Perfect Air Fryer Roast Beef | Love Food Not Cooking (2024)

Everyone loves this tender juicy air fryer roast beef with a beautifully caramelised herby crust. Not only is it totally delicious, but it is super simple to prepare so you can relax and enjoy your Sunday. Check out my tips for getting a perfect crust while keeping the inside perfectly pink.

The roast beef that started my air fryer obsession

This recipe is very close to my heart. Roast beef is one of the first things I cooked in my first ever air fryer, and it came out so delicious that I don’t think I’ve cooked it in my oven since!

It’s incredibly easy to prepare (which is why it’s my favourite way to roast beef) – simply season the beef with a few herbs, and then pop it in the air fryer.

It can be hard to get that perfect balance between the dark caramelized outer crust and juicy pink inside when roasting beef in the air fryer. But I’ve tested and refined this recipe many many times over the years since I started making it, and have a great technique for keeping it medium-rare with the perfect sear.

Because the cooking time is relatively short it is better to use the most tender beef joint that your budget with stretch to. I usually use topside or top rump for a family dinner, or sirloin or ribeye for a special occasion.

What else do you need?

Herbs

I like to use rosemary and thyme for this recipe, but you can substitute any other herbs or seasoning you like (try oregano, sage, parsley).

Fresh or dried herbs will work. If you are using fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off and chop them up quite finely before using.

Salt

It is also important to season the beef with salt to bring out the flavor of the meat. I prefer fine ground sea salt, or kosher salt. Use approximately half a teaspoon per 500g/ pound of beef.

Oil

I normally use light olive oil when cooking a roast in the air fryer, but you can use any cooking oil with a high smoke point. Vegetable oil or avocado oil are good choices.

Onion (optional)

Another great way to add flavor to this dish is to add an onion to the air fryer basket with the beef. Cut it in half or into quarters.

Tips for perfect roast beef

Perfect roast beef has a dark caramelised crust on the outside and is perfectly pink and tender on the inside.

To achieve a seared crust the beef needs to be cooked hot, but to keep the centre pink, the beef needs to be cooked slowly at a low temperature.

Blasting it at a high temperature until the centre is medium rare, will give you a dark crust, but the pink centre will be small and it will be surrounded by a wide band of overcooked grey meat.

To achieve that perfect crust while minimising the grey and maximising the pink:

1. Get the roast our of the fridge ahead of time to all it to reach room temperature before cooking (around 1 hour).
2. Sear with a short blast in the air fryer on HOT, before lowering the temperature and allow it to cook through to your desired donenss.
3. Monitor the internal temperature and pull it out a couple of degrees early, because the temperature will continue to rise while it is resting.
4. Rest before serving for at least 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to reabsorb.

Ready? Let’s cook this roast beef in the air fryer!

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s so easy. Simply rub the meat with herbs and oil, sear it in the air fryer, lower the temperature, and continue roasting until it’s medium-rare. The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of the steps with photos:

2

Prepare.

First pat the beef roast dry with paper towels. Then mix the herbs, salt and oil together on a plate, and roll the beef in it until evenly covered.

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3

Sear the beef.

To achieve a delicious crust, the beef roast initially needs to be cooked at a high temperature to sear the outside and allow the browning to begin. Place the beef roast in the air fryer basket and cook for the first 10 minutes at 200°C/ 400°F.

4

Cook it through.

Lower the temperature of the air fryer to 150°C/ 300°F, and air fry beef roast for another 30-40 minutes, or until it is cooked to your liking. See below for more details on cooking times and doneness.

How long to cook roast beef in the air fryer?

Pro tip: use a meat thermometer. It takes the guesswork out of cooking meat, and I promise it will come in handy for more than just this recipe!

For a medium-rare roast, aim for an internal temperature of about 52°C/ 125°F, for medium aim for 55°C/ 130°F. Check towards the end of the cooking time, and remember the temperature of the meat will continue to rise while it rests (so pull it out a few degrees early).

These cook times are usually exactly right for my Philips XXL Airfryer. If you have another powerful brand of air fryer like the Nuwave or a Ninja Foodi, then expect cook times to be similar.

Serving ideas

• Serve slices of roast beef with crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and steamed vegetables.
• Serve slices of roast beef with a mound of creamy mashed potatoes, a ladleful of mushroom gravy, and a side of green beans or Brussels sprouts.
• Leftovers? Pile thinly sliced roast beef on a crusty roll with a dollop of horseradish sauce, a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, and some peppery rocket/arugula leaves.
• Top a bed of mixed greens with slices of roast beef, crumbled blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion. Drizzle with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.