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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!
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!
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!
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.
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
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.
Best Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer bacon
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
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Jalapeno Lime Air Fryer Steak
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.
Notes
Nutrition
I tried the oven method since I don’t have an air fryer yet (but now I really need one!) and it was perfect!
This air fryer steak is so delicious! I’m so glad I found this recipe to put my air fryer to good use!
This steak is simply amazing! I’m finding more and more amazing recipes to prepare in an air-fryer. 🙂
What an awesome recipe this was! Perfect healthy weeknight dinner recipe!
Wow that tasted amazing. I had to check it longer than 10 minutes as we like medium well. Making it for 3rd time today.
Thank you! I’m making this tonight as well 🙂
We loved this…absolutely delicious! Definitely on our make-again list!
Thank you!
This is so good!! So flavorful! I will definitely make it again!
The air fryer is truly amazing! My husband made this steak and it turned out super juicy! He loved it!
Oh wow! I love how easily this steak comes together in the air fryer. That flavor sounds incredible with the jalapeño lime marinade too.
Fantastic recipe! I love that it is easily made in an Air-fryer! SO convenient!
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!