These keto air fryer steak bites are tender and juicy, and make a super easy weeknight meal. Only 15 minutes, start to finish! Stovetop instructions included too.
When it comes to a quick weeknight meal, you’re not going to find anything faster, or more flavorful, than Air Fryer Steak Bites. Seriously, one bite of these juicy morsels of steak heaven, and you will be hooked.
But I am well aware that not everyone has an air fryer, so let me assure you that they are pretty tasty cooked on the stovetop too. Steak, butter, and spices… what’s not to love?
I get my 100% grassfed beef from Wild Pastures and it’s amazing! So tender and flavorful, and perfect for these Air Fryer Steak Bites. They also promote sustainable, regenerative farming.
And Wild Pastures is offering my readers 20% off their first order!
Air fryer meals make life easier
My air fryer has become an essential piece of kitchen equipment. Especially when it comes to easy keto dinner recipes.
With all the craziness of life, kids, jobs, and a new puppy, dinner time has a a nasty habit of sneaking up on me. One minute it’s 3pm, and the next thing I know, it’s 6pm and everyone is hungry.
Air fryers cook meat through quickly and get them deliciously crisp. I love making air fryer pork chops, and my kids love air fryer fish sticks. It also does a bang up job on side dishes like crispy air fried Brussels sprouts.
What’s the best air fryer?
Readers often ask me for my recommendations on kitchen appliances. Of course, I don’t review appliances for a living so I can only tell you about the ones I’ve tried myself.
We used to have the big Cuisinart air fryer that doubles as a countertop oven, and it was great. Then it stopped working on any setting other than air fry – it wouldn’t bake, toast, or broil.
It was under warranty, so they replaced it for us. But we haven’t actually set it up as yet, because right now, we love the air fryer lid for the Instant Pot. Yes it really is a lid that turns your Instant Pot into an air fryer, so it saves valuable counter space.
And it does a fabulous job! I tried it first on my Keto Lamb Kofta and was amazed at how well it worked. It also allows you to stack the basket in two layers so you can fit in more than smaller air fryers. I highly recommend it if you already own an Instant pot.
How to make Air Fryer Steak Bites
Now let’s get to the nitty gritty of the recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and takes all of 15 minutes, start to finish.
Cut of steak
You need a tender cut of meat for air fryer steak bites, but it doesn’t have to be top of the line like ribeye. New york strip is a good choice, as is top sirloin. Flank steak or coulotte steak would work as well.
Basically, any steak that does well on the grill will do well in the air fryer.
A little oil
You do need a bit of oil or butter to help keep the steak bites from sticking to the air fryer basket. About 1 tablespoon will do for 1 to 1 ½ pounds of steak.
Seasonings and flavor
The sky’s the limit here! Have fun with different seasonings and flavors for your air fryer steak bites. I went with a chili lime flavor, and added in minced garlic and some minced jalapeño.
A few other seasoning ideas you could try:
- Garlic butter
- Cajun seasoning
- Montreal steak seasoning
- Just good old salt and pepper!
Size
It’s important that the bites be roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. You really don’t want them more than a ¾ of an inch to 1 inch, so they cook through quickly.
Time and temp
Hot and fast is the best way to cook air fryer steak bites! Set your air fryer to 400F and don’t crowd the bites. There should be plenty of room for the hot air to circulate around them.
They will be cooked within 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your air fryer.
More delicious keto steak recipes
- Asian Style Steak Bites
- Fajita Stuffed Grilled Flank Steak
- Tenderloin Steak with Mushroom Garlic Butter
- Sheet Pan Steakhouse Dinner
- Steak Sous Vide
- Tandoori Steak
Air Fryer Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ jalapeno minced (optional)
- 2 teaspoon chile powder
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ lb top sirloin steak cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chopped steak and toss well to coat. Add the steak to the air fryer basket but don't crowd it. You may need to cook in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Set the air fryer to 400F and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until browned on the edges but the center is still pink. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Prep the steak bites exactly as directed above. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the bites in a single layer. If your pan isn’t big enough, you may need to work in batches.
- Let them cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, then quickly flip them over and cook on the second side for another minute or so. They should be seared on the outside but still a little pink and tender in the center.
JOANNE TELESCO says
I can’t wait to try this tonight, with our “feels like” temps over 100 degrees! I was thinking of trying to add a little Tajin seasoning as well…mmmmm
Carolyn says
Ugh, stay cool!
Donna says
This is absolutely delicious!! Big big hit and super easy on blood sugars. We will be making this regularly. Thank you for sharing this!!
Natasha says
This recipe is so easy to make, it literally took me just less than 30 minutes to do everything. It came out so tasty and yummy, we loved it!
April says
So delicious and cooked up so quickly! This is my kid’s favorite way to eat steak 😉
Kara says
I was worried about them sticking, so I used a bit more butter. Delish! My family practically inhaled them!
Jennifer says
Hi! Crazy question – How do you lift the tray? I got the air fryer lid for Christmas and have had a little trouble with this.
Carolyn says
Lift the tray? You mean the basket insert that comes with the lid? That goes right inside the normal metal insert. It has two levels (another little insert you can put inside the basket for a second level of food. then you just use hot mitts to lift the whole basket out when cooking is done.
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says
I just bought a Ninja Air Fryer, the one that looks like a small oven but flips up when you aren’t using it to save on counter space, and am looking forward to trying some of these recipes out! A whole new world is opening up for me!!
CAROL LOGAN says
Hello Carolyn!
Love beef with lime and garlic. Also LOVE using my air fryer!
Want to Thank you for this recipe using an air fryer as well.
Have to tell you that I look forward to your emails with your
wonderfully tasty recipes.
Have lost 70 pounds doing Keto/low carb.
Your recipes are very often on our table!
THANK YOU !!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Carol, and congrats on your progress!
Ginger says
Carol – congratulations on your weight loss! I’m just starting keto and I’m loving Carolyn’s website and recipes. I saw your comment and it made me feel so inspired. So thank you for that! 🙂