Can flank steak be cooked in an air fryer? You bet! Learn how to air fry flank steak with this easy air fryer flank steak recipe. You’ll love this tender and juicy flank steak that cooks in under 10 minutes. Cooking flank steak is easier than you might think! Get step-by-step directions, nutrition tips, the best flank steak marinade, and more!
What’s the best way to cook a flank steak indoors? When it’s not grilling season, making this flank steak air fryer recipe is your best bet. We’re using a citrus marinade here, making this steak a great choice for air fryer beef fajitas.
How should flank steak be cooked? IMVHO, the perfect flank steak is cooked medium or medium rare. Beyond that, you risk tough and chewy meat.
However, since preferences can vary, I’ll also show you how to cook flank steak medium well. And since I’m a dietitian, you’re also getting some food safety info on making air fryer beef steak.
Did you know that going by the color of the steak isn’t the best way to check for doneness? There’s a better way, but you’ll have to keep reading if you want to know more!
Jump to:
- 🤔 Why make flank steak in air fryer?
- 🍲 Air Fryer Flank Steak Ingredients
- ⭐ What air fryer is best?
- 🍊 Flank Steak Marinade
- 🧂 Flank Steak Dry Rub
- 🔪 How to Make Flank Steak in an Air Fryer
- ️⏲️ Air Fryer Flank Steak Time
- 🥩 Air Fryer Flank Steak Medium Rare
- 💡 Best Air Fryer Flank Steak Recipes
- ️️🌡️ How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- 📋Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👨🏾🍳 What to Serve with Air Fryer Flank Steak
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Beef Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- Air Fryer Flank Steak Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🤔 Why make flank steak in air fryer?
Why is this marinated flank steak in air fryer going to be your new BFF for family dinners? Here’s a few benefits of making this recipe:
- Fast: This is a quick method of cooking flank steak that air fries in 10 minutes (or less). We do not need to sear the flank steak before cooking either!
- Easy: Just marinate the steak, preheat the air fryer, and cook. The easy clean up and short cooking time makes this recipe perfect for a weeknight meal.
- Cheap: Flank steak is one of the most inexpensive options for beef steak. If you’re looking to save money on groceries, this is a good choice amongst the red meat options.
- Flavorful: Let’s not forget how tasty flank steak is! Though far from anything we’d think of as “diet food,” flank steak fits keto, low carb, and gluten free diets.
- High protein: Flank steak is a lean protein and high-quality protein. It’s also rich in highly bioavailable iron and zinc. You’ve got to love how flank steak manages to be both nutritious and delicious!
🍲 Air Fryer Flank Steak Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make flank steak in the air fryer:
- Flank steak or skirt steak (about ½-inch thick)
- Garlic clove
- Orange juice (fresh squeezed)
- Lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
- Lime juice (fresh squeezed)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Orange zest
- Dried oregano
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
Specific quantities of ingredients are located in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
You can use this recipe to make flank steak or air fryer skirt steak. If you make skirt steak in air fryer, know that it tends to be higher fat with coarser fibers.
Both flank steaks and skirt steaks are grilling favorites, and both can benefit from marinating before cooking. I recommend starting the steak in the marinade the night before. The marinade will help make the steak more tender and delicious!
⭐ What air fryer is best?
I make flank steak in a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. I love how spacious it is, with plenty of room to lay a flank steak out flat for good air circulation. My air fryer also never smokes when cooking foods, an issue common with many other air fryers.
If you want to make Ninja air fryer flank steak, you could do that too! The Philips, Nuwave, Pampered Chef, Actifry, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, and other air fryers can also be used to air fry flank steak. However, you may need to slightly adjust the cooking time depending on your air fryer.
I recommend checking your food early whenever you try a new air fryer recipe. That way, you won’t accidently overcook anything.
🍊 Flank Steak Marinade
IMHO, the best marinade for flank steak is homemade mojo marinade, a yummy garlic-citrus marinade. Some stores sell prepared mojo criollo in bottles if you do not want to make your own.
Some other ideas for marinating flank steak include red wine marinade, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce-based marinade. Be careful with marinades containing brown sugar or other sweeteners; they may impact how the steak cooks.
You do not have to score the meat prior to marinating. Save yourself a little extra work!
🧂 Flank Steak Dry Rub
Some prefer using a dry rub for flank steak instead of marinating. This will give you a crust on the outside of the steak that helps lock in the juices. Here are some ideas for flank steak dry rubs:
- BBQ seasoning
- Steak seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- Lemon pepper
- Italian seasoning
🔪 How to Make Flank Steak in an Air Fryer
- Juice the orange, lemon, lime, and zest the orange. Mince the garlic. Mix the juice, garlic, zest, oil, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper together to make the flank steak marinade.
- If your steak is not a uniform ½-inch thick (1.27 cm), pound it with a mallet to get it there. This will also help to tenderize the steak.
- Pour the marinade over the flank steak. Allow it to marinate in the fridge for 8-24 hours. (I usually just let it marinate overnight.)
- Let the steak rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes after marinating.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes. Time to get cooking!
