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
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Post originally published April 9, 2018. Updated with additional helpful tips.
Chet. Cohron says
Great Steaks! Merry Christmas to you and your family! Thanks for making our lives better through your cooking! 🎅🏻
Tanya says
Thanks so much! Merry Christmas 🙂
Norm says
Garlic butter on my steak. First step to heaven. AWESOME
Adriana says
This is hands down the best way to make a steak at home! It's so juicy and delicious. We had quit buying steaks due to not being able to cook them successfully, but this method gives amazing results! And so simple too, thank you for sharing!
Elizabeth Barber says
This turned out amazing! Saved it to try again.
Pam says
Steak looks great. I have never used my air fryer so tomorrow I am making a steak. Thanks for your recipe👍
Janie Tallman says
Just love my steaks done like this! Thank You
Vicky says
Hooray for the airfryer! Just finished eating my steak, I was so sad when I got too full to eat anymore. Oh. My. It was so good! The steak butter was the icing on the cake, I’ll never eat steak without it again.
Tanya says
Hooray indeed! Love my air fryer. So glad to hear that you liked the recipe 🙂
Sam says
@Vicky, I hope Tanya's calorie count INCLUDED the butter. That's a lot of calories!
Tanya says
Hi Sam, it does. The calories are actually a lot less because you wouldn't use the whole stick of butter on the steaks either. However, I calculate the calories based on all the listed ingredients since they are on the list.
Giovanni Salvatore says
Hello Giovanni from Philly. Tonight I'm marinating my steaks for hours. Now I washed my mushrooms and dryed them off good. Marinating my mushrooms salt black pepper and garlic and onion. Wow my girlfriend is going to be so happy she's working from home due to covid. So I do the cooking. Steaks will go in the air fryer tonight I rubbed my steaks it's 4:00 now 6:00 I will throw my steaks in the air fryer. Mmmm good
KatC says
Made exactly as recipe called for. Absolutely delicious. Thank you
Shirley says
Why does no one say what to put the air fryer on? For example air fry, roast, bake. I did not get a book of recipes. Thanks
Tanya says
Hi Shirley, All my recipes require the air fry setting.
Giovanni Salvatore says
@Shirley, hi Giovanni from Philly. I put my steaks on 400 for 12 minutes turning them at 6 minutes thanks again enjoy your dinner
Jovan says
Omg weeknight game changer! This was so easy to make and delicious! It was totally hands off and made steaks as good as our favorite local steakhouse!
Tanya says
Thanks so much Jovan 🙂 I agree, easy and delicious 🙂
Tonya says
Ohhh I'mma try this on Saturday. Thanks for sharing!!
Tanya says
No problem, I hope you like it.
Yen Ryder says
Do you suggest changing cook time if I’m using only one ribeye?
Tanya says
No, I would keep it the same.
Aimen says
What would you recommend for well done?
Thanks
Tanya says
Hi Aimen, it would depend on the thickness of the steak and your air fryer brand. I'd say about 16-18 minutes might get you to well done. You would need to check it with a quick read thermometer to make sure.
CluckinCook says
@Aimen, Microwave it. It'll be just as ruined.
Ali says
I just made this recipe and the steak turned out absolutely perfect! I'm bookmarking this for future use 🙂 I also found your salmon recipe and I cannot wait to try that as well!
Thank you for the great content.
Tanya says
Thank you Ali 🙂 So glad you liked the recipe. Steak and salmon in the air fryer are both amazing.