Which Cut Of Steak Is Best Suited For The Air Fryer?

When you're ready to cook an expensive steak, you want to make sure it's done right. After all, nobody wants to waste a good ribeye or New York Strip. That's why it might seem strange to cook steak in the air fryer, but it's a trick that's easy (no monitoring the grill), and it results in a deliciously juicy steak. The best cut of steak if you'll be cooking it this way: Ribeye.

Ribeye is a fatty and thick cut of steak that boasts a lot of flavor. Ribeye comes from the "eye" of the cow: The rib section near the front. It also has a lot of marbling, which is the key air fryer hack for a delicious steak. Marbled steak is typically tender, moist, and juicy. It's a specific type of intramuscular fat that melts and coats the muscle fibers around it as it cooks. This results in a lot of flavor and a nice, smooth texture. It also does well cooking at high temperatures, which is another reason it's a go-to for air fryers (and why ribeye is also so popular for grilling).

Before you cook your ribeye, be sure to salt it in advance, as this can help season and tenderize it. About 30 minutes before you're ready to cook it, bring your steak out of the refrigerator so it can sit at room temperature. During this time, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit as well. Then, brush your ribeye with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

When you're ready to cook the ribeye, set a timer for about 10 to 12 minutes. The exact cooking time will vary based on how thick your steak is and how well you want it done. If you're cooking multiple steaks, you might need to work in batches as you don't want to overcrowd the air fryer basket. A medium-rare steak will be ultra-tender. To achieve this with your ribeye, cook it to an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. While some recipes recommend flipping your ribeye halfway through, others recommend leaving it to sit for the entire cooking time. Finding what you like best might take some trial and error.

You don't have to cook a ribeye with this exact cooking method to achieve a delicious air fryer steak. Another cooking technique to try is a reverse sear. To do this, first sear your steak in a pan and then finish cooking it in the air fryer. This gives it a nice crisp outside while allowing the inside to be cooked to your liking.

Though ribeye is preferred, you can achieve great results with other cuts of steak, too. Some others that work well include New York Strip and T-bone. Though a New York Strip steak doesn't have as much marbling as a ribeye, it still has a good amount, and it's a very tender cut of steak. T-bone is a flavorful steak that is actually made of two cuts: Sirloin and filet. Because of this, it typically turns out really well when you use the reverse sear method. Regardless of the cut of steak you choose, cooking it in the air fryer is delicious, and it can save some cleanup time, too. You won't have to deal with grease splatters or cleaning your grill grates.