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
- It is actually very easy to cook a rib eye 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!
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!
- 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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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.
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Preheat the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes at 390° F. Make sure the air fryer basket is in there.
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Quickly set the steak in the air fryer basket, and then quickly close the lid.
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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.
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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.
Temperature Guide for Steak:
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- 125°-130° F for Rare
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- 130°-140° F for Medium-Rare
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- 140°-150° F for Medium
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- 150°-155° F for Medium-Well
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- 160°+ F for Well-Done
*Your model of air fryer may give you different results.
Robbie MacDonadl
Followed your instructions to a T, and the rib eye steak was tender, juicy and perfectly cooked (we like medium rare on the rare side). I recently purchased a small Dash air fryer and the rib eye, cut in half, fit perfectly. Thus far I have cooked pork chops, chicken thighs and steak (this) in the unit and I am super impressed. Thank you very much.
Penny
I tried this tonight and it was tender, juicy and so good! I followed instructions and itwas perfect! I don’t use my air fryer but I’m going to do more with it now!
Arlene
I was so pleasantly surprised! When the steak was cooked, I used minced garlic and butter in a cast iron pan to get a really rich sear. Perfect and delicious!
Joe
1st time ever air fry a ribeye. I was so skeptical. My ribeye came out perfect with your instructions. I am 70 and don't enjoy the summer heat as much. Living alone, being able to do this inside is going to make a huge difference especially in the winter months. Thank you again!
Sandy
Hi Joe, I am so glad this worked for you! We don't grill much, so this is a great alternative!
Linda B Harrack
I was SHOCKED! This is so good!!! For 40 years I have never EVER cooked a steak unless it was on an outside grill. This particular night it was storming, and I followed this recipe exactly. The steak was perfection! Thank you for giving very detailed instructions!
Sandy
That is amazing to know Linda! I'm so glad this method worked for you! It's nice to have an alternative!
Ken
A fantastic way to cook a steak when I don't want to grill. Came out so good. My only tip is to check how done it is halfway through so you know how much longer you should cook it to get the doneness you like. My steak was thicker so I cooked it a few minutes longer for medium rare.
L. Powell
I tried your recipe cooking a chuck eye steak. 7 minutes in my air fryer and I tasted heaven! Thank you!
PS going to the store now to purchase more steak.
Diane Henderson
Absolutely amazing. Perfectly rendered fat. My kids lost their minds and fought over the last pieces, and I didn't have to hold a squirmy toddler our in the yard trying to tend to a grill! Only had 6 kids tonight so 12 thumbs up (and 2 more from mama!)
Teri
Third time making these. Perfect every time. Thank you!
Sonja Guss
I haven't had a good juicy tender steak in eons. This recipe is beyond simple and delicious.. My only Wish is that it had the sear of an outdoor grill. Next time I'll take your advice and post-sear it. Thank you.