Cooking an Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak is a great steak preparation. It’s also an easy and simple way for a no-fail-perfect steak.
If you’re reading this recipe, you’re probably at least open to the idea of cooking steak in an air fryer. Or maybe you already have cooked meat in an air fryer, with a different cut of steak? Regardless, don’t let the haters tell you you shouldn’t cook rib eye (or any steak!) in an air fryer.
Air Fryer haters are going to say, “but what about the sear?!” Yeah? What about it? This Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak will have. Just wait. (Hint: It’s called a reverse sear.) Ready to get cooking?
What is the best way to cook ribeye steak?
Ha! See what I did there? Traditionally, the best way to cook a ribeye steak is in a super hot cast iron skillet. But the reason behind that is to get an incredible, almost crusty, sear on the outside of your meat.
Later in the post, we’ll cover how to do exactly that. Get a great sear on your steak, after you cook it in your air fryer. So really, I’m going to say there isn’t one best way to cook a ribeye steak. There are a few ways, it’s just all about the sear and your personal liking.
How long does it take to cook steak in an air fryer?
It doesn’t take long to cook steak in an air fryer. But you probably want a better answer than that. From start to finish (depending on how you like your steak), cooking a ribeye in an air fryer won’t take longer than 18-ish minutes.
If you’re not sure exactly how you like your steak cooked. Whether you like it rare, medium, well done, check out our guide on steak doneness in our Copycat Roadhouse Steak Recipe post.
Already know how you like your steak? Then skip to the further down this post where we’ve listed the exact temperatures for each steak preparation. We recommend using a digital meat thermometer for this.
How to Make Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
Ingredients
- 2 16 oz Rib eye steaks
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- Olive oil spray
- Butter (optional)
- Steak Sauce (optional)
Instructions
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 16 minutes
Total time: 18 minutes
- Remove your steaks from the refrigerator and let them stand until they come to room temperature. You never want to cook cold steak because it won’t cook evenly.
- Season your steak generously with your seasoning preference. This is the time to get creative (salt, pepper, garlic, steak seasoning, there are a world of options out there!) Just make sure you at least have salt and pepper on there.
- Insert your air fryer basket and preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- After your air fryer is heated, spray your basket with olive oil spray then place your seasoned steaks in the basket for 6 minutes (this for a 1.5 each steak approximately).
- While your steak is cooking, heat up a cast-iron skillet to high heat. Do not add oil. You want your pan hot to get a good sear on the outside of your steak.
- After 6 minutes, flip your steaks and let cook for another 6 minutes.
- When your timer goes off, take your steak directly from the air fryer and place it into your hot skillet. Cook steak on each side until you get the sear you’re looking for. If you know how you like your steak (rare versus well done), use a meat thermometer to tell you when to remove the steak from the skillet. Remember, your steak will cook further even after it’s removed from the heat.
- Right before you remove your steak from the skillet, add a pad of butter or garlic butter to each steak. Let melt and spoon the butter around the steak. This step is optional but highly recommended for an added oomph of flavor.
- Remove steak from skillet and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. When slicing, slice against the grain of the muscle fibers. This will make the steak even more tender and easier to chew.
Recipe Notes
Reverse searing: If you prefer not to reverse sear your steak, I recommend adding another minute or two to your cooking time. When in doubt, use a meat thermometer to gauge the doneness of your meat. See below for our temperature guide chart.
Don’t crowd your air fryer: Remember, please please don’t crowd your air fryer. The technology behind how air fryers work is all about letting hot air circulate throughout the machine. If you cut off the flow of that air, your machine won’t work as well. So for best results, don’t crowd your fryer.
Cooking time: Depending on the thickness of your steak you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. The time recommended above is for a steak that is approximately 1.5 inches thick. So if you have a thicker steak or a thinner steak, adjust accordingly.
| Doneness | Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Blue Rare | 75 ° Fahrenheit |
| Rare | 125-130° Fahrenheit |
| Medium Rare | 130-140° Fahrenheit |
| Medium | 140-150° Fahrenheit |
| Medium Well | 150-160° Fahrenheit |
| Well Done | 160+ ° Fahrenheit |
Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
Ingredients
- 2 16 oz ribeye steak
- garlic powder
- Olive oil spray
- black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter optional
Instructions
- Remove your steaks from the refrigerator and let them stand until they come to room temperature. You never want to cook cold steak because it won’t cook evenly.
- Season your steak generously with your seasoning preference. This is the time to get creative (salt, pepper, garlic, steak seasoning, there are a world of options out there!) Just make sure you at least have salt and pepper on there.
- Insert your air fryer basket and preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- After your air fryer is heated, spray your basket with olive oil spray then place your seasoned steaks in the basket for 6 minutes (this for a 1.5 each steak approximately).
- While your steak is cooking, heat up a cast-iron skillet to high heat. Do not add oil. You want your pan hot to get a good sear on the outside of your steak.
- After 6 minutes, flip your steaks and let cook for another 6 minutes.
- When your timer goes off, take your steak directly from the air fryer and place it into your hot skillet. Cook steak on each side until you get the sear you’re looking for. If you know how you like your steak (rare versus well done), use a meat thermometer to tell you when to remove the steak from the skillet. Remember, your steak will cook further even after it’s removed from the heat.
- Right before you remove your steak from the skillet, add a pad of butter or garlic butter to each steak. Let melt and spoon the butter around the steak. This step is optional but highly recommended for an added oomph of flavor.
- Remove steak from skillet and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. When slicing, slice against the grain of the muscle fibers. This will make the steak even more tender and easier to chew.
Notes
Nutrition
Are you looking for more great Air Fryer recipes? We’ve got just that! Here are our favorite Air Fryer recipes. All tested and all very delicious!
Drinks to Go with Air Fryer Steak
Non-Alcoholic Copycat Starbucks Keto Pink Drink
Side Dishes for Air Fryer Steak
Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Biscuits
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Pancetta
Other Steak Recipes to Love
Ribeye steaks are amazing and have incredible flavor. No one is going to deny that. But with that said, they are not the only delicious steaks out there. Below are a few additional juicy steak recipes to obsess over.
Copycat Texas Roadhouse Steak Recipe
Have questions or suggestions? Leave them in the comments below. Until next time: Stay salty, and sweet 😉
