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These air fryer steak bites are juicy, well-seasoned pieces of steak with browned edges and a rich garlic butter finish. They’re an easy way to turn boneless sirloin into tender, bite-sized pieces without pulling out a skillet.
When I make steak bites in the air fryer, I usually serve them with garlic butter rice, lemon orzo pasta, or air fryer asparagus. If you want a deeper skillet sear, make my garlic butter steak bites instead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick: Bite-sized pieces cook much faster than a whole steak.
- Simple: You only need steak, oil, seasoning, and garlic butter.
- Easy to customize: Sirloin, ribeye, and New York strip all work.
- Full of flavor: Garlic butter gives the steak bites a rich, glossy finish.
Ingredients Needed
- Sirloin steak: I’ve made this recipe with boneless ribeye, boneless sirloin or boneless new york strip steak. I used a 1-inch thick steak and cut it into bite-sized chunks.
- Steak seasoning: Use your favorite blend or my homemade steak seasoning.
- Avocado oil: Helps the seasoning stick to the steak and encourages browning.
- Garlic butter: I use my homemade garlic butter. Cajun garlic butter or lemon garlic butter also work when you want to change the finish.
Best Steak for Air Fryer Steak Bites
Sirloin is my go-to because it has good beefy flavor and cooks quickly. Ribeye and New York strip are also good options.
Whichever cut you use, cut the steak into evenly sized pieces so they cook at about the same rate. If you’d rather cook the steak whole, use my air fryer steak recipe instead.
How to Make Steak Bites in the Air Fryer
Season the steak bites
Toss the steak pieces with avocado oil and steak seasoning until they’re evenly coated.
Start with a hot air fryer
Preheat the air fryer so the cooking pot is hot before the steak goes in. Starting with a hot surface helps the steak bites begin browning right away and gives them better color.
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Arrange the steak in a single layer with a little space between the pieces. Cook in batches if needed.
Air fry until the edges begin to brown
Top the steak bites with garlic butter and start cooking. After the first several minutes, the butter should be melted and the edges of the steak should be developing some color.
Toss and finish
Stir the steak bites in the melted garlic butter, then return them to the air fryer until they reach your preferred doneness.
How Long to Cook Steak Bites in the Air Fryer
For steak bites that are about 1 inch, start checking them after about 8 minutes at 400°F. Add another minute or two as needed.
Cooking time varies based on the size of the pieces, the cut of steak, and your air fryer, so check smaller pieces early.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Cut the steak evenly: Similar-sized pieces are more likely to finish cooking at the same time.
- Preheat the air fryer: A hot cooking pot helps the steak develop better color from the start.
- Trim large pieces of fat: Remove any thick exterior fat or tough connective tissue before cutting the steak into bites. A little marbling is fine, but large fatty pieces won’t brown as well.
- Use a single layer: Leave some room around the steak bites so the hot air can circulate.
- Avoid overcrowding: Cook in batches if your air fryer basket is small.
- Check early: Bite-sized pieces can overcook quickly.
Garlic Butter Variations
Use classic garlic butter for the original version, Cajun garlic butter for more heat, or lemon garlic butter for a brighter finish.
For steak bites with a stronger browned crust, make my garlic butter steak bites. That version cooks in a hot skillet instead.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Steak Bites
- For a simple dinner, add a side like garlic butter rice, lemon orzo pasta, or keto mushroom risotto. If you want a vegetable, air fryer asparagus is an easy option.
- For a fuller meal, make my steak bites and potatoes, which cooks the steak and crispy potatoes together in one skillet. Or, if you have an air fryer oven or dual-zone air fryer, try my air fryer surf and turf for steak and seafood in one meal.
- For more ideas, browse my keto side dishes for steak.
If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Air Fryer Steak Bites
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Sirloin Steak, boneless, 1-inch thick, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 tsp Steak Seasoning, click for my recipe
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- 3 tbsp Garlic Butter, click for the recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes on 400 (turn it on without food inside since there’s no preheat setting – no need for the air fryer basket)
- Add the steak bites, oil and steak seasoning to a bowl. Toss to coat.
- Add the steak bites to the hot cooking pot
- Top the steak bites with the garlic butter.
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 6 min.
- Use a spoon to stir the bites in the garlic butter and air fry at 400 degrees for 2-4 more minutes.
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Recipe Notes
- Cut evenly: Cut the steak into similar-sized pieces so they cook at about the same rate.
- Preheat first: A hot air fryer helps the steak bites develop better color.
- Use a single layer: Leave space around the steak bites and cook in batches if needed.
- Check early: Start checking around 8 minutes since smaller pieces can cook quickly.
- Swap the cut: Ribeye and New York strip also work.
- Change the finish: Use Cajun garlic butter for more heat or lemon garlic butter for a brighter flavor.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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