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    Home » Recipes

    02/27/2020

    Sous Vide London Broil (Top Round Steak)

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    Sous Vide London Broil is the best way to cook the lean but budget-friendly top round steak, turning it to a tender and flavorful dinner! Marinated with balsamic and honey based sauce, and sous vide cooked to juicy perfection by controlling the temperature precisely, then finished in the skillet for a beautiful brown crust! 

    Sous Vide London Broil is the best way to cook the lean but budget-friendly top round steak, turning it to a tender and flavorful dinner! Marinated with balsamic and honey based sauce, and sous vide cooked to juicy perfection by controlling the temperature precisely, then finished in the skillet for a beautiful brown crust! #SousVideLondonBroil #SousVideTopRound
    Table of Contents Show
    What is London broil?
    Why sous vide London broil?
    How to sous vide London broil
    Sous vide London broil marinade
    Sous vide London broil temperature
    How long does it take to sous vide London broil?
    Can you overcook London broil in the sous vide machine?
    Seal the bag without a vacuum sealer
    Can I sous vide frozen top round steak?
    Sides to pair with Sous Vide London Broil:
    Sous Vide London Broil (Top Round Steak)

    What is London broil?

    London Broil originally referred to a steak dish made by marinating and broiling a lean cut such as flank steak or top round to medium rare, and then slice it across the grain into thin strips. However, through the years butchers have been selling a cut of beef that is called a London Broil, which is typically a top round. 

    Raw top round steak on a cutting board.

    Why sous vide London broil?

    Sous vide is a French cooking technique where the food is vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked for a long time to a precise temperature in a warm water bath. 

    London broil or top round is a lean and tough cut of beef. When cooking it using traditional methods such as pan-frying, baking, or grilling, the meat can easily turn tough and dry if you miss the small window of the the perfect doneness. Sous vide method eliminates this issue by controlling temperature precisely and you can leave the meat in the water bath for a wide range of time. In addition, it produces the steak with an even doneness edge to edge. Try it once, and you’ll never look back!

    How to sous vide London broil

    • Start with marinating the steak with balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and olive oil in a bowl or zip-top bag for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
    Marinating a top round steak in a zip-lock bag.
    • Set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 133°F (56°C).  
    • Place the marinated steak in a zip-lock bag. Seal the bag using the water displacement technique.
    • Place the bag in the warm water bath and cook for 6-8 hours (covered by foil to minimize water evaporation). 
    Cooking the top round steak in the warm water bath, covered with foil to prevent water from evaporating.
    • When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water and transfer it to an ice bath or refrigerator.
    • Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
    • Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Grill or sear for about 1-2 minutes per side, just to caramelize the outside. Add more seasoning if needed.
    • Slice against the grain and serve.

    Sous vide London broil marinade

    The marinade helps to boost flavor and tenderize this lean cut. Marinating for about 30 minutes to 2 hours will make the steak more tender as well as adding great flavors.

    It’s important to marinate your steak BEFORE cooking it in the sous vide machine.

    London Broil marinade in a clear bowl.

    Sous vide London broil temperature

    I like my London broil medium-rare, so I set the sous vide machine to 133°F/56°C. Top round is a very lean cut, so don’t cook it past medium doneness, as it will become tough and chewy. 

    If you’d like to try other doneness, follow the chart below:

    Steak DonenessTemperature
    Rare 130°F (54°C)
    Medium Rare135°F (57°C)
    Medium145°F (63°C)

    How long does it take to sous vide London broil?

    There are a wide range of cooking time, but I find cooking it at 133°F/56°C for 6-8 hours gives me the best result.

    • If you cook it 12 hours, it will become softer, but can also be very dry with less flavor. 
    • 2-4 hours make slightly chewy meat but better flavor.
    • 6-8 hours give you a good balance between tenderness and flavor.
    Sous Vide London Broil is the best way to cook the lean but budget-friendly top round steak, turning it to a tender and flavorful dinner! Marinated with balsamic and honey based sauce, and sous vide cooked to juicy perfection by controlling the temperature precisely, then finished in the skillet for a beautiful brown crust! #SousVideLondonBroil #SousVideTopRound

    Can you overcook London broil in the sous vide machine?

