Air Fryer Steak with Blue Cheese Garlic Butter

Name: Air Fryer Steak with Blue Cheese Garlic Butter
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup salted grass-fed butter (softened); 2 oz blue cheese (crumbled (about ¼ cup)); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; Two 7 oz ribeye steaks (1.5” thick); 3/4 tsp fine sea salt; ½ tsp granulated garlic; ¼ tsp black pepper; Avocado oil spray

Gluten-Free
Paleo
Low Carb
Keto

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The perfect air fryer steak recipe. WITH blue cheese garlic butter. It’s so easy to make and great for a special occasion like date night at home! This recipe is simple, fool-proof, and comes out perfectly cooked every time. Plus, there’s no open flame or oil splatter, so it’s perfect for novice cooks!

The perfect air fryer steak!

The best way to cook a juicy, perfect steak is obviously in a skillet with lots of butter or on the outdoor grill, depending on your taste and preference. But if you’re a novice cook, making a steak dinner like that can seem pretty daunting. No worries, I’ve got you covered.

This recipe is fool-proof. To air fry steak, just season your steak, make the compound butter (i.e. just mix the ingredients together), throw the steaks in the air fryer, and let this amazing kitchen tool do the rest.

The result is a super juicy, perfectly seared steak. Magic, I know.

There are so many delicious steak recipes out there, but I promise you this one is worth a try! This quick and easy dinner may just be your new favorite way to make a steak!

Why make a steak in the air fryer??

Steak in the air fryer is the perfect method if you don’t have a range or hotplate, if you’re a novice cook, or if you just want to try something different!

It’s honestly a great way to make a steak. I more of a purist when it comes to cooking techniques, so I was super surprised by how well this turned out in my test kitchen.

Another plus to the air fryer method is that it’s also less likely to smoke up the kitchen compared to pan-searing. So if your smoke detectors are very sensitive and go off every single time you sear meat, then this can be a great option for you.

I use this Cuisinart air fryer and love it! It’s so versatile and I love the large capacity for my family of 4! Plus, you can cook tons of bacon in it at one time. Essential, if you ask me.

The model I have is kind of pricey, so if you’re looking for a more affordable option, I recommend this one. It has similar functionality, but is more compact and has manual controls instead of a digital display. Still a great option though! Especially if you are just cooking for 1 or 2 people.

How does an air fryer even work?

An air fryer is similar to using a convection oven, but it’s small, compact, and won’t heat up your whole kitchen. Essential for hot summer days here in Spain!

Ironically, the only room without an air conditioner in our Spanish house is the kitchen. Go figure! So I like to avoid heating my kitchen in the summer as much as possible. Enter: the air fryer! Perfect for quickly roasting, frying, baking, and toasting!

Air fryers work by forcing hot air and circulating it around the food, kind of like a hair dryer. It cooks the food well and also gives you that drying effect that makes vegetables nice and crispy and allows steaks to sear to perfection and achieve that crispy crust! And those brown edges mean extra flavor!

To be honest, I avoided buying one for so long, but finally gave in last year in 2021. I’m so glad I did! It’s amazing!!! The first time I used it, I was in love! Now I’m just wondering why I didn’t buy one earlier. Lesson learned for the next viral kitchen gadget! Just buy it.

Ingredients to make the best air fryer steak

Two 7 oz ribeye steaks (1.5” thick)
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp granulated garlic
¼ tsp black pepper
Avocado oil spray
¼ cup salted grass-fed butter, softened
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (about ¼ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 pinch cayenne pepper

How to make steak in air fryer

Instructions are also listed below on the recipe card.

1. Gather your ingredients.

2. Prepare the blue cheese garlic butter by combining butter, blue cheese, minced garlic, parsley, and cayenne on a plate or a small bowl, using a fork to press everything together. Use a spoon to roughly form a log shape and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also seal it in a bag and place in a bowl of cold water to solidify it quickly, if desired. Although, it does not need to be completely solid for this recipe. Slightly soft butter is perfect and will melt better over the steaks at the end.

blue cheese garlic butter ingredients about to be mixed with fork

3. Preheat air fryer to 400ºF. You want your air fryer temperature to be nice and hot before you stick the steaks in.

4. Dry steak completely and season steaks evenly with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic on all sides. No need to let the steak sit out at room temperature before cooking.

5. Spray all sides generously with avocado oil and place in air fryer basket. You don’t want to use too little oil. The oil is what will help it sear up and get nice and dark brown on the outside. Plus, it helps seal in the moisture for the juiciest steak.

6. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 11 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time for medium-rare (this is for steaks 1.5” thick). Internal temperature should read 130-135ºF for a medium-rare steak. Check the temperature of the steak with a meat thermometer.

steak with meat thermometer checking temperature

7. Remove to a cutting board and let your steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain. Top with blue cheese garlic butter and enjoy! You can tent loosely with aluminum foil or parchment paper during the rest period, but I don’t think that it is necessary.

8. Store any leftover steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I love the leftovers on a big salad with extra blue cheese crumbles! YUM!

Steak Doneness Guide

One of my best tips is to always use a meat thermometer. It takes away the guess work and ensures that you cook your air fryer steak to perfection! For the best results, it’s better to undercook and have to stick it back in for a couple more minutes than overcook it. There’s no going back once it’s overcooked.

So, when in doubt, choose a shorter cook time and test for doneness with a meat thermometer. The beauty of the air fryer is that it takes almost no time to heat up, so opening the door and checking the temperature isn’t going to mess anything up!

