With no prep time & just 10-15 minutes of cooking, you can cook a delicious, juicy steak straight from frozen, with the help of your air fryer. It's the best way to cook steak straight from frozen, and you will be surprised that it tastes just as good as fresh!
Frozen Steak That's Almost as Good as Fresh!
I love keeping frozen proteins on hand for whenever I haven't had time to go shopping. But I'm terribly bad at remembering to defrost it!
So imagine how happy I was when I realized many proteins (like steak!) can be cooked straight from frozen - with the help of my favorite appliance: the air fryer.
This steak comes out juicy, tender and delicious - and almost as good as cooked from fresh.
If you are lucky enough to have a fresh steak waiting to be cooked, I recommend trying out this recipe instead.
Just Cook, Rest & Eat!
You don't need to thaw the steak first (that's the beauty of it!), but we will use the air fryer to thaw it slightly before seasoning.
If you're cooking multiple steaks, make sure they fit comfortable next to each other in the air fryer. If they don't you will need to air fry in batches.
If you have multiple steaks frozen together you can air fry them all in one piece to thaw, and then separate them.
1. Thaw
Start by thawing the steak slightly in your air fryer. Do this before seasoning, or the seasoning will just fall off. I find 4 minutes is enough for this.
2. Season and Cook
Season your stak as desired. I included my favorite steak seasoning in the recipe card below, but you can season it anyway you like. I recommend using at least a little bit of oil (olive oil or other), but you can also skip this.
3. Rest!
When your steak is cooked to your liking - or slightly less - wrap it in aluminum foil and let it rest at least 5 minutes. Then you're ready to eat!
Tips for the Juiciest Steak
- Salt after cooking. If you season before, the steak can easily turn out too salty. Instead, top with sea salt flakes at the end, or season as needed after taste testing.
- Exact cook time will vary. This depends on the size of your steaks, and your specific air fryer.
- Use a meat thermometer to know when your steak is done. You'll find suggested temperatures below.
Suggested Cook Times & Internal Temperatures
I recommend using a meat thermometer and aiming for the set points below. The times stated are approximate and for a ¾ inch thick steak.
| Cook time | Rest from | |
| Rare | 10 min | 118°F / 46°C |
| Medium-rare | 11-12 min | 125°F / 52°C |
| Medium | 12-13 min | 135°F / 58°C |
| Medium-well | 14-15 min | 145°F / 63°C |
| Well done | 16-18 min | 150°F / 66°C |
I recommend you start with 4 + 4 minutes unless you are cooking a much thinner steak, in which case you can start with 2+2 or 3+3 minutes. Then add 1-2 minutes at a time, and always flip it when adding more time.
What to Do with Leftovers
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in an air tight container.
Eating leftovers: You can enjoy leftovers hot or cold.
Reheating: Reheat steak in your air fryer for best results. You can also cut it into pieces and pan-sear it.
More Guides to Cooking Frozen Food in Your Air Fryer
- Frozen Bacon in Air Fryer13 Minutes
- How to Cook Frozen Salmon in Your Air Fryer19 Minutes
- Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower10 Minutes
- How to Cook Frozen Turkey Burgers in Your Air Fryer18 Minutes
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Frozen Steak in Air Fryer
Print RateIngredients
- 1 frozen steak
Seasoning (optional)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or other cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes divided, or another type of salt but use less
Instructions
- Place the frozen steak in the air fryer basket and air fry at 390°F (200°C) for 4 minutes.1 frozen steak
- Meanwhile, mix together garlic powder, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add olive oil and mix again.½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce, ⅛ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp olive oil
- After air frying for 4 minutes, bring out the air fryer basket and spread out half the seasoning on top. Flip the steak and top with the remaining seasoning. Air fry for 4 more minutes.
Without a meat thermometer
- Flip and air fry for 4 more minutes (for medium), flipping once halfway. For a more or less cooked steak, see recommended cooking times below.
- Place the steak on a piece of aluminium foil and top with half the sea salt flakes. Wrap it up and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.1 tsp sea salt flakes
- Top with the rest of the sea salt flakes just before serving.1 tsp sea salt flakes
With a meat thermometer
- Check the internal temperature and add more time depending on how far away you are from the resting point. If you are more than 15-20°F (8-10°C) away, flip and add 2 minutes. If you are closer, flip and add 1 minute. Repeat until you are at or close to the resting point.
- Place the steak on a piece of aluminium foil and top with half the sea salt flakes. Wrap it up and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.1 tsp sea salt flakes
Notes
- Salt after cooking. If you season before, the steak can easily turn out too salty. Instead, top with sea salt flakes at the end, or season as needed after taste testing.
- Exact cook time will vary. This depends on the size of your steaks, and your specific air fryer.
- Use a meat thermometer to know when your steak is done. You'll find suggested temperatures below.
Cooking time & internal temperatures
Cook times below are approximate and tested for ¾ inch thick steaks.| Cook time | Rest from | |
| Rare | 10 min | 118°F / 46°C |
| Medium-rare | 11-12 min | 125°F / 52°C |
| Medium | 12-13 min | 135°F / 58°C |
| Medium-well | 14-15 min | 145°F / 63°C |
| Well done | 16-18 min | 150°F / 66°C |
What to Do with Leftovers
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in an air tight container. Eating leftovers: You can enjoy leftovers hot or cold. Reheating: Reheat steak in your air fryer for best results. You can also cut it into pieces and pan-sear it.Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Carol
With Thermometer Directions 2. and 3. are the exact same. You may want to correct that, it looks pretty silly.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Carol! Thanks for letting me know. Fixed it 🙂 /Emmeline