️⏲️ Air Fryer Flank Steak Time
How long should I air fry flank steak? What temp to air fry flank steak? Air fry flank steak for a total of 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C). Flip the steak halfway through cooking time, and use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.
Check the steak for doneness using a meat thermometer (more on this in the next section). After the steak is cooked, allow it to rest for 10 minutes. This helps to lock in the juices.
After the rest period, it’s important to slice the steak into thin slices diagonally against the grain. Properly cutting flank steak is one way to make it less chewy.
🥩 Air Fryer Flank Steak Medium Rare
Flank steak becomes tough if overcooked, so I prefer it medium rare to medium. Use a meat thermometer to figure out how done your flank steak is. Here is a guide for flank steak temperatures:
- Rare: 120-125F (49-52C)
- Medium rare: 130-135F (54-57C)
- Medium: 140-145F (60-63C)
- (Hot tip! The next two may lead to tough steaks.)
- Medium well: 150F (66C)
- Well done: 160F (71C)
I found that cooking flank steak for 4 minutes per side got it to 130F, or medium rare. The temp will increase a little during the rest period, so I recommend aiming for the lower end of these ranges.
Cooking the flank steak for 5 minutes per side got it to 145F, and that is what is shown in the photos. After the rest period, what you have is air fryer flank steak done medium well.
I bet you wouldn’t guess the pink steak in the photos is done medium-well, would you? That’s why you need a meat thermometer when cooking meats. Don’t just go by the color alone.
The USDA recommends that steaks be cooked to a safe minimum internal temp of 145F (63C). After reaching this temperature, they recommend a 3 minute rest period for the steak. This will likely get you a flank steak that is medium well done.
💡 Best Air Fryer Flank Steak Recipes
I have a tasty idea for an air fryer flank steak sandwich in the recipe card below. This marinated steak sandwich (AKA the jibarito) uses tostones (green plantains that are fried, smashed, and fried again) in place of the bread. You can also use air fryer flank steak strips and air fryer flank steak bites for meal prep.
Here are a few more recipe ideas for flank steak:
- Air Fryer Flank Steak and Potatoes (try with my Air Fryer Baby Potatoes)
- Air Fryer Flank Steak with Chimichurri
- Flank Steak Salad
- Air Fryer Flank Steak Tacos
- Air Fryer Flank Steak Fajitas
️️🌡️ How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Leftover flank steak will last up to 3-4 days in a covered food-safe container in the fridge. I’m not a huge fan of reheating steak because cold steak strips are delish in sandwiches, salads, etc.
If you must reheat flank steak, you can do it in the microwave on high for about 1 minute. Alternatively, put the cooked flank steak in the air fryer and heat at 375F for about 3-4 minutes. Give it additional time if not heated to your liking.
Cooked flank steak strips freeze nicely. Keep them in a vacuum sealed bag in the freezer or in a regular freezer bag with the air pressed out.
📋Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of air fryer flank steak has 180 calories, 0 grams net carbs, and 24 grams protein. This is for a 4-ounce serving (113 grams) and does not include the marinade (which is largely discarded).
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Flank steak is a high-quality protein with about 180 calories per serving. If you’re looking for a way to add more filling lean protein to your meals, flank steak is a great option.
You can have air fryer steak on its own with some non-starchy veggie side dishes for a low carb meal. Alternatively, try the sandwich below for a higher calorie option. The starchy veggies and rich mayo really bump up the energy.
Remember that it’s what you do consistently with your diet that’s important in weight loss. A single food or a single meal will not make or break you. It’s how this steak fits into your overall dietary pattern that matters.
There are certain dietary patterns that may help you feel full on fewer calories. This may help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight more effortlessly.
These dietary patterns are generally rich in protein foods, as well as fruits and vegetables that are high volume, high fiber, and low calorie. Flank steak fills in the protein part of that formula, but there are many other foods that can meet this need too.
FAQs
To make air fryer frozen flank steak, marinate the fresh steak, remove from the marinade and freeze it. Air fry frozen flank steak using the directions in the recipe below, adding about 20-25 minutes to the cooking time. Don’t forget to flip your steak when it’s halfway done!
A popular question is: how do you cook flank steak so it’s not tough? Flank steaks are best marinated before cooking. That will help to keep the steak from getting dry and tough. Also, make sure you don’t overcook the flank steak and cook it on high heat.
Taste is subjective, but I think flank steak is very good air fried! Air frying is my favorite way to cook flank steak when I can’t use a grill. It’s delicious!
👨🏾🍳 What to Serve with Air Fryer Flank Steak
What are some good side dishes for flank steak? Try one of these:
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Beef Recipes
If beef is what’s for dinner, here are a few more beef recipes for the air fryer:
Don’t forget to check out the entire collection of Air Fryer Recipes while you’re here!
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Flank Steak (Time and Temp)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak (454 grams; skirt steak works too)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Zest the orange and mince the garlic. Mix the garlic, juice, oil, orange zest, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper together to make the flank steak marinade.
