Name: Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 1 (8-16 oz) Rib Eye Steak ((1" to 1.25" thick)); ½-1 tsp Kosher Salt; ¾ tsp Pepper; ½ tsp Garlic Powder ((optional)); ¾ tsp Low Sodium Steak Seasoning ((optional))

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An Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak is tender, juicy, and very delicious! You can air fry a ribeye steak to the perfect medium-rare, or to any level of doneness that you like! Cooking a steak in the air fryer is very easy, and we love it!

Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak

[tapping the microphone... Is this thing on?] I'm going to preface this with telling you not to listen to anyone who tells you not to cook a steak in the air fryer. Just ignore them and do it anyway.

Why? Because it comes out so delicious and juicy!

If I had listened to those people I would have missed out on a fabulous steak!

But I Like a Good Sear on My Steak

So do we! The biggest argument for not cooking a steak in the air fryer is that you don't get a good sear.
There is a technique called "reverse searing". That's when you sear the meat in a hot skillet after cooking it by another method, such as sous vide, pressure cooking, air frying, etc.
It's just searing it in a pan! Easy to do if you really want that crust on your steak.

My hubby loves a good steak. He rarely gets one as I just don't eat much beef. I hadn't made many during the years and we went out to a restaurant if he wanted one. Needless to say, the results were not always good. He's a medium-rare steak kind of guy.

When I was testing my air fryer to see if I wanted to keep it, I decided to try steaks in it. My hubby likes a well marbled ribeye, so that's the first cut I tried.

I had to make a few steaks to get it down. But it didn't take long, and we loved the results!

Steaks seem to come in two sizes, 8-oz (about 1 inch thick), and 16-oz (about 1.5 inches thick), on average. The weight isn't the determiner of cook time so much as the thickness.

Long story short, cook thicker steaks longer! Just like with any other cooking method.

Some tips for cooking steak in the air fryer

Bring the steak to room temperature before you cook it. This is true of most meats, but steak for sure.
Salt & pepper both sides before air frying. Press the seasonings into the meat with your fingers (then wash them!).
preheat your air fryer before adding the steak to it. Get it HOT!
Flip it halfway through cook time, if you want (I had some big ones I couldn't flip easily and they turned out great!)
After cooking, remove the steak to a plate and let it rest for just a few minutes. This keeps it juicy.
Use an instant read digital meat thermometer. You can't always tell the internal temp just by looking.

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If you make a Rib Eye Steak in the air fryer, please leave me a comment with a star rating below and let me know how you liked it!

5 from 32 votes

Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Preheating

5 mins

Total Time

22 mins

An Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak is tender, juicy, and very delicious! You can cook a ribeye steak to the perfect medium-rare, or to any level of doneness that you like!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: How to air fry a steak

Servings: 1

Calories: 614 kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

1 (8-16 oz) Rib Eye Steak (1" to 1.25" thick)
½-1 tsp Kosher Salt
¾ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
¾ tsp Low Sodium Steak Seasoning (optional)

Instructions

Season both sides of the steak with the spices. Then set aside to come up to room temperature. This ensures even cooking, and that it will cook in the times given.
Preheat the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes at 390° F. Make sure the air fryer basket is in there.
Quickly set the steak in the air fryer basket, and then quickly close the lid.
For a medium-rare result, I use this timing (you may want to cook for a little less time the first time to see how your air fryer cooks):
Cook a 1-inch thick 8 oz steak at 390° F for 8 minutes. Cook a 1.5-inch thick 16 oz steak for 12 minutes.*
Flip the steak over halfway through the cook time and check temperature so you can see if it is cooking faster or slower than anticipated. Then you can adjust timing if needed.
Thicker or thinner cuts of steak will require a time adjustment.
*Your model of air fryer may give you different results.
Take the temperature of the steak (see temperature chart for doneness in the notes below). Then move it to a plate, loosely tent it with foil, and let it rest for 5-8 minutes before you cut into it.