Seasoned with a dry rub and slathered in BBQ sauce, our pork steak in air fryer recipe makes for a delicious dinner option. Ready in less than 30-minutes, air fryer pork steak is a quick and easy way to enjoy tender, juicy pork should blade steaks at home and a dinner that is a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!

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Air Fry Pork Steaks (No Breading)
We've always been a pork-loving family, and cooking pulled pork with pork shoulder is always a favorite. But it wasn't until last year that I realized you could take that same cut of meat and turn it into pork STEAKS. Maybe it's just not common in the PNW but I've literally been quizzing friends and family on if they've ever cooked pork steaks and NO ONE has ever heard of them! That probably explains why they were hard for me to find and I had to buy every. single. package. at the one store I could find them at!
We love to treat our pork steak in air fryer recipe just like we would any other BBQ recipe, so we are serving up delicious and juicy pork shoulder blade steaks alongside air fryer whole baby potatoes, air fryer corn the cob, and of course, a scrumptious coleslaw.
Why you'll love Pork Steaks in Air Fryer
- Requiring just 10 minutes of preptime and just 10 minutes of cooktime means you can cook and enjoy tender & juicy BBQ pork shoulder blade steaks in less than 30-minutes!
- You can use either your favorite storebought or homemade BBQ dry rubs and sauce on your pork steaks in the air fryer.
- Pork steaks in air fryer makes sticking to your gluten-free, low-carb, keto, dairy-free, Paleo, and even Whole30 lifstyles super easy (just be sure to read the labels on your rubs and sauces).
- Needing just 3 ingredients, our pork steak in air fryer reicpe is one of the simplest pork recipes you will find!
While it may not be simple to find pork steaks in the PNW, we are churning out as many additional pork steak recipes as we can because they make for a superb dinner option. Be sure to check out our smothered pork steaks, BBQ baked pork steaks in oven, and pork steak marinade.
Everything you'll need for Air Fry Pork Steaks
Air Fryer Pork Steak Ingredients
You can cook the best pork steaks in air fryer with just three simple ingredients - pork steaks, your favorite BBQ dry rub, and your favorite BBQ sauce.
- pork steak, bone-in
- pork rub (homemade or store bought)
- BBQ sauce
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Pork Steak Air Fry Equipment
An Air Fryer- We have a Cosori XL basket style air fryer, an Omni Plus oven style air fryer, and a small 3.2L Farberware basket style air fryer. The Cosori was used in this recipe.
Diet Adaptions
Not a true adaption, but a reminder to check the labels on any storebought rubs or sauces that you use in this recipe for hidden sugars or gluten.
How to cook Pork Steaks in Air Fryer
Prep Ingredients
- If you're using our homemade dry rub for pork recipe (click link to see full rub recipe), combine all of the rub ingredients into a small bowl. Skip this step if you're using a store-bought rub.
- Cut large pieces of fat from the pork steak.
- Blot the steak/steaks dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the steak.
- Only one pork steak could fit in the air fryer, it was 5" wide at the widest part and about 1" thick. You might be able to cook 2 at once if you have smaller steaks or a larger air fryer (a Cosori 5.8 QT was used for recipe testing).
Temperature
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 F for 5 minutes.
Cooking Time
- Air fry for 9-10 minutes (our steak was at 141 F at this point).
- Brush both sides with BBQ sauce and air fry for 1-2 more minutes until internal temp reaches 145 F when checked in the thickest part of the meat with a digital meat thermometer, or the pork is done to your liking.
- Let the pork rest for 3 minutes before serving.
- Serve with your favorite BBQ side dishes like coleslaw, baked beans, corn, or roasted potatoes. Add more BBQ sauce on the side for people who like their pork extra saucy!
How long to cook pork steaks in air fryer?
Ideal Pork Steak Temp when done
According the the USDA, pork steak is considered done once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. This will give you juicy tender pork cooked to medium rare temperature. If you prefer medium, you can cook it to 150 F, 155 F for medium well, and 160 F for well done pork steak.
