The easiest steak I’ve ever cooked, this Air Fryer Ribeye is juicy and tender with the perfect amount of caramelized browned edges in just 10 minutes. We love steak cooked any way from the stovetop to the grill, but the Air Fryer truly excels in both an easy and tasty steak. Simply add your seasoned steak to the air fryer, flip halfway through the cooking time, and enjoy at the doneness level you like. This air fryer method is also fuss-free with easy cleanup and no splatter mess on the stove! Enjoy this steak with your favorite veggie side dishes and a sauce if desired.
I’ve been a bit skeptical about the Air Fryer because I never really want to add yet another appliance to my kitchen. But once I finally broke down and bought one, it was easy to see what all the fuss was about!
The air fryer makes cooking steak an absolute breeze. We’ve also found it to be super handy in cooking small amounts for 2 people for dinner. If you have a family you may want to consider a bigger air fryer or check out my Tuscan Steak for a grilled version.
There’s no need to go out and buy an air fryer if you have a stove or grill. But we’ve loved ours for a quick steak, easy veggies, and cooking breakfast sausages all without any mess.
I still prefer my stove and grill to make larger servings so I have leftovers to lean on. But I’m hooked on using my air fryer several times a week now too! And this ribeye steak may well be my favorite way to use it because it’s our favorite gluten-free date night dinner to make at home.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ribeye steak – is one of our favorite steaks because it has the perfect amount of marbling to make a juicy and flavorful steak. It also works really well in the air fryer with the edges browning up nicely. You could also use stip, flat iron, or sirloin steaks as well. But it really is hard to beat a ribeye. You want to aim for 1-inch thickness so the cooking time is similar. But use what you have and rely on a thermometer to cook perfectly rather than the cooking time.
- Olive oil – helps to spread the garlic evenly over your steak and to brown the steak. It’s not strictly necessary, you can just season the steak with salt and pepper if desired.
- Garlic – a touch of freshly minced garlic really adds a lot of flavor to your steak. But you can also omit it if you prefer your steak plain, or if you plan to top the steak with a sauce like my Garlic Parmesan Sauce. I don’t recommend garlic powder based on my personal preference that rib-eye steaks are tastier without any garlic at all if it’s not fresh. Since steak is expensive, fresh garlic is worth it. Or leave out the garlic and go for all beef flavor!
- Sea salt and pepper – are essential for the best-flavored steak. Seasoning the steak before you cook it adds so much flavor that it can’t be duplicated by seasoning the steak after you cook it. Start with just a bit of salt and pepper if you’re worried about it being too salty and add more to taste after cooking if desired.
We use this Ninja Max Air Fryer
Buy Now → Air Fryer Tip: Be sure to check into whatever air fryer you choose to buy carefully so you get one with a non-stick coating that isn’t Teflon! The first one we bought from Instant Pot didn’t list what the coating was and we had to dig deep to find out it was actually Teflon which is why we use the Ninja Max now.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by preheating your air fryer for 10 minutes while you prep the steak. Next mix together the olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and pepper to taste.
Step 2: Spread the garlic olive oil mixture evenly over both sides of your ribeye steaks.
You can also just season the steak with salt and pepper, but a touch of garlic and olive oil adds a lot of flavor and helps the steak to brown nicely.
Bonus tip: allow your steaks to come up to room temperature for 1 hour before cooking, this makes for more even cooking.
Step 3: Place your steak into the preheated air fryer basket, or cook both steaks at the same time if you have a big enough air fryer.
Step 4: Air fry for 5 minutes at 450ºF, turn and cook another 3-4 minutes, or until your desired doneness is reached. We prefer medium rare steaks so cooking time is about 6-8 minutes or 135ºF internal temperature. Just be sure not to overcook so you end up with a juicy steak.
You’ll find a temperature guide for beef below in the tips section. Use a meat thermometer to make sure you reach the internal temperature you want.
