These air fryer steak bites with mushrooms and garlic butter are absolutely delicious. If you love steak, this is the perfect snack for you, though they are also great as a main dish. And the best part is you can make them in around 15 minutes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This recipe is perfect for when you’re craving a juicy and tender steak but don’t want to fire up the grill. The air fryer cooks the steak bites to perfection, they are tender and juicy with a seared exterior.
With minimal prep required and a super quick cook time, this recipe for cooking steak bites in the air fryer is ideal any time you need a quick meal or a tasty snack.
Scroll down for the printable card for this steak bites air fryer recipe, or read on for all the details!
What do you need?
Quantities for all ingredients are given in the recipe card below.
Steak
The best cuts of steak for making air fryer steak bites are any tender cuts with some fat marbled. Some great options are:
- Boneless ribeye steak/ scotch fillet
- Tenderloin/ filet mignon/ eye fillet
- Steak tips/ beef tips
- Top loin/ New York strip steak
- Top sirloin steak
- Rump steak
Seasoning
This recipe uses a homemade herb garlic seasoning, but you can use another steak seasoning that you like (try Montreal steak seasoning), or keep it simple with salt and black pepper.
- Garlic: Use two cloves or a teaspoon of minced garlic. You could substitute half a teaspoon of garlic powder
- Parsley: Use finely chopped fresh parsley if you have it, though dried parsley or Italian seasoning will work in a pinch.
- Salt: use fine sea salt or kosher salt
For an easy alternative, you can use herb butter or garlic butter in place of the butter in the step below.
Butter and oil
This recipe uses olive oil for cooking the steak, and a little melted butter for flavor. Light olive oil is my oil of choice for air frying, but you can substitute another type of cooking oil if you prefer. Choose something with a high smoke point.
Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point to reduce the chance of your air fryer smoking.
Butter has a low smoke point, so it is not normally recommended to use in an air fryer as it can lead to the air fryer smoking. However, mixing it with olive oil reduces the amount that it will smoke, so it is OK to use for a recipe with a short cook time like these steak bites.
How to cook steak bites in the air fryer
This recipe is very simple to make, there are just a few key steps to getting it just right:
- Prepare steak bites. Cut the steak into 1-inch cubes or bite-sized pieces. If using mushrooms, give them a wash and pat dry, then cut into bite sized pieces. Mix the melted butter, oil, salt, garlic, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the beef cubes and mushrooms and toss to coat them thoroughly.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C. Because this recipe has a really short cooking time, it is important to preheat the air fryer before adding the steak pieces so cooking starts immediately.
- Place steak bites into the air fryer. Use tongs rather than tipping the content of the bowl in, and try not to pour any excess butter mixture into the air fryer basket, as this can lead to the air fryer smoking.
- Air fry steak bites at 400°F/ 200°C for 7-15 minutes. Shake the basket every 3-4 minutes, or gently turn the steak bites with tongs or a wooden spoon to ensure that they cook evenly.
How long to air fry steak bites
The best way to tell how well done your steak bites are is to use a meat thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the meat:
- Rare 125°F/ 52°C
- Medium-rare 130°F/ 57°C
- Medium 145°F/ 63°C
- Medium-well 150°F/ 66°C
- Well-Done: 160°F/ 71°C
If you want rare or medium rare steak bites then it is important not to overcrowd the basket, and to shake it often so they cook evenly.
Serving ideas
Air fried steak bites make a tasty main dish if you serve them with a vegetable or potato side dish. Try serving over mashed potatoes or with a side of roasted potatoes.
You can also serve them as a snack or appetizer with a dipping sauce. Try blue cheese dressing, peppercorn sauce, or steak sauce.
Tip
You can make an easy substitute for steak sauce by mixing together ¼ cup tomato ketchup and two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
Storing and reheating
Store any leftover steak bites in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days.
You can reheat leftover steak bites in the air fryer: air fry for 3-4 minutes at 400°F/200°C until warmed through.
Air Fryer Steak Bites (and Mushrooms) with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Steak Bites
- 1½ lb / 680 g steak [Note 1]
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted [Note 2])
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic [Note 3]
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
Optional Mushrooms
- ¼ lb / 115 g mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Cut the steak into cubes approximately 1 inch square and pat dry. If using mushrooms, cut them into 1 inch sized pieces.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Mix the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic and chopped parsley in a large bowl.
- Add the steak cubes and mushrooms to the bowl, and toss to coat.
- Place the seasoned steak cubes in the air fryer.
- Air fry steak bites at 390°F/ 200°C for 10-15 minutes until done to your liking [Note 4]. Shake the basket or gently flip the steak cubes with tongs once during cooking to ensure they cook evenly.
Notes
- Try tenderloin, rib eye, rump steak, sirloin or strip steak.
- Melt the butter in the microwave, approx 30 seconds on high. If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt.
- Approximately 2 cloves minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the larges bite:
- Rare 125°F/ 52°C
- Medium-rare 130°F/ 57°C
- Medium 145°F/ 63°C
- Medium-well 150°F/ 66°C
- Well-Done: 160°F/ 71°C
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
