Air Fryer Steak (2024)

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Bring the bistro experience home with Air Fryer Steak! Seared outside, juicy inside, and fast, air fried steak is astonishingly easy and tastes phenomenal. It changed the way we cook steak at home!

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Why You’ll Love This Easy Air Fryer Steak Recipe

Enjoy Perfectly Cooked Steak Every Time. High heat is the best for cooking steak, because the less time it spends cooking, the more tender it will be. That makes the air fryer GREAT for cooking steak (and Air Fryer Hamburgers). The air fryer cooks food by blowing intensely hot air down and around it—an ideal way to always make juicy, tender steak that will have your family oohing and ahhing.
It Cooks FAST. The air fryer is faster than the oven or preheating the grill. This affords you extra time to prep side dishes (like a Baked Potato) or knock out some of your to-do list. That’s what I call a win-win!
It Can Be Tailored to Your Tastes. Air fryer steak is an excellent candidate for your next dinner party (if it’s a small group). Not only will you seriously impress your guests, but you can also tailor each one. If some prefer medium-rare while others want their steak medium, you can make that happen! You can also serve this air fryer steak with garlic herb butter (how the recipe is written), or you can offer a variety of options (horseradish sauce is a fun alternative).

How Long to Cook Steak in the Air Fryer

How long to cook steak in the air fryer will vary based on the thickness of your steak and how done you would like it to be.

Below is anair fryer steaktemperature guide and cook times at 400 degrees F for 1-inch thick steaks.

Rare: 125 degrees F; 4 to 6 minutes
Medium-Rare: 135 degrees F; 6 to 8 minutes
Medium: 145 degrees F; 8 to 10 minutes
Medium-Well: 155 degrees F; 10 to 12 minutes (please don’t do this)
Well Done: 160 degrees F; 12 to 14 minutes (definitely don’t do this)

IMPORTANT: Remove the steak 5 degrees earlier than what is listed above, as its temperature will rise as it rests.

If your steak is thicker or thinner than 1 inch, add or subtract time accordingly. For example, a ¾-inch thick ribeye I air fried was medium-rare in 4 minutes. It’s FAST!

Fun fact: many French bistros will not cook a steak past medium-rare.

They feel strongly that any medium steak or above is not how steak should be served, nor is it the taste they want their cooking to reflect.

Learn from their wisdom. Check your meat early and DO NOT overcook your steak!

How to Cook the Perfect Air Fryer Steak

The Ingredients

Steak. This air fryer steak is perfect! It’s tender, juicy, and so flavorful. Steak is also an excellent source of protein, iron, and zinc.

Substitution Tip

For this recipe, you can make an air fryer sirloin steak, ribeye, or NY strip steak. Use whichever cut you prefer. Boneless ribeye is what you see pictured here. For flank steak, check out my Grilled Flank Steak. You can also decide make air fryer steak bites, but you may need to adjust cook times.

Olive Oil. A little is all you need to ensure the steak develops a nice crust-like exterior.
Salt + Pepper. All a good steak needs to taste its best.

Substitution Tip

Have a different steak seasoning you love to use? Feel free to swap it here.

Herb Butter. I cannot overstate how DELISH this homemade herb butter is! While it’s a completely optional addition, I highly recommend giving it a try. It will take your steaks to the next level!

The Directions

Prep the Steaks. Let them come to room temperature, then pat dry. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Air Fry. Air fry steak at 400 degrees F, until you reach your desired doneness.

Flip the Steaks. Flip halfway through cooking. Let the steaks rest on a plate.

Prepare the Butter. Add it to the steak and ENJOY!

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate leftover steak in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F or in a skillet. It can also be reheated in the microwave in a pinch.
To Freeze. (Not ideal but you can freeze steak.) Freeze steak in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the herb butter as directed. Refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it for your steaks.