    Although you cannot “overcook” a steak with sous vide method (you can leave the meat in a warm bath for an extra hour or two), the texture can become mushy if the steak is left in the water for too long. 

    Seal the bag without a vacuum sealer

    For this recipe, you don’t need a vacuum sealer. I find Ziploc Freezer Bags are perfect for sealing the food, either wet or dry. The trick is called the “water displacement method” by using the pressure from the water to force all the air out of the bag.

    Just place your food in the bag, seal all but one corner of the bag. Slowly place it in the water bath, and make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag. 

    Can I sous vide frozen top round steak?

    Yes, you can sous vide steak straight from frozen. For this recipe, the cooking time is the same as cooking the fresh top round steak. 

    More Sous Vide Steak Recipes

    • Sous Vide Skirt Steak
    • Sous Vide Sirloin Steak
    • Sous Vide Steak Temperatue

    Sides to pair with Sous Vide London Broil:

    • Broccoli
    • Asparagus
    • Fruit Salsa

    Recipe Tools:

    • Sous Vide Immersion Circulators
    • Zip-loc Bags
    Sous Vide London Broil is the best way to cook the lean but budget-friendly top round steak, turning it to a tender and flavorful dinner! Marinated with balsamic and honey based sauce, and sous vide cooked to juicy perfection by controlling the temperature precisely, then finished in the skillet for a beautiful brown crust! #SousVideLondonBroil #SousVideTopRound

    Sous Vide London Broil (Top Round Steak)

    Sous Vide London Broil is the best way to cook the lean but budget-friendly top round steak, turning it to a tender and flavorful dinner! Marinated with balsamic and honey based sauce, and sous vide cooked to juicy perfection by controlling the temperature precisely, then finished in the skillet for a beautiful brown crust!
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 hours
    Marinating Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 6 hours 35 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Benilyn
    Calories: 401kcal

    Ingredients 

    • 2  pounds top round steak or flank steak
    • 3  tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 1  tablespoon honey
    • 3  tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2  tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil  divided
    • 3  garlic cloves  smashed
    • 2  teaspoons mustard  optional
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions 

    • Marinate the steak: In a zip-lock bag or mixing bowel, add balsamic vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and mustard. Mix well.
    • Add top round steak to the bag, close the bag and coat the meat thoroughly. Let it marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
    • Sous Vide the steak: In the meantime, add water to the sous vide container or a large pot, set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 133°F (56°C).
    • Remove the steak from the marinade and place it in a new zip-lock bag (discard the marinade).
    • Seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in the water bath. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
    • Keep the bag in the sous vide container. Make sure the steak is fully submerged while the seams of the bag is above the water.
    • Cover with several pieces of aluminum foil and sous vide cook for 6-8 hours.
    • Sear the steak: When your steak is cooked in the sous vide machine, remove the bag from the water bath and transfer it to an ice bath or refrigerator. Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
    • Remove the steak from the ziplock bag and wipe off the moisture with paper towels.
    • Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Brush the steak with oil.
    • Place the cast-iron skillet or grill on medium-high heat. Once very hot, add the steak and sear about 1-2 minutes per side.
    • Slice against the grain and serve with potatoes and veggies.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 5mg
    Author: Benilyn
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: Sous Vide London Broil
    Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking
    Sous Vide London Broil is the best way to cook the lean but budget-friendly top round steak, turning it to a tender and flavorful dinner! Marinated with balsamic and honey based sauce, and sous vide cooked to juicy perfection by controlling the temperature precisely, then finished in the skillet for a beautiful brown crust! #SousVideLondonBroil #SousVideTopRound

    Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Sous Vide Tagged With: balsamic vinegar, garlic, honey, mustard, olive oil, soy sauce, top round steak, worcestershire sauce

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica says

      May 20, 2020 at 11:34 am

      5 stars
      Juicy and so tasty- this was an excellent recipe. I am going to make it again for Father’s Day!

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        May 20, 2020 at 12:56 pm

        I’m so glad to hear that, Jessica!

        Reply
    2. Renee Goerger says

      May 20, 2020 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      If that doesn’t look like the most perfectly cooked steak, I don’t know what does! I need to get a sous vide cooker ASAP!

