Make this savory marinated cube steak in your air fryer in a flash! We'll show you how to turn an inexpensive beef cut into a delicious dinner.
AIR FRYER CUBE STEAK RECIPE
The key to a tender and delicious air fryer cube steak is this simple marinade. In fact, I find that marinades make most things better. I use this BBQ Tofu Marinade with all sorts of proteins and veggies, but the marinade I'm sharing today is perfect for beef.
If you grew up eating tough, dry cube steaks, you will be pleasantly surprised with this recipe. We are tenderizing the cube steak even more with our delicious savory marinade. You'll pull these out of the air fryer and have tender, juicy cube steaks like you've never had before.
For a different spin on cube steak, make Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak!
INGREDIENTS IN AIR FRYER CUBE STEAKS
Cube Steak - You'll need about 1 pound of cube steaks for this recipe. That's usually four pieces.
Olive Oil - This is the base of our marinade and adds tons of moisture.
Worcestershire Sauce - Check for gluten free Worcestershire sauce if needed. This sauce has a savory, umami flavor that goes beautifully with beef.
Balsamic Vinegar - for both flavor and tenderizing. Balsamic vinegar helps break down the meat a bit more during the marinating time.
Dijon Mustard - This thickens up the marinade, helps the oil mix with the vinegar, and adds a tangy flavor.
Garlic - Fresh garlic is best for this marinade. It adds tons of flavor to the beef.
Salt - I like kosher salt for marinades.
Pepper - Freshly ground adds the most flavor.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
HOW TO MAKE CUBE STEAK IN AIR FRYER
- Preheat the air fryer, and place the cube steaks in a shallow baking dish or pan.
- Create the marinade by mixing together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and minced garlic.
- Stir to combine.
- Pour the marinade over the cube steak. Allow to marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade being sure to let excess sauce drip off. Place cube steaks in the air fryer in a single layer, working in batches if needed.
- Air Fry as directed in the recipe card below. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER CUBE STEAK
If you love sauce you might want to whip up your own steak sauce! This recipe is ready to be served with your favorite side dishes!
Air Fryer potato wedges are always a hit when served with steak, and perfect for dipping into ketchup or your favorite sauce. Other potato dishes, like Air Fryer Baked Potatoes or New Potatoes would be delicious too.
I like to serve a vegetable with my meals as well. Try Air Fryer Broccoli or Air Fryer Asparagus.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Cube Steaks in the Air Fryer?
It really only takes about 5-7 minutes to cook a cube steak in the air fryer. The most time consuming part of this recipe is the marinade.
Is Cubed Steak Supposed to Be Tough?
Nope! If cooked right, your cube steak will be tender and juicy. Follow this recipe for the best air fryer cube steak.
This recipe was made in a Cosori Air Fryer with a Basket. The recipe should work in other air fryers.
Keep in mind that each air fryer runs differently, it is important to check your food often.
If you have a Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven or a Ninja Basket Air Fryer, both of these units seem to run "hotter" than most air fryers. That means you will need to LESSEN the cook time.
MORE DELICIOUS AIR FRYER DINNER RECIPES
Love Steak? Try our recipe for Air Fryer Steak, or get a bit fancy with Air Fryer Lamb Chops.
For a vegetarian dinner in the air fryer, you have to try this recipe for Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan. It's so good!
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment AND rating below! It helps other readers!
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Air Fryer Cube Steak
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb cube steak
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes.
- Place cube steaks in a shallow baking dish or pan.
- Mix together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Stir to combine.
- Pour the marinade over the cube steak. Let marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
- Remove the cube steaks from the marinade, being sure to let excess sauce drip off the steaks. Place the cube steaks in the air fryer in a single layer, working in batches if needed.
- Air fry at 400F for 6-7 minutes, or until the cube steaks have reached an internal temperature of 145F. Be sure not to overcook as the steak will get tough.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing so the juices don't run out of the steaks.
Video
Notes
- You can typically find cube steak pre-tenderized at the grocery store in the meat section.
- Cube steak is a tougher cut of meat, so marinating it for at least an hour helps to break down the meat and create a more tender steak.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
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