Air Fryer Steak with Garlic Herb Butter (Juicy in 12 Minutes)

Air fryer steak is the recipe that finally convinced my skeptical husband that the air fryer is more than a fry reheater: a 1-inch New York strip gets patted dry, oiled and seasoned hard, then cooked at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes with one flip, and it comes out with a dark, crackly crust and a rosy center every single time — no smoke-filled kitchen, no splattered stovetop. A spoon of garlic herb butter melting over the top finishes it, and at 45g of protein a steak it is the fastest high protein dinner on the site, right there with my garlic butter steak bites and air fryer steak bites and potatoes.

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Why the air fryer makes a better weeknight steak than my skillet.

• The hot circulating air builds a real crust. At 400°F the air fryer dries the surface of the steak fast, and a dry surface is what browns. Pat the steak bone-dry, oil it lightly and season generously and you get the same deeply browned, seasoned crust as a cast-iron sear, which is the same reason my air fryer chicken thighs come out so crisp.
• You get to pick the doneness and actually hit it. The question everyone asks is how long to cook steak in the air fryer, and the honest answer is: by temperature, not time. A 1-inch strip goes 10 minutes for medium-rare, 12 for medium, 14 for medium-well, and an instant-read thermometer takes the guessing out. The chart in the recipe card below is what I use.
• No smoke, no splatter, 12 minutes. Searing steak on the stove fills the kitchen with smoke and leaves a greasy stovetop. The basket contains all of it. Dinner is on the table in 12 minutes plus a 5-minute rest, which makes this one of the air fryer dinner recipes I reach for most, especially with a side of air fryer smashed potatoes going in right after.

Here's what you'll need.

Two 1-inch strip steaks (or ribeye or sirloin), olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika, plus softened butter, fresh garlic, parsley and thyme for the garlic herb butter.

Here's how it all comes together.

STEP 1 — Dry, oil and season the steaks.

Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes ahead so they cook evenly. Pat them completely dry with paper towels, rub with a teaspoon of olive oil each and season all sides generously with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.

STEP 2 — Preheat and load the basket.

Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes — a hot basket is what starts the crust. Lay the steaks in a single layer with space between them so the air can move around every side.

STEP 3 — Cook, flipping once.

Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes for medium-rare, 12 for medium or 14 for medium-well, flipping with tongs halfway through. The top should be deeply browned when you flip.

STEP 4 — Check the temperature.

Pull the steaks when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 130°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium or 150°F for medium-well. The temperature climbs another 5 degrees while it rests.

STEP 5 — Mix the garlic herb butter.

While the steaks cook, mash the softened butter with the minced garlic, parsley, thyme and a pinch of salt. Make it in advance and keep it in the fridge if you like — it is good on everything.

STEP 6 — Rest under the butter.

Move the steaks to a board, top each with a spoonful of the butter and let them rest 5 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat. Slice against the grain and spoon the melted butter over the top.

If you cook dinner in a Ninja air fryer most nights, there is a whole chapter of steaks, chops and 15-minute mains like this in the Super Easy Ninja Crispi Air Fryer Cookbook.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Thickness matters more than weight. All the times here are for 1-inch steaks. A 1 1/2-inch ribeye needs 2 to 3 more minutes a side; a thin 3/4-inch sirloin needs 2 minutes less and should be checked early. Measure the steak, not the package weight.
• Dry steak, hot basket. Moisture steams instead of browns. Pat the steak dry, do not marinate it (season instead), and always preheat. In testing, skipping the preheat cost me most of the crust.
• Do not crowd the basket. Two steaks fit a standard 5- to 6-quart basket with room to breathe. Four steaks touching each other steam and come out gray — cook in two rounds instead; the second batch only takes a minute longer.
• Trust the thermometer over the clock. Every air fryer runs a little different. A $12 instant-read thermometer is the single biggest upgrade to steak night and the only way to land medium-rare on purpose.

Why this is the high protein dinner I make when there is no time.

• 45g of protein in 12 minutes. An 8-ounce strip steak delivers about 45g of protein and zero carbs, which makes it the easiest way I know to hit a protein goal on a night when cooking feels like too much.
• The garlic herb butter keeps for two weeks. Double the butter, roll it in parchment and keep it in the fridge. A slice on air fryer chicken breast, air fryer salmon or a baked potato turns a plain weeknight protein into dinner.
• Sliced leftovers become tomorrow’s lunch. Cold sliced steak over greens, in a wrap or folded into eggs is a 30g-protein lunch with zero extra cooking. I always make one steak more than we need.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

• Air fryer smashed potatoes — crispy edges, creamy middles, and they go in the basket right after the steak comes out
• Air fryer brussels sprouts — charred and crispy in 15 minutes — the steakhouse side without the steakhouse
• Air fryer baked potatoes — start them 40 minutes ahead and split them under the garlic butter
• Roasted cauliflower — a lighter side that still tastes like it belongs next to a steak
• Easy chicken enchiladas — today’s other new recipe — the cheesy, saucy family dinner for the next night

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Refrigerate sliced or whole steak in an airtight container for up to 4 days, with any leftover garlic butter in a separate container for up to 2 weeks. Freezing cooked steak works but costs some texture; wrap tightly and use within 2 months.

Reheating: The best way is the air fryer itself: 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes for slices or 5 to 6 for a whole steak, just until warm — any longer and it pushes past the doneness you worked for. Cold sliced steak is also excellent as-is on a salad or in a wrap.

More easy air fryer recipes...

Air fryer steak bites and potatoes Garlic butter steak bites Crispy air fryer chicken thighs Air fryer salmon

Also new today: easy chicken enchiladas — rotisserie chicken, red sauce and two cheeses baked in 40 minutes, the saucy family dinner for the night after steak.

Cook the whole dinner in your Ninja

If this steak made you look at your air fryer differently, the Super Easy Ninja Crispi Air Fryer Cookbook has 15-minute mains, sides and crispy favorites written for exactly this kind of weeknight.

Get the cookbook on Amazon

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