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.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
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.
Kit says
Made this tonight with a NY strip. So good!
Jonathan Franco says
omg amazinng!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i havent ate food this good in years
Misty Stedman says
Omg! I just followed this recipe and it is EVERYTHING!!! Simple and tasty! I have 3 boys and a husband and they all loved it! Definitely will use this recipe again and again and again!!!!
Chet says
I cannot believe how good this recipe works. This is one of the best steaks that I have eaten and this includes in very good restaurants. I have made this recipe several times and it NEVER FAILS. I am actually a “medium well” steak eater and it still comes out nice and moist on the inside and beautiful on the outside. All I can say is please try this recipe, you will not be disappointed.
William Allen Crosser says
@Chet, yes tried this um um 5 min on each side should do depending on airfryer
Liz says
How much do you charge to subscribe to your air fryer recipe page
Tanya says
It's free.
Aimee says
I did already mention this in another comment to someone else tonight, but just in case it gets lost in the ether, I made this last wk & am making again tonight w/the leftover gaclic butter from last time, simply because my bf absolutely RAVED about it! He says his rather expensive grill is probably going to start forming cobwebs since he now knows I can make such AWESOME medium rare steaks in just a few short minutes. 😂
Thanks so much!! I don't eat meat myself, so I'm always leery to attempt things like this when I can't "taste test" it, but I'm assured they're to die for! 🙂
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Aimee! I love the fact that we have the option to make steaks in the air fryer. It comes in handy for sure.
Janet says
I love my air fryer and while the steaks I have made have been tasty, they are very visually unappealing. I'm used to the BBQ lines and crispy fat which you don't get in an airfryer.
That being said, you want the best steak ever? My brother treated me to a deep fried steak sandwich last night, I have never had a deep fried steak and it's absolutely a game changer. I like my steak rare, so he seasoned it, put it in the deep fryer for all of 2 minutes and OMG, it was to die for. it was a cheaper steak, but it was done to perfection, rare, tender and juicy, with a beautiful crust on it. I know this is an air fryer recipe but some things are not too visually appealing when they come out of it.
Ntall says
I’m not a cook as a matter of fact I can’t cook however I followed this recipe to the T and my complaining family who was hesitant to try it......LOVED IT.
Marguerite says
I find most recipes are for the older model of air fryer that has a basket. Mine only has a rotisserie basket. How can I fry steak if I don't have basket. Can I just put the steak on one of the cooking trays? Thanks
Tanya says
Yep, you can 🙂
Tamala says
@Tanya, LINE YOUR BASKET WITH FOIL OR PARCHEMENT PAPER.iT WILL HELP YOU CONTAIN THE MESS fAT DRIPPINGS ETC...
SammyJ says
I'm not sure if my comment really adds anything, considering the hundreds already here... but I really liked this recipe, both for cooking the steak and for the garlic butter. My butter came out almost completely green (from 2 tbsp parsley) but still delicious. At 10 minutes at 400F my 3/4" sirloin came out well done... boy it cooks quickly. Would have stopped it at medium but it was still delicious. Air fryer has my Jenn-Aire downdraft grill put to shame.
clipperskipper says
Prepared this last evening with a bone-in sirloin. I coated both sides with EVO, light Kosher salt, and P.P's blackened magic. Yummy, and six minutes per side is a good cook time, for medium-rare.
Tanya says
Thanks so much! I'll have to check out this blackened magic too.
Dianne Cadena says
My air fryer is like an oven that does more than air fry I got it Christmas and have not tried it I’m scared of wasting food I really need help
Peggy D says
@Dianne Cadena, You’re wasting the functionality of the oven. Try something small and inexpensive first, like frozen chicken nuggets, to build up your confidence. You don’t have to start with prime rib. Millions of people across the world use air fryers successfully.
Aimee says
@Dianne Cadena, Oh my, sorry, this may be long, but you honestly DON'T know what you're missing out on! LoL I literally use mine probably 90% of the time over any other cooking method; it saves time & quite frankly, cooks MUCH better than anything else does! Also, it allows you to fry basically anything, yet use a FRACTION of the oil you would otherwise (so obviously, much healthier), & for some things, you can completely eliminate it (such as fish frying w/breading). There are SO many awesome recipes out there these days, including this one, which I made last wk, & am making again tonight since my bf RAVED about it so much!
For a SIMPLE side for almost any main course (that can't be outdone for the little time you'll spend preparing it), just get some asparagus or green beans, lightly coat w/oil, salt & pepper to taste, throw it in your basket & air fry it for 7-8 minutes (375°-400° on mine).. To DIE for!! Another one I LOVE is to cut brussel sprouts in quarters, mix in bowl w/olive oil, shredded parmesan, pepper, little salt & air fry in basket (basically a woven wire tray) for about 8-10 minutes @ 400° (depending if you like any "bite" to your veggies or not), & I guarantee that even if you don't adore brussel sprouts normally, you will now (I always sprinkle a tiny bit more parmesan on top when I plate it)! Tastes amazing & even gives tiny, crispy edges to sprouts.. I could go on ALL night, but my bf is waiting for his steaks! LoL
Just DON'T be scared; I promise, if you give your lil air fryer "work horse" a chance (especially the type that does everything, like you & I have) it'll quickly become your favorite way to cook (& your family's, too)!
I should mention though: ONLY downfall whatsoever I've found is that they aren't "super" amazing if you need to broil (doesn't seem to get quite hot enough), so I'd recommend using your regular oven if you ever need to do so. Other than that, just be sure that anything you fry is in the basket; it needs that hot air circulating around the entirety of the food to work properly, so save the solid metal tray for baking. Target has SO many adorable, smaller sized casserole & baking dishes to fit inside, btw.. So now, you can get to air frying everything in sight like I do, CONFIDENTLY!! Haha
Oh, & I have the stainless steel Oster, for reference! 🙂
Jody P says
Excellent! Was getting ready for a meeting and cooking at the same time- easy and perfectly cooked.🙂
Jese says
Fabulous recipe... pay attention to thickness of steaks for cook times. Juicy and evenly cooked.Best way to cook your steak for sure!
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Jese 🙂 I agree, I love air frying steaks 🙂
Sarah Scalley says
Tender and juicy! Best and easiest steak I've ever made at home. I put the garlic butter on after I flipped it so that it melted as it cooked. Then I put the butter on the other side when I took it out when the steak was done and let it rest. Yummy!
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Sarah! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