If you are wondering how to make the perfect air fryer steak then look no further. This method of cooking steak in the air fryer provides perfect juicy steak each and every time.
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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
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blog post.
I only had the intention of making fried foods when I purchased my Air Fryer. Little did I know how amazing this appliance was and that it could make much more than fried food. Now I have a ton of air fryer recipes as I use it all the time.
Initially, I used it to make chicken for my Healthier General Tso's Chicken in the Air Fryer and I used it often for roasting vegetables, but that was it. Then I discovered that my air fryer could make juicy steak!
Top your steaks with my homemade garlic butter that can be whipped up easily and can go on many dishes including fish, bread, and vegetables. I like to create more than we need for our steaks and save the rest for later in the fridge. I would eat the stuff by the spoonful if I could.
Many people will read this and wonder why even bother making a steak in the air fryer. Yes, steaks on the grill are amazing and a cast iron steak is also a good alternative but there are many reasons why some may choose to cook steak in an air fryer.
- Your steak gets cooked perfectly every time. Since the air fryer is operated in a small space with a fan, the heat temperature is consistent. This means every time you decide to make a steak, it will be cooked at the perfect temperature and come out just the way you want it so long as you follow your time settings.
- It's a hands-off dinner. I literally season my steaks, place them in the air fryer, and flip them when my halfway timer goes off. There is no need for me to watch it. This comes in handy when I'm going back and forth between my kitchen and my dining room to help my daughter with her homework.
- The stove/grill isn't always available. My husband does all the grilling in our house and his steaks are AMAZING but it's not always grilling weather. Also, my stovetop steaks always get finished in the oven, which can make the house hot.
Be sure to try my Air Fryer Steak Fajitas and Air Fryer Steak Kebabs too!
How to cook steak in the air fryer
- Prepare Garlic Butter by mixing butter, parsley garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and salt until thoroughly combined. Place in parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Remove steak from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Rub a little bit of olive oil on both sides of the steak and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Grease your Air Fryer basket by rubbing a little bit of oil on the basket. Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place steaks in the air fryer and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Remove from air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with garlic butter.
What's the best cut of steak to cook in the air fryer?
The beauty of steak in your air fryer is that you can cook different cuts in the machine. I've made delicious filet mignon, skirt steak, and ribeye. Just remember to adjust cooking times based on the thickness of the steak and doneness preference. Making beef tenderloin in the air fryer is also a must for my steak lovers!
I have found that 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature to cook steak in the air fryer, for an 8-ounce ribeye, it will take 12 minutes, and remember to flip halfway through. An instant-read thermometer is a must for cooking steaks at home, and I've included the temperatures in the recipe at the bottom so you can cook it to exactly your liking.
Can you marinate the steak?
I love to have my steak simply seasoned with salt and pepper, but if you prefer you can use seasoned salt or your favorite liquid marinade for extra flavor. Marinate the steak for at least an hour or up to 8 hours, then let it come up to room temperature before cooking in the air fryer.
Degrees of Doneness
For an idea of the correct to cook your steak, follow the times below. Make sure you use a quick read thermometer to check the correct temperatures.
Temperature | Doneness |
125°F (52°C) | rare |
135°F (57°C) | medium-rare |
145°F (63°C) | medium |
150°F (65°C) | medium-well |
160°F (71°C) | well-done |
What sides go with steak?
This recipe is so perfect for date night, serve it up alongside your favorite veggie and potato sides for a real feast! Try it with:
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Herb Mushrooms
- Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes
- Carrot Soufflé
- Air Fried Sweet Potatoes
- Sautéed Mushrooms
For a similar recipe, try my Air Fryer Lamb Chops. For other ways to cook your steak, try my pan-seared steak.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Adding olive oil to the steaks is optional. I do it for flavor.
- Make sure that your steak is at room temperature before adding it to the air fryer. This will help it to stay tender and juicy.
- Preheat your air fryer fully before adding the steak so that it cooks through evenly. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting, let it run at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes before placing it in.
- Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before serving, cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm. This will get the steaks perfectly juicy.
- The garlic herb butter will keep well for a couple of weeks in the fridge and it freezes well for up to 3 months.
If you're looking for a place to get awesome steaks and other meats, try Butcher Box. They are a meat delivery service specializing in grass-fed and organic meats. You can check out my unboxing of my first meat order on Facebook and my 9 month review of ButcherBox.
Watch this video tutorial and see how I make this air-fried steak from start to finish.
Perfect Air Fryer Steak
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz Ribeye steak
- salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- olive oil*
Garlic Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Garlic Butter
- Prepare Garlic Butter by mixing butter, parsley garlic, worcestershire sauce, and salt until thoroughly combined.
- Place in parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Air Fryer Steak
- Remove steak from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Rub a little bit of olive oil on both side of the steak and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Grease your Air Fryer basket by rubbing a little bit of oil on the basket. Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place steaks in air fryer and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.*
- Remove from air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with garlic butter.
Video
Notes
- 125°F for rare
- 135°F for medium-rare
- 145°F for medium
- 150°F for medium-well
- 160°F for well-done
- Make sure that your steak is at room temperature before adding it to the air fryer. This will help it to stay tender and juicy.
- Preheat your air fryer fully before adding the steak so that it cooks through evenly. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting, let it run at 400F for 5 minutes before placing it in.
- Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before serving, cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm. This will get the steaks perfectly juicy.
- The garlic herb butter will keep well for a couple of weeks in the fridge and it freezes well for up to 3 months.
