Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak (Printable)

Tender steak bites coated in garlic-butter sauce, cooked to perfection in the air fryer.

# What You Need:

→ Steak

01 - 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

→ Garlic-Butter Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
07 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
02 - In a bowl, toss steak cubes with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
03 - Place the steak cubes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
04 - Air fry for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the steak reaches desired doneness (medium-rare at 4 minutes, medium at 6 minutes).
05 - While the steak cooks, combine melted butter, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
06 - Immediately transfer cooked steak bites to a bowl and toss with the garlic-butter sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Serve hot, optionally garnished with additional parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready from stovetop to table in 18 minutes, no resting anxiety or babysitting required.
  • The steak turns out impossibly tender every time, and the garlic-butter clings to each bite like it was made for that moment.
  • Works as an appetizer with toothpicks or stretches into a full dinner over rice, so one recipe solves multiple meal problems.
  • Gluten-free and low-carb, which means no guilt and no complicated substitutions.
02 -
  • The steak keeps cooking for about 30 seconds after you pull it from the air fryer, so pull it slightly before you think it's ready—medium-rare especially will push to medium if you wait.
  • Don't skip the garlic-butter sauce or make it ahead; it needs to hit the hot steak immediately so it absorbs instead of sliding off.
  • If your steak cubes are different sizes, the smaller ones will finish before the larger ones—cutting them uniform actually matters this time.
03 -
  • Don't crowd the air fryer basket—if you need to double the recipe, work in two batches so each cube gets the hot-air treatment it deserves.
  • Fresh garlic minced by hand tastes noticeably better than pre-minced; it takes 30 seconds and the difference is real.
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