Air Fryer New York Strip Steaks

Name: Air Fryer New York Strip
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 2 New York Strip Steaks; Spray Olive Oil (substitute avocado oil ); Salt and Pepper, to taste

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These Air Fryer New York Strip Steaks take only 10 minutes and three ingredients to make. The best part is you don’t have to stand next to a hot pan or grill. The air fryer does all the work for you!

two air fryer new york strip steaks on a cutting board with a salad in the background. — Air Fryer New York Strip Steaks

If you have been wondering if you can air fry steaks, the answer is yes! Making steak in the air fryer is like unlocking another level of air fryer cooking. Luckily, it is pretty easy to do with a proper recipe!

Contents hide

1 🍽️ Why This Works

2 🥩 Ingredients

3 📝 Ingredient Notes

4 ⏲️ Equipment and Tools

5 🔥 Instructions

6 ❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks

7 🧑‍🍳 Storage and Reheating

8 Additions and Substitutions

9 Serving Suggestions

10 ❓ Recipe FAQ

11 Air Fryer New York Strip

🍽️ Why This Works

The air fryer uses a hot air circulation to cook food on the inside while broiling the outside. This also means the heat distributes evenly, meaning you don’t have to worry about overcooking or undercooking certain parts like you would on the grill or on the stove.

This air fryer steak recipe is perfect for days when you can’t be bothered to set up the grill or deal with the oily mess from pan-searing your steak. You can also prepare side dishes while the air fryer is on.

We also loved how this air fryer tri tip roast and air fryer steak tips have turned out. Super juicy and easy to pull off!

🥩 Ingredients

ingredient photo showing top down of the new york strip steaks, spray olive oil, and steak seasoning with labels. — Just Three Ingredients

📝 Ingredient Notes

New York Strip Steak – We chose New York Strip Steak because it is one of the most tender cut and doesn’t have as much internal fat as other cuts like ribeye. Instead, it has a nice layer of fat on the outside, which adds a nice flavor. It is perfect for a dinner on its own or as a side.

Steak Seasoning – I used Montana steak seasoning, my all-time favorite! You can use any kind of steak seasoning. Because these strip steaks are already so flavorful, even a simple salt and pepper seasoning goes a long way.

Cooking Oil Spray – I used my handy extra virgin olive oil cooking spray. You can substitute it with avocado oil spray or a cooking spray of your choosing.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

Air Fryer – Depending on your air fryer, the settings may differ. I use my quart-sized Ninja AF101 air fryer, which fits two strip steaks perfectly.

Tongs – Use tongs to transfer the steak in and out of the air fryer, and to flip it inside the air fryer during the cooking process.

Air Fryer Liner – The steak will produce juices during the cooking process. The air fryer basket is pretty easy to clean afterward, but if you want to expedite the process, I recommend investing in single-use or multi-use air fryer liners. Just make sure to get ones that have holes to keep the air circulating around the meat.

🔥 Instructions

instruction photos showing spraying vegetable oil on the new york strip steaks, seasoning them, adding to air fryer and then cooking. — Simple Instructions

Step One: Remove from the fridge and let the steak come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before cooking. Pat it dry with paper towels to ensure maximum browning.

Step Two: Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400°F. Spritz cooking spray (about 1 tbsp per steak) on top of the steak, along with a dash of the steak seasoning blend of your choice. Optionally, add some salt and black pepper to enhance the flavor. Rub it together and transfer it onto the air fryer.

Step Three: Cook for 10 minutes for medium-rare steak or 12 minutes for medium steak, flipping halfway through. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness of your liking (temperature list below). Remove the steaks and let them rest for some time under foil. Serve with a side dish of your choice. As always, time will depend

❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks

Dry your meat – Making sure your meat is dry before putting on seasoning can make or break your steak. The drier your steak is, the more delicious the crust will get!

Air fryer rack – If you can, use the rack inside the air fryer. It lets the oil drip to the bottom, ensuring maximum crispiness.

