Air Fryer Roast Beef

You can make tender, flavorful roast beef in your air fryer, perfect for a simple dinner, or making delicious roast beef sandwiches.

Why You’ll Love It!

Air Fryer Roast Beef is a total shortcut to an amazing meal. A dinner classic, roast beef is served at holidays like Christmas, and at special occasions such as birthdays or dinner parties, but it’s also amazing as a simple, hearty dinner.

Roasting beef in the air fryer gives it a beautifully browned crust and tender inside without drying it out or making it tough. In about 35 minutes you’ll have a rare to medium rare beef roast, ready to serve.

I like to think of air frying meat as roasting it, but in half the time! The circulating hot air of the air fryer does the work that the oven would do, but way faster.

If you love making roasts, you should try my Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast too. Air Fryer Meatloaf and Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak are also classic favorites.

What You’ll Need

• Beef Roast – Two-pound roast fits best in my air fryer, and this recipe is tested with that size. If your air fryer is large, you may be able to fit up to a 3 lb. roast, but the cooking time will vary.
• Garlic Powder – We’ll start to season our roast beef with garlic powder, which gives a warm, comforting flavor.
• Onion Powder – This seasoning makes your meat taste like it’s been cooking all day long.
• Parsley – Herbs and spices on the outside of the roast will create a flavorful crust. Parsley is a bright flavor note that I love.
• Thyme– I prefer to use fresh herbs when making this recipe, but dried will work as well.
• Oregano– Keep adding these lovely herbs, it’s going to smell so good in your kitchen!
• Salt and Pepper – Well-seasoned meat is the goal here.
• Olive Oil – A bit of oil will help the outside of the meat brown up perfectly, and help the herbs and spices stick to it.

How to Make It

1. Preheat the air fryer to 390F/189C for 15 minutes.
2. Combine the seasonings together in a small bowl.
3. Pat the roast dry with paper towels, coat it with the oil, then rub it with the seasoning mix.
4. Place the roast directly in the fryer basket. Cook for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the roast over.
5. Reduce the temperature to 360 degrees F and cook for 20 minutes (for rare beef) or 30+ minutes (for medium rare to well done)
6. Remove the roast from the air fryer and place it on a cutting board. Cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tips and Tricks

• We are cooking the roast at two different temperatures to ensure a nicely browned crust and tender meat.
• Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your preference.
• Roast beef can be cooked to any level of doneness that you prefer. I find that a final cooking time of 20 minutes at a lower temperature is perfect for rare beef. Medium rare takes about 30 minutes.

How to Serve Roast Beef

For veggie side dishes, make some Roasted Brussels and Carrots, Air Fryer Green Beans, or Balsamic Air Fryer Mushrooms.

Try Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.

I like to serve my roast beef with some au jus, which is typically the flavorful drippings that come from the roasting pan.

Since we’re making this in the air fryer, we won’t really get pan drippings. It’s ok, make an au jus from scratch or buy a packet at the store.

Roast beef makes delicious sandwiches too! Pick up some hard rolls and serve sliced air fryer roast beef with horseradish mayo.

Have leftover roast beef? You can make some roast beef quiche to deliciously use your leftovers!

What Cut is Best for Air Fryer Roast Beef?

This recipe will work with almost any type of roast. I’ve had excellent results with Rib-Eye roast, Sirloin roast, Eye of Round, and Tri-Tip roasts. I find that roasts with more marbling to the meat will be more tender after cooking.

I would avoid using Rump roast or chuck roast with this method for that reason. Using a tough cut of beef in the air fryer may result in tough meat after cooking.

FAQs