Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (2024)

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Learn how to cook steak in the air fryer in a few simple steps. Let me show you how to season your steak, how long to cook your steak so it comes out perfect and so much more.

Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (1)

We originally showed you how to cook steak in an air fryer back in the summer of 2018. We thought it was due a facelift and a chance for a binge on air fryer steak!

Also, before we dive into this air fryer steak recipe, I recommend you check out our free air fryer mini course. It is ideal for air fryer beginners or those that want to get more confident with their air fryer. The free course runs for 5 days with a new lesson delivered each day to your inbox.

Or browse our site as we have 450+ air fryer recipes that are easy to recreate at home and we have been showing people how to use the air fryer since 2011.

Table of Contents

How To Cook Steak In Air Fryer

If anyone is going to show you how to cook steak in the air fryer then it must be Dominic.

You see he has a work history as far as delicious tender steak is concerned.

He has worked in many British pubs and restaurants cooking steak for more people than he could possibly count.

Then after this he worked in a factory chopping up the meat and preparing it for sale.

So, every time we have steak in the Milners house, Dominic makes the steak and I make the sides.

It turns it into a fun family affair and you can guarantee that our under 7s will be by our feet getting under them as we cook.

When I mentioned to Dominic, that many of our air fryer readers had been asking for a delicious steak recipe that they could follow, he jumped at the chance to have another excuse to make his tender steak.

Can You Cook A Steak In An Air Fryer?

YES, you can. I feel like I need to shout from the rooftops of Recipe This and say that air frying a steak, is AMAZING.

You can use the air fryer to sear your steak, to make your garlic butter, to cook your steak to your liking and you can air fry any steak.

Or another true air fryer love of mine is air fryer frozen steak which is even better. Mainly because you are cooking it at a lower temperature to defrost and its more like sous vide steak.

How To Season Steak For Air Fryer?

I am married to a chef and any chef will tell you, that steak is ruined if over seasoned and good old salt and pepper does the trick.

You can also add in some garlic powder too or another light seasoning that doesn’t take your attention away from how delicious the steak is.

For example, I love to add mint if cooking lamb steaks or parsley with sirloin steaks.

Though it can also differ depending what steak you are cooking. I recommend you have a read through some of our other steaks too. Such as our air fryer sirloin steak, air fryer rump steak and air fryer ribeye steak.

Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (3)

Order The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook Now!

To season your air fryer steak, simply place your steak in the air fryer and season the top of the steak before you air fry.

By sprinkling from the top, you can get a better coating on your steak. Then when you flip your steak over, you can do the same thing on the other side.

How To Cook A Steak In An Air Fryer?

Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (4)

I love cooking steak in an air fryer and this is how simple it is:

  1. Tenderise your steak and load it into the air fryer.
  2. Season your steak.
  3. Air fry.
  4. Turn + season.
  5. Air fry + serve.

That same rule applies, regardless of cooking rump, ribeye, fillet, sirloin, or any other favourite cut of steak.

Thin Steak In Air Fryer

We have done many cuts of steak in the air fryer over the years but one that we love to do is air fryer thin steak. And for those of you that want to cook a thin steak in the air fryer we wanted to show you how the cook times differ.

The thin steaks we bought weighed 150g each. The steak we used in Portuguese is called “Bife Da Vazia” which translates to “empty steak” or Dominic often refers to it as a thinner cut of rump steak.

Here are the air fryer steak time and temp for a thin steak:

  • Rare = 90 Seconds
  • Medium Rare = 3 Minutes
  • Medium = 4.5 Minutes
  • Well Done = 6 Minutes

Note that these air fryer steak cook times is how long on each side. For example, if you are cooking a medium rare steak (my favourite choice) you would do 3 minutes on one side and then 3 minutes on the other.

How Long Does It Take To Cook Steak In Airfryer?

Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (5)

The length it takes to cook your steak in the air fryer varies depending on how you like your steak.

Another thing to consider is that steak left, carries on cooking. Therefore, when we were recipe testing our medium steak ended up well done because we spent 10 minutes taking pictures of it afterwards.

If you are making steak for a family and leave some out to cook the others, make sure the ones that go in first are cooked for less time. I.e. if you have a family member that wants well done and you want medium, put the well done steak on first.

Listen To How To Cook Steak in The Air Fryer

Want to learn more about our Podcast? Then click here and you can browse through past episodes and subscribe to the Magic With Gadgets Podcast.

Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (7)

Here are the cook times we follow when cooking air fryer sirloin steak:

  • Rare = 5 minutes on each side
  • Medium = 6 minutes on each side
  • Medium Well = 7 minutes on each side
  • Well Done = 8 minutes on each side

Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (8)

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer

Learn how to cook steak in the air fryer in a few simple steps. Let me show you how to season your steak, how long to cook your steak so it comes out perfect and so much more.

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time14 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Air Fryer

Servings: 2

Calories: 339kcal

Author: RecipeThis.com

Ingredients

MetricImperial

Instructions

  • Using a tenderiser, tenderise your steaks. Then load your steaks into the air fryer basket and season with salt, pepper, and garlic.

    Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (9)

  • Air fry for 6 minutes at 180c/360f, turn, season again and air fry for a further 6 minutes before serving.

    Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (10)

Video

Notes

Steak. The air fryer time and temp is based on a medium sirloin steak cooked to medium. Scroll up for different cook times for rare, medium well and well done.

Sourcing. We have found the best place to source quality steak for the air fryer is fromButcherBox. You even receive free bacon and $10 off your first order when you sign upwith this link.

Thanks for reading our air fryer steak recipe on Recipe This. We have many more air fryer recipes for you to check out next. Though if you love steak recipes, then I recommend you try air fryer tuna steak which is another Milner favourite.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 818mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition InfoPlease Note: Nutrition values are our best estimate based on the software we use at Recipe This and are meant as a guide. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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We Are Making You Another Air Fryer Cookbook!You can also pre-order Air Fryer Easy Everyday which is just how it sounds. Easy everyday recipes for those that want to learn the air fryer and have easy meals rather than fancy food you would never cook. Pre-order your copy here.!

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Recipe This | How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer (2024)

FAQs

How long to put a steak in an air fryer? ›

Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 400 degrees F. Season the steak on both sides with a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Place the steak in the center of the air fryer basket and cook until desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare, 12 minutes for medium and 14 minutes for medium-well.

Do I put oil on steak before air frying? ›

Get the Recipe

Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Season both sides generously. Let the steaks sit for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. To prevent the steaks from sticking to the air fryer basket, lightly grease it with olive oil or cooking spray.

Do I need to flip steak in air fryer? ›

Your steak will cook through, if left on just one side. However, because flipping can place a different part of the steak closer to the heating element (for an air fryer, this is at the top), a steak will cook more evenly if flipped halfway through.

How do you cook a steak in an air fryer without it drying out? ›

The best way to ensure a juicy steak is to use high heat to cook the steak quickly, which will bring it to the proper temperature without drying it out. Remember to rest your steak after air frying to allow the meat to reabsorb juices and complete its cooking time without direct heat.

Is it worth air frying steak? ›

Very Tasty Results

Air fryers are known for producing delicious, crispy food. Using an air fryer to cook your steak will give you a nice sear on the outside while keeping the inside juicy and tender.

What to season steak with? ›

There are many spices available for seasoning a steak, with salt and pepper topping the list. However, other spices, like thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and minced onion, are also good options to enhance your steak's flavor. Or, use a one-and-done approach with Chicago Steak Seasoning.

Do steaks brown in air fryer? ›

The Air Fryer's high heat ensures a delectable flavor inside and a perfectly golden-brown crust on the outside. This method is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, cooking steaks in the winter or rain when you don't want to be outside, or if you don't have a grill or stove top.

Do you season steak before oil? ›

Let the steak come up to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Pat steak dry with paper towels and season generously with your preferred seasoning. Rub canola oil on the grill.

Do you put down butter or oil first when cook steak? ›

Best cooking fat for steak

Flavourless oils like sunflower, vegetable or groundnut work best, and once the steak is searing you can add butter to the pan for flavour.

Is steak better on the stove or air fryer? ›

Food Network suggests that thicker cuts of steak, like sirloins, fare best in the air fryer because they get nice and brown on the outside, but remain tender inside. I grabbed a couple of top sirloins from Trader Joe's that were each a couple inches thick.

What temperature do you cook steak in an air fryer? ›

Instructions
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
  2. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.
  3. Add the steak to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove from the air fryer and let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Dec 6, 2022

Is air fryer steak tough? ›

Food Network suggests that thicker cuts of steak, like sirloins, fare best in the air fryer because they get nice and brown on the outside, but remain tender inside. I grabbed a couple of top sirloins from Trader Joe's that were each a couple inches thick.

Why is my steak chewy in air fryer? ›

Thin steaks are prone to overcooking quickly and becoming chewy. To enjoy the best flavor and texture, allow the steaks to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking them in the air fryer.

What temperature do you cook a ribeye steak in the air fryer? ›

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cook steaks in the preheated air fryer for 7 minutes, flip, and cook about 7 minutes more for medium-rare. For a medium, cook 8 minutes per side. Let steaks sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

What temperature do you heat steak in an air fryer? ›

Allow your steak to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes on the counter). Preheat the Air Fryer to 350°F. Place the steak into the Air Fryer basket to reheat the steak; check every 2 minutes. The cook time will depend on steak thickness, so ensure the internal temperature reaches around 110°F–130°F.

What temperature is a steak at medium? ›

Medium (140°-150°F)

A steak cooked “medium” will be mostly pink. A small ring of grey may form on the outside and a strip of red will remain in the center. For steaks with more marbling, this will be the temperature where the fat begins to liquefy and add flavor.

What temp to cook steak in Ninja air fryer? ›

The ideal cooking temperature for steak in the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer is 400°F (200°C).

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