Check out this super-easy way to make tender, juicy steak in minutes. Our air fryer garlic butter steak bites use a simple marinade to enhance the meat's natural flavor and a garlic butter dipping sauce to put the taste over the top. Plus they cook in under 6 minutes!
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About this Recipe
Steak in the Air Fryer? Really? Yeah, that's what we thought too. When we were in the mood for steak it ALWAYS used to go on the grill—no exceptions. But when we started using our air fryer more, we thought "Why not try steak bites in the air fryer? Everything else turns out great."
Turns out we were right (for once). These air fryer garlic butter steak bites turn out tender, juicy and delicious every time. And the best part? They only take 4-6 minutes to cook depending on your preferred level of doneness.
Cut the Steak Into Bite Size Pieces
We start by cutting a 16 oz. sirloin steak into bite size pieces. We typically take a couple of minutes and trim off the excess fat before cutting the steak, but that step is totally optional.
Marinade the Steak
Next comes the marinade. You can mix the marinade in a separate bowl or simply put your uncooked steak bites in a bowl and dump the marinade ingredients over the meat one at a time, which is the way we typically do it.
The marinade ingredients are very simple and consist of olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and brown sugar. When you've added all the marinade ingredients, mix the cubed meat well to ensure complete coverage on each piece. Then set the bowl aside for 15-20 minutes so the meat can absorb the yummy marinade flavors.
Preheat the Air Fryer
While the meat marinades you can preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Now is also a good time to make our garlic butter dipping sauce. Grab a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of salted butter and melt in the microwave. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly and set aside. (You may have to reheat the sauce in the microwave when you're ready to eat but it only takes 20-30 seconds.)
Once you meat is marinated, remove the basket from the air fryer and arrange the raw steak bites in a single layer in the basket. As you might imagine, air circulation is important in the air fryer, so don't overload the basket. The cook time is quick, so if you have to cook the steak bites in a couple of batches, it's no big deal.
Cooking
Cook the steak in the air fryer for 4-6 minutes. We like them done at about 4 minutes and 30 seconds, which cooks the meat to a perfect medium-rare temperature. Of course, if you prefer your steak more well done, just add a minute or two to the cooking time.
When the cook time is done, simply transfer the steak bites to a plate and pour the garlic butter sauce over the dish evenly to coat each bite!
Why We Love this Recipe
Nicole - I love how evenly these cook. We put them in for around 4 minutes and 30 seconds and each bite comes out perfectly cooked to medium rare.
Mike - This recipe is perfect if we're craving steak on those freezing winter days here in Utah. No need for me to go outside and fire up the grill, then stand out in the cold and snow while the steak cooks. We just pop these little bites in the air fryer and enjoy. No parka necessary!
Ingredients
For the Steak Bites:
- 16 oz sirloin steak
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with air fryer garlic butter steak bites:
Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Steak Bites
- 16 oz sirloin steak
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1-2 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Start by preparing your steak. Cut the sirloin steak into bite-sized pieces, ensuring they are all similar in size. This allows for even cooking.
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Mix these ingredients well to create a marinade.
- Toss the steak pieces in the marinade, ensuring they are evenly coated. Let them sit in the marinade for about 15-20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- While the steak is marinating, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200°C).
- Once the air fryer is preheated, arrange the marinated steak pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Be careful not to overcrowd to ensure proper circulation of air.
- Cook the steak in the air fryer at 400°F for 4-6 minutes, depending on your preferred level of doneness.
- While the steak is cooking in the air fryer, prepare the garlic butter. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the salted butter in the microwave.
- Once the butter is melted, stir in the minced garlic and chopped parsley.
- Once the steak is done in the air fryer, transfer it to a serving plate.
- Pour the garlic butter sauce over the steak bites, ensuring they are evenly coated with the flavorful sauce.
- Allow the steak to rest for a couple of minutes, letting the flavors meld together.
- Serve your air-fried garlic butter steak bites hot and enjoy!
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