Yes, you should flip steak once in the air fryer halfway through its cooking time, just like you would when cooking in the oven or searing. This allows the steak to cook evenly and sear on both sides.
Just as you would if you were cooking on a grill or in a skillet, you need to turn foods over so that they brown evenly. Open the air fryer as often as you like to check for doneness.
Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 400 degrees F. Season the steak on both sides with a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Place the steak in the center of the air fryer basket and cook until desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare, 12 minutes for medium and 14 minutes for medium-well.
While steaks traditionally get their crisp exterior being seared on a grill or pan, steaks made in the air fryer achieve the same results through the circulation of hot air. This is a particularly helpful method of cooking if your grill is finicky, your stove heats unevenly, or you're just a newbie at cooking steaks.
Place the steaks in the air fryer (you may have to do one at a time). Set the temperature to 200°C/400°F and cook for 7-9 minutes for medium rare, 10-13 minutes for medium or 14-15 minutes for well-done. Make sure to flip the steak over at the half way point.
Temperature Limitations
The hot surface cooks the steak quickly, which prevents the inside from overcooking and drying out. In an air fryer, the temperature combined with the fast movement of air can cause the steak to be dry by the time it's cooked.
Thin steaks are prone to overcooking quickly and becoming chewy. To enjoy the best flavor and texture, allow the steaks to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before cooking them in the air fryer. Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket and leave some space between steaks for airflow to cook evenly.
Place cooked steak in preheated air fryer * basket and air fry 5-6 minutes at 360°F (180°C) (2-3 minutes if using sliced steak). For best results, wrap in aluminium foil when almost heated through, and rest 5 minutes.
When taking a recipe from oven to air fryer, the general rule is to reduce the temperature by 20ºC – 30ºC, and cook for 20% less time.
An air fryer is simply a small oven that runs on convection heat. The heat is circulated around a tight space by a powerful fan that lies just below or behind the heating element. Just as in a standard oven, it is perfectly safe to use aluminum foil in the air fryer.
It is safe to cook raw meat in the air fryer if it is fully defrosted, seasoned, and monitored. Some fully cooked foods, including chicken tenders or fries, can be placed frozen in the air fryer. However, with raw meat, it's recommended to thoroughly defrost to allow more even cooking and a tasty final product.
Air fryers simple do not brown food since they rely on hot air to cook food through rather than longer exposure to heat like an oven.
This ensures that the outside of the steaks get nice and brown — similar to searing. If you were to skip this step, the steaks could end up grey and overcooked by the time the outside browns, so be patient and let the air fryer heat up.
Massage your beef fillet steak with a little duck or goose fat, creating a very thin layer over the meat. Cook your beef fillet steak over high heat turning the steak only once after a rich, golden crust has formed. Cook your beef fillet steak 4 to 5 minutes each side for medium rare.
It is absolutely safe to use aluminum foil in your air fryer. In fact, it can make cooking with the air fryer easier.
YOU'RE NOT ADDING OIL
With all that air movement, the food starts to lose moisture, which takes away the delicious flavors you love in fried food. You only need 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of oil each time you use your air fryer to help bring that flavor and moisture back.
Preheat an air fryer to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place eggs in the air fryer basket. Cook eggs in the preheated air fryer for 15 minutes. Transfer eggs to a cold water bath until fully cooled, 8 to 10 minutes.
The size of the air fryer basket will determine how many rashers you can cook at one time. Set the air fryer to 200C and cook streaky bacon rashers for 6-10 mins – just-cooked bacon will take 6 mins, but crispier bacon will take 9-10 mins.