Air fryer sirloin steak is the fastest way I know to get a juicy, evenly cooked steak on the table: about 10 to 12 minutes in the air fryer, with a simple salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning. No grill, no smoky kitchen, no guesswork - a meat thermometer and the doneness chart below do the work for you.
If you have a little extra time, I'll also show you my two favorite upgrades: a quick dry brine that makes the steak noticeably more tender and flavorful, and a homemade Café de Paris butter that melts over the top like something from a French bistro. Both are optional. The steak on its own is already delicious.
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Why this recipe works
- Fast and reliable. The hot circulating air cooks the steak evenly from edge to edge, so you get consistent results every single time - even on a rainy Tuesday when grilling is out of the question.
- Cooked by temperature, not by clock. Every air fryer and every steak is a little different. My time chart gets you close, and the thermometer makes it exact.
- Two levels to choose from. Make the 15-minute weeknight version tonight, or plan ahead with the dry brine and Café de Paris butter for a steakhouse dinner at home.
Air Fryer Sirloin Steak
I love a great sirloin steak. When prepared the right way, nothing can beat that. And this time, I'm going to share with you this easy recipe that I think is one of the best steak recipes I know.
The Sirloin steak is dry brined. That means that you don't use any brining liquid. Instead, salt, pepper, and garlic powder will do the trick. And because you cover the meat with this mixture, it will get a fantastic flavor and becomes really tender.
Then bake it in the Air Fryer. The time given is an indication because the real air frying time will depend on the thickness of the sirloin steak. So use a meat thermometer to check when your steak has the right doneness.
And make sure your sirloin steaks rest in aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes. This will make your steak juicier. Don't skip this step!
What do you need for Air Fryer Sirloin Steak?
You can find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Dry-Brined Sirloin Steak
- Sirloin Steak - look for steaks about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 8 to 10 ounces (225-280 g) each. Thickness matters more than weight for the cooking time, so check the chart below if yours are thinner or thicker. Rib-eye, T-bone, or flat iron steak also work beautifully.
- Salt - I use coarse (kosher) salt. It seasons the meat deeply, especially if you dry brine.
- Pepper and garlic powder - a simple trio with the salt that lets the beef flavor lead.
Optional: Café de Paris Butter
This famous French compound butter is what my readers ask about most, and I'm sharing the full recipe further down. You'll need:
- Butter - room temperature - grass-fed if you can find it, it blends more easily.
- Ketchup, Dijon mustard, capers, chives, tarragon, anchovies, cognac (or brandy or bourbon), Madeira wine (or port or sweet sherry), Worcestershire sauce, and paprika powder.
How to prepare Thin Sirloin Steak in the Air Fryer
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking and pat them dry with towels. Prepare the spice rub.
- In a medium bowl, mix the soft butter with all the Café de Paris Butter ingredients. Put everything on a plastic wrap and form it into a roll. Wrap the plastic around the butter and let it stiffen in the refrigerator.
- Season generously on all sides with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, pressing it in so it sticks. Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F (200 °C) for about 5 minutes.
- Place the steaks in the basket in a single layer with space between them so the air can circulate. If your basket is small, cook them one at a time rather than crowding. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, flip, and cook another 5 to 6 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads about 5 °F (3 °C) below your target doneness - for medium-rare, pull the steak at 130 °F (54 °C).
- Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature rises those last few degrees while it rests, and the juices settle back into the meat. Don't skip this step!
Top with a slice of Café de Paris butter (or a simple pat of plain butter) and serve.
Cooking times and doneness chart
These times are for 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick sirloin steaks at 400 °F (200 °C), flipped halfway. Always confirm with a meat thermometer in the middle of the thickest part, pull the steak from the air fryer about 5 °F (3 °C) below the final temperature listed, because it keeps cooking while it rests.
- Rare (cool red center): 125 °F (52 °C)
- Medium Rare (warm red center): 135 °F (57 °C)
- Medium (warm pink center): 145 °F (63 °C)
- Medium Done (slightly pink center): 150 °F (66 °C)
- Well Done (little or no pink center): 160 °F (71 °C)
Thinner or thicker steaks: for ¾-inch (2 cm) steaks, subtract 2 to 3 minutes and start checking early. For 1½-inch (4 cm) steaks, add 2 to 4 minutes. When in doubt, trust the thermometer over the clock.
Top Tip
Want it even better? Dry brine the steak first
This is my favorite make-ahead trick, and it's what makes this recipe different from most air fryer steaks. A dry brine means seasoning the meat with salt well before cooking - no liquid involved. The salt first draws moisture out, then dissolves and gets reabsorbed, seasoning the steak all the way through and making it noticeably more tender and deeply flavored.
