Rump is the steak most British kitchens should cook more often. It has more flavour than fillet, costs less than sirloin, and eats beautifully with a fierce pan, a proper rest and a sharp knife. Here is how to cook rump steak step by step, with cooking times by thickness from rare to well done, core temperatures, and quick grill, BBQ, oven and air fryer methods. Our rump steaks come in 6oz portions and big 16oz and 42oz steaks.
Skip the middle man! Our rump steaks are aged for depth and richness, so the flavour is there before the pan is even hot.
What is rump steak?
Rump is cut from the hindquarter, where the back meets the top of the leg. It is a hard-working muscle, so it has a firmer, meatier bite than sirloin or fillet and more beefy flavour. A rump steak is easy to spot: a large, fairly lean oval with a band of fat along one edge and a natural seam or two. It is made of several muscles running in slightly different directions, so the grain changes across the steak, which is why slicing matters more with rump than any other steak.
How to cook rump steak in a pan (step by step)
1. Bring it up from cold. Take the steaks out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking. If they arrived frozen or part-defrosted, thaw them fully in the fridge first.
2. Dry and salt. Pat dry and salt both sides just before cooking, or at least 40 minutes ahead. Add pepper after cooking, because it burns.
3. Get the pan smoking hot. Use a heavy frying pan or cast iron with a thin film of oil, and cook one or two steaks at a time so they sear rather than steam.
4. Render the fat edge. Hold each steak on its fat edge with tongs for a minute.
5. Cook to time. Lay the steaks flat and cook them for the times below, turning once.
6. Baste. For the last 30–60 seconds, add a knob of butter, a crushed garlic clove and thyme, and spoon it over.
7. Rest and slice. Rest on a warm plate, then slice across the grain.
Rump steak cooking times
Times are per side in a very hot, heavy pan. Thickness matters more than weight; a 6oz rump is usually about 2cm thick. Probe the middle, away from fat and seams.
| Doneness | 2cm steak (per side) | 2.5cm steak (per side) | 3cm+ steak (per side) | Take it off the heat at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 1½ minutes | 2 minutes | 2½–3 minutes | 48–50°C |
| Medium-rare | 2 minutes | 2½–3 minutes | 3½–4 minutes | 52–54°C |
| Medium | 2½–3 minutes | 3½–4 minutes | 4½–5 minutes | 57–60°C |
| Medium-well | 3½–4 minutes | 4½–5 minutes | Sear, then 5–6 minutes in the oven | 63–65°C |
| Well done | 4–5 minutes | 5½–6 minutes | Sear, then 6–8 minutes in the oven | 68°C+ |
The temperature climbs 2–3°C as the steak rests. Rest a 6oz steak for 5 minutes, a 16oz for 8–10 and the 42oz THE BEAST 42oz Rump Steak for about 15. For very thick steaks, sear for 3 minutes a side, then finish in a 200°C (fan 180°C) oven or on the cool side of the BBQ until the probe reads the temperature above. Rump is best at medium-rare to medium.
Grill, BBQ, oven and air fryer rump steak
Grill: preheat to high, oil the steaks lightly and grill a 6oz rump for 3–5 minutes a side. See rump steak under the grill.
BBQ: direct, fierce heat, 2–3 minutes a side for a 6oz steak. Sear the Big Daddy Rump Steak 16oz for 3 minutes a side, then give it 4–6 minutes over indirect heat until it reads 52°C for medium-rare.
Oven: sear for 60–90 seconds a side, then 3–5 minutes at 200°C (fan 180°C) for medium-rare. For thick steaks, reverse sear at 120–130°C until about 10°C below target, then sear hard. See rump steak in the oven and Big Daddy rump steak.
Air fryer: 200°C for 8–11 minutes in total for a 6oz rump, turning halfway. See air fryer rump steak.
How to stop rump steak being chewy
Rump has more bite than sirloin, but it should never be tough. The usual culprits are cooking past medium, skipping the rest, a pan that isn't hot enough and slicing along the grain. Salt ahead, cook hot and fast, rest, and cut across the muscle fibres. For quick steaks, bash rump to 5mm and cook it for a minute a side. More in how to tenderise meat and minute steak.
Rump steak vs sirloin
Sirloin is more tender, with a finer grain and a strip of fat down one side. Rump is leaner, beefier and better value, but needs more care with timing and slicing. For a family, or a big steak without the big bill, rump wins. For something softer, choose sirloin or ribeye. Our rump, sirloin or ribeye guide and types of steak guide compare every cut.
Which rump steak pack to buy
For two people, one night: the Rump Steak 2x 6oz. For a family or several steak nights: the Rump Steak 8x 6oz or Rump Steak 10x 6oz in family steak packs. When the steak is the occasion: the 16oz Big Daddy or THE BEAST 42oz. For stir fries: Extra Lean Rump Steak Strips 400g, cut from the rump and trimmed of fat (how to cook them).
What to serve with rump steak
Keep it classic: chips, a grilled tomato, mushrooms and a sauce. Peppercorn is a firm favourite, and Dine- Peppercorn Sauce is a heat-and-pour sauce made with beef stock and double cream. Or make rump steak with peppercorn sauce or rump steak with garlic butter. Leftover rump makes a cracking cold steak sandwich.
Rump steak FAQs
How long do you cook rump steak for?
For a typical 6oz rump steak about 2cm thick, give it 2 minutes a side in a very hot pan for medium-rare, 2½–3 minutes a side for medium and 4–5 minutes a side for well done. Then rest it for 5 minutes. Thicker steaks take longer, so use the table above or a probe thermometer.
Is rump steak good?
Yes. Rump has more beefy flavour than sirloin or fillet and costs less, which is why it is the classic British pub steak. It has a firmer bite, so it is at its best cooked hot and fast to medium-rare or medium, rested, and sliced across the grain.
Why is my rump steak chewy?
Usually because it was cooked past medium, not rested, or sliced along the grain instead of across it. A pan that is not hot enough also steams the steak grey before it browns. Salt it ahead, cook it hard and fast, rest it and slice it across the grain.
Can you eat rump steak pink?
Yes. Food Standards Agency guidance says whole cuts of beef, such as steaks, can be served pink or rare as long as the outside has been properly cooked and sealed. Anything minced, rolled or pierced all the way through must be cooked thoroughly.
How long should rump steak rest?
Rest a 6oz rump steak for about 5 minutes on a warm plate, a 16oz steak for 8–10 minutes and a 42oz steak for about 15 minutes. Resting lets the fibres relax, so the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