Pork Steaks Air Fryer Tips
- Remove the pork from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking to start bringing it to room temperature. This helps the pork to cook evenly. If you skip this step, the pork steak could take longer to cook.
- Preheating your air fryer for at least 5 minutes prior to cooking ensure that your pork steaks begin cooking as soon as you place them in the air fryer.
- The size of our pork steak was 1" thick and 5" wide at the widest point, plus had the bone-in. If your grocery store sells them boneless or cuts them in half, you can still use this cooking method, the pork will just take less time to cook.
- For best results, check your pork for doneness using a digital meat thermometer.
- Allow your pork to rest for 3 minutes prior to serving.
How do you cook pork steaks without drying them out?
The best way to cook pork steak without drying them out is to use a digital meat thermometer and air fry pork steaks until they reach an internal temperature of 145 F. While marinating pork steak isn’t required, another way to keep meat from drying out is to marinate it before cooking as we did in our pork steak marinade recipe.
What to serve with Air Fry Pork Steaks
- Air fryer whole baby potatoes
- Air fryer corn on the cob
- Healthy coleslaw
- Creamy baked mac and cheese
Pork Steak in Air Fryer FAQs
The best side for pork steak are the same ones you are slinging all summer long with your BBQ. Everything from baked potatoes to fries, coleslaw to side salads, and beans to corn.
Pork steaks are made from the same cut of pork as pulled pork (commonly
known as pork shoulder or pork butt), but instead of being sold as an entire roast, they're just sliced into "steaks." Pork steaks are a fattier cut than pork tenderloin or pork chops but they are super tasty.
If your pork steaks are tough it is because they are being overcooked. Use a digital meat thermometer and cook the steaks until 145 F. We do recommend that you start checking the temperature of your steaks earlier to help prevent overcooking. Also, always allow for a 3-5 minute rest after cooking.
More Pork Steak Recipes
Looking for more pork recipes?
- Pan fried pork steaks in a mushroom cream sauce
- Baked pork steaks in oven
- Pork steak marinade
- How to cook pork steaks
- What to serve with pork steaks
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Air Fry Pork Steaks
A quick and easy, tender and juicy pork steak in the air fryer covered in a savory pork dry rub and BBQ sauce. Serve with your favorite BBQ fixins'!
Ingredients
- 1-1.25 lb pork steak, bone-in
- 1 ½ tablespoon pork rub (homemade or store bought)
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 F for 5 minutes.
- If you're using our homemade dry rub for pork recipe (click link to see full rub recipe), combine all of the rub ingredients into a small bowl. Skip this step if you're using a store-bought rub.
- Cut large pieces of fat from the pork steak. Blot the steak/steaks dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the steak. Only one pork steak could fit in the air fryer, it was 5" wide at the widest part and about 1" thick. You might be able to cook 2 at once if you have smaller steaks or a larger air fryer (a Cosori 5.8 QT was used for recipe testing).
- Air fry for 9-10 minutes, our steak was at 141 F at this point. Brush both sides with BBQ sauce and air fry for 1-2 more minute until internal temp reaches 145 F when checked in the thickest part of the meat with a digital meat thermometer, or the pork is done to your liking.
- Let the pork rest for 3 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite BBQ side dishes like coleslaw, baked beans, corn, or roasted potatoes. Add more BBQ sauce on the side for people who like their pork extra saucy!
Notes
Remove the pork from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking to start bringing it to room temperature. This helps the pork to cook evenly. If you skip this step, the pork steak could take longer to cook.
According to the USDA, cook pork until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 F when tested with a digital meat thermometer checked in the thickest part of the steak.
The size of our pork steak was 1" thick and 5" wide at the widest point, plus had the bone-in. If your grocery store sells them boneless or cuts them in half, you can still use this cooking method, the pork will just take less time to cook.
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Colleen says
We love pork steaks and buy them often here in PA. They are available all the time. I just purchased a Cosori 5.8qt Air Fryer and we will be making a pork steak (it's big so we split one) to try your recipe. Seems easy enough and we're going to have it with red potatoes. Thanks for the recipes 🙂