Here's how:
1. Mix the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and sprinkle it over all sides of the steaks.
2. Place the steaks on a rack set over a plate or baking sheet (to catch any drips) and put them in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 90 minutes - or up to 24 hours if you're planning ahead. Leaving them uncovered lets the surface dry out, which gives you a better crust.
3. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels - no need to rinse - let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, and cook as directed above. Since the steaks are already seasoned, don't add more salt.
(I used to recommend rinsing the salt off before cooking. With the salt amount in the updated recipe card there's no need - patting dry works better and keeps more flavor on the steak.)
Café de Paris Butter - the upgrade my readers love
Café de Paris butter is a legendary French-Swiss compound butter with a long list of little flavor-makers: Dijon mustard, capers, anchovies, tarragon, a splash of cognac and Madeira. It sounds fancy, but you simply mix everything into soft butter, roll it up, and chill it. As a slice melts over the hot steak, it turns into an instant sauce.
1. Mix the soft butter with all the other butter ingredients in a medium bowl until blended.
2. Spoon the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap, form it into a roll, and wrap it up.
3. Refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up and let the flavors develop.
A few notes on the ingredients: tarragon has a light anise flavor so don't overdo it. The anchovies are the secret umami booster; you won't taste "fish," just a deeper, richer butter. And Worcestershire sauce also contains anchovies, so leave both out if you don't eat fish. The butter keeps for a week in the refrigerator and freezes well, so you can make it days ahead.
Storage and reheating
Steak is at its best straight from the air fryer, but leftovers are still worth keeping:
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container for up to two days.
- Freezer: wrap well and freeze for up to one month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: place the steak on a rack and warm it gently at 250 °F (120 °C) until just heated through. Low and slow keeps it from overcooking. Leftover steak is also wonderful sliced cold over a salad.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to flip the steak in the air fryer? Yes, flipping halfway through gives you even browning on both sides, since the heat in most air fryers comes mainly from above.
- Can I cook two steaks at once? Yes, as long as they fit in a single layer with space between them for the air to circulate. If they'd have to touch or overlap, cook them one at a time, the second steak only takes 10 more minutes.
- Why is my steak tough? Usually one of two things: it was cooked past your intended doneness (a thermometer solves this), or it wasn't rested. Resting 5 to 10 minutes lets the juices redistribute. Slicing against the grain also makes every bite more tender.
- Can I use a different cut? Absolutely: rib-eye, strip steak, T-bone, and flat iron all work with the same method. Adjust the time to the thickness, not the cut.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- air fryer
- Rack
- baking plate
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
Café de Paris Butter
- 1 ¼ stick butter, unsalted, room temperature (soft)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon capers
- 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dragon, tarragon
- 2 anchovies, sliced finely
- 1 teaspoon cognac, or brandy or bourbon
- 1 teaspoon Madeira wine, or port or sweet sherry
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika powder
Air Fryer Sirloin Steaks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 20 oz. Sirloin Steaks, 2 steaks, about 1 inch / 2.5 cm thick
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Café de Paris Butter (optional - make at least 1 hour ahead
- Mix the soft butter with all the other butter ingredients in a medium bowl until blended.1 ¼ stick butter, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon capers, 1 teaspoon chives, 1 teaspoon dragon, 2 anchovies, 1 teaspoon cognac, 1 teaspoon Madeira wine, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ⅛ teaspoon paprika powder
- Spoon onto plastic wrap, form into a roll, and wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up and develop the flavors.
Optional dry brine (90 minutes to 24 hours ahead)Optional dry brine (90 minutes to 24 hours ahead)
- Mix the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pat the steaks dry and sprinkle the mix over all sides.
- Place the steaks on a rack over a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 90 minutes (up to 24 hours). Pat dry before cooking - no need to rinse, and don't add more salt.1 tablespoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Air Fryer Sirloin Steak
- Take the steaks out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. If you skipped the dry brine, pat them dry and season all sides with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder now, pressing it in.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F
- Place the steaks in the basket in a single layer with space between them. If they don't fit with space around each steak, cook them one at a time.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, flip, and cook another 5-6 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 130 °F (54 °C) for medium-rare or 140 °F (60 °C) for medium - about 5 °F (3 °C) below your target, since the temperature keeps rising while the steak rests. See the doneness chart in the post for other levels and thicknesses.
- Bake for another 6 minutes and measure the temperature with a meat thermometer. It will be done when it reaches 140 - 145 °F (60 -63 °C). The steak is then medium done. If you want another doneness, check the correct temperature above.
- Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with a slice of Café de Paris butter on top.
Notes
- Refrigerator - You could store it in an airtight container for up to two days in the fridge.
- Freezer - Put in a freezer bag or box and store it for up to one month in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat - Put the steaks on a rack and bake them at 250 °F (120 °C) until they have the desired doneness.
Nutrition
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