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This Air Fryer Steak recipe delivers a perfectly cooked, juicy steak in under 15 minutes. With just a handful of ingredients and a quick homemade garlic butter to finish it off, you get rich, steakhouse-style flavor without firing up the grill. It works beautifully with 1-inch thick boneless sirloin, ribeye, or New York strip, giving you a tender, flavorful steak any night of the week.
If you’ve never made steak in the air fryer, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised. This Ninja Air Fryer steak turns out tender and juicy with a beautifully seasoned crust in less than 15 minutes. It’s a simple, no-fuss way to cook sirloin, ribeye, or New York strip, and finishing it with garlic butter makes it feel like a steakhouse dinner without leaving your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Steak Recipe
- Fast and foolproof: Season your steak, pop it in the air fryer, flip once, and dinner is done FAST. No grill, no splatter, and no hovering over the stove. Just a tender, perfectly cooked steak with minimal effort.
- Simple ingredients: You only need a handful of pantry staples to bring out the natural flavor of the steak. No complicated marinades or specialty ingredients required.
- Consistent results: This recipe was tested in a Ninja Foodi air fryer, but you can use any basket-style air fryer to make this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
Cooking steak in an air fryer doesn’t require much. Here is what you’ll need to gather:
- Steak: this recipe works best with boneless, 1-inch thick sirloin steak, ribeye steak, and New York Strip steak. These range in size from 8oz to 10oz. I used two steaks. This recipe was not tested with frozen steak and I would not recommend it.
- Steak Seasoning: I’m using the steak seasoning from one of my favorite spice blend companies to bring out the natural flavors of the meat. The blend includes things like salt and black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, coriander, and rosemary. You can also use other blends like Montreal Steak seasoning.
- Garlic Herb Butter: This garlic herb butter is optional, but it takes 5-minutes and adds extra flavor
- Avocado Oil: This oil has the highest smoke point, making it a perfect light oil to use when cooking foods in the air fryer. You can also use olive oil too.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of the post for the exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
You can get the full list of ingredient amounts and instructions from the full recipe card at the end of the post.
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How to Cook Steak in the Ninja Air Fryer
- Prep your tools and ingredients: Preheat your air fryer by turning it on for 5 minutes without food. While your air fryer preheats, pat your steak dry with a paper towel, then rub both sides of the steak with steak seasoning and a little oil
- Add the steaks: Add them to the air fryer basket in a single layer to allow the hot air to fully circulate
- Cook the steaks: Flip it halfway through the cooking time. It is done when it reaches your desired internal temperature.
- Allow the steaks to rest: Place the steaks on a plate and cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes before cutting.
How Long Do You Cook the Steaks For in an Air Fryer?
Cooking time depends on the thickness of your steak and how done you like it. These times are based on a 1-inch thick boneless steak cooked at 400°F, flipping halfway through.
- Medium-Rare: 10–11 minutes total (130–135°F)
- Medium: 12 minutes total (135–145°F)
- Medium-Well: 13–14 minutes total (145–155°F)
- Well Done: 15+ minutes (155°F and above)
For reference, I cooked mine for about 13 minutes to reach medium-well.
The best way to get it exactly how you like it is to use a meat thermometer. Since you can easily open the air fryer and check the temperature, start checking a minute or two before the suggested time. Keep in mind the steak will rise about 3–5 degrees as it rests.
If your steak is thicker than 1 inch, it will need more time. If it’s thinner, reduce the cook time slightly to avoid overcooking.
Top Cooking Tips & FAQs
- Preheat the air fryer for a nice sear. The Ninja Foodi doesn’t have a preheat setting because it generally doesn’t need to preheat. But, I’ve found that for steaks, turning on the air fryer at the desired temperature for at least 5 minutes before adding the steak to your air fryer basket helps it to brown the outside of the steak quickly without overcooking the meat.
- Let the steak sit out first. Take the steak out of the refrigerator 20–30 minutes before cooking. Bringing it closer to room temperature helps it cook more evenly from edge to center.
- Use a 1-inch thick steak for best results. This recipe is written for steaks that are about 1 inch thick. Thinner steaks will cook faster, and thicker ones will need more time, so adjust accordingly.
- Don’t skip the resting time. Once the steak is done, transfer it to a plate and loosely cover it with foil. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes so the juices redistribute before slicing.
- Use a meat thermometer. The fastest way to avoid overcooking is to check the internal temperature. Pull the steak a few degrees before your target doneness since it will continue to cook slightly as it rests.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
- Store in the fridge: Let the steak cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. You can also wrap it tightly in foil, but a sealed container helps keep it from drying out.
- To reheat: Warm the steak gently so it doesn’t overcook. The best method is placing it back in the air fryer at 350°F for 2–4 minutes, just until heated through. You can also reheat it in a skillet over low heat with a small pat of butter to help keep it moist. Avoid microwaving if possible, as it can make the steak tough and overcooked.
My Favorite Steakhouse Sides
More Easy Air Fryer Steak Recipes
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Air Fryer Steak Recipe
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 oz Boneless Ribeye Steak, two steaks, 10oz each, 1-inch thick
- 2 tsp Steak Seasoning, or more to taste
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil
- 2 tbsp Garlic Butter, for topping the finished steak, click for the recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes (turn it on with the air fryer basket inserted without food inside since there’s no preheat setting)
- Coat both sides of steaks with oil and steak seasoning
- Add the steaks to the hot air fryer basket – be sure that they are flat and there is space for the air to circulate
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 6 min
- Flip the steaks and air fry at 400 degrees for 6-7 min, or until the steaks reach 140-145 degrees for medium.
- Let rest on a plate (loosely covered with foil) for 5-10 minutes.
- Optional: Top with softened garlic butter
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Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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