Bacon wrapped air fryer steak with a dry rub is amazing for dinner! No need for a grill or oven anymore. Get a juicy tender steak in just 18 minutes from fresh or follow our air fryer frozen steak directions for your Cosori or Ninja Foodi.
OH MY goodness, this bacon wrapped air fryer steak came out amazing!! I will start by saying I am not a lover of steak but this dinner changed me! Added to our list of easy air fryer recipes, you can use any brand to make this recipe though. (affiliate links present)
Air Fry Ninja Foodi Steak
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.
Jump to:
- Air Fry Ninja Foodi Steak
- Bacon Wrapped Air Fryer Steak
- How do you cook a steak in an air fryer without it drying out?
- Is steak in air fryer good?
- Do I need to sear steak before air frying?
- Steak Dry Rub Ingredients
- How to Cook Air Fried Steaks
- Can you put frozen meat in an air fryer?
- Air Fryer Steak Ingredients
- How long does it take to cook steak in an air fryer?
- What are the best foods to cook in an air fryer?
- How do you reheat steak in an air fryer?
- How to Cook Steak in Ninja Foodi
If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite models are this Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more Ninja Foodi recipes here as well; bookmark them both!
- It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. this is how to preheat air fryer first.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
Bacon Wrapped Air Fryer Steak
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. Easy way to add a lot of flavor, we coat with our dry rub before that too so it is packed with a savory sweet flavor with every bite.
We have a pressure cooker and power air fryer but other brands are just fine. We’ve got a lot of meat at home. We bought half a cow and pig so our freezer is packed full which I love. No reason to go out in the snow to grab what I need anymore. 😉 I’m sure if you shop at big box stores you have a bunch too and will be ready for some air fryer Costco steak tonight.
Or make air fryer filet mignon if you want the best of the best. Our next thing to make is some air fryer cube steak. That is coming soon and will include that link once it’s posted. 😉
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.
Recently we were also sent two boxes from ButcherBox which we used here. I will tell you that the bacon was the most amazing bacon we have ever eaten, no joke. You can get free bacon + $15 off your order too here. It’s a great way to have quality meats delivered right to your door too!
It depends slightly how well done you want it. 18 minutes flipped halfway is my ideal timing so it’s medium. In a Foodi you will use the lid that is attached and the basket with holes in it set inside. Use our beef temperature chart to see what temperature rare vs. well done is.
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.
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.
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.
Steak Dry Rub Ingredients
It’s all about the best steak dry rub recipe here:
- 1 tbsp. coarse sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Whether you’re making steak in the air fryer, on the grill, or on the stovetop, this is the best steak dry rub 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.
How to Cook Air Fried Steaks
Time needed: 18 minutes
Air Fryer Steak
- Dry rub
Mix seasonings together until combined well in a bowl. Lay your steaks on a cutting board and sprinkle half of your seasoning mix on 1 side of both steaks. Pat down so it sticks. Then flip over and do the same on the other sides until seasoning is gone.
- Bacon
Lay 3 pieces of bacon down horizontally, lined up next to another one but not overlapping. Lay 1 steak on top of the bacon in the middle.
Now wrap the top piece around and underneath your steak. Do this with 2nd piece, then with 3rd you want to pull the last side up and tuck it under another piece of bacon so they don’t all unravel. Do the same for your 2nd steak. Lay both bacon wrapped steaks inside your air fryer basket. - Cook
Preheat your air fryer at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Then put into your basket and set for a total of 18 minutes. After 9 minutes flip both steaks so other side can cook and crisp bacon. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes to stay juicy, then slice and serve.
Like this you see here. If you don’t want to add the bacon then of course just skip those steps. I would highly recommend using our rub though. It really takes your meat from good to OH MY can I have the recipe??!
I made sure to preheat my air fryer so it would 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.
The timing listed gets your steaks medium I would say. You can see the photo at the top. If you want medium rare cook for maybe 15 minutes instead of our 18. I will say I typically order mine well done but I wouldn’t want to cook it longer than I did here. It’s perfect.
Can you put frozen meat in an air fryer?
Yes! I have put frozen chicken in an air fryer and steaks too (link at top of post). Frozen meat can take a long time to cook when you are in a rush. However, thanks to air fryer technology you can now cook a variety of frozen meat products in no time at all.
Take note: I haven’t done this for air fryer steak but if I do I will make any additional notes you might need.
Air Fryer Steak Ingredients
- Ninja Foodi
- electric air fryer or use CrispLid on an Instant Pot
- Ribeye steak – our preference, we cooked 2 at a time
- 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
- Coarse sea salt
- Pepper
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper if desired (we didn’t)
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.
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.
What are the best foods to cook in an air fryer?
Well, after you try this you will LOVE our smoked bacon wrapped 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 the air fryer side dish.
- or air fryer corn on the cob and air fryer mushrooms and onions 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. And for a real treat try a few of our easy smoker recipes like this smoked steak!
How to Cook Steak in Ninja Foodi
Note: Pre heat your machine first. When cooking a steak in your air fryer flipping 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….
- Then try our Instant Pot steak and potatoes in that same machine with the pressure cook function.
- I love being able to cook the main dish and side dish all in one pot. Try our air fryer pork chops
- or use this same recipe to make air fryer steak bites, minus the bacon.
Air Fryer Steak
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 steaks , rib eye steaks are best
- 6 strips bacon, if you choose to wrap them
- 1 tbsp salt, coarse ground
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Mix seasonings together until combined well.
- Lay steaks on cutting board and sprinkle half seasoning mix on 1 side of both steaks, pat down so it sticks. Flip over and do the same until seasonings are gone.
- Lay 3 pieces of bacon down horizontally, lined up next to one another but not overlapping.
- Lay 1 steak on top of the bacon in the middle. Wrap top piece around and under steak. Do this with 2nd piece, then with 3rd piece pull last side up and tuck it under one of the other pieces of bacon so they don’t all unravel.
- Do the same for your 2nd steak. Lay both bacon wrapped steaks inside your air fryer basket.
- Preheat your air fryer at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, then put basket with steaks inside and set for a total of 18 minutes.
- After 9 minutes flip both steaks so other side can cook and crisp bacon.
- Allow steaks to rest for 3-5 minutes to stay juicy, then serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just got a ninja Foodi and looked up steak recipe for it, this came up and it turned out amazing!! The steak was so tender and cooked well. I had only cooked steak maybe 1-2 times in my life and super impressed by this and the boyfriend loved it!!
So glad you loved it too
Do you usually preheat when using the CrispLid? Most recipes don’t call for it.
For a minute or two I tend to, but not always.
What is the crisp lid for the instant pod??I have never heard of ??
Please, let me know, we love..love the air fryer and the instant pod too…….
There is a link above or you can search CrispLid on my site.
I don’t have an air fryer but do have a CrispLid (which I love). Should I be preheating when I use it? Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Yes I would preheat it for a few minutes. It won’t work as well as a stand alone air fryer but is a good 2nd.
OMG! This looks mouthwatering and insanely delicious, Justine!
Anything wrapped in bacon is at the top of my list! So delicious!
Us too
We made the steaks we both thought they were good but salty
If you personally thought it was a bit much, just decrease the amount of seasoning next time. We like intense flavors.
I made this tonight only without the bacon and it was perfect. Thank you so much. I own the foodie but don’t know what it’s really capable of.
Yay!!
First time ninja foodie owner. This turned out perfect.
Yeah so glad you loved them too!
I made these steaks for dinner last night and they were a hit with the whole family! Thanks for sharing!
OH I’m so glad!