These amazing air fryer steak bites are so tender, juicy, and flavorful. The air fryer works wonders with steak as it cooks so fast that it’s hard to overcook and have them come out dry. The air fryer also creates a delicious brown crust on the outside of the steak bites, so it locks in all the flavor and juices.
I also love how easy it is to clean the air fryer and how hands-off the recipe is. The steak bites are marinaded in a simple marinade and, once ready, air fried to perfection. If you prepare the marinade ahead of time, you can have the steak bites ready in minutes! Want another easy weeknight meal? Try my air fryer salmon recipe, air fryer Peruvian chicken recipe, or air fryer Lebanese chicken recipe.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Steak — Feel free to use your favorite cut of steak, as you’ll be more familiar with its flavor, texture, and toughness. I like using ribeye or NY strip for this air fryer recipe.
- Soy sauce — Using soy sauce in the marinade gives the steak bites a richer flavor. The soy sauce also tenderizes the meat and helps it retain moisture as it air fries. Feel free to swap it for a low-sodium version if you’re concerned the steak bites will be too salty.
- Honey — Honey adds sweetness to the steak bites and helps tenderize the meat as well. The honey also helps give the steak a nice crust as it air fries.
- Sesame oil — I like how toasted sesame oil adds a bit of nutty flavor to the steak.
- Rice Vinegar — A splash of rice vinegar adds a little bit of sweetness and acidity to the overall flavor profile.
How to Make Air Fryer Steak Bites
Step 1: In a small mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.
Step 2: Add the grated ginger and garlic. Whisk until well combined.
Step 3: Cut the steak into 1-inch cubes.
Step 4: Add the cubed steak and marinade to a large zip-lock bag. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but up to 5 hours.
Step 5: With a pair of tongs, add the steak into the air fryer basket, discarding any excess marinade.
Step 6: Cook at 400 F for 6 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway mark. Serve and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Tips For This Recipe
- It’s best to cut the steak as uniformly as possible so the steak bites cook evenly in the air fryer.
- You only need to shake the air fryer basket once. Shaking it too much will prevent a nice brown crust from forming on the steak.
- If your air fryer basket is smaller, I suggest you air fry the steak bites in two batches. You want there to be some space between the steak in the basket. The beef will steam if you add too much to the basket.
- Letting the air fried steak bites rest for a couple of minutes before serving will give the juices time to redistribute, and you’ll have juicier steak bites.
- These steak bites are scrumptious on their own. I also enjoy serving them with my crispy shallot green beans recipe, mushroom rice recipe, or air fryer potato wedges recipe! They’re also great with some salad, pasta, or stir fried vegetables.
- You can also add some chopped mushrooms or sliced onions to the marinade, and air fry them together.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not have fresh ginger and garlic, you can swap it for ground ginger and garlic powder. You’ll need ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger for every 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger. For the garlic, you’ll need ? teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of garlic.
Store any leftover steak bites in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
You can quickly reheat the steak bites in the air fryer or microwave. You can air fry leftovers at 400F for a couple of minutes to heat them through.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Steak Bites Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 1 lb steak ribeye or NY strip, cut into 1 inch cubes.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
For the Garnish
- sesame seeds
- sliced green onion
Instructions
- To make the marinade: in a small mixing bowl add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the cubed steak and marinade to a large zip-lock bag. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but up to 5 hours.
- About 30 to 45 minutes before you plan on cooking, remove the zip-lock bag from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
- With a pair of tongs, add the steak into the air fryer basket, discarding any of the excess marinade. (Do not empty the bag of juices into the air fryer basket!)
- Cook at 400 F for 6 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway mark.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Notes
- It’s best to cut the steak as uniformly as possible so the steak bites cook evenly in the air fryer.
- You only need to shake the air fryer basket once. Shaking it too much will prevent a nice brown crust from forming on the steak.
- If your air fryer basket is smaller, I suggest you air fry the steak bites in two batches. You want there to be some space between the steak in the basket. The beef will steam if you add too much to the basket.
- Letting the air fried steak bites rest for a couple of minutes before serving will give the juices time to redistribute, and you’ll have juicier steak bites.
- These steak bites are scrumptious on their own. I also enjoy serving them with my crispy shallot green beans recipe, mushroom rice recipe, or air fryer potato wedges recipe! They’re also great with some salad, pasta, or stir fried vegetables.
- You can also add some chopped mushrooms or sliced onions to the marinade, and air fry them together.
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