No matter how you like your steak, making a sirloin in the air fryer is the quickest and easiest way to enjoy them. With just a few ingredients and a few minutes, you’ll be savoring a tender and juicy steak.
I have had my air fryer for a little over a year now (update: I am now on my second air fryer and using this air fryer model), and I keep being amazed by the awesome things I am enjoying with it.
My latest discovery is air-fried sirloin steaks. I would normally never make steak indoors. I tend to enjoy them much more when cooked on the grill. The problem with that is that I live in the northeast and during the winter months it just isn’t practical to be outside grilling.
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I had a huge craving for steak when I was grocery shopping the other day. They looked so good sitting there staring at me from behind the butcher counter. I remember seeing a mention of steak being able to be cooked in my air fryer’s manual, so I knew it was possible and thought, “what the heck, I’ll give it a shot!”
I was not disappointed. I think sirloin steaks are, hands down, my most favorite thing cooked in the air fryer yet. They turned out so tender and juicy!
Sirloin Steaks Cooked in the Air Fryer
There really wasn’t much prepping for this recipe. I did pull them out of the fridge about an hour before cooking, so they could reach room temperature before cooking.
The only ingredients you will need are:
(2) 6-8 oz sirloin steaks
Olive oil
Sea salt
Coarse pepper
I began by preheating my air fryer for 3 minutes at 400°F.
Next, I brushed on olive oil and rubbed in sea salt and coarse pepper on one side of the meat, then I did the same to the other side until both steaks were well coated and seasoned.
I placed the steaks in the air fryer several inches apart and set the timer for 13 minutes. My steaks were very thick and I wanted them to be medium-rare. If your steaks are not as thick or you like your steaks with less pink, you will want to adjust your time accordingly. A good rule of thumb is:
For 1 inch thickness:
Rare: 5 min
Medium-Rare: 7 min
Medium: 10 min
Medium-Well: 13 min
Well: 15 min
For 1½ inch thickness:
Rare: 7 min
Medium-Rare: 10 min
Medium: 13 min
Medium-Well: 15 min
Well: 17 min
For 2 inch thickness:
Rare: 9 min
Medium-Rare: 13 min
Medium: 15 min
Medium-Well: 17 min
Well: 19 min
Medium Sirloin Steak
The cooking times are approximate and will depend on the cut of steak and your air fryer. According to the Certified Angus Beef website, the following is a degree of doneness temperature guide:
Rare: 125°F
Medium Rare: 135°F
Medium: 145°F
Medium Well: 150°F
Well: 160°F
You will need to flip the steaks over halfway through the cooking process.
Once finished, let them rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Orange Honey Pork Tenderloin
Air Fryer Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Air Fryer Glazed Pork Chops
Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Meatballs
Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
I know you will enjoy this quick and easy air fryer method for cooking your sirloin steaks as much as I do.
Did you try air-fried sirloin steaks? Let me know in the comments below.
Air Fryer Sirloin Steak
Ingredients
- 2 6-8 ounce sirloin steaks
- 2 tsp olive oil
- sea salt & coarse pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400° for 3 minutes.
- Brush on olive oil and rub in the salt and pepper on one side of the steak. Flip over and repeat.
- Place in the air fryer basket and cook for 13 minutes for medium-rare (adjust time according to thickness and desired doneness). Flip steak over halfway through cooktime.
- Remove from basket and let steak sit for 5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired, and enjoy.
Very easy. Appreciated the cooking times for different degrees of “doneness”.
Thanks Mark, I am glad it was helpful!
I didn’t see a chart for different times for rare or medium. Not trying the easiest to start with. I have 2 London broils and 2 very thick slabs of sirloin steak. I already put them in a marinade before going out to see what to do with them. I have a new stove that has the air fry feature. It doesn’t broil worth a diddly squat so I thought I am going to try the air fryer. For an oven air fryer it looks like 400 degrees for 10 minutes should come out medium rare.
Great recipe, turned out perfect!
So glad to hear that! :)
Amazon link to your air fryer model is broken.
Thanks for the heads up.
Steak turned out perfect. Delicious. This is the best & oh so simple recipe for air fryer steak I have tried. This will be my “go to” from now on. Thank you!
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
This recipe is fabulous! It is 18 degrees outside and too cold to grill outside. I decided to look for a recipe for sirloin steak in the air fryer and this one was perfect! Thank you for including the different times for doneness and thickness. It was very helpful. I think our steak tonight was the tastiest and juiciest steak I’ve ever made!
I am so glad to hear this! Thank you for sharing your feedback :)
My appliance lets me choose air fry, air roast or air broil.
So, which is it?
Thanks!
Air fry :)
Recipe doesn’t say to set on air fryer, grill or bake.
Hi Rhonda, step 3 on the recipe card states, “Place in the air fryer basket and cook for 13 minutes for medium-rare (adjust time according to thickness and desired doneness). Flip steak over halfway through cooktime.” I hope that clears up any confusion.
Trying this out tonight. Balsalmic and a montreal steak spice plain.
This was absolutely wonderful, flavorful and tender. thank you for sharing.
I am so glad you enjoyed it!:)
Fantastic and simple it’s the only 1 I use now.
AAA++
trying tonight!!! I was going to cube my steak. Do you think that is a bad idea???
OMGoodness, I just made these, but I seasoned em with some Allegro, instead of just the salt n pepper, n it’s scrumptious!! Also I had to double the cooking time, cuz mine were thick cut sirloin steaks, but tysm for sharing this recipe, God bless!!
I adore my air fryer, though determining the right times and temperatures for meats has been a bit of trial and error. I’m so grateful for your guidance! I air-fried two 8oz, one-inch-thick sirloin steaks using your suggested time and temperature for medium-rare, and they turned out perfectly!
Game changer for dinner! Our family loves red meat but my husband is not always home to put the meat on the grill. I looked up sirloin steak in the air fryer and this recipe popped up! WOW! My kids couldn’t tell the meat wasn’t cooked on the grill. It was so incredibly tender. And thank you SO much for the thickness and times in the air fryer. My oldest son likes it more pink as where my youngest likes his a little more well done. The times were perfect!
Can’t even rate it yet. I’m quite upset right now. I have a phenomenal air fryer..
I regret taking the advice on here to “preheat for 4mins”. That just blew out the right side fryer & embers were all over when I opened it, as well as it going up in thick smoke. My throat is on fire because of the smoke immediately going straight up my nose & to the back of my throat. Now I can’t even continue to the actual cooking the steak in the air fryer part, that I’ve been waiting like 7 hours to eat now.
Not happy about this. At all.
Wow! Never heard of that happening when preheating.
Most air fryers that I know of preheat to desired temperature on their own and notifies when ready.
I hope you contacted the manufacturer of your fryer, informed them of issue and they made some effort to please you! Could be a recall issue in the making.
Does the cook time change for steaks that are 1 and 3/4 think 6 oz? Thanks
Never mind my silly question about thickness and time I see you have all the info above. Got so excited just went to the recipe! Can’t wait to try it just based on the great reviews. Thank you!
Turned out perfect thanks for all the info.😉
Hi even the steak was cooked at right temperature and resting for seven minutes, there was still ‘blood ‘ on the plate
Also how do I sear a steak in the airfryer?
Thank you 😊