Leftover Ideas

Leftover steak makes a fabulous addition to pasta recipes, rice dishes, salads, or sandwiches. Try it with one of these tasty recipes: Garlic Pasta, Grilled Steak Salad (swap this air fryer steak for the grilled steak), or a Steak Sandwich.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Steak

Salad. Steak would be tasty with Arugula Salad, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, or Salad with Burrata.
Vegetables. Sauteed Mushrooms, Roasted Asparagus, or Grilled Brussels Sprouts would be delicious with an air fryer steak.
Potatoes. Steak and potatoes are a classic pairing. Try Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Hasselback Potatoes, or Sweet Potato Wedges. Obviously, we can’t fail to mention Air Fryer French Fries (steak frites is one of my favorites)!
Risotto. Rub your air fryer steak bites through creamy risotto for the ultimate flavor combination! Try Mushroom Risotto, Beet Risotto, or Barley Risotto.

Air Fryer. This is the air fryer I own and love!
Instant Read Thermometer. Make overcooked steaks a thing of the past with this convenient little tool.
Brush. Perfect for brushing the steaks with oil.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Room Temperature First. For the most even cooking, allow your steaks to come to room temperature before you begin (about 30 minutes).
Pat the Steaks Dry. Pat the outside of your steaks dry before cooking to ensure you achieve the perfect sear and crust (not a steamed steak).
Let Them Rest. This is critical! Giving your meat adequate time to rest after cooking gives the juices time to reincorporate back into the meat.
Slice Steak Against the Grain. This tenderizes the meat fibers for melt-in-your-mouth-steak.

Air Fryer Steak

4.75 from 4 votes

Learn to make perfect Air Fryer Steak. Seared and juicy, it's an easy, fast way to cook great steak that will impress friends and family!

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Review

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Ingredients

For the Steak:

2 (1-inch thick) ribeye, sirloin, or New York strip steaks about 2 pounds
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt*
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly cracked or ground black pepper*

For the Herb Butter (Optional):

2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened slightly
1 tablespoon minced shallot or chives
1 small clove garlic minced or grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar
Chopped fresh herbs: thyme, tarragon, parsley, rosemary… whatever you love or have on hand (a pinch of thyme is my favorite)

Instructions

30 minutes prior to cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature (this is critical for properly cooked steak).
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
Immediately before cooking, pat the steaks dry. Brush both sides of the steaks with olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper (or steak seasoning of choice).
For medium-rare, air fry the steaks for 6 to 8 (for 1-inch steaks) until the steak reaches 130°F on an instant read meat thermometer. For medium, air fry 10 to 12 minutes (to 140°F).
See Also
You Should Cook Steak In Your Air Fryer. Here's Why - Tasting Table
Flip the steaks once halfway through. If your steaks are thicker than 1-inch, add an additional 1 to 3 minutes; if they are thinner, start checking as early as 4 minutes just to be safe. Every air fryer model is different and they cook food fast, so check early to ensure you do not overcook your steak). Transfer the steak to a plate, loosely cover, and let rest at least 10 minutes.
While the steak is cooking, prepare the herb butter: in a small bowl, mash together the butter, shallot, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and herbs. After the steak has rested, top with butter just before serving.

Video

Notes

Below are steak temperatures. Remove 5 degrees early, as the temperature will rise as it rests.
- Rare: 125°F
- Medium-Rare: 135°F
- Medium: 145°F
- Medium Well: 155°F
- Well Done: 160°F
*You also can swap the salt and pepper for steak seasoning, such as Montreal steak seasoning, or your favorite blend. Check your seasoning package for suggested quantities, as each is different.
TO STORE: Refrigerate steak in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days.
TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F. It can also be reheated in the microwave in a pinch.
TO FREEZE: Already cooked steak tends to dry out when frozen and reheated. That said, if you must freeze it, use an airtight freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 2), without butterCalories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 52gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 138mgPotassium: 833mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7IUCalcium: 59mgIron: 4mg