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My air fryer steak bites recipe is the best way to enjoy juicy, perfectly cooked steak bites in under 20 minutes! Served with a cowboy butter dipping sauce, these steak bites are irresistibly flavorful and tender.
Air Fried Steak Bites
Whether it's on an appetizer tray at a game day party or a dinner plate with potato wedges for Sunday supper, I can't get enough of these air fryer steak bites!
Tender, bite-sized pieces of steak, cooked to perfection and served with flavorful seasoned better. Could it get any better than that?
Well, yes! By using the air fryer! Air frying steak bites makes every step even easier. I can't wait to share my recipe with you!
Jump to:
- Air Fried Steak Bites
- Steak Bites Ingredients
- Air Frying Steak Bites Instructions
- Steak Bites Seasoning Variations
- Stove Top Steak Bites
- Sauces to Serve with Steak
- Isabel's Air Fryer
- How Long to Cook Steak Bites
- Steak Bites in the Air Fryer Tips
- How to Store Cooked Steak
- Marinated Steak Bites FAQ
- Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Reviews
Steak Bites Ingredients
- Lean Steak: In my experience, top sirloin steak, New York strip steak, tri-tip, ribeye, and London broil are the best steaks for steak bites. These nice, lean cuts cook up well without lots of fatty bits that take longer cook times that don't work well for small cuts of steak!
- Olive Oil: You'll want to use a cooking oil like olive oil or vegetable oil instead of cooking spray. Because these are cooked in the air fryer, cooking spray can damage the nonstick!
- Cowboy Butter: My favorite dip for steak bites ever! I've included the recipe for this tangy, spicy butter for steak that frankly, I can't get enough of!
Cowboy Butter Ingredients
- Salted Butter: I tend to use salted butter for this sauce, but you can use unsalted butter and just add extra salt.
- Lemon Zest: Use the zest from your juicing lemon! Just get that yellow upper layer, and not the white pith.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice has so much more flavor than bottled, and I highly recommend it. It adds an incredible sour tang to this sauce!
- Garlic Powder: The milder, slightly sweeter flavor of garlic powder is just perfect in cowboy butter. Avoid fresh garlic, because you'll be tossing the steak bites with the butter before cooking, and garlic burns easily.
- Red Pepper Flakes: The hot bite of red pepper flakes will simmer into this sauce to give it heat without overpowering the other flavors.
- Salt: Adjust the amount of salt to your tastes depending on if you're using salted butter or not! I prefer kosher salt or sea salt flakes for the better flavor.
- Black Pepper: I prefer freshly cracked black pepper for the more distinct heat!
- Dijon Mustard: Mustard adds a little bit of extra zing that really carries all the rest of the flavors in the sauce. If you want, you can use honeycup mustard, too.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce and steak go together like eggs and bacon. If you don't have any, a little steak sauce or soy sauce will do!
- Parsley: Fresh parsley is the perfect garnish, but you can skip this if you don't have any.
Isabel's Top Tip
Add extra seasonings as you see fit! Cowboy butter is delicious with onion powder, smoked paprika, fresh herbs, Cajun seasoning, and even a bit of brown sugar for sweetness. Adjust it to be just the flavor you're looking for!
Air Frying Steak Bites Instructions
1: Make the Sauce
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. While it's preheating, melt the butter, then add all cowboy butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Take the steak out of the fridge to let come to room temperature.
2: Prepare the Steak
Pat the steak dry with paper towels, and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Add the steak cubes to a large bowl, then add in 3 Tablespoons of cowboy butter and toss well. Reserve the rest of the cowboy butter, and don't cross-contaminate!
3: Prepare the Air Fryer
Lay a layer of aluminum foil down at the bottom of the air fryer basket or tray, and wipe with oil. Don't spray it; spray oil damages nonstick! Then spread out the steak bites so none are touching. If they don't all fit, cook them in batches.
4: Cook the Steak Bites
Air fry your steak bites at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, depending on desired level of doneness. I like nicely pink medium-rare steak, so I cooked mine for 10 minutes!
5: Reduce the Sauce
While the steak is cooking, pour the cowboy butter into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the steak is done, about 15 minutes.
6: Garnish and Serve!
Sprinkle the steak bites with parsley, then serve with cowboy butter for dipping and enjoy!
Steak Bites Seasoning Variations
Stove Top Steak Bites
No air fryer? No problem. Bust out your heaviest skillet (or even dutch oven!) and let's get cooking. Delicious steak doesn't need to be limited to just one cooking method! Check out my full Garlic Butter Steak Bites recipe for stove-top instructions!
Sauces to Serve with Steak
- Au Jus - use the juices collected in the foil for au jus!
