Air Fryer Tri Tip Steak Recipe

I love making this tri-tip all the time because of the easy use of the air fryer’s convection function – this is my favorite too rainy to grill air fryer steak recipe!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Air Fried Tri-Tip

This tri tip steak is incredibly tender and juicy – I love grilled churrasco style steak, but when we can’t get outside over the grill, the air fryer is the BEST way to make steak!

We love air fryer New York strip steaks, and decided to try tri tip in our air fryer – what a game changer!

Air fryers are like mini convection ovens that broil at high temps (and because they are small, they direct heat more efficiently than many ovens, allowing you to get a lovely sear and crunch without overcooking the meat) – giving you perfect delicious steak.

We love to serve this steak with chimichurri sauce – it’s simple, clean, and crazy delicious!

Check out my web story about air frying this tri tip, it includes video!

How to Air Fry Tri Tip Steak

This recipe was designed to work with any air fryer model or pressure cooker (Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot) with broiler lid and basket.

We’ve made it in a Phillips air fryer (standard air fryer with basket), a Ninja Foodi with broiler lid, and an Instant Pot with crisping lid and broiler function.

This steak is delicious with a super simple steak rub – we’re going to show you our favorite rub with a little kick from Aleppo pepper (one of my all time favorite seasonings), but if you have a steak rub you love, go ahead and use that as you wish (use 2 tablespoons)!

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon aleppo pepper (less if you don’t want it too spicy)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Method: You’ll flip the tri tip after about 8 minutes, and aim for 16-20 minutes air fry time – but then leave the tri tip in the air fryer until it hits your target temperature to carryover cook in the ambient heat.

Since cuts of meat can vary in size, and different air fryers hit different temperatures, we strongly recommend on going off the temperature of your tri tip, not the time on your air fryer for absolutely perfect results.

Tips to Perfect Air Fried Steak & FAQs

This recipe is incredibly easy to get perfect air fried tri tip with a crunchy crust and juicy, tender center – but there are a few things you can do to make sure your tri tip is a knockout every time.

Bring to room temperature. For the crunchy crust and rich meaty flavor you get from a steakhouse, you want to cook steak as hot and fast as possible. Steak that has come to room temperature before cooking can crisp on the outside faster, and allows the fat to render more. Simply let tri tip rest on the counter for 20-30 minutes before cooking while you prep the rest of your meal.

Pat dry. Steak with excess moisture or water will not crisp and risk boiling instead of broiling – giving you tougher, chewier, gray meat. Simply pat dry with a paper towel to make sure your steak is completely dry before rubbing with oil.

Drizzle in oil. Before air frying, we will be adding a little oil to help seasoning stick and crisp the outside of the steak a bit more when air frying. Think of this as just a drizzle for your steaks – they should just glisten from the oil, they don’t need to be soaked in oil.

Season well. Before air frying, be sure to season steak well. Use your favorite steak seasoning,herbs de provence, Montreal steak seasoning, or rub.

Give steak space. It is absolutely essential to have lots of airflow for your air fryer to properly cook steaks – don’t cram into the basket and don’t let steaks crowd the basket or touch.

Let steak carryover cook in air fryer. If you remove your steaks from the air fryer/broiler basket right when the machine’s timer shuts off, your steak will be crispy outside, but very much raw in the middle. The broiler/air fry function is great for crisping the outside of the steak, but a good deal of the cooking is done after your air fryer fan shuts off and the steaks cook in the heat of the machine. Keep machine closed (you can quickly pop in a digital thermometer to monitor doneness) for at least 5 minutes for medium rare, and up to 10 minutes for medium well to well done.

Let it rest. All steak need to rest for 5 minutes after cooking before serving and slicing (after removed from machine) to let juices set and prevent steak from drying out.)

Know what temperature to cook steak to. Since we’re cooking this steak to an ideal doneness – and less for time – it is critical to know the temperature you’d like to cook your tri tip to. I personally go for “Pittsburg Rare” – charred on the outside, and fairly rare in the middle – it’s my absolute favorite way to eat steaks, including tri tip! Air fryers are great at getting the perfect crunchy crust on the outside of steak, without overcooking the middle, so you get a delicious juicy steak at perfect medium rare (its great even done more, I just love rare-medium rare.)

• Rare – 120 degrees
• Medium Rare – 130 degrees
• Medium – 140 degrees
• Medium Well – 150 degrees
• Well – 160+ degrees

Recipe FAQs

Tri tip steak is great for an air fryer – it comes out with a perfect crunchy crust and tender, juicy meat!
The hot air circulation in an air fryer helps steak cook hot and fast, so you’re left with tons of rich meaty flavor, without all the butter, oil, or splattery, smoky mess from pan frying steak at home.

This recipe was designed to work with any air fryer model or pressure cooker (Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot) with broiler lid and basket.

Air fryer/pressure cookers with broiler functions should be set at 450 degrees.

For medium rare, broil for 12 minutes and let steak sit in machine for another 5 minutes to carryover cook until steak is 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rare – 120 degrees
Medium Rare – 130 degrees
Medium – 140 degrees
Medium Well – 150 degrees
Well – 160+ degrees

What To Serve With Tri Tip Steak

Try my air fryer London broil, grilled steak with chimichurri, or Dutch oven pulled pork next!

Tri tip is delicious for fajitas and tacos, but it’s also great on its own, served with delicious hearty sides.

Skhug Recipe (Zhoug Sauce)

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Easy Gazpacho Soup Recipe

Spanish Pan Con Tomate (Tomato Toast)

For our steak recipe archives, click here.

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