Easy Air Fryer Roast Beef
This air fryer roast beef is tender, juicy, and cooked to perfection. Coated with Montreal steak spice it’s so flavorful. It’s so simple to make and perfect for special occasions, easy dinners, or roast beef sandwiches.
Make a classic roast beef in the air fryer with this simple recipe in under an hour. I know it’s too good to be true and I was skeptical initially. But the air fryer does a great job in cooking the most perfect roast beef that’s tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor.
What gives the flavor boost to this easy Air fryer roast beef recipe is the Montreal steak spice and a sprinkle of steak seasoning. And a light coating of olive oil and nothing else. That’s how easy and simple this is!
If you love steak, check out our all-time favorite Air fryer steak dish, Air Fryer Garlic Steak Bites.
If you’re looking for more Air fryer main dishes, check our Air Fryer Recipe collection.
Jump to:
- Why We Love Air Fryer Roast Beef:
- Ingredients and Notes
- What Type Of Beef To Use
- Seasonings for Roast Beef
- Oil
- How To Make Air Fryer Roast Beef
- Tips for Success
- What Temperature to Cook Roast Beef in Air Fryer
- How Long To Cook Air Fryer Beef Roast
- What to Serve with Air Fryer Roast Beef
- How To Store/Reheat Roast Beef
- More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:
- Recipe
Why We Love Air Fryer Roast Beef:
- So simple to make
- Needs only 4 ingredients
- Ready in an hour
- So flavorful and delicious
- Great for special occasions, holidays, easy dinners or to make delicious roast beef sandwiches for lunch
Ingredients and Notes
What Type Of Beef To Use
The best type of beef to use to make roast beef in the Air fryer is a tender cut with a little marbling. Because this is a quick-cooking method you want to avoid tougher or cheaper cuts that require long cooking time.
I use sirloin roast but the following cut of beef is ideal for roasting in the Air fryer.
- Prime rib
- Ribeye
- Strip loin
- Sirloin
- Topside
Make sure, the beef joint you buy fits in your air fryer. If I get a joint that doesn’t fit mine, I cut the extras and use it to make steak bites in the Air fryer.
Seasonings for Roast Beef
Montreal steak spice – I love to use this spice mixture because it’s a combination of whole spices and gives a robust flavor to the beef roast. Try it and you’ll absolutely love it!
Steak seasoning – A sprinkle of steak seasoning, which is in powdered form, will get into the surfaces of the beef roast not covered by the Montreal steak spices, completely covering it with seasoning. This is optional but I highly recommend using this too.
If you want to use different seasonings you can try the following seasoning mix:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Herbs – dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried parsley
- Paprika
- Salt, Black pepper
Oil
I use light olive oil when roasting beef in the Air fryer but you can use any oil that you would typically use to cook a roast. Avocado oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil would be good options.
How To Make Air Fryer Roast Beef
Scroll below for the printable recipe card and ingredient measurements.
STEP ONE: Take the beef roast out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature, ideally about 30 mins to one hour.
STEP TWO: Preheat the air fryer to 390F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, to prep, pat the beef roast dry with paper towels.
STEP THREE: Brush the beef all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with Montreal steak spice and press to coat. Sprinkle steak seasoning on the beef roast. Make sure you coat all over the beef with the seasonings.
STEP FOUR: Place the seasoned beef joint in the Air fryer basket. You can put a foil or parchment underneath the roast for drippings. Roast for 10 minutes. Cooking meat at a high temperature creates a nice crust and also helps seal the juices in.
STEP FIVE: Reduce the temperature to 360F. Air fry beef roast for 30 minutes. Turn the beef halfway through the cooking time.
STEP SIX: Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. For medium, it should be 140F. Since the temperature of the roast beef will continue to rise as it rests, you want to remove the beef from Air fryer 4, 5 degrees below your preferred temperature (level of doneness).
STEP SEVEN: Remove the roast beef from the air fryer and cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve!