This is a simple instant read meat thermometer for quick use in the kitchen. And this is a multi-purpose thermometer that you can also use while foods are cooking in the air fryer, oven, or on the grill/smoker. I use this multi-purpose thermometer constantly!

Rare: 120-125°F
Medium-Rare: 130-135°F
Medium: 140-145°F
Medium Well: 150°F
Well: 160°F

steaks on cutting board with meat thermometer checking temperature

What if my steak is thinner, smaller, or larger?

This perfect air fryer steak recipe calls for 7 ounce steaks with a thickness of 1.5 inches. This is pretty standard for ribeyes. The minutes of cook time for your air fryer ribeye steak will depend on the thickness of your steak and its weight. Make sure to adjust the cook time to ensure a juicy steak.

For 1.5″ thick steaks around 7oz=

11 minutes for medium-rare
13 minutes for medium
15 minutes for medium-well

For a smaller steak, you are going to need less time. Reduce the cook time by about 1 minute per ounce. For example, a 6 oz steak would cook for 10 minutes total for medium-rare.

For thinner steaks, you are going to reduce the cook time as well. Take 1 minute off the cook time for every 1/2 inch thinner. For example, a 1-inch steak that is 7 oz would cook for 10 minutes for medium-rare.

For 1″ thick steaks around 7oz=

10 minutes for medium-rare
12 minutes for medium
14 minutes for medium-well

What if my steak is over 1.5″ thick?

For a thick steak closer to 2″, you are going to need to increase the cook time. However, I think the air fryer method of cooking steaks is best for medium thickness steaks around 1 to 1.5 inches.

For a thicker steak, I would use a sous vide and then pan sear it for the best results! If you don’t have a sous vide, then you could also do a reverse sear on thicker cuts in the oven. Similar to how you would cook a whole beef tenderloin. It’s a really easy way to get the perfect steak all the way through.

The thickness of the steak will make it hard to get an even doneness throughout the steak if you just use an air fryer or skillet on the stovetop. The middle may be the perfect medium rare at the end, but the outer portion will likely be overcooked and could be tough.

Can I use a different cut of steak?

Yes! You can absolutely use different cuts of steak for this recipe. I just like using ribeye because with its marbling it is a little more fool-proof for the air fryer method and yields consistent results for a good steak.

Save your filet mignon for the stovetop though. Since it’s so lean and can easily get overcooked, you want to keep a close watch on filet mignon during the cooking process.

Have a sirloin or New York strip steak? They can also work with this air fryer method, but these cuts are leaner. That means that they are more susceptible to overcooking and can be tougher/chewier than a ribeye.

An air fryer sirloin steak can be done, but it’s not the best option. I generally don’t use sirloins as steaks. A good choice is to use them for something like fajitas or stir fry where they can be cut into strips, marinated, then quickly seared.

What to serve with air fryer steak

I love to pair this perfect air fryer steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. It’s also great with fresh, crusty French bread and a simple green salad. Or try it with sweet potato fries and asparagus! One of my other favorite sides is roasted brussels sprouts. YUM! The options are endless!

Another great pairing: waffle biscuits! If you love biscuits like me, then you have to check out one of my all-time favorite side dishes: my Gluten Free Cheddar Waffle Biscuits. Such a great recipe and the whole family just devours them!

Gluten Free Cheddar Biscuits on plate with hands holding plate

Can I use frozen steak?

Yes! Just thaw overnight in the fridge, then allow the thawed steak to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes to take some of the chill off. Pat it completely dry before using.

Alternative ingredients and variations to try

I think this blue cheese garlic butter is out of this world and the perfect match for a juicy air fryer steak, but here are some other ingredients and variations to try!

Garlic herb butter – if blue cheese isn’t your thing, then you can also make a simple garlic herb butter to top off these perfect air fryer steaks – homemade garlic butter is always good idea, no matter what variety!
Melted garlic butter sauce for drizzling or dipping
Worcestershire sauce – add a bit to the blue cheese butter if you would like
Dry rub
Montreal steak seasoning
Garlic powder
Soy sauce
Olive oil spray – this may cause more smoke during cooking since it has a lower smoke point than avocado oil, but if it’s all you have on hand, then go for it! Smoke may form anyway when the oil splatters on the upper heating element on the air fryer.
Avocado oil or olive oil – you can brush on the liquid if you don’t have a spray (I don’t recommend vegetable oil as it is highly refined and not the healthiest option)
Kosher salt – if this is all you have, then you can definitely use that. I always recommend sea salt as a healthier alternative.
Air fryer salmon
Air fryer chicken breast
Other beef cuts (flank steak, NY strip, sirloin, etc)

air fryer steak on white plate with butter

Where to buy your steaks

Here where I live in Spain, we are blessed to have many butcher shops, markets, and grocery stores to buy fresh steaks. I always look for grass-fed beef since it is higher quality and more nutritious. I usually don’t have any issues finding fresh, grass-fed beef.

But if you live in a more remote area, it can be hard to find fresh, high-quality meats. Enter, a meat delivery service. Meat delivery services are the perfect option for busy families or if you live in a remote area/food desert. Yes, even in the United States food deserts are a huge issue!

Some popular meat delivery service options are Butcher Box and US Wellness Meats, but don’t forget about the smaller, local farms! A quick Google search should show you the options available in your area.

I also recommend checking out farmers markets when you can to find the best steak. There are usually farmers that sell their meat directly and you can order ahead and pick it up at the market or even have it delivered sometimes!

More of my delicious air fryer recipes to try!

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