Yes. Steak cooks well in an air fryer as long as it has space in the basket and reaches a safe internal temperature.
An air fryer will not replicate the char of a cast iron sear or a grill, but it handles the fundamentals of steak surprisingly well for a weeknight dinner.
Getting a good result mostly comes down to thickness, spacing, and knowing your target temperature ahead of time rather than guessing.
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and season it, since a dry surface browns more effectively than a wet one. Let very cold steak sit out for about 15 to 20 minutes so it is not going into the basket straight from the fridge, which helps it cook more evenly from edge to center.
Steaks around 1 to 1.5 inches thick tend to work better than thin cuts, which can overcook before a proper crust forms. Cook in a single layer with space around each piece so hot air can circulate on all sides rather than just the top.
USDA guidance for whole cuts of beef is a minimum internal temperature of 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest. For reference, that generally lands close to medium; rare runs closer to 125 to 130°F, medium rare closer to 130 to 135°F, and well done closer to 160°F and above. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak is far more reliable than judging by color or cook time alone.
At around 400°F, a 1-inch steak often takes about 7 to 10 minutes for medium rare, flipping halfway, while a 1.5-inch steak can run closer to 10 to 14 minutes. These numbers shift with the specific air fryer and starting temperature of the meat, so use them to estimate when to start checking rather than when to stop cooking.
Let the steak rest for at least 3 minutes before cutting into it. Cutting immediately releases the juices onto the plate instead of back into the meat, leaving it drier than it needs to be even if the cook itself was done correctly.
Ribeye, strip, and sirloin tend to hold up well in an air fryer because of their thickness and fat content, while very thin cuts like skirt or flank steak cook so fast that catching the right temperature can be tricky. For those thinner cuts, checking a minute or two earlier than expected is worth the extra step.
Air fryer steak works when you respect thickness, give it space, and check temperature instead of estimating. A short rest afterward makes the biggest difference in the final bite.
Around 130 to 135°F before resting is a common target for medium rare, though USDA's minimum safety threshold for whole cuts is 145°F with a 3-minute rest.
Roughly 7 to 14 minutes at around 400°F depending on thickness and desired doneness, flipping halfway through.
Preheating for a few minutes helps the surface start browning right away instead of gently warming up alongside the steak.
Overcooking past your target temperature or skipping the rest period afterward are the two most common causes of a tougher bite.