Equipment for the Perfect Air Fryer Steak
- Calibrated Instant Read Thermometer (Best on the market to read a temperature in l second or less)
- Air Fryer
- Parchment Paper
Nutrition
Step by Step Photos
Pin this recipe for Later
Post originally published April 9, 2018. Updated with additional helpful tips.
Rei says
Superb! Delicious! 5 minutes per side and mine came out medium rare. Wow it's so simple and effortless yet so good! I don't have parsley so I just used dried herbs. I made potato wedges too and used the butter to complement the potatoes. It's a lunch to be remembered!
Tanya says
Thank you Rei! Sounds like an amazing lunch 🙂
Joan says
you keep referring to a pot air fryer. I don't have one of those, mine is built like a toaster over, square. is cooking the same? this was a gift to me
Adriana says
@Joan, I used the same type you have, and it worked perfectly.
Danielle says
I cooked my 1” steaks on 400 as directed but only for 5 minutes per side and they came out well done. Womp womp. Will do 350 next time and 4 minutes on each side.
Nancy says
@Danielle, How thin were your steaks. If they were thin cut = it would certainly make a difference
Jim says
1 lb, 1" thick London cut: 400*F, 6 minutes per side, small Cosori air fryer, elevated on small rack. Medium rare.
Excellent!
Donna says
Great steak recipe. I’m new to air frying and love it. You are a great help and resource!
Tanya says
Thank you Donna 🙂
Nadine says
Tanya,
Thanks for the recipe. This has been my go to steak recipe for the past couple of months. Great tasting, perfectly cooked steak and the garlic butter ad just the right finishing touch. This has become a family favorite.
Tanya says
Thank you so much Nadine 🙂
James says
You have a link to parchment paper. Not sure if you are aware, but there is parchment paper for an air fryer, meaning it is round. Different sizes depending on size of air fryer.
Tanya says
You are correct about the parchment paper for air fryer use. I actually used regular parchment paper in this recipe for rolling the herb butter. I actually don’t use parchment paper for steak. I do use the special air fryer parchment paper cuts outs for a few other recipes.
Jackie Conner says
Hi Tanya, I want to cook 2 T-bone steaks in my air fryer. What is your recommendation for time and temperature for cooking them rare?
I'm new at cooking in my air fryer and haven't made anything other than French fries. Thanks for your help.
Donna Landers says
Can I make the garlic butter with ghee!
Marci Runnion says
Hi Tanya: First of all let me confess I am not a cook, been there done that but I did try your air fryer steak and it turned out perfect and delicious so I had such good luck with that I may try some other recipes later on. If it can't be microwaved it never reaches my kitchen. The mind says I can do all these meals but at 82 the body says whoa.
Thank you for helping me eat better.
Tanya says
I'm so happy to hear that! 🙂 Quick and easy recipes are a favorite around here too.
Cynda says
@Tanya,
Lol. I, too, deeply appreciate your recipes. I've been cooking for one the past 12yrs and became disabled (spine)going on 7yrs. Eating healthy n well has bn a challenge and my independence is important, although I had home health for 2-3yrs b4 moving cross country just b4 covid. I live in walkout basement of lrg home I'm buying w daughter and SO. My eating choices, the taste, variety, just EVERYTHING about the airfryer, instant pot, etc, has made a massive difference. Thanks so much for teaching me..I'm having a 1" aged steak as soon as it's done resting. 😁
Alisha Ross says
I love cooking meals with my crock pot! These are some great recipes and I pinned this to my Pinterest crock pot/slow cooker board. Thanks so much for sharing!
Suzanne says
Maybe I missed the info regarding the thickness of meat and cooking times. Is there a chart ?
Tanya says
Hi Suzanne, I don’t have a chart. The cook times will have to be adjusted for thicker or thinner steaks. The cook times provided are for steaks between 1-2 inches.
Charles says
Hello Tanya! I am Charles and although I am not an attorney, and especially not a busy wife and mom, but am I a blogger like you! So I know how hard it is to run a blog and make good, consistent posts.
Though I haven't seen any unhealthy recipe on your blog, I think if you add healthy recipes or gym food recipes category then your blog may appeal to another huge audience!
That said, last time my partner was here we used one of your recipes! It was quick to make and food was delicious. Thank you for that. Next time my partner is here we will try to make your steak with garlic butter, sounds delicious and healthy, and proteins from meat always give me the biggest energy boost. PS, great blog. Keep up the good work! Cheers.
Tanya says
Hi fellow blogger! You read my mind, the plan is to throw a few more healthy recipes on the blog. My goal is to share a variety of recipes that we eat in our house. Some healthy, others not so much, all delicious to us. Thanks so much for reaching out and I hope you enjoy the steak recipe as well 🙂
Laura says
I made flat iron steaks using this recipe in my new toaster over/ air fryer tonight. Perfectly done, and the garlic herb butter was so delicious.
Tanya says
Awesome! So glad you liked it 🙂
Vicky Watkins says
Hi Tanya,
I tried your recipe tonight. It was easy, quick and delicious. My husband loved it. I called my sister and her husband and recommended it to them and you blog.
Thank you!
Vicky
Tam says
Did you finish your steaks under the broiler in the picture of the cookie sheet pan? They look like you might have, I Love the fat brown and kinda crispy!!!
Thank you for the recipe and tips!
Merry Christmas!!?
Tanya says
Merry Christmas! The steaks were all done in the air fryer. It's the fat on the ribeye and the little bit of olive oil that gets that nice brown and slight crisp. I moved the steaks to the cookie sheet pan for the photos but one of the step by step photos shows it right in the air fryer when done.