Cooking steak in an air fryer is simple. Just set it and forget it, right? Wrong! Treat your
meat right and keep watching to learn a simple trick that can prevent your kitchen from becoming
a smokehouse. Your steak is liberally seasoned with salt and ready for some action. Should you
just throw it in the air fryer, set the temperature, and walk away? Not so fast! Just like your oven
your air fryer should be preheated before cooking. This is an easy step to miss, but it can make a
a difference in how your steak ends up cooking. Here's the good news, however. Because air fryers
tend to be significantly smaller than a convection oven, it shouldn't take too long to reach your
desired temperature. Why is preheating your air fryer so important for cooking your steak
For dishes like roasts or lasagnas that require a longer cook time, preheating your oven probably
isn't as important. But when it comes to dishes that need to be cooked quickly, like a 10-12
minute steak, it can make a difference in the texture. If you put your steak in a cold air
fryer and set the temperature, it may end up less juicy while also affecting the overall level of
doneness you're aiming for. As Food52 puts it, cooking times will be lengthened by about the
time it takes to preheat your oven in the first place. The same notion goes for air fryers
This practice is especially risky with baked goods, but it can also apply to other dishes
that don't require a long time in the oven, like your steak. The bottom line? Your air fryer
shouldn't take too long to warm up, and your steak is more likely to come out better if you
remember to preheat it. Most steak recipes call for a brush of oil before you season it
Lightly coating your steak in oil serves two main purposes. One, it gives your seasoning an extra
glaze of fat to cling to, which helps it stick to the meat, allowing the seasoning to permeate the
steak more easily. And two, according to Delish, adding oil to your steak before you cook it will
also help you achieve a nice, even crust. A big part of what makes a steak exceptional is the
difference in texture between the crusty exterior of the beef and the soft, juicy tenderness on the
inside. According to Insider, air fryers work by circulating hot air. So when your steak is coated
in oil. All of that heat bakes the oil, which helps evenly roast the surface of the beef
Another important thing to consider is the type of oil that you use. Most people tend to use olive
oil universally in just about everything when they cook. While it's true that olive oil is versatile
and has a ton of useful applications, it's not your best choice for cooking steak. This is because
of olive oil's smoke point, which is on the lower side. This means that olive oil will burn and smoke
at a lower temperature compared to some other oils. Because cooking a steak requires higher temperatures
you should use an oil with a higher smoke point. That way you can prevent the oil from burning and smoking during the cooking process We like to recommend refined avocado oil which has a smoke point of about 520 degrees Fahrenheit Kitchen countertops tend to get
cluttered, so it's easy to overlook how much room your air fryer has around it. One common mistake
people might make is pushing their air fryer too close to the wall. Since air fryers tend to be
bigger and kind of clunky, people may try to position them out of the way of their normal
food preparation area. While it's fine to store your air fryer like this, it's important to give
your air fryer enough room to vent when it's actually in operation. Generally, it's recommended
to give your air fryer at least 5 inches of space around the exhaust vent to prevent it from
overheating. What if your air fryer overheats? A few things can happen, and none of them are good
At the very least, it can flood your kitchen and possibly the rest of your home with smoke
There's also the potential to cause a fire, and we can all agree that setting your house ablaze
probably isn't the best way to cook that steak of yours. One of the most common ways to cook a steak is to pan, sear, and baste it in a cast-iron skillet
This method truly does produce an amazing steak, but it also leaves you with a bit of a mess
This also doesn't take into account that soaking beef in sizzling butter
isn't exactly the healthiest way to cook. According to Healthline, Air fryers can cut the fat content of your food because they need significantly less oil
than some other methods of cooking. Eating red meat is already an indulgence
and according to the National Institutes of Health, it's also risky for your well-being if consumed on a regular basis
What a load of buck. My father ate it every day of his life he lived at a ripe old age of 38
Why not scale back on some of the other variables you can control and make it a little healthier
An air fryer can achieve tasty results with just a fraction of the oil, which is much better for
your heart. It's easy to sit back and let your air fryer do all the work without thinking about
the particulars of the physics that make its magic possible. According to Insider, the secret to the
air fryer's success is circulation. The circulation of heat inside of your air fryer triggers the
Maillard reaction. This chemical reaction generates the browning that produces the complex flavors and
textures we've all come to love so much. As it turns out, your air fryer isn't really a fryer at
all. It's really just a mini convection oven that cooks food through the circulation of fan-powered
heat. The heat circulating in your air fryer around your steak produces a similar result to
other methods like frying and grilling. Because your steak is elevated in a basket, heat can
