Air Fryer Steak (+Video)

You may think you need to sear the steaks before air frying to avoid them from turning out gray, but we avoid gray steaks by making sure the Air Fryer preheats to the proper temperature BEFORE adding the steaks. You’ll end up with beautifully colored steaks if you use a properly preheated Air Fryer with no need to sear steaks first.

When cooking your steak in the Air Fryer, it is usually smart to work in batches. Depending on the size of your steak you may only be able to easily fit one steak in the Air Fryer basket. Be sure that you do not overcrowd your steaks in the Air Fryer basket so it has room to properly circulate the hot air around to cook the steaks evenly.

Depending on how you want your steak cooked will determine when you remove them from the basket.
Using your meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the steak, you will get an internal temperature reading. You want to pull it out (cover) and let it rest before eating it.
While it’s resting, it will continue to cook a little, so I always pull it out a little earlier than what I want the final temperature to be.
– Rare steaks should be removed at 130°F
– Medium rare steaks should be removed at 135°F
– Medium steaks should be removed at 140°F
– Well done steaks should be removed at 160°F

Don’t panic, it can be normal to smoke at the beginning of the cooking period. However, if it’s been cooking a bit and you notice smoke, you should add a few more tablespoons of water to the Air Fryer basket.
It’s important to remember that some Air Fryer brands may smoke the entire time and that can be normal.

After testing this recipe a few times, I decided to add a bit of water to the bottom and it ended up being a brilliant discovery. It helped prevent a lot to the smoking from the steak since the grease goes into the water below the basket instead of just on a hot surface. It also ended up making the steak more tender since the water helps steam the steak as it cooks, locking in extra juices.

Certainly! I ended up liking the ribeye the best but if you’re looking for other cuts of steak to use, I recommend trying a New York strip, filet, T-bone steak, flat iron, or a skirt steak. I found the skirt steak to be great for fajitas (seasoned with a packet of fajita seasoning.)
Keep in mind that this recipe is not driven by how long you cook your steak, it is driven by the internal temperature of your steak that you desire. Other cuts may take more or less time to get to the same temperature as your ribeye.

This recipe uses a simple seasoning blend. A good steak doesn’t need much more than good ole salt and pepper and maybe a bit of garlic. However, if you’re looking to try other spices, there is a wide variety that you could try. A few ideas are: paprika, onion powder, creole seasoning, barbecue seasoning, or Cayenne pepper if you really want a kick.
It’s also important to know that if you’re using a pre-packaged spice mix that you’re going to want to reduce the amount of salt that we normally add to this recipe since many spice mixes already have a decent amount of salt included in them.

A simple mixed vegetable medley with some mashed potatoes is a good go-to. But you can also try:
– Cheddar Bacon Potato Packets
– Almond Green Beans
– Creamy Garlic Potato Packets (a personal fave)
– Collard Greens
– Homemade French Fries
– Summer Corn Salad

Once the steak has cooled to room temperature, you can store in an airtight container or is it a bag in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Keep this steak longer by freezing for up to three months.

Leftovers are fantastic served cold, or sliced up salad, or used in various other recipes. However, if you want to reheat your steak we suggest using the oven or an air fryer. It’s important to note that reheating your steak will continue to cook it and it will most likely end up close to being well done.