- Red Wine Reduction - A true classic for steak.
- Foolproof Bearnaise Sauce - a French traditional sauce, made easier than ever.
- Lemon Butter Sauce - This creamy sauce is much like the cowboy butter, but with less heat and more creamy tang!
- Honey Garlic Sauce - For an Asian twist, try this sticky-sweet honey garlic sauce!
Isabel's Air Fryer
It's amazing what you can cook with an air fryer! I love mine and highly recommend it. It even has a steaming function to re-hydrate stale bread!
photo courtesy of Our Place
How Long to Cook Steak Bites
The cooking time is going to depend both on how well done you like your steak, and what size the steak bites are! If you let them come to room temperature before cooking them or not will also change the time, as well as if you have a toaster oven style or fry basket style air fryer.
The best way to tell is simply to check the internal temperature of the beef after about 7 minutes using a meat thermometer, and judge from there! I've included my handy steak temperature chart to help you achieve just the level of doneness you're looking for.
Steak Bites in the Air Fryer Tips
- Always preheat your air fryer! This is the best way to ensure crispy steak bites in the air fryer.
- Don't use spray oil! Spray oil contains a compound that slowly degrades the nonstick coating on air fryers. Instead, wipe the foil down with a little oil on a paper towel.
- Let the steak come to room temperature before you put them in the air fryer! This will ensure the most even cooking, and reduce the chance of the outside browning too much before the inside comes to temperature.
- Always check the internal temperature of meat with a meat thermometer. I like to check my steak bites at about the 7-8 minute mark to make sure they don't accidentally overcook. If any smaller pieces are already at temperature, take them out early so they don't overcook.
- For extra flavor, try my steak seasoning! Or use your favorite steak seasoning mix.
How to Store Cooked Steak
Steak is always at its best the same day it's cooked, but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
To best reheat steak, I highly recommend melting butter in a pan and popping the cubes in over medium heat. Let them sizzle before serving them up with extra dip. This can help refresh the juicy crust and tenderness! The microwave tends to do a fairly poor job reheating steak.
You can also air fry the steak bites for about 3-5 minutes to reheat.
Marinated Steak Bites FAQ
My favorite cut of steak for steak bites will always be top sirloin! The meat is incredibly tender and lean, with little fat or connective tissue. You can also make air fryer filet mignon steak bites, or slice all the fat off of a New York strip steak.
I like to serve my steak bites with other poppable treats like baked potato wedges, fingerling potatoes, or of course the classic asparagus! But to make the best use of the delicious sauce, I highly recommend serving them up with pasta or rice to soak up leftover cowboy butter.
Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Pork Ribs
- Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fried Shrimp
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
Air Fryer Steak Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Sirloin steak
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- Cowboy Butter sauce
Cowboy Butter Ingredients
- 1 stick Salted butter - melted
- 1 Tbsp. Lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp. Garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
- ½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Parsley - freshly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. While it's preheating, melt the butter, then add all cowboy butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Take the steak out of the fridge to let come to room temperature.1 stick Salted butter,1 Tbsp. Lemon zest,1 Tbsp. Lemon juice,½ tsp. Garlic powder,¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes,½ tsp. Sea salt,½ tsp. Black pepper,½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard,½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels, and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Add the steak cubes to a large bowl, then add in 3 Tablespoons of cowboy butter and toss well. Reserve the rest of the cowboy butter, and don't cross-contaminate!1 lb Sirloin steak,Cowboy Butter sauce
- Lay a layer of aluminum foil down at the bottom of the air fryer basket or tray, and wipe with oil. Don't spray it; spray oil damages nonstick! Then spread out the steak bites so none are touching. If they don't all fit, cook them in batches.1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- Air fry your steak bites at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, depending on desired level of doneness. I like nicely pink medium-rare steak, so I cooked mine for 10 minutes!
- While the steak is cooking, pour the cowboy butter into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the steak is done, about 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle the steak bites with parsley, then serve with cowboy butter for dipping and enjoy!1 Tbsp. Parsley
Notes
-
- Always preheat your air fryer!
-
- Don't use spray oil! Spray oil contains a compound that slowly degrades the nonstick coating on air fryers. Instead, wipe the foil down with a little oil on a paper towel.
-
- Let the steak come to room temperature before you put them in the air fryer! This will ensure the most even cooking, and reduce the chance of the outside browning too much before the inside comes to temperature.
-
- Always check the internal temperature of meat with a meat thermometer. I like to check my steak bites at about the 7-8 minute mark to make sure they don't accidentally overcook. If any smaller pieces are already at temperature, take them out early so they don't overcook.
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- For extra flavor, try my steak seasoning linked above! Or use your favorite steak seasoning mix.
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