appliance with the Sous Vide Function OR
- Sous Vide Circulator
Ingredients
- 2 10 ounce 1" thick sirloin steaks
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- high temp oil for searing
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Instructions
- Fill the cooking pot with room temperature water to the sous vide line marked inside the pot. Put the lid on and select the sous vide function. Set temperature to 130°F (55°C) and press start.
- While the water is heating, season the steaks with salt and pepper. Place steaks in vacuum seal bags or freezer-grade zip-top bags. If using zip-top bags, use the water displacement method: - Seal all but one inch of the bag - Slowly lower into water, letting the water pressure push out air - Seal completely before the bag goes under water
- Once water reaches 130°F (verify with thermometer), add the sealed bags of steak. Make sure steaks are fully submerged. Use the rack if needed to prevent floating. Put the lid on the Possible Cooker Pro.
- Sous Vide for 4 hours to achieve filet mignon tenderness.
- After 4 hours, remove steaks from bags and pat completely dry with paper towels. Season with coarse salt and pepper if desired.
- Turn the Possible Cooker on high sear/sauté. Add oil and wait until nearly smoking. Sear steaks for 90 seconds per side.2 tablespoons olive oil8. Slice and serve immediately. No rest time needed. Stovetop/Traditional Sous Vide Instructions: 1. Set up your sous vide circulator in a large pot of water and set to 130°F (55°C).2. Follow steps 2-6 above for preparing and cooking the steaks.3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and sear steaks for 90 seconds per side. 4. Slice and serve immediately.
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Debby Williams
I tried this method for 2 New York strip steaks in the 8 quart Ninja Foodi pressure cooker. They were delicious, tender and juicy, perfectly cooked. Thanks Louise, every one of your recipes that I've made has turned out fantastic. You and the Ninja Foodi are turning me into a great cook.
Louise
I am so glad you loved the steaks and my recipes! Thank you so much for the kind comment!
LaRee
I have 1 & 1/2 inch steaks. Should I cook them the same as 1" or should I cook them at a different temp and time. Steaks are a big treat for us and I'd like to try this method. My husband splurged on the steaks and they are waiting in the fridge for me to use this method this weeknd. Thank you, Louise!
Darlene
Can you cook.from frozen adding an additional hour?
What if my steaks are 1/2 inch thick or 3/4 inches thick