This Air Fryer Ribeye Steak soaks in my mom’s savory marinade of Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar, rosemary, and a splash of hot sauce, then cooks in under 15 minutes at 400°F with a pat of butter on top. You get a juicy, well-seared steakhouse dinner at home with no grill to light and no smoky skillet to scrub.
I know what you’re thinking. What kind of crazy person cooks an expensive cut of beef like a ribeye steak in an air fryer? The crazy smart kind, that’s who!
Air fried steak gets a great sear on the outside and stays juicy inside, just like a steak off the grill or out of a cast iron skillet. We’ve already proven it with our Air Fryer Filet Mignon, Air Fryer Steak Kabobs, and Air Fryer Steak Bites with garlic butter sauce, and this ribeye fits right in with the rest of them.
My mom makes the perfect steak marinade, and it’s what we use for these ribeyes. It’s a simple mix of pantry staples like Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar, and herbs, and it seasons the steak all the way through instead of just the outside. Short on time? You can skip it and just season the outside.
Ribeye is a great cut for the air fryer because all that marbling keeps it rich and juicy at high heat. There’s no grill to fire up on a cold night and no greasy stovetop to wipe down after dinner.
Grab your meat thermometer and check out the times and temps chart below. We put that chart together by cooking these ribeyes in our own air fryer, so it’s a reliable place to start whether you like your steak rare or well done.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Air Fryer Recipe
Steakhouse flavor without the grill. The air fryer gives ribeye a browned, savory crust while the inside stays tender and juicy.
Mostly hands-off. The marinade takes a few minutes to stir together, and the steaks only need one flip.
Easy to plan ahead. Mix the marinade in the morning, and the steaks are ready to cook by dinnertime.
Ingredient Notes:
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Ribeye steaks. Look for boneless ribeyes about 1 inch thick with plenty of marbling. Those streaks of fat are flavor, and they’re what make ribeye so juicy. The times in this post are based on 1-inch steaks, so lean on your thermometer if yours are thicker or thinner.
Marinade – This marinade is optional but we love the savory flavor it adds to the ribeye steak. To prepare it you’ll need hot water, kosher salt, oil, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, black pepper, hot sauce, oregano, and rosemary. Feel free to add any other fresh herbs like thyme, or other seasonings such as garlic powder or onion powder.
Butter and parsley. A pat of butter melting over the steak while it rests is the steakhouse finish. Salted butter or a garlic herb butter both work, and the parsley adds a little color.
How to Cook Steak in Air Fryer:
Mix the Marinade – Stir the hot water and salt together in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish until the salt dissolves. Then stir in the oil, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper, hot sauce, oregano, and rosemary.
Marinate the Steaks – Add the ribeyes, turn to coat, and seal or cover. Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Beef takes longer to soak up a marinade than chicken or pork, so the longer end of that window gives you the most flavor.
Pat Dry and Load the Basket – About 30 minutes before cooking, take the steaks out of the fridge and out of the marinade, pat them dry, and let them come to room temperature. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, spritz the basket with oil, and lay the steaks in a single layer. Cook them one at a time if they don’t both fit.
Air Fry and Rest – Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, flipping once, until the steaks reach your preferred doneness. Tent with foil, rest for 5 minutes, then top with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of parsley.
Short on time? Skip the Marinade!
No time to marinate? Skip it and season the steaks generously with your favorite steak seasoning blend, then air fry them the same way. And if you plan to marinate longer than 8 hours, cut back on the salt in the marinade, since the steak gets saltier the longer it sits.
How to Tell when Steaks are Done:
The easiest way to know when your steak is done is a meat thermometer. It works the same as on the grill or the stovetop, and it’s the only way to be sure without cutting into the meat.
Follow the guide below to get perfectly cooked air fried steak every time!
- Rare: 120°–125° (10 minutes)
- Medium Rare: 130°–135° (12 minutes)
- Medium: 140°–145° (14 minutes)
- Medium Well: 150°–155° (16 minutes)
- Well Done: 160°–165° (17 minutes)
The times are for cooking a 1 inch thick ribeye steak at 400 degrees in the air fryer. Your air fryer may cook differently than ours so these are just estimates. You should verify with a meat thermometer to cook your steak just the way you like.
Meat Thermometer
We use and love this ThermoPro meat thermometer anytime we’re making chicken, steak, or pork chops! It’s the easiest way to ensure meat is cooked to the perfect temperature every time and is a great gift for beginner cooks too!
Recipe Tips!
Don’t forget that your air fryer may not cook quite the same as a different model, even if both are set at the same temperature. The size of the basket and the air flow make a difference too so make sure to use that meat thermometer!
Let it rest. Giving the steak 5 minutes under foil lets the juices settle back into the meat, so they end up in each bite instead of all over the cutting board.
Pat it dry. Extra marinade on the surface steams instead of browning, so a quick pat with paper towels gets you a better crust.
Give the steaks room. The hot air needs to move around each steak to brown it. If your basket is on the smaller side, cook them one at a time.
Thickness matters. These times are for 1-inch ribeyes. Thinner steaks cook faster, so start checking the temperature early.
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