Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak (Printable)

Tender steak bites tossed in garlic butter, air fried for a quick and flavorful meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Steak

01 - 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

→ Garlic-Butter Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
07 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
02 - Toss the steak cubes with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
03 - Place the steak bites in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
04 - Air fry for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Cook 4 minutes for medium-rare or 6 minutes for medium doneness.
05 - While the steak cooks, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
06 - Transfer the cooked steak bites to a bowl and toss immediately with the garlic-butter sauce. Serve hot, garnished with extra parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get steakhouse-quality results in under 20 minutes without heating up your entire kitchen.
  • The garlic-butter finish tastes indulgent but requires almost no actual effort.
  • It works equally well as a sophisticated appetizer or a quick weeknight dinner.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the basket or your steak will steam instead of getting that gorgeous sear—I learned this the expensive way.
  • Have your sauce ready before the steak finishes cooking; tossing hot steak with warm sauce instead of cold sauce makes all the difference in the final result.
03 -
  • Cut your steak pieces as uniformly as possible so they all finish cooking at the same time—irregular sizes mean some are overdone while others are rare.
  • Don't skip the halfway shake; it's the difference between perfectly seared and unevenly cooked bites.
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