      Reply
    3. Debbie says

      May 30, 2020 at 7:31 pm

      Can I put it in the ice bath, refrigerate it overnight and then sear it the next day and serve it?

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        May 30, 2020 at 8:58 pm

        Hi Debbie, you can definitely do that! Actually it’s ok to leave it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    4. Rachel says

      June 16, 2020 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner. Came out excellent.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        June 16, 2020 at 10:03 pm

        Hi Rachel, great to hear that it came out excellent. Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    5. Mitchell says

      July 04, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      This one looks like a winner – I’m marinating over night and will put it in with my Anova tomorrow for 8 hours. Going to pan sear first, deglaze with a cup of red wine and butter and put it all in the bag… French Dip, here I come!

      Will post results tomorrow:)

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        July 04, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        Hi Mitchell, glad to hear that you are making this recipe. I recently made this again and find 6 hours give me a better result than 8. Also I doubled the marinade sauce and cooked half for dipping. My kids love it more than the steak sauce!

        Reply
      • Gayle Truelove says

        August 24, 2020 at 6:22 am

        Tried this recipe and it was excellent! Will definitely use again. I left in refrigerator about 5 hours before searing.

        Reply
    6. Carolyn C says

      July 21, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous! I had not sous vide for 6 hours and was a bit skeptical but it makes sense for the top round “London Broil” I purchased. I am so glad I tried this recipe ! Best ever top round London broil. We sliced it thin. Meat was tender, flavorful, juicy. My husband couldn’t stop saying how much he liked it. I will prepare this cut of meat no other way.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        July 21, 2020 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Carolyn, thank you very much for letting me know. I’m glad that your family likes it! -Izzy

        Reply
    7. Doug says

      August 02, 2020 at 8:29 am

      I’ve done this a couple times, I think 61/2 hours works best. This makes the very best Steak fajitas .

      Reply
    8. Emily Marks says

      November 05, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      We just received a sous vide as a gift. I haven’t used it yet. Am going to try the London broil this weekend. Can you please tell me why the steak is placed in the refrigerator prior to finishing off on the grill? What happens if you grill the meat after cooking in the sous vide, without the cooling step?

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        November 05, 2020 at 1:00 pm

        Hi Emily, congrats on your new gift. London broil is a good choice to start. The reason we cooled it before searing is to prevent the steak to be overcooked. After sous vide cooking, your steak is fully cooked, so any additional heat can cause it to be overcooked when the steak is hot. Hope this helps. Izzy

        Reply
      • Darbeekay says

        June 14, 2021 at 11:15 pm

        5 stars
        I have never cooled or refrigerated my meat prior to searing and have never had any meat turn out overdone at all. 133 deg is a medium rare temperature and as long as you keep the sear to 2 min per side (use a timer!) you will not overcook your meat. I just made a London broil last night and went straight from the sous vide to the skillet for 2 min per side and when I cut into it for serving, the color of the meat was deep pink from edge to edge; not even the slightest gray band around the edges. It was deliciously perfect! I have done other cuts of thick steaks but this was my first time doing a LB in the sous vide and I was skeptical about the long cook time (we do 1 1/2-2inch steaks for 2 hrs at 133 degrees so I thought 6-8 hrs was too much) but wanted to follow the recipe so I pulled it at 7 hrs and it was the best LB I’ve ever eaten! Based on comments from the author within this thread, I will do 6 hrs next time to see if we notice a difference.

        Reply
        • Matthew says

          July 15, 2021 at 9:52 am

          I’ve done it both ways and prefer cooling the meat prior to searing, it turns out better. You certainly can sear without cooling first, but the sear isn’t as nice and it does cook the meat a bit more on the inside.

          Reply
    9. Emily Marks says

      November 05, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      That makes sense. Thank you for replying.

      Reply
    10. Tim Engle says

      December 28, 2020 at 11:46 am

      Is it ok to marinate overnight, or is 2 hours the max? I’m hoping it will infuse more of that delicious marinade into the meat.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        December 28, 2020 at 11:50 am

        Hi Tim, it’s better to marinate for less than 8 hours, so your steak won’t get mushy.

        Reply
    11. Shaya says

      January 21, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      Looking forward to trying this. I have a shoulder London broil which from what I understand is tougher. Should I sous vide for longer?