easily swirl around the entire cut of beef, ensuring that the whole piece of meat is evenly cooked
Steak is a juicy hunk of meat so when it cooking there is bound to be some level of grease involved When you cook over an open flame on the grill all of that grease falls into the fire and flares up In the same way the grease from the steak in your air fryer will drip down
into the bottom of your air fryer's basket. Most air fryer steak recipes will usually call for a
temperature between 350 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, you'll be cooking
at a higher temperature depending on the level of doneness you're looking for. At those higher
temperatures, the grease can burn and smoke inside of your air fryer. The good news is that there's
an easy way to prevent all that burning and smoking. Adding a few tablespoons of water to
the drawer underneath the basket will cool down the grease from the steak and stop your air fryer
from smoking. Oh, that's good news! But be sure to only add a few tablespoons, just enough to cool
down any grease droplets. Adding too much water will create a steaming effect. That's obviously
not what we're looking for here. When you're feeling extra hungry, it's tempting to just
mindlessly pack your air fryer so full that you have a basket bursting to the brim with food
waiting for you. But jamming too much food into your air fryer and overcrowding the basket is a
big mistake. This is because overcrowding your air fryer basket with food can lead to uneven cooking
Imagine a steak that was well done on one side and medium rare on another
This can totally happen if you pack too much steak into your air fryer basket
If you're cooking more than one steak, be cautious about how they're situated in the basket
and don't press them up against each other. Depending on the size of your steak
you may need to cut it in half to assist with airflow and help it cook evenly
The air fryer is already taking most of the work out for you. All you really have to do is make sure the steak in your basket isn't overcrowded
One of the big advantages of using an air fryer is how low-key the cooking process is
While it's true that using an air fryer is a mostly passive cooking experience
there's still some level of vigilance and involvement required on your part
Aside from preheating your air fryer and adding some water to the bottom of the basket
you should also be sure to rotate and flip your steak about halfway through
This will ensure both sides get evenly cooked. Much like when you grill, flipping your steak halfway through cooking
will allow it to get golden brown on every side. It's also worth remembering to give the air fryer
basket a gentle shake. Shaking your air fryer basket halfway through the cooking process will
help you get a more even result. Shaking the air fryer basket can also stop your food from
sticking to the basket. We all tend to have specific preferences for how we like our steak
cooked, and missing the mark can end up ruining what would have been an enjoyable meal
If you taking the time to make a steak that you spent your hard money on isn it always worthwhile to put in a little extra effort to make sure it cooked just how you like it We think so too Using a digital meat thermometer will allow you
to easily monitor the internal temperature of your steak in the air fryer so that you can cook
it to your exact taste. At that point, the name of the game is knowing what internal temperature
you're looking for. Certified Angus beef recommends 125 degrees for rare, 135 degrees
for medium rare, 145 degrees for medium, 150 degrees for medium well, and 160 degrees or above
for a well-done steak. In the unlikely event that you end up leaving some delicious steak behind
how would you normally heat it back up? You may opt for a quick sear in a pan on the stovetop
but that would require some extra work and a few dirty dishes. And for the love of all that's holy
we'd like to think you wouldn't dare use your microwave on such a beautiful
pricey cut of beef. You're also not very likely to fire up the grill again just for leftovers
That's just about to do it. Man alive, there's nothing better than a hamburger grilled to
perfection. Not to mention that the flames from the grill may end up causing third-degree burns
or at the very least, dry out your leftover steak. The truth is that your trusty air fryer
air is the perfect vessel to reheat any leftover steak. Being in a little self-contained sphere
of churning heat is a great way to maintain the texture of your steak while also warming
it up enough to eat. You've just enjoyed a perfect steak, and now it's time to face reality. It's clean-up time
Keeping your air fryer in good working condition requires you to give it a proper
cleaning after each use. It's important to properly clean your air fryer to keep it sanitary
and ensure the fans are clean, so air can circulate well during your cooking sessions
A dirty air fryer can also circulate filthy crumbs around inside, dusting your food with nasty debris. The good news is that cleaning your air fryer is actually
pretty easy work. The first step is to unplug the air fryer and make sure it's cool before you
handle it to avoid being burned. Remove the basket and wipe out the inside with a paper towel
Most air fryer baskets can go right into the dishwasher, but be sure to check your
instruction manual to see if your brand is dishwasher safe. To clean the interior
use a wet sponge with just a little bit of dish soap. If you notice any buildup
put a little elbow grease into it. A little baking soda paste can help break down any
baked-on grease. After it's been scrubbed, give the interior a wipe with a wet cloth and call it a day