These Juicy Air Fryer Steak Bites are mouth-wateringly scrumptious. Full of flavor, you’ll love the savory taste and great texture of these tender steak bites.
If you’re looking for the perfect side, this steak pairs great with our air fryer brussels sprouts and air fryer broccoli.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
If you’re a steak lover, you have got to try these Air Fryer Steak Bites. They have the most delicious chew and just enough crisp on the outside to make them addictively good.
- TASTE: These Air Fryer Steak Bites are so flavorful. First they’re marinaded to up the flavor, then they’re drizzled with an Asian-inspired sauce that is sweet, salty, and spicy.
- TEXTURE: This steak dish is tender, crisp, and super juicy. The sauce is thick and keeps the meat extra moist.
- TIME: You’ll need to marinate it for 3 hours, but it only takes 18 minute to prep and cook.
- EASE: This steak is so easy to make. These step-by-step photos show you how simple this delicious meal can be.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Steak- You can use any steak you like, but NY strip and Ribeye work best because of their marbling, which keeps the steak bites tender and juicy.
- Garlic- Use fresh cloves to infuse the marinade and sauce with flavor.
- Soy sauce- This is the base of the sauce and marinade. It adds salty, umami flavor.
- Brown sugar- For a touch of sweetness to counterbalance the salty.
- Olive oil- This helps the steak crisp.
- Cornstarch- This helps to thicken the marinade into a sauce.
- Red pepper flakes- For a touch of heat.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute another marinade- This soy sauce marinade is delicious, but you can use any that you prefer. Try one with Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, or red wine.
- Make this with other proteins- You can also cut up chicken breasts, pork loin, ahi tuna, tofu, or other steak cuts like sirloin and make this air fryer recipe. Adjust cook times for each protein.
- Use a different sauce- Use steak sauce, a red wine reduction, Homemade BBQ Sauce, or bechamel sauce on your steak bites.
- Add other seasonings- Make this with lemon pepper seasoning, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, ancho chile powder, salt, or paprika.
How to Make Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Make the sauce and marinade. Combine the soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes in a measuring cup. Then, pour half in a saucepan and keep the other half for the marinade.
- Thicken the sauce. Add 3/4 cup of room-temperature water to the saucepan. Take out a few tablespoons of liquid to be mixed with cornstarch, then add it back in. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for 5-8 minutes until it has thickened.
- Cut and marinate the steak. Cut about 1 1/2 lbs. of steak into pieces that are 1-2 inches thick. Place them in a ziplock bag with the marinade and then let them sit for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Cook. Place the steak bites in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve. Drizzle with sauce and then serve with your favorite sides.
Pro Tip: When cooking these in the air fryer, make sure to spread them out in the basket to give the hot air room to circulate and crisp all sides of the steak and evenly cook it.
Recipe Tips
- Use the right cut of meat- To avoid chewy or tough steak bites, make sure you choose a cut of steak that is tender. Some marbling also ensures juiciness. Ribeye and NY strip steak work best here.
- Marinate for optimal flavor- Don’t forget the marinade because it adds so much flavor, not just to the outside of the steak, but inside, too.
- Don’t overcrowd– Make sure there is enough room so that each steak bite gets thoroughly cooked and has a chance to develop a slight crust.
- Preheat the air fryer- To avoid steaming these Air Fryer Steak Tips, preheat the air fryer so when the meat goes in, it gets cooked with hot air and develops an outer crust.
FAQs
Absolutely, you can cook raw steak in an air fryer. These steak bites are marinated for hours, then placed in the air fryer basket and cooked for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium. You can also cook them a little shorter or longer, depending on the level of doneness you prefer.
The best kind of air fryer to use for this recipe is the oven kind. The oven air fryer mimics an oven with its racks and cooks the steak bites better than a traditional basket-type air fryer would.
The best steak to use for this recipe is Ribeye or NY Strip. These cuts of meat are tender and also contain some marbling, which is fat that melts and keeps the steak juicy and flavorful. Avoid tougher cuts like Chuck or the pieces used for pot roasts or braised beef because they become chewy as they slow-cook.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe for Air Fryer Steak Bites is versatile and perfect for serving with other dishes. Enjoy it with sides like vegetables and potatoes, or with rice and salad.
- Potatoes: Serve this steak dish with some Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes, or Crispy Air Fryer French Fries.
- Vegetables: Enjoy it with some Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, or Zucchini Fritters.
- Rice: Serve these air fryer steak bites over a bed of Wild Rice, Hibachi Fried Rice, Wild Brown Rice, or Quinoa Fried Rice.
- Salad: Pair this steak with a Couscous Salad, Asian Chicken Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or Eggplant Salad.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Because this steak needs to marinate for hours, prep it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight. Then cook it when you’re ready.
Storing: Store any leftovers of these Air Fryer Steak Bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or put them right back in the air fryer to get that crisp crust back.
Freeze: Freeze these in a freezer ziplock bag once they have cooled. Flash freeze them on a sheet pan individually first to avoid them all sticking together in a frozen mound. They will last up to 3 months.
More Delicious Air Fryer Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Air Fryer Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb New York strip steak or ribeye (do not use chuck)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
Make the sauce + marindae
- Start off by making the marinade and sauce. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes in a measuring cup. Then pour half of this mixture into a small saucepan and reserve the other half for the marinade.
- In the saucepan, add 3/4 cups of room temperature water and take out a few tablespoons and combine them with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Once that’s mixed, pour it back into the sauce. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Now cut up 1 1/2 lb of steak meat (like ribeye or New York strip). Do NOT use pot roasting meat like chuck or the steak bites will be too tough. You want the steak bites to be about 1-2 inches thick.
- Now place the meat in a ziplock bag along with the reserved marinade and let it marinate in the fridge for about 3 hours or overnight.
- Then preheat your air fryer to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit and cook the steak bites on the basket for about 8 minutes.
- Serve the thickened sauce over the steak bites along with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd– Make sure there is enough room so that each steak bite gets thoroughly cooked and has a chance to develop a slight crust.
- Marinate for optimal flavor- Don’t forget the marinade because it adds so much flavor, not just to the outside of the steak, but inside, too.
- Use the right cut of meat- To avoid chewy or tough steak bites, make sure you choose a cut of steak that is tender. Some marbling also ensures juiciness. Ribeye and NY strip steak work best here.
Nutrition
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Carol says
I’ve made these several times and they are so easy and delicious! Be careful not to overlook.
Dina says
Hi Carol 🙂 Happy to hear you have made these steak bites several times already! Definitely don’t want to overcook the meat 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Carol S says
So easy and delicious. I’ve made this quite a few times and have fine-tuned the recipe for our taste. I make the marinade but not the extra sauce; not needed in our opinion. Also, I find 8 minutes to be too long to cook. I cook my husband’s for 5 ½ minutes and mine for about 6 ½. I like my steak medium, and he, medium rare.
Dina says
Hi Carol 🙂 So happy to hear you and your husband loved this air fryer steak bites recipe! Always ok to adjust recipes per preference 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy from my food blog! 🙂
Kristina says
So delicious!! Whole family loved it and asked for more! Served with white rice and boiled broccoli!:) Thank you for all your great recipes!!
Dina says
Thank you so much, Kristina! I really appreciate you taking the time to write your feedback! 🙂 I’m so thrilled that your family loved the air fryer steak bites 🙂