Tips for Success
- Leave the beef out of the fridge to reach room temperature before cooking.
- If the meat is tied, leave this on until after the meat is cooked and rested. This will help the meat keep its shape when carving.
- Pat the beef dry thoroughly to avoid extra moisture.
- Use a meat thermometer or an instant-read thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked to perfection. When checking, insert the probe into the thickest part of the beef for an accurate reading.
- Remove the beef roast from the Air fryer 4 to 5 degrees below your desired level of doneness since the temperature will rise when resting.
- Before serving, remove the roast from the Air fryer and let it rest loosely covered with an aluminum foil.
- When slicing, cut meat against the grain into thin slices.
What Temperature to Cook Roast Beef in Air Fryer
To develop a nice crust and seal the juices in, roast the beef at a higher temperature. This is like searing the meat in a pan or a dutch oven. I sear the beef at 390F for 10 minutes in the air fryer.
Then, reduce the temperature and cook the roast until it’s cooked through. Since the beef used is a tender cut and weighs two pounds I reduce the temperature to 360F and cook for about 30 minutes until the internal temperature is 140F.
I want my roast beef cooked to medium and I aim for a temperature of 145F after resting.
Roast Beef Temperature Chart
| Rare | 125℉ |
| Medium rare | 135℉ |
| Medium | 145℉ |
| Well Done | 155℉ |
How Long To Cook Air Fryer Beef Roast
I normally air fry roast beef for 20 minutes per one pound of roast. So, it’s about 40 minutes for 2 pounds of beef, including the searing time(cooking the roast at a high temperature for 10 minutes).
Check the temperature every 5 minutes at the end of cooking so you don’t overcook the roast. The timings may vary according to the size of the Air fryer and the roast. Take these as a guide and adjust from there.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Roast Beef
Rest for 10 minutes to let the muscle fibers settle and juices to reabsorb before carving against the grain.
Serve roast beef with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and gravy for a special occasion or as a celebratory meal.
Since roast beef goes well with potatoes as a side dish, you can also serve them with Air fryer potato dishes like these Air Fryer Roast Potatoes or Air Fryer Baby Potatoes. Or try any of the delicious vegetables in the Air fryer in our Air Fryer Recipe Collection for a keto, low-carb meal.
Use the roast beef slices for roast beef sandwiches or in wraps for a quick and delicious lunch.
How To Store/Reheat Roast Beef
Store leftover beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days.
Reheat them in the air fryer at 360F for a few minutes until warm. Roast beef tends to dry out when reheated. You can brush the beef with some oil or add a splash of water to keep it moist and juicy.
You can freeze the roast beef in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat frozen roast beef it’s better to let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Garlic Steak Bites
- Air Fryer Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Shrimp
Check out my Air Fryer Recipe Collection for more Air fryer recipes.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 2 pound beef roast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3½ tbsp Montreal steak spice
- ½ tsp steak seasoning
Instructions
- Take the beef roast out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature, ideally about 30 mins.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the beef roast dry with paper towels.
- Brush the roast with olive oil. Sprinkle with Montreal steak spice and press to coat. Sprinkle steak seasoning on the beef roast. Make sure you coat the entire joint with the seasonings.
- Place the seasoned beef in the Air fryer. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 360F. Air fry beef roast for 30 minutes. Turn the beef halfway through the cooking time.
- Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. For medium, it should be 140F. Since the temperature of the roast beef will continue to rise as it rests, you want to remove the beef from Air fryer 4, 5 degrees below your preferred temperature (level of doneness).
- Remove the roast beef from the air fryer and cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.
Notes
- Store leftover beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days.
- Reheat them in the air fryer at 360F for a few minutes until warm. Roast beef tends to dry out when reheated. You can brush the beef with some oil or add a splash of water to keep it moist and juicy.
- You can freeze the roast beef in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat frozen roast beef it’s better to let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
