Air Fryer Ribeye Steak

STEP 1: Generously rub each side of the ribeye with freshly ground salt or coarsely ground salt. Set in the fridge for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, rinse the salt off the steaks with cool running water and pat dry with paper towels.

*I twist my grinder 10-15 times per side to get enough salt on it. Don't be afraid to use a lot of salt. The meat will not absorb it all and once it's washed off, you will have a flavorful meat but not one overpowered with salt flavor.

STEP 2: Preheat the air fryer to 380° Fahrenheit. Once preheated, place the steaks in the air fryer basket and sprinkle with your desired amount of freshly ground black pepper. Air fry for 5-13 minutes, until the internal temperature matches your preferred doneness (see chart below). Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.

*Your air fryer will affect cook times. My Omni Plus cooks faster than my basket air fryer. It took 5 minutes to reach an internal temperature for 120°F as opposed to 7 minutes it took with my Ultenic air fryer. Check out the recipe card below for average cook times based on doneness levels to help you get started. But always check your internal temperature on the lower side of the range.

Steak Doneness Chart

Rare: 120°F

Medium-rare: 130°F

Medium: 140°F

Medium-well: 150°F

Well done: 160°F +

Most steaks taste best cooked to medium-rare, including ribeye. It is not recommended to cook a well done steak, unless of course this is what you prefer.

Doneness and Flavor

Not sure how you like your steaks cooked yet? The temperature you cook a steak to affects its texture and flavor. Here is how a ribeye will taste when cooked to the varying levels of doneness:

Rare: soft and tender with a red center; good for steaks with little to no fat.

Medium-rare: red, juicy center; this temperature allows the fat to marbleize which creates a buttery and juicy flavor.

Medium: slightly red center and firm texture; slightly tough and dry to chew.

Medium-well: mostly brown center and firm texture; dry to chew.

Well done: no red color left and very firm and dry.

• Always bring steak to room temperature before air frying.
• Consider the thickness of you steak rather than how many ounces it is to gauge how long it will cook for. Thinner steaks need less time than thick ones.
• For a juicy and flavorful ribeye, let it rest for 3-5 minutes. This helps the juices redistribute and makes the best-tasting and juiciest steaks. Keep in mind, the internal temperature may increase up to 5 degrees as it rests.
• Seasonings: The best seasoning to put on any steak is simply a little salt, pepper, and butter, or steak sauce. A good quality steak cooked to the recommended internal temperature produces a juicy, delicious meat that doesn't need much more seasoning than that. You can also sprinkle it with a little garlic powder or drizzle with a garlic butter sauce if you'd like.