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        January 22, 2021 at 10:39 am

        Hi Shaya, you can cook your shoulder london broil for about 8-10 hours. Hope this helps. Izzy

        Reply
    12. Larry says

      February 18, 2021 at 11:15 pm

      5 stars
      Hello. I was looking for a simple way to to cook a (2.5 pound) London Broil to make French Dip. I set my sous vide device to 130 degree F and cooked for 4 hours to achieve rare to medium rare result. I salted and peppered the meat before vaccum baging. The result was perfect. After patting dry I seared the meat in a cast iron pan with a little duck fat. While not as good as thin sliced roast beef, I found this to be a good alternative. Toasting on a nice roll with a slice of Provelone cheese and Au Jus: Mmmmm.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        February 19, 2021 at 10:58 am

        Hi Larry, thanks for sharing your experience!

        Reply
    13. elithea says

      March 04, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      just did my first sous vide, with your recipe. i wanted it rare so i set it to 130° and let it go for six hours.it was pretty good,but still came out medium rare. next time i’ll be doing a frozen one (i’m by myself so i divided the 2lbs in four and froze three after marinating) should i set it to 128° to get rare?

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        March 05, 2021 at 9:33 am

        Hi Elithea, you can definitely set it to 128°F (or as low as 125°F) if you’d like to get a more rare doneness.

        Reply
    14. Michael Panco says

      June 23, 2021 at 3:30 pm

      Does the time for the sous vide change if you are making more than a 2lb London Broil? I am making this tomorrow and don’t want to ruin it.

      Reply
      • Izzy says

        June 23, 2021 at 5:56 pm

        Hi Michael, the time doesn’t change if your london broil is more than 2 lb. Just make sure that your bag is big enough.

        Reply
    15. MICHELLE says

      August 05, 2021 at 9:15 am

      Do you know if the time should change if I’m doing a frozen 1lb London broil?

      Reply
    16. RH in CT says

      August 05, 2021 at 9:55 pm

      4 stars
      Growing up the only steak we ever had was top round or london broil, just as the Sunday roast was top round roast. It was all we knew and we loved all of it. When I went looking for Sous Vide instructions I realized others had a quite different perspective on this cut of meat. I gave the steak 3:30 at 130F and even though I messed up the searing a bit it was fine to me. I think I’ll cut back a bit of time and see how it changes things. I should note that I always slice such steak very thin, and usually against the grain.

      Reply
    17. Bill says

      August 21, 2021 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you! I’ve been running my baths way too long. I wish I could post a photo of my bottom round @ 6.5-hours. After chilling it, I finished it in a countertop oven set to “Air Roast” 450F. It browned up quite nice in about ten minutes without affecting the edge-to-edge pink color.

      Reply
    18. Netti says

      January 11, 2022 at 8:12 pm

      5 stars
      This came out so tender and juicy that my 8 year old daughter asked “why does Dad always make chewy steak but you don’t … yours is perfect!” I followed the recipe exact, ziplock bag and all, except I had to pan sear instead of grill. Highly recommend to sou vide London broil. The marinade was also tasty!

      Reply
      • Izzy says

        January 16, 2022 at 11:43 am

        Hi Netti, thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    19. Eric says

      January 24, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      For mustard, I wasn’t sure if ground (dry) mustard or prepared mustard was specified. I through in a teaspoon of French’s prepared to err on the safe side!

      Reply
    20. Ray says

      April 15, 2022 at 7:28 pm

      That was the best marinade I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot of different types.
      The mustard really took it to the next level.

      I didn’t add the garlic to the marinade mix. Instead, after putting salt, pepper and msg on the steak, I spread out 1.5 garlic cloves that I minced, on one side(while in the vacuum seal bag, then put the rest of the garlic clove on the other half of the steak, then dumped the marinade in the bag.

      I marinated it for 30 minutes, cooked it at 135f for 4 hours, then went down to 130 for the last 2 hours(Mine only goes up in 5f increments).

      let it rest for a few minutes after searing, and the end result was amazing.
      I kept the juices and think it would be a perfect au jus for this steak.

      I’ll be making this regularly for sure.

      Reply

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