Ways to serve this
- Serve this ribeye steak with your favorite sauce. My Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce is the perfect decadent option, and my Garlic Butter Sauce you see drizzled over the steak above is coming soon, (that’s where the green flecks come from). My Mushroom Cream Sauce is another favorite to pair with steak. In the warmer months, serve your steak with your choice of veggies and my Basil Aioli.
- Add Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Or try my Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes or Rosemary Potatoes.
- Finish by adding a vegetable or two: Perfect Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Carrots, Roasted Broccoli, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Or try my Sautéed Green Beans or Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms for stovetop options.
- For a fresh option add a salad with my Strawberry Spinach Salad, Easy Green Salad, or Apple Spinach Salad.
- My Best Sides for Steak is coming soon for a complete list of side dishes for inspiration.
FAQ’s
I’ve found preheating and then cooking steak at 450ºF in the air fryer will give you the best perfect browned edges without overcooking. I’ve tried cooking steak at lower temperatures in the air fryer and your steak won’t brown well before the steak is well done.
Yes! You want to flip the steak about halfway through the cooking time so you get even browning on both sides. The heat element is at the top which is similar to broiling in your oven, which is why you want to flip the steak.
How long it takes to cook a ribeye in the air fryer varies depending on the doneness level, but I’ve found around 10 minutes to be perfect for medium (barely pink center) or 6-8 minutes for medium-rare 1″ ribeye steak. You’ll find my complete temperature guide in the recipe for air fryer rib-eye steak.
Yes but I recommend lowering the temperature to 400ºF because it will take longer to cook than a boneless steak.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
- Reheating – I like to cube up any leftovers and pan-fry them with over-easy eggs for breakfast. It’s much easier to heat up cubed steak than to heat up large pieces so it doesn’t overcook so much.
- To freeze – place any leftovers into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t be afraid of high heat when cooking steak, it’s the secret to the nice browned edges! 450ºF in the air fryer has consistently been the best temperature I’ve tried for boneless steaks. Anything less makes lackluster browning, and the browning is where all the flavor is.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure you cook your steak to the ideal doneness. Refer to my beef temperature guide below for the perfect steak every single time.
Beef Temperature Guide
- Rare – 125ºF most of the meat will be red with a little pink around the edges.
- Medium rare – 135ºF looks like a good amount of red in the center, turning pink, then brown near the edges.
- Medium – 145ºF has just a bit of red in the center but is mostly light pink with brown edges.
- Medium well – 150ºF barely a hint of pink in the center and mostly brown throughout.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free, Paleo, & Whole – the ribeye steak is dairy-free and paleo as written without the optional garlic butter sauce. To add the sauce try it with dairy-free butter or ghee for paleo & Whole30. Or you can make my Basil Aioli which is so good with this steak. This steak is also naturally low carb as well as keto.
If you’re loving all things air fryers right now, you may also enjoy my Air Fryer Asparagus. It’s so easy and yields incredibly tender and tasty asparagus!
Inspiration for More Easy Beef Recipes
I really hope you enjoy this Air Fryer Ribeye Steak! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Air Fryer Ribeye
INGREDIENTS
- 1.25 pounds ribeye steaks - boneless, 2-10 ounce steaks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the air fryer to 450ºF for 5 minutes. This is called 'Max Crisp' air fryer setting on our air fryer which is a high setting than normal air fry which only goes up to 400ºF
- While the air fryer heats, mix together the olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Spread the garlic mixture evenly over both sides of the steaks.
- Cook the steaks in your air fryer evenly spaced out, cook in 2 batches if needed, about 6-8 minutes for medium to medium rare. Flip the steak(s) halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking and browning on both sides.
- When the steaks are your desired doneness, refer to the cooking chart below, and serve with your choice of sides.
NOTES
- Rare – 125ºF most of the meat will be red with a little pink around the edges.
- Medium rare – 135ºF looks like a good amount of red in the center, turning pink, then brown near the edges.
- Medium – 145ºF has just a bit of red in the center but is mostly light pink with brown edges.
- Medium well – 150ºF barely a hint of pink in the center and mostly brown throughout.