The Perfect Air Fryer Steak Recipe

Once again the air fryer pulls through with a new favorite! Air fryer salmon and air fryer donuts still top my favorites list though. Air fryer steak is super easy and ends up perfectly cooked every time. This is a great recipe for Father’s Day weekend!

The steak ends up juicy, tender, browned on the outside, and full of flavor. Yes, I will definitely be making air fryer steak again soon!

Keep reading to learn how to make this herb garlic butter steak in the air fryer, or follow along with me in this YouTube Video.

Is air frying a steak good?

Here are a few reasons why I love to air fry steak!

1. I love a grilled steak, but I don’t love standing out in the cold to grill it. And I don’t love heating up the house with the oven in the summer. The air fryer is always a great option, regardless of weather or season! Why?
2. Because of the consistent heat that is created in that small little chamber, the steak cooks perfectly every time in the air fryer. You’ll get consistent results because you don’t have to worry about the temperature changing up.
3. It’s SO hands off! Once you get it going, you can go do other things! All you need to remember to do is to flip it once during cooking time. Go work on the sides for dinner or tidy up the kitchen. No need to babysit! Near the end of cooking time, I do recommend keeping an eye on the internal temperature. Because cooking time WILL vary, depending on the thickness of your steak.

What cut of steak is best for air fryer?

You’ll want to get the best steak you can afford. Here are a few suggestions for what steak to cook in the air fryer:

• A ribeye steak is a good choice because of the amount of fat marble.
• A new york strip steak will work well too, just look for a nice fat cap as well as some good marbling.
• Ask your butcher to give you the best ribeye or strip steak he has. To get the most bang for your buck, get the best one that is available that day.
• Aim for steaks that are close to 1 1/2 inches thick.

Additional Ingredients

In addition to the 2 Ribeye steaks that are 1 1/2 inches thick, you will need-

• avocado oil or olive oil
• salt and pepper

Down below you can get the ingredients needed for my favorite garlic herb butter for steak.

How do you cook steak in an air fryer?

Here are a few tips you need to know when making steak in the air fryer.

Tip 1: Temper the Steak

First, as with any steak, it’s wise to “temper” your meat. This helps it cook more evenly. If you have a thinner steak, 20 minutes will do. A thicker steak would need more time, like 30 minutes.

Tip 2: Use a Little Oil

Next, rub the steak with just a small amount of oil. You’ll want an oil with a high smoke point (I use avocado). This will help the seasonings you use stick to the meat.

Tip 3: Liberally season the steak

Season your steak liberally. In this recipe, I used kosher salt because I have the seasoned butter that I will add at the end. It’s better to be a little heavy handed when it comes to salt and steak. 🙂

Important note: Be sure to get the sides too! You can dab them in any over-sprinkle from your seasoning.

Tip 4:  Preheat the Air Fryer

In a lot of my recipes, I don’t worry about preheating. HOWEVER, preheating the air fryer for steak is a MUST! Preheat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius for at least 5 minutes.

Pro Tip: I like to place the fatty side down first in the air fryer and hold it there for a few seconds before I lay the steak down.

How long does it take a steak to cook in an air fryer?

Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and the thickness of your steaks. So you need to have an instant read meat thermometer to know when your steak is done cooking!

As a general rule of thumb, plan on about 15 minutes to cook with 1 1/2-inch thick steaks, but check the temp to get it just right just right.

I have a FREE download with all the recommended internal temps for meats and baked goods. PLUS I list out my top 18 air fryer tips. If you’d like me to email this to you, just fill out this form!

Air Fryer Steak Internal Temperature Guide

The nice thing about steak is that you can cook it to the internal temperature that you love best. Here are the recommended internal temperatures for steak.

• Rare: 125˚F/52˚C
• Medium Rare: 135°F/57˚C
• Medium: 145°F/63˚C
• Medium Well 150˚/66˚C
• Well Done 160˚F/71˚C

Do you need to flip a steak in an air fryer?

You’ll need to flip and rotate the meat just once during cooking if you are using an air fryer. Only do that once, as you want to handle the meat as little as possible.

Air Fryer Pro Tip: Let the Steak Rest

Once the steak reaches desired internal temp, it’s time to let you steak rest. The general rule of thumb is to let the steak rest for half the time it took to cook it. This will allow the internal temp to equalize and lock in the juices. YUM.

