If you're wondering how to make the perfect air fryer steak, look no further. This method of cooking steak in the air fryer provides a perfect juicy steak every time.
The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
I had only intended to make 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 also used it frequently for roasting vegetables. 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.
Be sure to try my Air Fryer Steak Fajitas and Air Fryer Steak Kebabs too!
A Quick Look at The Ingredients
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ribeye Steaks – I use two 8-oz ribeye steaks, approximately 1 inch thick, for their rich, juicy flavor and marbling.
- Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper – A classic combo to season the steak simply and effectively.
- Garlic Butter – A flavorful finish that melts over the hot steak:
- Unsalted Butter – Softened to mix easily.
- Fresh Parsley – For a pop of freshness.
- Minced Garlic – Adds bold, savory depth.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Just a splash for umami.
- Salt – To balance and enhance all the flavors.
How to cook steak in the air fryer
First Step: Prepare the garlic butter by mixing softened butter, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and salt until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Place in parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2nd Step: Remove the steak from the refrigerator, season it with salt and pepper, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, gently pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
3rd Step: Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place steaks in the air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4th Step: Remove from the air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with garlic butter and enjoy.
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 according to the steak's thickness and desired doneness. Making beef tenderloin in the air fryer is also a must for my steak lovers!
I have found that 400°F is the perfect temperature to cook steak in the air fryer. For an 8-ounce ribeye, it will take 10-12 minutes, and remember to flip halfway through.
An instant-read thermometer is a must for cooking steaks at home, and I've included the recommended temperatures in the recipe below so you can cook them to exactly your liking.
Can you marinate the steak?
I love to have my steak 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 steak degrees of doneness, follow the times below. Make sure you use a quick read thermometer to check the correct temperatures.
| Temperature | Doneness | How it Looks |
| 125°F (52°C) | rare | Cool red center |
| 135°F (57°C) | medium-rare | red center, warm |
| 145°F (63°C) | medium | warm pink center, juicy |
| 150°F (66°C) | medium-well | slightly pink center, juicy |
| 160°F+ (71°C) | well-done | brown throughout, chewy |
What sides go with steak?
This recipe is perfect for date night; serve it 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.
Tanya's Tips for Making Steak in the Air Fryer
- 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 thoroughly before adding the steak, ensuring it cooks evenly throughout. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting, let it run at 400°F for 5 minutes before placing the food inside.
- 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.
Watch this video tutorial and see how I make this air-fried steak from start to finish.
Please note that in the video, I add olive oil to the steak. I like to add it for added flavor, but I've also come to realize that the ingredient can be skipped. Feel free to add it if you love that in the original recipe.
I hope you love this method of making steak as much as we do. If you have tried this or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us grow. I appreciate your support!
Perfect Air Fryer Steak Recipe
Ingredients
Garlic Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Steak
- 2 8 oz Ribeye steak about 1-inch thick
- Kosher salt about ¾ teaspoon
- freshly cracked black pepper about ½ teaspoon
Instructions
Garlic Butter
- Prepare Garlic Butter by mixing butter, parsley garlic, worcestershire sauce, and kosher 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. Season the steaks with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place steaks in air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.*
- Remove from air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with garlic butter.
Suggested Tools
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
Nutrition
The OG Photos
Post originally published April 9, 2018. It has been updated with additional helpful tips, a few tweaks, and new photos.
Carolina says
My daughter advised me to invest in an air fryer. WOW!!!! Every single thing I cook is wonderful (little credit to me, lots of credit to the fryer). No need to thaw frozen items, no need to preheat. Just season and cook and voila!!! The best food you ever tasted. Today I'm thinking rib eyes. My hubby does them beautifully on the grill. We live in Maine, northern Maine to be exact. Grilling days are pretty much finished for the year. No problem. Throw them into the air fryer and minutes later....perfection. Thanks for this easy peasy recipe and thanks for taking care of dinner tonight!
Kurt says
I'm a bit confused about the temperature. Do you preheat to 400 and then lower it to 135 when you are ready to cook the steaks?
Tanya says
Hi Kurt, the steaks need to cook on 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Preheat your Air fryer on 400 degrees and cook them on 400 degrees for the recommended amount of time. You can use a quick read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steaks. Your thermometer should read 135 degrees for a medium rare steak.
Jessica says
You cook the steaks at 400 degrees and then use a meat thermometer to stick halfway into the meat (not the fat) and it should read 135 degrees
Sara Hunsinger says
135 is the internal temp of the meat at medium rare doneness, 400 is the cooking temperature.
Teresa says
Hello Mrs. Forklife I actually tried this recipe tonight my husband was in the mood for steak. Had a couple of ribeye’s on hand , I on the other hand stay away from red meat . It turned out ok but maybe it’s the air fryers not sure I gave it more seasoning but after 15 minutes it was still very red inside he likes it medium well I use the NUWAVE XL , have had a lot of success with other dishes but just not with steak! Ended up in the microwave just to get it right! Thanks though for the garlic butter info!
