Air Fryer Steak
This Air Fryer Steak is perfectly seared on the outside with savory juices locked on the inside! With a rich and velvety garlic herb compound butter topping, this steak is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love this Air Fryer Steak Recipe
- You can have an amazing steak, rain or shine
- Easy recipe that requires very little prep time
- Rich and delicious garlic herb compound butter topping
- Leftovers are great for meal prep
One of the best things about eating low carb is that steak is always a menu option! It’s a wonderful source of protein and other nutrients and you can cook it so many different ways.
This Grilled Steak with Compound Butter and this Grilled Skirt Steak Chimichurri are mouthwatering favorites. But when I ran across these gorgeous New York strips, I just had to test cooking them in my air fryer. Talk about a game-changer! I was completely sold, and you will be too!
Air frying steak this way is so easy after a busy day at work. In less than 20 minutes, you can have a steak dinner ready to serve. Another favorite weeknight steak recipe is this easy Cast Iron Skillet Steak and Mushroom.
🛒 Ingredients for Air Fryer Steak
- NY Strip Steaks
- Butter
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Parsley
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic salt
- Dried thyme
- Ground black pepper
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
🥣 Recommended Tools
🔪 How to Make Steak in the Air Fryer
Allow the steaks to sit at room temperature, then preheat air fryer to 400°F for 5-7 minutes, while you mix up the spices.
Add all the spices to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Mix together the garlic, butter and parsley and set aside while you cook the steak.
Rub the olive oil on both sides of each steak. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over and rub in to make sure the steaks are evenly coated.
Place the steaks on the racks of your air fryer and cook for 11-14 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until they reach an internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium rare (see steak times temperatures in the post). Mine took exactly 12 minutes for medium rare.
If you have an air fryer oven, place the steaks on the top 1/3 rack, then halfway through cooking, raise it to the top rack. This will give you a nice sear on the outside and you also won’t need to flip them halfway through cooking.
The steaks will continue to cook as they rest. Thinner steaks will need less time to cook and thicker will need more time. This is why it’s important to always use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
Spread the garlic butter over the tops and tent them with foil for 10 minutes before cutting into them.
💡 Tips for Making Steak in the Air Fryer
Following the instructions in this recipe will help you end up with a great-tasting steak every single time. But if you’ve never tried air frying steaks before, here are just a few tips to keep in mind:
- Always preheat the air fryer: There is a little bit of a debate about this. Some claim there is no need to preheat an air fryer before using it. But when cooking a steak, I think it is a really important step to get a good sear. While the air fryer is preheating, it is heating up the racks at the same time. This helps give the steak nice grill marks.
- Don’t overcrowd: An air fryer cooks by circulating hot air around the food. If you overlap the steaks, the air is not going to properly cook them.
- Remove after cooking: The rack in an air fryer retains heat for some time. So, you’ll want to remove your steaks right before they reach the desired temperature.
☑️ Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Place any leftover steak in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: To freeze, place the leftover steak in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Label with the date and store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, thaw frozen steak overnight in the refrigerator if stored in the freezer. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a bit of butter. Sear the steak for a few minutes on each side until warmed through.
🍴 What to Serve with Air Fryer Steaks
I am all about the full steakhouse experience. If you’re following Keto or just wanting to keep a watch on your carbs, here are some wonderful classic low carb sides you can enjoy guilt-free.
- Creamed Spinach
- Roasted Cheesy Asparagus
- Grilled Broccolini
- Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Cauliflower
🔄 Substitutions and Additions
- Steaks: I used New York strips, but filets and ribeyes also work well with this air fryer recipe.
- Blue cheese crust: A minute before it’s done, top each steak with crumbled blue cheese and continue to air fry for another minute or two until melted and bubbly.
- Coffee rub: Create a dry rub with instant ground coffee, a brown sugar substitute, and a pinch of chili powder. Rub it all over the steak before cooking it.
- Mushroom and onion topping: Sauté sliced mushrooms and onions in butter until caramelized and tender.
- Gorgonzola butter: Instead of the garlic butter, mix softened butter with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and chopped walnuts. Spread this mixture over the steaks while they’re resting.
- Chimichurri sauce: Instead of the garlic butter, serve the steaks with some of this vibrant chimichurri sauce.
This all depends on the model of your air fryer. If you are air frying them in a basket insert, they will need to be flipped halfway through the cooking time.
For models, like the one I use in this recipe with the racks, there is no need for flipping.
It all depends on the thickness of the steak and how you like it cooked. For steaks that are about 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch thick, they will take about 12-14 minutes for medium rare.
If you like them medium, you should add another minute, then check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
After the very first bite of this air fryer steak, you will definitely agree, air frying is awesome for steak! It’s easy, quick, and amazingly delicious!
Air frying is excellent for those on keto, especially if you love deep fried food. You can ditch all the unhealthy cooking oils but still get a good crispy crust with an air fryer.
Steak Cooking Temperatures/Degrees of Doneness
- Rare (cool red center): 120-130°F
- Medium Rare (warm red center): 130-135°F
- Medium (warm pink center): 135-145°F
- Medium Well (slightly pink center): 145-155°F
- Well Done (no pink): 155-165°F
I always recommend using a meat thermometer to be sure your steak reaches the perfect temperature.
What is the Best Air Fryer to Use?
For this recipe, I used the Smart K10 Air Fryer by Ultenic:
- Incredibly easy to use, with 11 preset buttons for fish, steak, chicken, shrimp, etc.
- Smartphone app to control the air fryer
- Fully adjustable time and temperature buttons
- Preheat and keep warm function buttons
- Large capacity basket
- Very quiet while running
You can check out the Smart K10 Air Fryer here and use code: KETOAIRFRYER for an extra $20 OFF!
More Keto Steak Recipes
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
- Pan-Seared Filet Mignon
- Skirt Steak Chimichurri
- Grilled Steak with Compound Butter
- Grilled Steak Salad with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
More Keto Air Fryer Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders
- Jalapeño Poppers
- Pork Tenderloin
- Zucchini Fries
- Buffalo Wings
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Air Fryer Steak
Ingredients
- 2 NY Strip Steaks, 6 ounces, about 1 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Allow the steaks to sit at room temperature, then preheat air fryer to 400°F for 5-7 minutes, while you mix up the spices. Add all the spices to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix together the garlic, butter and parsley and set aside while you cook the steak. Rub the olive oil on both sides of each steak. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over and rub in to make sure the steaks are evenly coated.
- Place the steaks on the racks of your air fryer and cook for 11-14 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until they reach an internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium rare (see steak times temperatures in the post). Mine took exactly 12 minutes for medium rare.
- If you have an air fryer oven, place the steaks on the top ⅓ rack, then halfway through cooking, raise it to the top rack. This will give you a nice sear on the outside and you also don’t need to flip them halfway through cooking.
- The steaks will continue to cook as they are resting. Thinner steaks will need less time to cook and thicker will need more time. This is why it’s important to always use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
- Spread the garlic butter over the tops and tent them with foil for 10 minutes before cutting into.
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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Rate this Recipe*Originally published on February 17, 2022, updated on March 28, 2024 with new photos, new recipe information and helpful tips.
Just wondering what top 1/3 rack means?
Depending on the model of your air fryer, there could be racks. Mine has three of them. The top 1/3 rack is the one on the top.