Learn how to make a delicious and juicy steak in just minutes using an air fryer! This easy recipe will become a family favorite and is perfect for busy weeknights.
Cooking meat in the air fryer is my new favorite thing! It is quick and easy and turns out fabulous every time! Check out our other air fryer meat recipes: air fryer hot dogs, air fryer chicken wings, air fryer salmon, and air fryer whole chicken.
Since moving we’ve had to get rid of our grill, it’s a long story. But we’ve been craving a really delicious, perfectly grilled steak. So, I did a little research, played around with a few different temps and times and voila, New York City (or anyone else without a grill) you can officially have grill worthy steak right from your counter top!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Steak Recipe
This steak in the air fryer ends up seared on the outside and juicy on the inside and we use homemade garlic butter to add amazing flavor. Here is what you will need:
- Ribeye Steaks
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
Garlic Butter
- Butter
- Garlic
- Kosher Salt
The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Best Steak for the Air Fryer
You want cuts of steak that are at least 1-inch thick with good marbling. Our first choice is a ribeye, but porterhouse, sirloin steak, New York strip, t-bone, top sirloin, and filet mignon would all work great too.
How to Air Fry Steak
This recipe is super easy, but it does take some planning ahead so be sure to start a day ahead. Here are the steps:
- Prep: The night before you plan to eat the steaks, pat them dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place them in the fridge uncovered.
- Rub: Pull the steaks out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F and rub olive oil all over both sides of the steaks.
- Cook: Place them in the air fryer for 6 minutes then flip and cook another 6 minutes.
- Rest: Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes and top with garlic butter (see instructions below) for serving.
For the Garlic Butter
- Mix: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine completely.
- Shape: Move the butter mixture to a piece of parchment paper and form it into a log shape. Twist the ends to close.
- Refrigerate: Place in the fridge for at least an hour, up to 1 week.
There’s nothing quite like a perfect grilled steak and so I’m sharing my secrets on Grilled Flank Steak and my favorite balsamic marinade.
We went over to one of our friends’ home the other night for dinner. We brought the meat and salad and they supplied side and dessert (oh my gosh it was the most delicious strawberry shortcake. A true favorite of mine!)
I got this recipe from a girl I went to Elementary and Junior High School with. Fast forward 5,000 years, we became friends on facebook and the rest is history!
Anyway, this is hands down our new favorite way to cook flank steak. If there is one meat recipe you try from me this weekend, make it this one. You will love it forever.
What is Flank Steak?
Flank steak is a somewhat tough but lean cut of beef that is long and flat. It is still quite flavorful but it mostly benefits from a marinade that tenderizes the meat.
Prepared this way, marinated, cooked quickly at high heat, and thinly sliced, flank steak practically melts in your mouth.
What’s in the Marinade?
At first glance, this flank steak recipe might look like a lot of ingredients, but you’ll likely have most of them in your pantry or fridge already. Here is everything you will need…
- Soy Sauce– This adds a lot of flavor and a touch of salt to balance out the sweetness in the marinade.
- Oil– Vegetable is what we use, but you could use olive oil.
- Dark Brown Sugar– Dark brown sugar gives a touch of sweet and balances the salty of the soy sauce, but we prefer dark brown sugar to add a little more depth of flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce– Umami is the flavor you forget about. Yes, there’s sweet, salty, bitter, sour but did you know umami is that earthy goodness? Worcestershire enhances that in a beef marinade.
- Dijon Mustard–
We love our steak fajitas marinade recipe but I couldn’t stop thinking about putting an Asian twist on it, and thus, our Asian steak marinade was born!
We have a little secret with the steak too, so keep reading to get all the dets.
The Secret is in the Steak
I couldn’t find plain skirt or flank steak at the store, so I bought carne asada instead. Just the store brand raw meat but it was already flavored. Worked amazing!!! So if you’re short on time, definitely go with this option. If you want to go totally homemade, I’ll include our own spice rub recipe in the recipe card below. You’ll apply the rub before putting the steak in the marinade.
Ingredients for Asian Steak Marinade
This dry rub and marinade is so easy! All you do is combine everything together and rub it on the steak and then pour the marinade on the steak in a plastic bag.
- Skirt or Flank Steak – either one will work, and look for a pre-seasoned one for extra easy cooking
For the Rub
For the Marinade
- Rice Vinegar – adds acidity
- Pineapple Juice – adds a little sweetness and tang
- Soy Sauce – low sodium, great for tenderizing the meat because it breaks down the tough proteins
- Garlic – freshly minced
- Ginger – adds that signature Asian flavor
- Light Brown Sugar – adds sweetness and richness
- Red Chili Flakes – adds a little heat, feel free to add more if you like it spicy
- Scallions – for garnish
The full recipe with the measurements and complete instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.