May says
Hi! The steaks look delicious! What size (how many qt capacity) is the one you used for the steaks?
Thanks
Tanya says
Hi May, I used a 3.2 qt Farberware.
May says
Thank you! I am surprised that they fit in a 3.2 qt size air fryer. I am glad I asked, i was going to get a 5.5 thinking i needed a big air fryer for 2 steaks.
Thank you again!
Jackie says
Rib eye steak was one of the first things I made with the Air Fryer using your recipe. Came out great and the garlic butter was “the icing on the cake”. Also tried your pork chops & chicken wings. Delish!
Thanks for sharing
B. Carr says
This was perfect for my single meal. I cooked at 400 for 3-4 per side for medium. The Rib steak was more tender and juicy than in the pan!! Awesome! Thank you!
Cheryl Krucenski says
Does unsalted butter really matter? All I have is salted.
Tanya says
Hi Cheryl, I actually never use salted butter because I like to control the amount of salt added. You can use salted butter but I wouldn't add the extra salt indicated in the recipe.
CONNIE l kenealy says
You always mention a video but i don't see any video for the stake so just were is the video>
Tanya says
Hi Connie, I don't have a long version of the steak video but there should be a quick 1 minute video on this page.
Wanda Daniel says
I made this last night and my steak was delicious! I do like my steak seared on the flame outside but, like you said, the weather was awful and the grill was not an option. Thank you for the recipe!
Tanya says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. It is starting to get cold again which means my Air Fryer will get even more use when it comes to steak 🙂
Margaret Lorenzon says
Best steak - juicy and tender! Added extra garlic to butter. Definitely will use this recipe again!
Tanya says
Yay! So happy you liked it 🙂
Cheryl says
The only problem I have with Air Fryers is what temperature to use for different meats, etc. The temperatures/times that come with the unit aren’t usually correct and have to be adjusted. A person can waste food if using for the first time and having to adjust temperatures
KK says
No matter what you are cooking, it's a balance between temp & cooking time,
with experience, you will be able to cook confidently!
Some of the air-fryers DO NOT require pre-heating, mine does not! Good Luck!
Kerry says
After you pre heat do you keep temp at 400 of find it down ?
Tanya says
I keep it at 400
Amy Smedley says
July 9, 2019 - Did this tonight for dinner. Came out PERFECTLY with 5min at end. I like mine less done.
Emma says
So I made sirloin in my air fry which is not like yours. Every time I make steak it is tough. IDK what am doing wronh
Tanya says
Hi Emma, It may just be the kind of steak. You'll probably need to marinate the sirloin first. I use top sirloin in my Air Fryer Fajita recipe and I slice it and marinate it before cooking. It's always tender. If you were to try steaks again, I'd give ribeye a try. Those always come out great for me.
Stacie says
Worked like a charm!! Thank you for posting and looooooove the garlic butter on top!!
Pablo says
I'm sorry but this is not what I hoped for. I followed the steps exactly as you said and the steak came out smelling off, the texture was mushy - almost like a McDonald's beef patty. The taste was nothing like a steak that you would normally grill or skillet/oven cook. The top layer of the meat was actually "flaking." You also don't get that burnt, crispy top layer as you would normally get when grilling your meat. Don't let it fool you.
I don't know what is, perhaps I did something wrong, but after my experience, I can tell you that air fryers are not for cooking a steak!
I don't get the hype about air fryers. The marketing materials for the scores of companies that make these hot-air blowers will tell you that they are a great way to cook that cuts down on fat. But if people were just educated on how to fry, grill and oven things properly they wouldn't have the need for an air fryer.
Tanya says
Hi Pablo, What kind of steak did you use? I've cooked all kinds of steak in my Air Fryer and have never had an off smelling or mushy steak. It sounds more like the quality of the meat rather than the air fryer if it smelled off or came out mushy. The steak should be tender if anything. If it was overcooked, it would be dry or hard. I'm a huge fan of air frying. I own a few and recommend them for multiple reasons. Fact is, the grill isn't always available, especially in freezing cold temperatures or small living spaces like apartments. The Air Fryer is just an alternative way to cook your food and get a similar result to deep frying or grilling. I think it's great that people have options. However, I understand not everyone will fall in love with theirs lol.
Emma says
I LOVE my air fryer too
Sherri says
I LOVE my air fryer perfect for cooking for one person. Can't please everyone!!!!
Lindsay says
Why did you buy one???
Erv B says
@Pablo, You forsurely threw some Dollar Tree frozen steak//Kroger manager special grey steaks and was expecting Salt Bae quality steak.