Most 1-inch steaks cook in an air fryer in 8–14 minutes at 400°F, depending on thickness and target doneness.
How Long To Cook A Steak In An Air Fryer? Time Basics
If you dropped a steak in your basket and set a random timer, the result might swing from pale to dry. Time in an air fryer depends on thickness, doneness, and temperature. For a typical 1-inch boneless steak at 400°F, expect roughly 8–10 minutes for medium rare and 10–12 minutes for medium, with a flip halfway through.
Those numbers are only a starting point. Every air fryer moves air differently and every steak carries its own fat, marbling, and shape. The real goal is to match the clock on the front of the fryer with the internal temperature inside the meat so you get the texture you like while staying food-safe.
| Steak Thickness | Doneness | Approximate Cook Time* |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4 inch | Medium rare | 6–8 minutes |
| 3/4 inch | Medium | 8–10 minutes |
| 1 inch | Medium rare | 8–10 minutes |
| 1 inch | Medium | 10–12 minutes |
| 1 inch | Medium well | 12–14 minutes |
| 1 1/2 inches | Medium rare | 12–14 minutes |
| 1 1/2 inches | Medium | 14–16 minutes |
| 1 1/2 inches | Medium well | 16–18 minutes |
*Times are for preheated air fryers and room-temperature steaks. Always confirm doneness with a thermometer.
So when you wonder, ‘how long to cook a steak in an air fryer?’, treat any chart as a guide, not a rule. Use it to set your first timer, then let the thermometer decide the rest for your fryer setup.
Food Safety And Internal Temperature For Air Fryer Steak
Time is only half of the story. Safe internal temperature matters just as much. Beef steak should reach at least 145°F with a short rest to line up with the USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart, which treats 145°F with a few minutes of resting time as the baseline for whole cuts of beef.
For many home cooks, medium rare sits a little lower, around 130–135°F, while medium lands at 140–145°F. Those ranges give you a tender center with a warm, rosy color.
If you choose a lower internal temperature for tenderness, a clean, accurate thermometer and careful handling matter even more. The safest approach is to aim for at least 145°F for anyone with a higher risk of foodborne illness, such as pregnant people, older adults, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
When you check your steak, slide the thermometer into the thickest point from the side so the probe tip reaches the center. Steer clear of bone or extra fat, since both can skew the reading. Pull the steak a couple of degrees before your target, because carryover heat during the rest raises the internal temperature slightly.
Color alone never tells the full story. Some steaks stay pink at higher temperatures and others turn brown much earlier. Rely on a thermometer and safe food handling advice from sources such as the FDA safe food handling guidelines so each air fryer steak night stays both tasty and safe.
Factors That Change Steak Air Fryer Time
Two cooks can follow the same recipe and still pull out steaks that look different. That usually happens because a few core details push cooking time up or down.
Steak Thickness And Cut
Thicker steaks need more time in the air fryer for heat to travel from the hot surface into the center. A skinny sirloin might be ready in eight minutes, while a hefty ribeye might still feel soft at the same mark. Bone-in cuts usually take longer than boneless cuts because bone slows heat movement.
Lean cuts such as sirloin and eye of round dry out faster, so watch the upper end of the time range. Fatty cuts with good marbling, such as ribeye or strip steak, stay juicy at longer times, which gives you a little more room to adjust.
Starting Temperature Of The Meat
Cold meat straight from the fridge needs extra time compared with steaks that rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes. Letting the surface chill off slightly helps the center warm more evenly and reduces the risk of a burnt outside with a cold core.
If you start from chilled, add a couple of minutes to the lower end of the chart. If the steak spent a little time at room temperature, stick closer to the middle of the range and check early.
Air Fryer Model And Basket Style
Some air fryers run hotter than the number on the display, while others lag a little. Basket-style models usually move air quickly and brown surfaces faster, so they may shave a minute or two from standard times. Larger oven-style air fryers sometimes need extra minutes because of their bigger space.
Whatever model you own, preheat it for three to five minutes before adding the steak. That step makes the time chart more reliable, since your steak meets a hot chamber instead of slowly warming up with it.
Crowding And Airflow
Air fryers work by pushing hot air around the food, so airflow matters. If you cram several steaks into the basket and they touch, the sides where they meet will cook slower and brown less. You might also trap juices that steam the meat instead of searing it.
Leave a little space between steaks and avoid stacking. If you want to cook a big batch, run them in two rounds. The second round often cooks slightly faster because the machine is fully heated.
