If you are wondering how to make the perfect air fryer steak, then look no further. It truly is so easy.
I don’t feel like firing up a steak in a skillet because of the smell. You need to turn on your stove fan because things will get smoky. Plus, everything around the skillet within 2 feet will be covered in a layer of grease splatter. If you were to use the oven, it is hard to get the steak tips browned without overcooking the inside, and the browning is where the flavour is concentrated. Therefore it’s the best solution when you are craving a steak during the winter, and it’s not possible to access a grill when it is -20 below out or in the middle of a snowstorm.
So the benefit of the air fryer is that you get a nice browning on the outside while retaining all the juiciness of your favourite steak on the inside, and no nasty clean-up of your whole kitchen. It’s a hands-off dinner. I literally season my steaks, place them in the air fryer, and flip when my halfway timer goes off. There is no need for me to watch it.
Just add some butter or oil, then use whatever spices you usually use on steaks. I only used salt and pepper. Sometimes I add some garlic or Garlic Powder and/or Paprika and/or dried herbs for extra flavour or salt substitute. When it comes to flavour, I like it simple. You don’t need exotic ingredients to cook a perfect steak.
Serve it with a mashed or baked potato, a salad, pasta or whatever you want to complete your wonderful steak dinner. This one I made with a delicious air fryer sweet potato fries.
It is perfect for two, and within minutes, it’s not for a crowd*.
Ingredients
- 250 g Steak - 1-1.5 in/2.5-3.5 cm thick - Top Sirloin or New York strip or Filet Mignon or a ribeye or any other favourite cut
- Salt - coarse - to taste
- Black pepper - to taste freshly ground
- 1 tsp Olive oil - optional - or butter
Instructions
- Bring the steak to room temperature** (this helps it cook more evenly as the heat penetrates much easier when the meat is not frozen).
- Preheat your air fryer for 3 minutes or until 400°F (200°C).
- While you’re waiting, make sure to trim any connective tissue or large pieces of fat from the edges of your steak—it should pull off easily, but you can use a sharp knife.
- Season the steak and rub it all over with olive oil. The oil is optional, but it helps crust the outside of the meat and adds extra flavour.
- Place the steak inside the air fryer basket, do not overlap the steaks. If cooking in more than two steaks, make sure not to overcrowd the Air Fryer basket. If needed, cook in batches to avoid overcrowding. The first batch will take longer to cook if Air Fryer is not already pre-heated.
- If there is a temperature setting (mine doesn't), set the temperature to 400°F (200°C).
- Cook for 6-18 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Cooking time depends on how thick and cold the steaks are plus how done you prefer your steaks. You can adjust cooking times to your preferred doneness. Use a quick read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. It is the safest way to know that the steak is cooked to your desired doneness ***.
- Remove it from the air fryer, and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing****.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
| Steak doneness | Internal temperature (subtract 4 F (2 C) from a target temperature to calculate your pull temperature) | Center Colour and touch | Average cooking time in total (flip halfway through) |
| Rare | 120-130 F (50-55 C) | Cool red center (Seared on the outside showing bright red colour center. Center is slightly cool, soft to the touch, much like the raw meat) | 6-8 minutes |
| Medium Rare | 130-140 F (55-60 C) | Warm red center (Seared on the outside with the center showing a red colour, slightly firmer than rare, firm surface should give a bit toward the middle (it will spring back quickly)) | 10 minutes |
| Medium | 140-150 F (60-65 C) | Warm pink center (Firm to the touch with a light pink center) | 12 minutes |
| Medium Well | 150-160 F (65-70 C) | Slightly pink center (a hint of pink in the very middle, very stiff but still have a little squishy in the center) | 14 minutes |
| Well Done | 160-170 F (70-77 C) | No pink, firmer meat (there is not the faintest hint of pink in the middle. It should be browned through, not burnt through, and solid to the touch) | 16 minutes |
Nutrition
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Wow! Just prepared the most delicious rib eye steak in my Philips XL airfryer! It was a thick 3 cm piece of meat. I seasoned it with coarse grinded sea salt and pepper and a slight spray of olive oil. Put it in the heated airfryer at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes, flipping at 5 minutes and let it rest under foil for 5 minutes. It was just PERFECT! As the steak was so big, my husband and I shared it.
Thanks for all the tips!