Don’t overcrowd – Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might be able to fit 1-3 steaks at a time. Make sure there is a single layer of steak, and try not to overcrowd the pan.

Be patient – Letting the steak come to room temperature before cooking, letting the air fryer preheat before placing the steak inside, and resting the steak before cutting into it can make a huge difference in the end product.

Know your temperatures – A meat thermometer is your best friend when cooking steaks. Look for these temperatures when looking at the internal heat:

Rare: 125-130°F (52-54°C)
Medium Rare: 130-135°F (54-57°C)
Medium: 135-145°F (57-62°C)
Medium Well: 145-150°F (62-65°C)
Well Done: 150-160°F (65-71°C)

The USDA recommends a safe temperature of 145°F for beef steak.

🧑‍🍳 Storage and Reheating

Leftover NY strip steak can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, or 2-3 months in the freezer.

When reheating the leftovers, you can put them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes or in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

Additions and Substitutions

Add butter or aromatics – If you want to take your steak to the next level, add some butter or herbs. You can place a stalk of thyme or rosemary on top and finish it off with some butter. For an even more flavorful steak, make your own garlic butter or herb garlic butter. Top with parsley flakes for a pop of color.

Substitute the seasoning – If you don’t have a steak seasoning mix on hand or you prefer to make your own, mix some salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika powder, dried thyme, and rosemary in a small bowl and use that instead. You can adjust the flavor to your liking.

Substitute the strip steak – This recipe can be applied to pretty much any cut of steak you like. If you want to substitute the NY strip steak, you can use ribeye, t-bones, sirloin, or filet mignon. Each cut has a different level of marbling and tenderness, so you should adjust the cooking time according to the internal temperature.

NY strip steak – bold, beefy flavors, moderate marbling and tenderness
Kansas City strip steak – NY strip steak with bone in
Ribeye steak – more marbling, juicy, tender
T-bone steak – the T-shaped bone separates a strip steak and a tenderloin part which have varying textures and thickness
Sirloin steak – less tender and more lean cut
Filet mignon – most tender and buttery cut despite having minimal marbling

Other ways to cook steak – If you don’t have an air fryer or prefer traditional methods, you can still use traditional ovens or cast-iron skillets. Heat up the cast iron skillet and sear the steak on both sides until each side is golden brown, then finish off in the preheated oven for a few minutes.

sliced new york strip steak on a cutting board with a salad. — Cook to Medium Temperature

Serving Suggestions

We made these strip steaks for dinner, along with a simple salad made of salad mix and tomatoes. Steak is often a better salad topping than chicken, in my opinion. You can also make a quick tomato cucumber and onion salad.

Using these air fryer recipes, you can make some side dishes that go perfectly with steak. Mashed potatoes are probably my favorite, but you can substitute them with mashed cauliflower or mashed rutabaga. You can also make some gravy with mushrooms and the fat drippings that accumulate at the bottom of the air fryer.

These air fryer sweet potatoes are also very comforting as a side dish. Some corn on the cob wouldn’t hurt either!

For a crispy side snack, you can also make some air fryer hush puppies, air fryer tater tots, air fryer pickles, or air fryer zucchini chips.

The air fryer is great for any kind of vegetable side dish. Here is a non-exhaustive list of air fryer vegetables you can make:

Here are some oven-roasted veggie recipes:

❓ Recipe FAQ

Why is it called New York Strip Steak?

The term ‘New York Strip Steak’ was popularized by New York restaurants serving strip steaks offering the cut, and it became an official name.

Do strip steaks need to be marinated?

You could marinate if you want a richer flavor, but you don’t need to. You might need to marinade tougher cuts of steak, like flank steak or skirt steak.

Do I need to flip the steak in the air fryer?

You do need to flip the steak halfway through the cooking process so that each side gets a chance to be seared.

Why is my air fryer steak tough?

You likely overcooked the steak past the recommended internal temperature of 145°F for medium steak. If you are using cheaper cuts of steak, it might also come out tough unless you marinade the meat beforehand.

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