Seasoning, Marinades, And Fats
Oil or melted butter on the surface helps browning and can speed up color change. Wet marinades add moisture and sugar that may darken quickly, sometimes making the steak look done before the inside reaches a safe temperature.
If you use a sweet or sticky marinade, lower the temperature by 25°F and add a minute or two. That adjustment helps the surface avoid scorching while the center catches up.
How To Air Fry A Steak Step By Step
If you want a repeatable answer to how long to cook a steak in an air fryer, a steady method helps just as much as a good chart. Here is a simple routine you can follow and tweak for any cut.
Prep The Steak
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels so the surface browns instead of steaming.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper. Add garlic powder, onion powder, or dried herbs if you like.
- Drizzle or spray a light coat of oil on both sides for better color.
- Let the steak rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes if you have time.
Preheat The Air Fryer
- Set the air fryer to 400°F.
- Preheat for 3–5 minutes so the basket is hot when the steak goes in.
- Lightly oil or line the basket if your model sticks easily.
Cook And Flip
- Place the steak in a single layer in the basket with space around it.
- Cook according to the time range from the first chart, starting at the low end.
- Flip the steak halfway through so both sides brown evenly.
- Check the internal temperature near the end of the range and adjust in 1–2 minute steps.
Rest And Slice
- Transfer the steak to a plate or board and tent loosely with foil.
- Rest for 5 minutes so juices settle and the internal temperature finishes climbing.
- Slice across the grain so each bite feels tender.
Cooking A Steak In An Air Fryer: Time And Temperature Chart
Once you understand the moving parts, you can line up three numbers for every steak: thickness, target internal temperature, and time range. The next chart groups those pieces so you can answer how long to cook steak in an air fryer without guessing every time.
| Doneness | Target Internal Temperature | Typical Time Range At 400°F* |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120–125°F | 6–8 minutes |
| Medium rare | 130–135°F | 8–10 minutes |
| Medium | 140–145°F | 10–12 minutes |
| Medium well | 150–155°F | 12–14 minutes |
| Well done | 160°F+ | 14–16 minutes |
*Times assume a 1-inch steak. Thicker steaks need more time; thinner steaks need less.
For thicker cuts, the question of how long to cook a steak in an air fryer shifts toward the upper end of each range, and you may drop the temperature to 375°F to prevent burning. For thin steaks, start at the low end, check early, and plan on fast browning.
Sample Timing For Popular Steak Styles
Numbers feel easier to use when you can picture a steak on the plate. These examples assume a preheated 400°F air fryer and a steak around 1 inch thick unless stated otherwise.
Ribeye Or Strip, 1 Inch Thick
Ribeye carries more marbling while strip stays a bit firmer, but both cook on a similar schedule. For medium rare, plan on 8–10 minutes at 400°F with a flip halfway through. For medium, stretch that to 10–12 minutes and watch the color of the crust instead of the clock alone.
Thick-Cut Steak, 1 1/2 Inches Or More
For a thick-cut steak, drop the temperature to 375°F so the surface does not darken too fast. Cook for 14–18 minutes for medium rare or 16–20 minutes for medium, turning once and checking the center with a thermometer during the last few minutes.
Common Mistakes With Air Fryer Steak Time
Most disappointing air fryer steaks come from the same handful of timing mistakes. Avoiding these missteps keeps your schedule and your steak on track.
Skipping The Preheat
If you drop steak into a cold basket, it warms slowly and spends extra time in the danger zone where bacteria grow. The surface can also dry out before it sears. Preheating for a few minutes means your stated time range matches real heat and you get better browning.
Relying Only On Time
Time alone never guarantees doneness. Air fryers vary, steaks vary, and even the same model may run hotter after several batches. Use time to plan your checks, then let the internal temperature and feel of the meat close the loop.
Cutting Too Soon
Slicing the steak the moment it leaves the basket sends juices running across the board. That loss makes the texture seem dry even when the cook level is perfect. A short rest fixes that problem and does not add effort, only a bit of patience.
Dialing In Your Perfect Air Fryer Steak
Once you have a basic timing plan, keep quick notes for a few dinners. Write down thickness, temperature, time, and how the steak turned out. Within a couple of tries, you will have an answer to ‘how long to cook a steak in an air fryer?’ for your machine and your taste, and you can repeat that result whenever the craving hits.