Air Fryer Strip Steak with Roasted Garlic Butter

Picture this: a perfectly cooked strip steak, juicy and tender with a beautiful crust, topped with a melty dollop of homemade roasted garlic butter. This Air Fryer Strip Steak brings steakhouse quality right to your dinner table with minimal effort.

Your air fryer isn’t just for chicken wings and french fries! This recipe transforms your countertop appliance into a steak-cooking powerhouse. The air fryer’s high heat circulation creates a beautiful sear while cooking the inside to your preferred doneness in minutes.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick cooking time – From start to finish, your steak is ready in under 20 minutes (plus resting time)
• Foolproof method – The air fryer provides consistent results every time
• Restaurant-quality at home – The compound butter elevates a simple steak to gourmet status
• Customizable doneness – Easy to adjust cooking times for rare to well-done preferences

Ingredients

• Strip steaks: Choose well-marbled, 1 to 1½-inch thick steaks for the best flavor and texture. Let them come to room temperature before cooking for more even results.
• Unsalted butter: Forms the base of our compound butter. Using unsalted allows you to control the salt level in the final product.
• Roasted garlic: Adds sweet, mellow garlic flavor without the harshness of raw garlic. The roasting process caramelizes the garlic, creating depth of flavor.
• Fresh chives: Bring a mild onion flavor and beautiful green flecks to the compound butter. Their subtle flavor complements the steak beautifully.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Helps promote browning and creates a better crust on the exterior of the steak.
• Sea salt and black pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance the natural flavor of beef. Don’t be shy with these!

Substitutions and Additions

• Herbs: Swap chives for fresh thyme, rosemary, or parsley for different flavor profiles in your compound butter.
• Blue cheese: Add crumbled blue cheese to your compound butter for a steakhouse classic combination.
• Steak cuts: This recipe works beautifully with ribeye, filet mignon, or New York strip steaks as well. Just adjust cooking times based on thickness.
• Spices: Try adding smoked paprika, garlic powder, or a steak seasoning blend to your steaks before cooking for extra flavor.

Instructions

For the Compound Butter

Add the softened butter, roasted garlic cloves, chopped chives, and salt to a medium bowl.

Thoroughly stir the mixture until well combined, making sure the garlic cloves are broken up and evenly distributed.

Transfer the butter mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log.

Wrap the butter log tightly in the plastic wrap, twisting the ends to seal.

Refrigerate until firm and ready to use, approximately one hour.

When ready to serve, slice the chilled butter into rounds.

For the Steaks

Remove steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to come to room temperature.

Brush steaks with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 3-5 minutes. Place steaks in air fryer basket without overcrowding.

Cook for 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 130-135°F).

Remove steaks and let rest under loose foil for 5-10 minutes.

Top with slices of the roasted garlic compound butter and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness rather than relying solely on time.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket – cook in batches if needed for proper air circulation.
• Let the compound butter come to room temperature before mixing for easier incorporation of ingredients.
• The butter can be made days ahead and stored in the refrigerator or even frozen for future use.
• Rest your steak properly – this allows juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Serving Suggestions

This steak pairs wonderfully with Air Fryer Rosemary Garlic Potatoes that you can cook right after your steak rests. For a complete meal, add a side of Instant Pot Parsley Potatoes or a simple green salad with a light vinaigrette.

For a special occasion dinner, start with Herbed Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms and serve the steak with a bold red wine. The compound butter will melt beautifully over the hot steak, creating a delicious sauce.

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best results when reheating, allow steak to come to room temperature first.

To reheat without overcooking, place steak in a 275°F oven until warmed through (about 15-20 minutes). Alternatively, slice the cold steak thinly and use in sandwiches or salads.

The compound butter can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap in a log shape for easy slicing.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use frozen steaks in the air fryer? For best results, thaw steaks completely before cooking. Frozen steaks will cook unevenly and won’t develop a proper sear.

How do I know when my steak is done? Use an instant-read thermometer: 125°F for rare, 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, 155°F for medium-well, and 165°F for well-done. Remember temperature will rise 5-10 degrees during resting.

Can I make the compound butter ahead of time? Absolutely! The compound butter can be made days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, or even frozen for up to 3 months.

My air fryer is smoking. What should I do? Some smoke is normal when cooking high-fat foods like steak. If it’s excessive, try adding a tablespoon of water to the bottom of the air fryer to reduce smoke from fat drippings.

What can I do with leftover compound butter? Use it on baked potatoes, grilled vegetables, fish, or even spread on warm bread or dinner rolls.

Yield: 2-4 portions

Air Fryer Strip Steak with Roasted Garlic Butter

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Enjoy this delicious strip steak with homemade compound butter

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Ingredients

Compound Butter Ingredients:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 4-oz. stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large head roasted garlic
• 3 T. fresh chives, chopped
• ¼ t. salt

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 10-oz. strip steaks, trimmed
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. To prepare the compound butter, add the softened butter, roasted garlic cloves, chives, and salt to a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Make sure the garlic cloves are broken up and evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
2. Transfer the butter mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, as shown, and cover tightly. Refrigerate until firm and ready to use, approximately one hour.
3. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Brush with olive oil and generously season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
4. Pre-heat the air fryer to 400°F and set the timer to 8 minutes for medium rare.
5. When the air fryer is ready, add the steaks to the basket in a single layer without overcrowding. Close the lid and air fry for 4 minutes.
6. Open the lid and turn the steaks with silicon tongs. Close the lid and air fry for another 3-4 minutes or just until the steaks reach 130°F, as shown, for medium rare.
7. Remove the steaks from the air fryer and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Rest for 5-10 minutes to give the juices a chance to settle. (The internal temperature will continue to rise several degrees while the steaks rest). 
8. Serve immediately topped with some compound butter and your choice of sides.

Notes

Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness rather than relying solely on time.

Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket – cook in batches if needed for proper air circulation.

Let the compound butter come to room temperature before mixing for easier incorporation of ingredients.

The butter can be made days ahead and stored in the refrigerator or even frozen for future use.

Rest your steak properly – this allows juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 674Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 313mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 37g