Air Fryer Steak

Bacon wrapped air fryer steak with a dry rub is amazing for dinner! No need for a grill or oven anymore, you can now get a juicy tender steak in just 18 minutes with these directions.

When I thought of cooking dinner last night I figured I would test one out using some steak. I used my air fryer cook times printable to figure out how long ribeye would take to cook and it worked great. It really doesn’t matter if you are using a New York strip, T-bone or filet. The biggest difference for the cook time is going to be according to how well done you want it to be.

Air Fryer Steak Wrapped in Bacon

Of course you do not have to wrap this with pig strips but I mean it makes this cut of beef beyond delicious for sure. They are an easy way to add a lot of flavor, beyond our dry rub but we choose to add both to pack them with a savory sweet flavor with every bite.

Made with Frozen Steak

We have shared how to make air fryer frozen steak. If you wanted to add strips to the outside you would need to cook halfway thru this cook time first. Then lift out with tongs, wrap and put back in until golden brown and crisped.

How do you cook a steak in an air fryer without it drying out?

You want high heat for a shorter cook time to lock in those juices. The timing of 18 minutes is max. If you want closer to a rare cook, cut back several minutes. Then you should not touch it, no need to flip. Allowing it to rest when done is vital too. If you slice too early the juices will run out so leave it in the basket for 10 minutes.

Ingredient Notes

A medium sized Ribeye steak is our preference, we cooked 2 at a time but use what you like, New York strip steak or filet mignon would be amazing

Bacon, we prefer uncured, you will need 3 strips for each steak if you choose to add this on the outside

Whether you’re cooking beef in the air fryer, on the grill, or on the stovetop, this is the best steak dry rub recipe ever. You can even use it on our air fryer cube steak if you don’t want to marinate it. NO need for melted butter or sauce when this is rubbed on the outside.

Coarse sea salt is better than just smaller granules from table salt for a bolder flavor for your dry rub. Pepper, crushed from fresh is best of course but use some out of a shaker if that is all you have. Chili powder, use more or less depending on whether you want it spicy or mild. Onion powder and some garlic powder is added in there to create a really bold flavor to crust the outside of your steak pieces. Salt and pepper to taste when done.

Do I need to sear steak before air frying?

Absolutely not, using this hot air machine is all about making things easier. Setting inside the basket with the machine preheated will essentially do the same thing as searing as it cooks the outside at high heat browning it and locking in those juices perfectly.

How long does it take to cook steak in an air fryer?

It depends on how well done you want it and what type of steak it is. A filet will take the shortest amount of time because it’s so tender and generally you want it on the rarer side. Thinner slices like our air fryer fajitas are faster.

Tips

I made sure to pre heat my air fryer basket so air fried steaks cook evenly and ensure that the bacon crisped up well. I don’t like soggy bacon. As you can see each piece is cooked perfectly. Crispy but still a bit tender so you can get a piece of bacon with each bite of steak.

When cooking a steak in your air fryer flipping the steak halfway is VERY important. It will allow it cook evenly and get the nice crispiness on both sides.  It’s kinda’ like what you get when cooking steak in a cast iron pan. That raw crisp on the outside FULL of flavor….

Downloading, printing and referring to our free steak temperature chart here has been really helpful to get the insides to just right. Medium rare is perfect for us with pink in the middle to keep it tender and juicy but that is up to you.

7 minutes is the general rule for medium rare steak. As always allow your beef to rest for 10 minutes before slicing to maintain the juices inside. Want to make a great duo? If you have a Foodi, try our Ninja Foodi steak and potatoes.

Is steak in air fryer good?

We think so! Especially if you wrap it with bacon it’s over the top delish! We have made it in our Ninja Foodi Grill where you can make the best grilled steak on it, that is fabulous too.

What are the best foods to cook in an air fryer?

Well, after you try this you will LOVE our bacon wrapped smoked pork chops too! Air fryer hot dogs are a fun dinner idea too. Killer air fryer chicken fried steak uses steak too. We served these air fryer steaks with this sweet potato in air fryer side dish or air fryer corn on the cob and air fryer mushrooms are great too

How do you reheat steak in an air fryer?

Turn your air fryer to 350-400 degrees for just 3-4 minutes and add your leftovers. It will taste just as crispy as the night before when it’s done this way. I prefer to flip mine halfway through. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too done on the outside or overcook the middle, but this timing is pretty dead on.

Then try our Instant Pot steak and potatoes in that same machine with the pressure cook function or use this same recipe to make air fryer steak bites, minus the bacon.