How I Cooked Steaks for Lunch for a Whole Week in an Air Fryer
Prepping meals for the week is a great way to make it easier to reheat lunches and dinners. It’s especially helpful for those cooking for one because all those casseroles, stews, and roasts become incredibly budget-friendly. For example, grab a nice cut of steak. Maybe organic. Maybe grass-fed. Your grocery store might charge $25 or more for that nice, organic, grass-fed steak. For some, that expensive steak might only last one meal. But if you meal prep smart, you can get more for your money and eat it every meal for five days.
When I cook steak dinners, I’m not just concerned with saving money, I’m also concerned with saving time. As someone who’s been cooking seven-ingredient dinners for months in an effort to save time, I’ve found that the prep is the longest, most tedious part of the job. That’s why I’ve enlisted the services of my prized Ninja Crispi Air Fryer . It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and super powerful, making cooking steaks a breeze. (Check out my test and review of this portable air fryer .) Here’s how I cook steak dinners: fast, inexpensive, and without overcooking.
How to Make the Best Air Fried Steak
The secret to cooking steak is to undercook it first. Unless you’re a weirdo like my partner who likes his food cold, you’re probably planning on reheating your steak before eating it. (He just ate last night’s air fryer chicken tenders —cold. My crossed eyes are giving me a headache.) Chances are, you’ll be reheating it in the microwave, which is not forgiving of perfectly done steak. Knowing this, you should air fryer your steak to add color, but undercook it by 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. I know, that seems like a lot, but when you reheat it later, it will still be juicy and about the right temperature.
1. Season your steak, simply
I season my cooled steak in the fridge with salt and sprinkle MSG on all sides. Then I leave it in the fridge, uncovered, for a couple of hours or overnight in a dry brine. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll just skip this step and just go straight to frying in the air fryer.
2. Fry in the oven on high heat.
The goal is to get a little browning on the outside, but not let the steak get all the way through. The best way to do this is to cook the steak on high for a short time. I set my Ninja Crispi Air Fryer to “max crisp,” which means the highest temperature and fan speed. If you’re using a different air fryer, choose a setting like “air fry” and a temperature of around 200°C. Press the start button and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes. The Ninja Crispi has a glass bowl, so I can watch the steak cook and flip it halfway through or when I’m happy with the color.
3. Cool and cut.
Check the center of the steak for temperature. Depending on how you like your steak cooked, your final temperature will be different. I like my steak medium rare, which is about 135°F. After eight minutes, I checked the temperature of the steak and it was 107°F, about 30°F below my target temperature. This is perfect for my cooking intentions. I took the steak out and let it cool completely without cutting it. Once it’s completely cool, cook it however you like. If you want it sliced or diced for your dish, go ahead. Just keep in mind that the smaller the pieces, the faster it will heat up. Arrange the rest of your cooking however you like and pop it all in the fridge or freezer.
I don’t know how to cut my steak this week, so I cut it into five large pieces. Then I can easily reheat it without overcooking it and decide how to cut it right away. My single $25 steak is now my $5 meal for the week, paired with rice or pasta and veggies.
While you can completely reheat a cooked steak in the microwave, consider returning it to the air fryer for five to seven minutes during your next meal to ensure the crust is crispy and the interior remains juicy and tender.