Air Fryer Steak Bites are very quick and easy to make. They are tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, and seasoned just right. You can serve them as an appetizer or as your main dish.
I will say, though, that these air fryer steak bites totally caught me off guard in the best way possible.
You can cook the bites to your desired level of doneness (medium-rare, medium, well-done, etc.), and they taste great. The outside is nice and crispy, and the middle is soft.
I believe that steak bites are great as an appetizer, snack, or even a main dish when served with sides.
Air fryers have revolutionized home cooking, providing a quick and convenient way to make deliciously crispy foods using little to no oil One of the most popular air fryer recipes is beef strips, which transform from chewy to tender and develop a perfect golden brown crust when cooked in these appliances
But to get ideal results, it’s important to know exactly how long to cook beef strips in an air fryer The timing can vary based on thickness of the cuts and desired level of doneness. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to cook foolproof beef strips in an air fryer every time
Factors That Affect Beef Strip Cook Times
There are a few key factors that impact total cook time when making beef strips in an air fryer:
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Thickness of the beef strips – Thinner strips will cook faster while thicker cuts will require more time. For even cooking, try to cut beef strips to a uniform thickness.
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Doneness level – Rare beef strips take less time compared to well-done. Use an instant read thermometer to test doneness.
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Quantity of beef strips – Cooking a large batch will increase cook time compared to just a few strips. Avoid overcrowding.
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Preheating – Starting with a preheated air fryer reduces overall cook time versus adding cold strips to a cold basket.
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Appliance wattage – Higher wattage air fryers will cook faster than lower wattage models. Check your manual.
Recommended Cook Times
Here are general guidelines for how long to cook beef strips in an air fryer:
1/2 inch thick strips
- Rare: 6-8 minutes
- Medium Rare: 8-10 minutes
- Medium: 10-12 minutes
- Medium Well: 12-14 minutes
- Well Done: 14-16 minutes
3/4 inch thick strips
- Rare: 8-10 minutes
- Medium Rare: 10-12 minutes
- Medium: 12-14 minutes
- Medium Well: 14-16 minutes
- Well Done: 16-18 minutes
1 inch thick strips
- Rare: 10-12 minutes
- Medium Rare: 12-14 minutes
- Medium: 14-16 minutes
- Medium Well: 16-18 minutes
- Well Done: 18-20 minutes
These times are based on a fully preheated air fryer at 400°F. Always check for doneness with a thermometer and adjust cook time if needed.
Step-By-Step Guide to Cooking Beef Strips in an Air Fryer
Follow this simple process for perfect air fryer beef strips every time:
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Cut beef into uniform strips – Trim beef and slice against the grain into even strips around 1⁄2 to 1 inch thick.
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Season beef strips – Coat both sides of the strips with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and any other spices desired.
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Preheat air fryer – Set air fryer to 400°F and preheat for 3-5 minutes.
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Add beef strips – Place seasoned strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket, being careful not to overcrowd.
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Cook halfway – Cook for half the estimated cook time based on thickness and doneness desired.
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Flip and cook remaining time – Remove basket, flip beef strips and return to air fryer to finish cooking.
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Check doneness – Use a thermometer to test center of thickest strip. Remove immediately once desired temp is reached.
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Rest 3-5 minutes – Let beef strips rest before serving for juiciest results.
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Slice and serve – Slice across the grain and enjoy immediately.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Beef Strips
- Pat beef dry before seasoning to help spices adhere.
- Brush lightly with oil or cooking spray to promote browning.
- Don’t overcrowd strips – cook in batches for even crispiness.
- Flip strips halfway through – this prevents burning.
- Allow beef strips to rest before cutting for juiciest meat.
- Add veggies the last 5 minutes to make a complete meal.
Enjoy Delicious Air Fryer Beef Strips Tonight
With these guidelines and tips, you can achieve flawlessly cooked beef strips in your air fryer any night of the week. Knowing exactly how long to cook beef strips based on thickness, doneness, and your appliance’s wattage takes the guesswork out of air frying.
In less than 20 minutes, you can have tender, juicy beef strips boasting a crave-worthy crispy crust without deep frying. Pair them with your favorite side dishes or use them to top salads and nachos. The options are endless with this handy air fryer cooking method.
Air Fryer Steak Bites Ingredients:
Steak: The main ingredient and star of the show here! Pick your favorite cut of steak. My typical go-tos are NY Strip or ribeye.
Filet mignon is phenomenal if you don’t mind the added expense. I will say, any cheap piece of steak will work, especially if you marinate it ahead of time.
This recipe is great because it works great with stew meat, strip steak, and sirloin steak as well. Stew meat tends to be very hard unless it is cooked for a long period of time. Oddly enough, it turns out tender and juicy…plenty interesting!.
Avocado Oil: This oil keeps the steak bites nice and smooth while they’re cooking in the air fryer, which makes them crispy.
It also helps keep the seasonings pasted to the beef for optimal flavor. Use olive oil if you prefer.
If you add a little liquid aminos, soy sauce, or coconut aminos to the steak bites, they will taste like they came from a steakhouse. If you prefer worcestershire sauce, you can use that instead!.
Paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder: This is the best steak seasoning blend for any kind of meat! The garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper work together to make a great flavor!
Don’t add as much sea salt as you might think because liquid aminos and soy sauce already have a lot of salt in them. You can always add salt at the end if you need to.
If you love using Italian seasoning or lemon pepper, feel free to use your own spice blend creation.
Use 3 to 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 4 to 5 minced garlic cloves to make garlic butter steak bites.
Let’s make these air fryer steak bites, shall we?!
More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes:
I hope you enjoy these bites of beef as much as I do!
Air Fryer Steak (Filet, Ribeye, or Sirloin)
FAQ
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