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
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.
Kit says
Made this tonight with a NY strip. So good!
Jonathan Franco says
omg amazinng!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i havent ate food this good in years
Misty Stedman says
Omg! I just followed this recipe and it is EVERYTHING!!! Simple and tasty! I have 3 boys and a husband and they all loved it! Definitely will use this recipe again and again and again!!!!
Chet says
I cannot believe how good this recipe works. This is one of the best steaks that I have eaten and this includes in very good restaurants. I have made this recipe several times and it NEVER FAILS. I am actually a “medium well” steak eater and it still comes out nice and moist on the inside and beautiful on the outside. All I can say is please try this recipe, you will not be disappointed.
William Allen Crosser says
@Chet, yes tried this um um 5 min on each side should do depending on airfryer
Liz says
How much do you charge to subscribe to your air fryer recipe page
Tanya says
It's free.
Aimee says
I did already mention this in another comment to someone else tonight, but just in case it gets lost in the ether, I made this last wk & am making again tonight w/the leftover gaclic butter from last time, simply because my bf absolutely RAVED about it! He says his rather expensive grill is probably going to start forming cobwebs since he now knows I can make such AWESOME medium rare steaks in just a few short minutes. 😂
Thanks so much!! I don't eat meat myself, so I'm always leery to attempt things like this when I can't "taste test" it, but I'm assured they're to die for! 🙂
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Aimee! I love the fact that we have the option to make steaks in the air fryer. It comes in handy for sure.
Janet says
I love my air fryer and while the steaks I have made have been tasty, they are very visually unappealing. I'm used to the BBQ lines and crispy fat which you don't get in an airfryer.
That being said, you want the best steak ever? My brother treated me to a deep fried steak sandwich last night, I have never had a deep fried steak and it's absolutely a game changer. I like my steak rare, so he seasoned it, put it in the deep fryer for all of 2 minutes and OMG, it was to die for. it was a cheaper steak, but it was done to perfection, rare, tender and juicy, with a beautiful crust on it. I know this is an air fryer recipe but some things are not too visually appealing when they come out of it.
Ntall says
I’m not a cook as a matter of fact I can’t cook however I followed this recipe to the T and my complaining family who was hesitant to try it......LOVED IT.
Marguerite says
I find most recipes are for the older model of air fryer that has a basket. Mine only has a rotisserie basket. How can I fry steak if I don't have basket. Can I just put the steak on one of the cooking trays? Thanks
Tanya says
Yep, you can 🙂
Tamala says
@Tanya, LINE YOUR BASKET WITH FOIL OR PARCHEMENT PAPER.iT WILL HELP YOU CONTAIN THE MESS fAT DRIPPINGS ETC...
SammyJ says
I'm not sure if my comment really adds anything, considering the hundreds already here... but I really liked this recipe, both for cooking the steak and for the garlic butter. My butter came out almost completely green (from 2 tbsp parsley) but still delicious. At 10 minutes at 400F my 3/4" sirloin came out well done... boy it cooks quickly. Would have stopped it at medium but it was still delicious. Air fryer has my Jenn-Aire downdraft grill put to shame.
clipperskipper says
Prepared this last evening with a bone-in sirloin. I coated both sides with EVO, light Kosher salt, and P.P's blackened magic. Yummy, and six minutes per side is a good cook time, for medium-rare.
Tanya says
Thanks so much! I'll have to check out this blackened magic too.
Dianne Cadena says
My air fryer is like an oven that does more than air fry I got it Christmas and have not tried it I’m scared of wasting food I really need help
Peggy D says
@Dianne Cadena, You’re wasting the functionality of the oven. Try something small and inexpensive first, like frozen chicken nuggets, to build up your confidence. You don’t have to start with prime rib. Millions of people across the world use air fryers successfully.
Aimee says
@Dianne Cadena, Oh my, sorry, this may be long, but you honestly DON'T know what you're missing out on! LoL I literally use mine probably 90% of the time over any other cooking method; it saves time & quite frankly, cooks MUCH better than anything else does! Also, it allows you to fry basically anything, yet use a FRACTION of the oil you would otherwise (so obviously, much healthier), & for some things, you can completely eliminate it (such as fish frying w/breading). There are SO many awesome recipes out there these days, including this one, which I made last wk, & am making again tonight since my bf RAVED about it so much!
For a SIMPLE side for almost any main course (that can't be outdone for the little time you'll spend preparing it), just get some asparagus or green beans, lightly coat w/oil, salt & pepper to taste, throw it in your basket & air fry it for 7-8 minutes (375°-400° on mine).. To DIE for!! Another one I LOVE is to cut brussel sprouts in quarters, mix in bowl w/olive oil, shredded parmesan, pepper, little salt & air fry in basket (basically a woven wire tray) for about 8-10 minutes @ 400° (depending if you like any "bite" to your veggies or not), & I guarantee that even if you don't adore brussel sprouts normally, you will now (I always sprinkle a tiny bit more parmesan on top when I plate it)! Tastes amazing & even gives tiny, crispy edges to sprouts.. I could go on ALL night, but my bf is waiting for his steaks! LoL
Just DON'T be scared; I promise, if you give your lil air fryer "work horse" a chance (especially the type that does everything, like you & I have) it'll quickly become your favorite way to cook (& your family's, too)!
I should mention though: ONLY downfall whatsoever I've found is that they aren't "super" amazing if you need to broil (doesn't seem to get quite hot enough), so I'd recommend using your regular oven if you ever need to do so. Other than that, just be sure that anything you fry is in the basket; it needs that hot air circulating around the entirety of the food to work properly, so save the solid metal tray for baking. Target has SO many adorable, smaller sized casserole & baking dishes to fit inside, btw.. So now, you can get to air frying everything in sight like I do, CONFIDENTLY!! Haha
Oh, & I have the stainless steel Oster, for reference! 🙂
Jody P says
Excellent! Was getting ready for a meeting and cooking at the same time- easy and perfectly cooked.🙂
Jese says
Fabulous recipe... pay attention to thickness of steaks for cook times. Juicy and evenly cooked.Best way to cook your steak for sure!
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Jese 🙂 I agree, I love air frying steaks 🙂
Sarah Scalley says
Tender and juicy! Best and easiest steak I've ever made at home. I put the garlic butter on after I flipped it so that it melted as it cooked. Then I put the butter on the other side when I took it out when the steak was done and let it rest. Yummy!
Tanya says
Thanks so much for the feedback Sarah! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