The Kitchen Appliance You Need For The Perfect Steak Frites

Few dishes feel as classic and universally beloved as steak frites. Despite its French origin story, this combination of red meat and fried potatoes has a strong foothold in the U.S. where legions of home cooks have attempted to perfect the dish in their own kitchens. While there are plenty of great strategies for how to approach both components with various conventional methods, there's a single appliance that can not only pull off steak frites, but also deliver a restaurant-quality rendition — and that's your air fryer. 

This modern kitchen mainstay has what it takes to create an ideal steak, and if you've ever sought out more ways to make legitimately crispy french fries at home, the air fryer has the power to make that dream come true. The beauty of making this finished dish is that you can do it all with one device, cooking the steak first, and then utilizing the resting time for your meat to quickly fry up the crispiest, most flavorful potatoes to go along with it.

There are a few tips to ensure this method works wonders for you. First, opt for a cut of meat with a significant amount of fat – the best steak for an air fryer is a ribeye – and make sure it's on the thick side with good marbling. This is imperative if you're hoping to create that crispy crust and contrasting tender interior; it also helps to pat your meat dry with paper towels and generously season with salt prior to air frying in order to draw out some of the moisture. You can aim for a medium-rare cook by air-frying for about 10 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (be sure to preheat your air fryer first). Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal read of 135 degrees Fahrenheit — that will confirm you're good to go. 

From there you can rest your protein and get to work on the classic side dish. Since you're cooking the fries after the steak, you can even rely on some of the meat's remaining juices and natural fats to add flavor to your potatoes. Toss the fries with the juices in your air fryer, and then cook as directed. Frozen fries should be done after about 15 minutes — just remember to give the air fryer basket a shake about every five minutes to ensure even cooking. Maybe you've worked on honing simple techniques to give you the best french fries, but this air fryer steak frites tip guarantees a one-two punch of perfection and a restaurant-quality meal right at home.