Air Fryer Garlic Steak Bites
There’s nothing better than pulling perfectly juicy steak bites out of the air fryer in under 20 minutes with a crisp golden crust. These garlic steak bites have become a weeknight staple in our house because they come together so fast and taste like something way fancier than they actually are.
Easy Air Fryer Garlic Steak Bites
One more reason to love my air fryer: these easy garlic steak bites. I’m still blown away by how tender and juicy steak turns out in there when it’s seasoned well.
These steak bites are seasoned with garlic powder and a simple spice mix, air fried until golden, then tossed in a garlic chili butter. So good. Since we’re not marinating the meat, we season before frying and then toss everything in that garlic butter right after.
They cook fast too. I go 10 to 12 minutes for well-done bites with a nice crisp outside and a tender, juicy inside. You can pull them earlier for medium-rare or medium, whatever you like.
Serve the steak bites with crispy air fried potatoes for a full meal, or pile them on a bed of salad. They also make a great appetizer for any occasion. Since they’re bite sized, kids love them and you won’t be cutting up steak at the table.
Ingredients
- Steak – Sirloin, ribeye or New York strip all work well. Sirloin is my go-to, but honestly I use whatever’s on sale. Just look for a cut with a bit of marbling, since that fat is what keeps the meat juicy. Any cut will do fine in the air fryer, so go with your favorite.
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Soy sauce
- Butter
- Red chili flakes
- Garlic powder
- Minced garlic
- Parsley
How To Make Steak Bites In The Air Fryer
This one really couldn’t be easier. Here’s how it goes:
- Cut the steak into bite sized pieces, about 1 to 1.5 inch cubes.
- In a mixing bowl, toss the steak with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and soy sauce.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Arrange the steak in a single layer in the basket.
- Air fry to your desired doneness.
- While the steak cooks, melt the butter in a pan. Add the minced garlic and red chili flakes.
- Saute until the garlic turns golden, then toss the cooked steak through the garlic butter until well coated.
- Serve warm with a scatter of chopped parsley.
Steak Bites Cooking Time
Use these temperatures as your guide:
- Medium-Rare – 135°F
- Medium – 145°F
- Well-Done – 160°F
For medium or medium-rare, start checking at 4 minutes, then shake the basket and check every minute after that. For well-done, plan on about 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Preheat the air fryer. Give it 5 minutes to heat up first.
- Keep the steak in a single layer and don’t crowd the basket. Cook in batches if you need to.
- Want it medium or medium-rare? Cut the steak into slightly bigger pieces, watch the timing closely, and use a meat thermometer to be sure.
These will be great with a side of crispy potatoes, fluffy mashed potatoes or some Hasselback sweet potatoes. For something low in carb creamy mashed cauliflower will be perfect!
Add an extra side of veggies with Air fryer Carrots, Air fryer Brussel Sprouts , Air fryer Broccoli or Skillet Green Beans.
More Air Fryer Recipes For You:
Air Fryer Side Dishes:
- Air Fryer Crispy Roast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Best Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Perfect Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli
Air Fryer Desserts and Snacks:
Air Fryer Chicken:
Recipe
Air Fryer Steak Bites With Garlic Butter
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound steak (sirloin, ribeye, NY strip or your favorite cut)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cut the steak into bite sized pieces, about 1 to 1.5 inch cubes.
- In a mixing bowl, toss the steak with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and soy sauce.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Arrange the steak in a single layer in the basket.
- Air fry to your desired doneness, using the temperature and time guide below. Shake the basket halfway through.Medium-Rare – 135°F: about 4 to 6 minutesMedium – 145°F: about 6 to 8 minutesWell-Done – 160°F: about 10 to 12 minutesStart checking at the low end of the range and use a meat thermometer to nail your exact doneness, since cube size and air fryer model will shift the timing a bit.
- While the steak cooks, melt the butter in a pan. Add the minced garlic and red chili flakes and saute until the garlic turns golden.
- Toss the cooked steak through the garlic butter until well coated. Serve warm with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Storage: store cooked steak bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: freeze uncooked steak bites in their marinade for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes in the air fryer.
- Meal prep or make ahead: undercook the bites slightly so they finish perfectly when reheated.
Nutrition
Save This Recipe!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Made a sauce with Greek yogurt, horseradish & finely minced onion to dip them in. YUM!
That sauce sounds so delish LuAnne!
Hello my name is Anna I tried this recipe for my husband & I , I used Ribeye steaks followed the recipe but I did add a Lil (no salt garlic& herb seasoning) & I also reduced the salt & pepper by half & im glad i did…I think next time I’ll use no salt & use maybe 1/4 tsp pepper or none til the end, it was extremely good& tender But it was too salty & the pepper I did use was even too much, other then that I loved how easy this was & tender & juicy , I’ve pan cooked these steaks before & they were tough & we did not care for them that way but by air frying for only 6 minutes it took the toughness completely away they were perfect.. honestly I’m making again soon just for us I’m eliminating the salt & pepper I think the low salt soy is plenty with the red pepper flakes- if I need any s&p I’ll add before I eat. Thank you for sharing this recipe
You’re welcome Anna. I’m glad you like it. Soy sauce is plenty enough for a low sodium option.
This was delicious. Both of my kids loved it and it’s now a once a week meal!
I’m glad to hear that Danae. My kids love them too!