Jalapeño Lime Air Fryer Steak

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Air fryer Steak is quick, easy, and insanely juicy! It’s bathed in a jalapeño lime marinade that brings a subtle citrusy flavor for a mouthwatering steak.

Steak lover? Check out this Air Fryer Filet Mignon for restaurant quality steaks!

air fryer steak sliced on a blue plate with limes

Most of you are probably used to cooking your steak on the grill, right? And you’re probably thinking that smokey flavor with crisp slightly burnt edges is like the best thing ever.

It totally is when you own a grill and it’s warm outside. But what about the cooler months, or for those of us who live in apartments? How will we grill up a nice, juicy steak?!

In the air fryer.

Yup, air fryer steak is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. The air fryer is pretty much the only way I want to cook anything these days. Everything cooks so quickly and evenly. It’s the MVP of cooking appliances in my kitchen!

flank steak in the air fryer basket

I‘ll be honest, I don‘t eat steak or red meat very often. There‘s a lot of reasons for this, like steak is high in cholesterol, I have a deep love for animals, and eating animals can be harmful for the environment.

With that said, I was able to make the most out of 1 lb of steak to bring you this recipe, plus two others that will be up soon! (Steak tacos and a Tex Mex Steak Salad)

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe

I love this Jalapeño Lime Steak Marinade because it’s so fresh and bright! Jalapeño, lime, and cilantro all go hand in hand. I rarely use one without the other.

It’s a quick steak marinade that produces the perfect steak every time!

cilantro and lime in a bowl

How To Cook Steak In The Air Fryer

1. Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, combine avocado oil, paprika, pepper, brown sugar, cilantro, minced garlic, jalapeño, and lime zest. Season the steak with salt and pepper, then add the steak to the marinade, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

2. Cook the steak. Preheat the air fryer to 400F and cook the steak for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. When the steak is finished, squeeze lime juice from half a lime over it and allow it to rest with the air fryer lid open for 10 minutes before slicing.

For serving, I love a simple side of rice, roasted broccolini, or smoked corn on the cob.

Recipe Tips And Notes

  • You can use lime juice in the marinade, but don’t let it sit for more than 30 minutes or the acidity will start to cook the steak!
  • Using a meat thermometer is helpful for checking the internal temperature of the steak.
  • I used flank steak for this recipe, if you’re using a thicker cut of meat, you may need to adjust your cook time.
  • The cook time in this recipe produces a perfect medium-rare steak, if you like your steak more well done, cook your steak for a few extra minutes.
  • Try searing the steak for 1 minute on each side in a cast iron pan before cooking in the air fryer to brown and caramelize the sugar for more intense flavor.
  • I like to use avocado oil for this recipe because it has a higher smoke point and I love the flavor, but you can substitute it for olive oil if that‘s what you‘ve got on hand.

Temperature Guide For Cooking Steak

  • Rare 120
  • Medium rare 125
  • Medium 135
  • Medium well 140 to 145
flank steak salad in a large white bowl

Air Fryer Steak Tips

Different cuts of steak, require different cook times:

  • Filet mignon – 8 oz 400 degrees 18 min
  • London broil – 2 lb 400 degrees 20 to 28 min
  • Rib eye, bone in (1 in) – 8oz 400 degrees 10 to 15 min
  • Sirloin steaks – (1 in) 12 oz – 400 degrees 9 to 14 min

Some Questions You Might Have About Air Fryers

What Is An Air Fryer?

An air fryer is similar to a convection oven. It’s a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food using the convection mechanism.

Which Air Fryer Is The Best?

This air fryer from Amazon was the first one that I ever purchased because it was an inexpensive and I wasn’t sure how I would like the it or if I’d use it often. It was a great buy and I used it for about 3 years before upgrading to this air fryer(also from Amazon) which I am OBSESSED with. It doubles as an indoor grill and is literally the best appliance I own!

Here are a few more reputable brands to check out:

Is Air Fried Food Healthy?

Air fried food using much less oil and is much healthier in comparison to deep fried food.

Unless I am marinating something, I don’t use a lot of oil when cooking in the air fryer. I like to spritz the top of seafood like salmon or shrimp when I cook them in the air fryer to keep them moist while cooking.

You can use an air fryer cooking spray like this one or purchase a refillable oil mister.

flank steak tacos on a black serving board and a hand reaching for one

Best Air Fryer Recipes

WANT TO TRY THIS AIR FRYER STEAK RECIPE?

PIN IT to your steak recipes, dinner recipes, or air fryer recipes board to save it for later!
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air fryer steak pinterest long pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!

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5 from 13 votes

Jalapeno Lime Air Fryer Steak

Air fryer Steak is quick, easy, and insanely juicy! It's bathed in a jalapeño lime marinade that brings a subtle citrusy flavor for a mouthwatering steak.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinate Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 312
Author: Jordan

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb flank steak *used flat iron – check keywords
  • 1 lime juice and zest
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
  • Season the steak with salt and pepper. In a large mixing bowl, combine avocado oil, paprika, pepper, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and lime zest from 1 lime. Add the steak and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.
  • Air fry for 10 minutes for medium rare, flipping the steak halfway through. When the steak is finished cooking, squeeze lime juice from half a lime over it. Allow it to rest with the air fryer lid open for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve the steak with steamed veggies, over a salad, or in a taco.

Oven Instructions

  • To make the steak in the oven, preheat the broiler on high and cook for 6 minutes for medium rare. Squeeze lime juice from half a lime over the steak and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve the steak with steamed veggies, over a salad, or in a taco.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
flank steak sliced on a blue plate
5 from 13 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




13 Comments

  1. Renee | The Good Hearted Woman says:

    5 stars
    Like you, we limit our red meat, so cooking a small steak for a salad or tacos now and then is usually more of a pain than it’s worth, but this air-fryer method makes it so easy and accurate! That jalapeños-lime marinade really makes the flavors pop, too!

  2. 5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! I love that it is easily made in an Air-fryer! SO convenient!

  3. 5 stars
    Oh wow! I love how easily this steak comes together in the air fryer. That flavor sounds incredible with the jalapeño lime marinade too.

  4. 5 stars
    The air fryer is truly amazing! My husband made this steak and it turned out super juicy! He loved it!

  5. 5 stars
    This is so good!! So flavorful! I will definitely make it again!

  6. Dottie Beegle says:

    5 stars
    We loved this…absolutely delicious! Definitely on our make-again list!

  7. 5 stars
    Wow that tasted amazing. I had to check it longer than 10 minutes as we like medium well. Making it for 3rd time today.

    1. Thank you! I’m making this tonight as well 🙂

  8. Priya Lakshminarayan says:

    5 stars
    What an awesome recipe this was! Perfect healthy weeknight dinner recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    This steak is simply amazing! I’m finding more and more amazing recipes to prepare in an air-fryer. 🙂

  10. 5 stars
    This air fryer steak is so delicious! I’m so glad I found this recipe to put my air fryer to good use!

  11. 5 stars
    I tried the oven method since I don’t have an air fryer yet (but now I really need one!) and it was perfect!