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It was always a treat growing up to have cube steak for dinner. We were always on a budget so any kind of “steak” seemed special. Although they aren’t the best cut of meat, if prepared properly, they are quite tasty. With a tiny amount of seasoning, you can make a great sandwich, or cut the cube steak for recipes.
Traditionally, I prepare cube steaks in a pan on the stove, but I have found that this isn’t necessarily the best way to prepare them. Cubed steaks are a cheaper cut of meat (top or bottom round) which are notoriously tough. To soften the steak, cube steaks are cut thin and mechanically tenderized, but that isn’t enough. There are some things that need to happen to ensure your cube steak isn’t tough. Lay the steak on the counter and use a meat tenderizer/mallet (if you don’t have a mallet, you can tenderize a cube steak without one) to hammer the heck out of the cut – the thinner you pound it, the softer the steak will be. You really can’t over-tenderize a cube steak.
Once your cube steak is tenderized, put flour on the cubed steak (both sides), sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onion powder (or whatever spices float your boat) then add the cube steaks to your preheated air fryer.
Simple, delicious and definitely budget-friendly! If you have never tried cube steak, check out the options at your local grocery store.
Cube Steak in the Air Fryer
- 1 cube steak cutlet, thawed pound the cube steak with a meat tenderizer until the cut of meat is adequately tenderized and very thin
- flour cover the cubed steak in flour, I often add flour to a bowl, turning the cubed steak over to cover
- dash salt sprinkle
- dash pepper skake
- dash onion powder shake
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Preheat your air fryer to 400° F | 204° C for 5 minutes.
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Air fry the cube steak for 7-8 minutes turning the cube steak halfway through the cooking cycle.
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Not everyone likes beef cooked the same way, not all air fryers cook the same. So if you prefer your beef to be a bit more on the rare side, you will have to adjust your time accordingly. I strongly suggest that you use a meat thermometer to achieve the temp that you prefer.
Med-Rare: Temperature: 125°F/52°C
Med: Temperature: 135°F/57°C
Med-Well: Temperature: 140°F/63°C
Well Done: Temperature: 150°F/65°C
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Add the steak to a bun for a cube steak sandwich, slice it for pepper steak, serve it with your favorite vegetable. Anyway you want to eat it, plate and enjoy!
Try one of these other great recipes:
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Just learning how to cook in a air fryer for one person is really hard
Hi Bonnie, my best tip is to just watch the items you are air frying. No two air fryers work the same, some are hotter some are colder. Just watch your food closely. For instance, a thin crust pizza will NOT cook the same as a thick crust pizza. Thanks for your comment.