Juicy Air Fryer Frozen Steak

No need to worry about thawing frozen steak when you have an air fryer. Just pop the frozen steak straight from the freezer in your air fryer for a tender, home-cooked meal in no time. Nothing beats an easy, comforting dinner like this.

Since I got my large chest freezer, I've been cooking more and more meals from frozen. It is so convenient and also budget-friendly to have a variety of options in the freezer that you can turn into a complete meal at any time. And it gets even better when you have an air fryer.  Air fryers can cook most frozen foods without the need to thaw. Besides frozen steaks, I've regularly cooked frozen chicken breast, wings, shrimp, fish, asparagus, and even butternut squash. Everything comes out as good as it was cooked from fresh.

For the full recipe and ingredients quantities, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post. While you scroll, you'll find step-by-step photos, helpful tips, serving suggestions, precise cooking times and more.

What makes this recipe perfect for family dinners

• Customizable: you can easily adjust steak doneness for everyone's preference — rare, medium, or well-done. 
• Flexible Portions: no more wasting thawed steaks, you can cook the exact number of steaks you need.
• Minimal ingredients: you can have a satisfying meal with only frozen steak, oil, salt, and seasonings. 
• Speedy dinner idea: from the freezer into your dinner plate in under 20 minutes.

Choosing the right cut of steak for air frying from frozen

You can cook any cut of steak from frozen in your air fryer. I mostly keep ribeye and New York strips in my freezer. Other cuts also work well, but I cook them less often for one reason or another.

• Ribeye: the best one to cook in the air fryer, as it has a perfect amount of fat to keep it tender, juicy, and flavorful.
• New York strip: my second-best choice after ribeye. It gets a nice sear, tender and flavorful.
• Sirloin: It is a much leaner cut than the first two cuts. It is best to cook it medium or medium-rare.
• Filet mignon: If for some reason you have this fancy cut in the freezer, you can still cook it in the air fryer. It is best when cooked to medium or medium-rare.
• Flank Steak: when cooked, it can be quite chewy. I like to use it for fajitas or make it into cubed steaks that can be also cooked from frozen.

​Can you really season frozen steak?

It can be a little tricky to season a frozen steak, since the seasoning does not stick well to frozen meat and can easily fall off. That's why it is important to season it in two steps if you love the well-seasoned steak. First, coat the frozen steak with oil and sprinkle with salt to help the seasoning stick.  Air fry the steak for the first round, then remove it from the steak and only now season it with herbs, pepper, or any other spices (if you are using any). When done, sprinkle it with a little bit of salt on top before serving.

Ingredients

• Frozen steak: Ribeye or New York strip is the best one to cook from frozen.
• Oil: olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee butter.
• Salt: season the steak before air frying and also for serving to taste.
• Seasoning: I like to use pepper, garlic powder, and dried herbs.
• Fresh rosemary (optional): it adds amazing flavor to the steak.

How to air fry frozen steak

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes to 400°F. Take out the steak from the freezer and remove any packaging. Pat it dry with some paper towels. Rub it with olive oil on both sides and season with salt (image 1).

Place the steak in the preheated air fryer basket and air fry for 10 minutes (image 2). Season it on top with a black pepper, garlic powder, or dried herbs. Flip the steak and season the other side. Place a few fresh rosemary sprigs (image 3).

Air fry for another 5 minutes at 400°F for rare, 10 minutes for medium, and 13 minutes for well done. Always use the meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches the desired doneness (image 4).

(see the paragraph below for the precise cooking times)

Optionally, add some butter on top while the steak is still hot. Let the steak rest inside the air fryer basket for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt before serving.

How to achieve the perfect steak doneness

I follow this general rule for air frying steak from frozen: cook it for 10-12 minutes at 400°F per pound of frozen steak. For thinner steaks, do 10 minutes, and for thicker cuts, go for 12 minutes. 

Below is the chart to help you with approximate cooking times based on your preferred doneness. 

For frozen steaks that are ½ to 1 inch thick

• Rare (120–125°F): Air fry for 8-14 minutes.
• Medium Rare (130–135°F): Air fry for 10-16 minutes.
• Medium (140–145°F): Air fry for 12-18 minutes.
• Medium Well (150–155°F): Air fry for 14-20 minutes.
• Well Done (160°F+): Air fry for 16-22 minutes.

For frozen steaks that are 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches thick:

• Rare (120–125°F): Air fry for 14-18 minutes.
• Medium Rare (130–135°F): Air fry for 16-20 minutes.
• Medium (140–145°F): Air fry for 18-22 minutes.
• Medium Well (150–155°F): Air fry for 20-24 minutes.
• Well Done (160°F+): Air fry for 22-26 minutes.

Note about overcooking: I tent to overcook steaks in an air fryer because once you remove them and let them rest, the temperature increases by 5-10 degrees (due to carryover cooking). I have learned to take them out a little earlier than I think. Remember, that an air fryer cooks much faster than any other method, so it is better to remove the steak out a little sooner. If it is still undercooked, you can always pop it back in for a little longer.

Additional tips

• The best way to tell if the steak is properly cooked is to use the instant-read thermometer.
• Flip the steak halfway through the cooking time to cook it evenly.
• Preheating the air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes will create a better sear.
• Do not overcrowd the air fryer, there should be some space enough space around the steak for the hot air to circulate. It is better to cook 1-2 steaks at a time.

How to store and reheat

Any leftover steak should be stored in an airtight container and used within 2-3 days.

Reheat the steak at 350°F in the air fryer for about 1-2 minutes or warm it up in a hot skillet for about 30–60 seconds per side over low-medium heat.

Easy serving ideas for busy weeknights​

• Easy roasted vegetables (kid-friendly): carrot chips, potatoes and broccoli, green beans and carrots
• Easy air fryer side dishes (quick and easy): baked russet potato, roasted baby potatoes, crispy Brussels sprouts.
• Vegetable salads (crunchy and light): grated beetroot salad, arugula salad with goat cheese and beets, creamy carrot salad.

Frequently asked questions