- If your steak is not a uniform ½-inch thick (1.27 cm), pound it with a mallet to get it there. This will also help to tenderize the steak.
- Pour the marinade over the flank steak. Allow it to marinate in a covered container in the fridge for 8-24 hours. (I usually just let it marinate overnight.)
- Let the steak rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes after marinating.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes.
- Air fry flank steak for a total of 8-10 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Flip the steak halfway through cooking time, and use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven. (4 minutes per side got me medium rare, while 5 minutes per side got me medium/medium well done.)
- Check the steak for doneness using a meat thermometer. (Use the handy temperature chart for cooking flank steak in the above article.)
- After the steak is cooked, allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak into thin slices diagonally against the grain and serve.
Video
Notes
Air Fryer Flank Steak Recipe
This marinated steak sandwich (AKA the jibarito) uses tostones (green plantains that are fried, smashed, and fried again) in place of the bread. With some spiced-up mayo, thick slices of heirloom tomato, crisp lettuce, and cheese, this sandwich is pure heaven. Try my twist on the classic jibarito that uses air fryer tostones; it cuts down on the added fat!Ingredients:
- 1 recipe Air Fryer Flank Steak (above)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- salt, to taste
- 2 green plantains
- Cooking oil spray (non-aerosol)
- Smoked salt
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 tablespoon salad dressing
To Prepare Ingredients:
- Mix all of the "for the spiced mayo" ingredients together. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.
- Put all of the "for the onions" ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Lift the onions out of the liquid and refrigerate them until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.
- Quarter the green plantains by cutting each one in half lengthwise and widthwise.
- Put the plantains in a single layer on your air fryer racks with the cut side up. (Note: If your air fryer basket is small, you may need to cook them in batches.) Spray with cooking spray.
- Air fry the plantains for 5 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
- Carefully smash the plantains in a tortilla press that was lined with plastic sandwich bags. If you don't have a tortilla press, smooshing them between two pieces of cast iron cookware will work as well.
- Lay the plantains in a single layer on your air fryer trays. (Again, you will need to cook them in batches if you have a small-capacity air fryer.) Spray with cooking spray.
- Air fry the smashed plantains for 5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200°C).
- Remove the plantains from the oven and flip them over. Mist the sides of the plantains that are now facing the top with cooking spray.
- Put the air fryer trays back in the oven, switching their position in the oven. Air fry for 2-4 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Add additional time if the tostones are not crisp and sturdy enough for you.
- Remove the plantains from the oven after air frying. Sprinkle them with the smoked salt while they are still hot. Let your air fried tostones cool a bit before assembling the sandwiches.
- Put two of the air fryer tostones on each plate. Spread about ½ tablespoon of the mayo on each. Place a slice of cheese on each tostone (2 per sandwich).
- Add 1-2 leaves of lettuce to each sandwich next. Put a slice or two of tomato on each sandwich.
- Next add the strips of steak. Top each with ¼ of the onions.
- Finish the sandwich by putting the topper tostones on.
- Shred the remaining iceberg lettuce and distribute between the plates for the side salads. Chop the remaining tomato and add to the salads. Dress each salad with 1 tablespoon of salad dressing. Dinner's ready!
Terrified Amateur says
Blast - you beat me to it, Summer! Tostones were approaching in my rotation, but not soon enough, apparently. Anyway, congratulations, both on the scoop, and as well on making use of a relatively novel item - plantains - even amidst late-crisis scarcity.
Great decision too on selecting the jibarito to represent what tostones can do. What a mouth-watering entry!
Oh, and major props on highlighting so delectable an example of Uruguay's cuisine. You mentioned once you completed a culinary tour of the world, but still, finding something from so small a country couldn't have been easy. Then, to do so with your customary style and acumen...
Summer Yule says
Thank you! You made me realize I did not tell the backstory of how this sandwich came to be. It was created in Chicago, inspired by a sandwich that used plantains for bread at the Platano Loco Restaurant in Puerto Rico. It wasn’t part of my international cooking adventure but delicious nonetheless!
Unfortunately I first learned about this sometime after my last visit to Chicago. I try to do my research on an area’s food specialties before we go but I can’t always catch them all. It’s a bummer since I might not get back there again. So if you’re ever in the Chicago area be sure to eat a jibarito for me!
Terrified Amateur says
Will do, Summer! One-time Chicago boy here ,and I know you don't have to wait for a Taste of Chicago each summer to revel in the city's bounty. You don't have to be in Grant Park, either.
Next time I'm in town, I'll have to check out the jibarito even before partaking of an Italian beef, or a deep dish.
Thanks too for the fascinating culinary lesson. I knew the jibarito originated in Uruguay, but I had no idea the tostone twist was a 100% Chicago innovation!
Summer Yule says
Lucky you! Sounds like you make it out there with some degree of regularity. Chicago is a great city for food!
I'm hoping I'll make it back out that way at some point but it will likely be a while off. We made sure to get some deep dish pizza and a Chicago-style hot dog last time we were in the area but we'll have to branch out more in the future.