How Long to Air Fry Steak?

If you’re wondering how to make the perfect air-fried steak, look no further. Every single time, this air fryer steak cooking technique yields perfectly juicy meat. The surface of Air Fryer Steak is flawlessly browned, while the interior is delicate and juicy. A steak cooked in an air fryer will have more flavor and a delicate texture, satisfying the entire family. The best thing about air-frying steak is the cooking time.  

A smart place to start is by purchasing a steak with plenty of marbling. An instant-read thermometer can be used to determine whether food is finished. Check out the air fryer recipe instructions for additional details.

How Long to Air Fry Steak

How Long to Air Fry Steak?

You must heat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) in order to air-fried steak. The thickness of your steak and the degree of doneness you choose will affect the cooking time. Here is a general timeline for medium-rare steak cooking:

  • Cook for 8 to 10 minutes for a steak that is an inch thick.
  • Cook for 12 to 14 minutes for a steak that is 1.5 inches thick.

Use a meat thermometer to check the steak’s doneness and make sure the internal temperature has reached 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare. Depending on your preferences and the particulars of your air fryer, you might need to modify the cooking time slightly.

Before slicing and serving, it’s a good idea to let the steak rest for a few minutes after cooking to enable the fluids to redistribute. The steak will remain delicious and moist as a result.

Well-Marbled Steaks

To get the finest results from air-frying steaks, consider thick, well-marbled cuts. These should be around an inch thick and are perfect for air frying. The steak can be browned with butter, and a meat thermometer can be used to make sure it is fully done. Before serving, let the steak rest for 5 minutes.

You should oil-coat the steak before seasoning it since doing so will help the seasonings stick to the meat. If you don’t have any oil, though, you can spray it with cold water first. The steak can then be seasoned at that point. Any oil, even butter, as long as it’s non-stick, may be used.

When buying steaks, seek ones with good fat and marbling. Avoid low-quality cuts, such as the select cut. For instance, fillet mignon is affordable but has excellent marbling. Try cutting them into steak bits and air frying them in your air fryer if you aren’t willing to spend for the premium cuts.

Tips for the Perfect Steak in an Air Fryer

  • Steak Type – For this dish, use leaner sirloin, but you may use this technique with any thick steak you choose.
  • Start with steaks that are at least an inch thick since thickness matters. Thinner steaks cook too quickly and don’t have time to brown.
  • For optimal results, bring your steaks to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Pork chops and steaks should be patted dry using paper towels to prevent them from steaming instead of browning.
  • Spraying a little oil on your steaks, chops, and vegetables helps to improve their browning.
  • Leaner steaks benefit from a dry rub to improve their overall color. I kept the ingredients for this dish to only salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
  • For ideal browning, there should be sufficient airflow over the steaks.
  • The steaks should be removed from the air fryer basket and allowed to rest on a dish while being loosely covered in foil to prevent further frying.
  • In an air fryer that has been warmed, cook 1-inch-thick steaks for 12 minutes, flipping them after six minutes for medium-rare results.
  • In an air fryer that has been warmed, cook 1-inch-thick steaks for 10 minutes, flipping them after five minutes for medium-rare results.
  • The cooking time should be adjusted for steaks that are thicker or thinner.

How to Cook Air-Fried Steak?

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons softened butter
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons of freshly minced parsley
  • Freshly cut chives, 1 teaspoon
  • Finely chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon
  • Freshly chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon
  • 1 (2 lb) ribeye with bone
  • Kosher salt
  • black pepper freshly grounded

 Directions:

  1. Mix the butter and herbs in a small bowl. Roll into a log in the center of a piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to allow the ends to firm after tightly twisting them together.
  2. Salt and pepper the meat on both sides.
  3. Put the steak in the air fryer’s basket and cook it at 200°C for 12 to 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak, for medium-rare.
  4. Flip the steak halfway through.
  5. Finish the steak by placing a slice of herb butter on top.

How to Determine Whether a Steak is Done?

Professional chefs can typically feel a steak and determine its internal temperature. We don’t advise you to rely on this strategy, though, unless you’ve cooked hundreds of steaks in your life. 

A meat thermometer is the greatest tool for determining the temperature of a steak. Remember that the steak will continue to cook for a little while after you remove it from the air fryer, so if you want it medium-rare, remove it when the temperature reaches 130°. It will rest up to 135 degrees, keeping it deliciously pink and juicy when you slice it.

What More Herbs can be Added to the Compound Butter?

If you want to change it up, you can substitute any other combination of hard and soft herbs that you want for the chives, parsley, rosemary, and thyme that we use here. Others that might be very tasty include sage, oregano, and basil. If you like, you could also add some citrus zest. When in doubt, keep it simple – a good chive and parsley butter can’t be beaten. 

What is the Ideal Steak Cut to Cook in an Air Fryer?

You can cook a variety of cuts of steak in your air fryer, which is one of its best features. It can be cooked with wonderful ribeye, skirt steak, and fillet mignon. Just keep in mind to alter the cooking times based on the steak’s thickness and preferred level of doneness. Air-frying beef tenderloin is certainly a must!

For an 8-ounce ribeye, it will take 12 minutes to cook the steak in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit; remember to rotate the meat halfway through. For cooking steaks at home, an instant-read thermometer is a necessity. The temperatures have been given in the recipe below so that you may cook the steak to your specific preferences.

What More can be Served with the Air-Fried Steak?

What do you want to eat? There are no boundaries! However, you could opt for some extra creamy mashed potatoes or cheesy garlic pull-apart bread. We enjoy presenting a fatty steak with a hearty side of broccoli, which you can even prepare in the air fryer. See our list of the best steak sides for further suggestions.

What are the Best Storage Tips?

  • For up to two days, store leftover steak in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
  • Reheat leftovers gently in a skillet or a 350-degree oven on a baking sheet. In a pinch, you could even reheat it in the microwave.
  • (It’s not ideal, but beef can be frozen.) Steak can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

In an Air Fryer, do you Need to Flip the Steak?

Diverse viewpoints exist regarding how to flip steaks in an air fryer properly. You theoretically do not need to flip because an air fryer has a great ability to circulate hot air over food. If you only cook your steak on one side, it will be done. However, a steak will cook more evenly if turned halfway through because turning can bring a different area of the steak closer to the heating element.

Conclusion

One of the quickest and simplest methods to cook a steak is air frying. We do enjoy a steak supper that has been cooked outside on a BBQ or cast iron grill, but making it indoors in a pan may be messy and requires constant attention, making it a labor-intensive type of cooking. For this reason, air frying is fantastic!

The fact that air-frying steak is largely hands-free is what people enjoy about it. Simply prepare the meat, add it, and wait. Getting the time just right is challenging when air frying steak, but assistance is provided above! 

Another reason air frying is a fantastic method for cooking steaks is that the hot air helps produce the crust rapidly and without using a lot of additional oil.