It’s also important to remember that the steak will continue to cook after removing it from the heat. For example, if you want to cook it to 130˚F/54˚C, you will want to remove the steak from the heat just a few degrees less to get perfectly cooked steak!

There are two ways you can let the steak rest.

1. Remove the steaks and let them rest on a cooling rack (or something that keeps the steak lifted from the surface), and top with your garlic butter.
2. OR you can top them with the butter while they sit in the air fryer, and let them rest right in the basket.

Easy Garlic Herb Butter Recipe for Steak

I love this simple garlic herb butter recipe! It adds just the right amount of flavor to the steak and makes it look even more amazing too. Make extra to add to mashed potatoes, veggies, bread, fish, and more.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Mix together the softened unsalted butter, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. If you only have salted butter, just reduce or omit the amount of added salt. Easy peasy.

What do I serve with Air Fryer Steak?

This steak would be so tasty on Father’s Day this year! Treat the dad’s in your life with this tasty air fryer steak paired with one or two of our favorite side dish recipes.

• Air Fryer Asparagus or Roasted Asparagus
• Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
•  Summer Squash Recipe
• Air Fryer French Fries
• Potato Salad
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
• One-Hour Rolls
• Roasted Melting Potatoes
• Green Salad
• Breadsticks

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I buy steak?

I get my steaks from the Savory Butcher! I love their “Steak Chop Box” where you can get 5-Star Restaurant steak in six different cuts, for a total of 16 pounds of steak for just $200! Learn more about the Steak Chop Box (and see if they deliver in your area) and check out my Savory Butcher review here (I’ve been using them since early 2019!).

What cut of steak is best for air fryer?

• Get the best steak you can afford.
• A ribeye steak is a good choice because of the amount of fat marble.
• A new york strip steak will work well too, just look for a nice fat cap as well as some good marbling.
• Ask your butcher to give you the best ribeye or strip steak he has. To get the most bang for your buck, get the best one that is available that day.
• Aim for steaks that are close to 1 1/2 inches thick.

Final Thoughts

Need a perfect steak in the air fryer? Look no further! This air fryer steak recipe is simple and juicy! You will love this air fryer steak recipe for Father’s Day this year!

Share with us in the comments below what you love about this recipe!

See this air fryer steak recipe and a few other tasty air fryer recipes in my Yummy Air Fryer Cookbook!

See more of our favorite air fryer recipes!

• Easy Homemade Salmon Burgers in the Air Fryer
• Honey Garlic Pork Chops (Easy Air Fryer Instructions)
• Paprika Chicken with Fries

A few air fryer tips and tricks you don’t want to miss!

• Air Fryer 101
• Learn these common Air Fryer Mistakes!
• All about the Best and Worst Air Fryer Accessories
• How to Clean Your Air Fryer

Air Fryer Steak - Perfect Every Time

It is easy to get perfect results every time with this air fryer steak recipe! Top it off with delicious garlic herb butter. Yum!

4.71 / 5 ( 41 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

Serves: 4

Adjust Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 2 Ribeye steaks 1 1/2 inches thick
• avocado oil
• salt and pepper

Garlic Herb Butter

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Temper the steak by letting it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
• Prepare the garlic butter by mixing together the softened butter, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire, and salt.
• Pat steaks dry with paper towels, then rub a little bit of oil over the steak and bottom of air fryer basket. Liberally season steaks with salt and pepper.
• Preheat air fryer to 400˚F/204˚C for 10 minutes.
• Once preheated, place steaks in air fryer.
• Cook for 10-16 minutes, flipping and rotating halfway through. Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and thickness of steaks. Internal temperature of steak should be 130˚F/54˚C - 135˚F/57˚C for medium-rare or 140˚F/60˚C - 145˚F/63˚C for medium.
• Remove steak from air fryer and place on baking rack. Top with garlic butter and allow to rest for 1/2 the time it took to cook. Alternatively, turn off air fryer, leaving steaks in it, top steaks with butter, close air fryer and let rest for half the amount of time it took to cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 22g | Sodium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Recipe Adapted From: My Forking Life (Herb Butter)