Grill-Free Greatness:
Air Fryer Steak Recipe a Gastro Game Changer
I love a grilled steak, but I don’t love standing out in the cold to grill it. And I don’t love heating up the house with the oven, Especially during the warmer months. The air fryer is always a great option, regardless of weather or season! Why? Because of the consistent heat that is created in that small little chamber, the steak cooks perfectly every time in the air fryer. You’ll get consistent results because you don’t have to worry about the temperature changing up.
It’s SO hands off! Once you get it going, you can go do other things! All you need to remember to do is to flip it once during cooking time. Go work on the sides for dinner or tidy up the kitchen. No need to babysit! Near the end of cooking time, I do recommend keeping an eye on the internal temperature. Because cooking time WILL vary, depending on the thickness of your steak.
What cut of steak is best for air fryer?
- Get the best steak you can afford.
- A ribeye steak is a good choice because of the amount of fat marble.
- A New York strip steak will work well too, just look for a nice fat cap as well as some good marbling.
- Ask your butcher to give you the best ribeye or strip steak he has. To get the most bang for your buck, get the best one that is available that day.
- Aim for steaks that are close to 1 1/2 inches thick.
Ingredients and Supplies for The Perfect Air Fryer Steak Recipe:
Steak Ingredients:
- Ribeye steaks
- Avocado oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Garlic Herb Butter Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Minced garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt
Supplies:
- Cutting board
- Paper towel
- Meat thermometer
- Air fryer
How to cook steak in an air fryer:
Step 1: Temper the Steak
First, as with any steak, it’s wise to “temper” your meat. This helps it cook more evenly. If you have a thinner steak, 20 minutes will do. A thicker steak would need more time, like 30 minutes.
Step 2: Use a Little Oil
Next, rub the steak with just a small amount of oil. You’ll want an oil with a high smoke point (I use avocado). This will help the seasonings you use stick to the meat.
And then prepare the garlic butter by mixing together the softened butter, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire, and salt.
Step 3: Liberally season the stea
Pat steaks dry with paper towels, then rub a little bit of oil over the steak and bottom of air fryer basket.
Season your steak liberally. In this recipe, I used kosher salt because I have the seasoned butter that I will add at the end. It’s better to be a little heavy handed when it comes to salt and steak. 
Important note: Be sure to get the sides too! You can dab them in any over-sprinkle from your seasoning.
Step 4: Preheat the Air Fryer
In a lot of my recipes, I don’t worry about preheating. HOWEVER, preheating the air fryer for steak is a MUST! Preheat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius for at least 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: I like to place the fatty side down first in the air fryer and hold it there for a few seconds before I lay the steak down.
Step 5: Air fry steak
Once the air fryer is preheated, place steaks in air fryer and then air fry for 10-16 minutes, flipping and rotating halfway through.
Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and thickness of steaks. Internal temperature of steak should be 130˚F or 54˚C – 135˚F or 57˚C for medium-rare or 140˚F or 60˚C – 145˚F or 63˚C for medium.
Step 6: Rest air fried steak
Remove steak from air fryer and place on baking rack. Top with garlic butter and allow to rest for 1/2 the time it took to cook.
Alternatively, turn off air fryer, leaving steaks in it, top steaks with butter, close air fryer and let rest for half the amount of time it took to cook.
How long does it take a steak to cook in an air fryer?
Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and the thickness of your steaks. So you need to have an instant read meat thermometer to know when your steak is done cooking!
As a general rule of thumb, plan on about 15 minutes to cook with 1 1/2-inch thick steaks, but check the temp to get it just right just right.
Air Fryer Steak Internal Temperature Guide
The nice thing about steak is that you can cook it to the internal temperature that you love best. Here are the recommended internal temperatures for steak.
- Rare: 125˚F/52˚C
- Medium Rare: 135°F/57˚C
- Medium: 145°F/63˚C
- Medium Well 150˚/66˚C
- Well Done 160˚F/71˚C
Do you need to flip a steak in an air fryer?
You’ll need to flip and rotate the meat just once during cooking if you are using an air fryer. Only do that once, as you want to handle the meat as little as possible.
Air Fryer Pro Tip: Let the Steak Rest
Once the steak reaches desired internal temp, it’s time to let you steak rest. The general rule of thumb is to let the steak rest for half the time it took to cook it. This will allow the internal temp to equalize and lock in the juices. YUM.
It’s also important to remember that the steak will continue to cook after removing it from the heat. For example, if you want to cook it to 130˚F/54˚C, you will want to remove the steak from the heat just a few degrees less to get perfectly cooked steak!
There are two ways you can let the steak rest.
1. Remove the steaks and let them rest on a cooling rack (or something that keeps the steak lifted from the surface), and top with your garlic butter.
2. OR you can top them with the butter while they sit in the air fryer, and let them rest right in the basket.
Easy Garlic Herb Butter Recipe for Steak
I love this simple garlic herb butter recipe! It adds just the right amount of flavor to the steak and makes it look even more amazing too. Make extra to add to mashed potatoes, veggies, bread, fish, and more.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Mix together the softened unsalted butter, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. If you only have salted butter, just reduce or omit the amount of added salt. Easy peasy!
This air fryer steak recipe is simple and juicy!
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