Air Fryer Skirt Steak 

Who doesn’t love a good skirt steak? It’s so versatile it’s obvious why we gravitate towards it for so many recipes. 

Air fryer skirt steak is simply seasoned and cooked perfectly. It’s quick and makes a minimal mess. And yes, it’s as juicy as our recipe for churrasco in a cast iron pan. 

We know this recipe may offend every grill master or Argentine gaucho, but we are two moms on a mission trying to help get a healthy dinner on the table quickly. And the air fryer is a huge help in making that happen.

The idea of doing skirt steak in the air fryer came to us because we love using the air fryer to reheat leftover steak. The microwave just doesn’t work as well. So we figured, why not cook it in there from the beginning and see what happens? Turns out it’s great and will surprise even the pickiest eaters. 

You can use skirt steak for tacos or slice it to top salads. We almost always serve steak with our Chimichurri or Salsa Verde. This pairs perfectly with our Air Fryer Spinach or Chopped Salad. A delicious meal, without having to dirty the stove or use the oven. 

Our Air Fryer Skirt Steak Tips:

• First things first, THIS is our favorite Air Fryer! Ani uses it almost every day! Cristy has been saying she would buy one every Tuesday since they met, but regrets it every time!
• Use only outside skirt steak, it’s a lot more tender and more flavorful than the inside skirt steak
• Try to use a great quality beef. We like using angus or prime. Wild Forks has a great angus skirt steak.
• Allow your steak to come to room temperature. Adding a cold steak to a hot air fryer will cool it down too much. 
• Don’t skip the step of patting the meat dry with paper towel and preheating the air fryer. Both steps help the meat caramelize.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan. Making the steak in batches is best.
• Avoid a very fatty skirt steak. That’s great for an open fire but not the air fryer. 
• Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the steak.
  • If the steak is very thin, as most skirt steaks are, it will cook in 5 minutes. Then allow it rest for a minute in the air fryer.     
  • If the steak is a little thicker, it will be medium rare in 6-7 minutes. Then let it rest for a minute. If you want it medium just let it rest in the air fryer basket for 3 minutes before removing it. The hot air fryer will continue to cook the meat without over cooking it.   

Try Our Other Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Skirt Steak 

Recipe by Abuelas Cuban CounterCourse: Entree

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds of angus outside skirt steak 

• ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon of paprika

• ½ teaspoon of steak or creole seasoning 

• Salt and freshly cracked pepper

• 2 tablespoons of avocado oil

• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Directions

• Cut the long piece of skirt steak into 3 or 4 smaller pieces. Pat the steak dry with paper towel. 
• Rub each piece of meat with the avocado oil on both sides. Season with the garlic powder, seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.  
• Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. As soon as it’s preheated and ready add 2 to 3 steaks. You should hear a small sizzle when you place the steaks on the basket. Work in batches if all the steaks don’t fit properly. 
• Cook the steaks for 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness. See note above. 
• Allow the steaks to rest before slicing. Always cut it against the grain before serving.