How To Cook Perfectly Cooked Steak in the Air Fryer, EVERY TIME

Perfectly Cooked Steak in the Air Fryer is easier than you think. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the kitchen this year, it’s that you don’t need to be Gordon Ramsay to cook a juicy, succulent steak every single time. All you need is your trusty air fryer. Yep, ALL HAIL THE AIR FRYER.

No more bringing a pan up to temperature and questioning do I turn the steak or not and when? Nope. None of that. Just plug in your air fryer and follow this handful of steps and you’ll never go back to cooking steak in a pan again.

The air fryer makes steak GREAT again (and not tough or dry)…

I’ve been cooking cuts of steak for my family for over 20 years and to be honest, it can be a real hit and miss affair – and don’t even get me started on when huz cooks steak on the barbecue. A couple of weeks ago I decided to give it a go in the air fryer and the results were positively mind-blowing.

Who knew that the humble, unsuspecting air fryer was such a gun at cooking the perfect, medium cooked juicy piece of porterhouse? Cooked at 200°C, 10 minutes cooking time is all you need for a lip-smacking, beautiful piece of porterhouse steak.

BUT … there are two important steps that should ALWAYS be adhered to:

• First, don’t cook freezing cold steak. SO in saying that, bring your meat out of the fridge for around 40 minutes before you cook it and have it at room temperature.
• Second, no matter how hungry you are, always let the steak rest for at least a few minutes. Trust me, it’s a time investment worth keeping.

It’s so easy, you just need the air fryer, butter, salt, pepper, and your steak. That’s it! Keen to have a crack at it in your own kitchen? Just follow these steak sizzling steps below!

Air fryer steak – medium cooked

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of thick-cut steak (ie. around 3cm thick porterhouse or rump)
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Bring your piece of steak to room temperature for around half an hour before cooking it!

2. Rub the steak with melted butter and season both sides with salt and pepper.

3. Place the steak in the air fryer basket with space between them. DO NOT PREHEAT THE AIR FRYER. Set the temperature to 200°C and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the basket and let the steak rest, covered on a plate for five minutes. VERY IMPORTANT!

Then all that’s left to do is serve and marvel at beautiful, tender, juicy air fryer steak. Yum! (And such an easy clean up!)

If your air fryer has become your favourite kitchen appliance, you’ll love our collection of 13 Deliciously Easy Air Fryer Recipes featuring everything from crispy honey chicken and pork belly to calamari and more family favourites.

Want to know what else you can cook in the air fryer? See these delicious posts for more air fryer cooking inspo!

• 10 Easy Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Use Week After Week
• 10 Things You Never Knew You Could Make In An Air Fryer
• 13 Air Fryer Recipes And Ideas For Clever Mums Who Want To Cook Food Fast

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you cook perfectly cooked steak in the air fryer?

To cook perfectly cooked steak in the air fryer, let the steak come to room temperature first, season it well and cook it at 200°C for around 10 minutes for a medium steak that’s approximately 3cm thick. Once cooked, let it rest for at least five minutes before slicing to keep it juicy and tender.

2. Should you preheat the air fryer before cooking steak?

Not necessarily. For this method, there’s no need to preheat the air fryer. Simply place the seasoned steak in the basket, set the temperature to 200°C and cook according to your preferred level of doneness.

3. Why should steak rest after cooking?

Resting your steak allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavourful steak. Cutting into it immediately can cause those delicious juices to run onto the plate instead of staying in the steak.

4. What type of steak is best for the air fryer?

Thicker cuts such as porterhouse, rump, rib-eye and sirloin work particularly well in the air fryer. Steaks around 2.5–3cm thick are ideal because they develop a beautiful crust while remaining juicy in the centre.

5. Can you cook steak straight from the fridge?

It’s best not to. For the most perfectly cooked steak in the air fryer, allow your steak to sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before cooking. This helps it cook more evenly and improves both texture and flavour.