When you’re looking for a simple steak recipe, it’s hard to top making steak in the air fryer. Not only does the popular appliance take any guesswork out of the process—like deciding whether to reverse sear—but it also results in perfectly cooked meat in less than 10 minutes. Just add salt, pepper, and a little flavored butter and you’re ready to eat!
While we still love to grill steak or cook steak in a cast-iron pan, it’s hard to pass up a method that’s as easy as air-fryer steak. Here’s everything you need to know to get your steak cooked to perfection in minutes.
How long does it take to cook steak in an air fryer?
Cooking steak in an air fryer takes 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the level of doneness you prefer. For a medium-rare steak, check on it after eight minutes. Wait another minute or two for medium or medium-well.
We test a lot of air-fryer recipes (and air fryers!) and find that air-fryer cooking times vary dramatically between brands and models, so it may take some trial and error with your appliance to land on the exact right time. Some air fryers have a steak setting, but we don’t recommend using it. That setting doesn’t let you customize the cook time, and it may be calibrated for bone-in steaks, which take longer than boneless cuts.
The best way to know when steak is ready is to use a meat thermometer to check if it reached a food-safe cooking temperature.
Ingredients for Air-Fryer Steak
- Steak: We recommend flat-iron steak or boneless top sirloin. Ribeye or New York strip cuts are also good for the air fryer, because they have more fat, which helps them stay juicy. Here’s more on types of steak.
- Salt and pepper: We never skip the salt and pepper when making air-fryer steak. To personalize the recipe, try a steak seasoning blend or a combination of your favorite herbs and spices.
- Butter: Flavored butter with parsley, garlic and soy sauce makes each bite of the steak even more indulgent and flavorful.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the steak
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Take the steak out of the fridge 15 minutes before you plan to put it in the air fryer so it can come to room temperature. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper.
Editor’s Tip: For a caramelized crust on the outside of the meat, rub it with a teaspoon of olive oil before sprinkling with salt and pepper. This isn’t a necessary step when cooking a steak on the grill or in a cast-iron pan, but in an air-fryer, the oil is necessary to create a crust.
Step 2: Air-fry the steak
Place the steak on the tray in the air-fryer basket. Cook until the meat reaches your desired doneness, anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes, flipping it over halfway through. For medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; for medium, 140°; and for medium-well, 145°.
Step 3: Make the flavored butter
Meanwhile, combine the softened butter, minced fresh parsley, garlic and soy sauce.
Step 4: Rest the steak
Remove the steak from the air fryer, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the juices don’t spill out when you cut into it. Top the air-fryer steak with a dollop of flavored butter.
Air-Fryer Steak Variations
- Add herbs and spices: Salt and pepper keep this steak recipe simple, but it can be dressed up with any combination of herbs and spices. Try a homemade steak seasoning blend, such as a chili rub or a sophisticated herbs de Provence blend. Garlic powder, paprika or Italian seasoning are also good options.
- Try a different butter: Making a different kind of flavored butter is another easy way to mix up the recipe. Many of our butter recipes, such as fresh herb butter or basil butter, would make delicious pairings.
How to Store Air-Fryer Steak
Since it’s so easy to prepare air-fryer steak, we recommend making it fresh every time. After all, it takes less than 10 minutes to cook! If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
Air-Fryer Steak Tips
Can you cook other types of steak in the air fryer?
Flat-iron or boneless top sirloin steak are not the only cuts that will work in the air fryer. New York strip, filet mignon (tenderloin) and ribeye are all solid choices that will also stay juicy in the air fryer. Just make sure that whatever cut you pick is about an inch thick. Anything thinner will cook very quickly in the air fryer, so the chances of overcooking it become much higher.
A bone-in steak takes more time to cook, but also works in the air fryer. Bones act as insulators for meat, meaning it takes more time for the steak to cook, but bone-in steaks usually yield slightly juicier outcomes.
Whether you choose bone-in or boneless meat, here are more tips on how to pick out the best steak at the butcher or grocery store.
What do you serve with air-fryer steak?
Any typical steak side dishes such as mashed potatoes, green beans or a side salad would make nice companions for air-fryer steak. We’re partial to lemon garlic mushrooms and oven fries if you have the time to prepare them.
