Air Fryer Roast Beef (With Cooking Times)

Roast beef in the air fryer is a revelation. It's succulent and tender and can be cooked in under an hour. Plus, when you cook beef this way, you can use the air fryer for your side dishes while your beef is resting. I love serving air-fried roast beef with roast potatoes, veggies and a rich gravy for a traditional roast beef dinner.

Which joint of beef is best for air frying?

Choosing the correct joint of beef is key for perfectly cooked roast beef. Avoid cheaper cuts such as brisket as these won’t give you the succulent results you want. Instead, opt for high-quality joints of beef for air frying, like topside, rib (on the bone) and silverside. Most supermarkets sell joints specifically for roasting - or visit your local butcher, who can advise you when choosing beef for the air fryer.

Size matters

It may be obvious but double-check the dimensions of your air fryer before you head to the shops. You want a joint of beef that fits in your air fryer basket with a bit of space around the edge so that the air can circulate.

Season to perfection

Load up on flavour for the tastiest air fryer roast beef. Before cooking, season it well with salt and ground black pepper and brush with a tablespoon of oil. Rub in garlic powder or onion powder and a good sprinkle of herbs such as rosemary and thyme. This is a perfect combination if you’re cooking roast beef in the air fryer for Christmas dinner. Oregano, sage and tarragon also work well, so pick your favourite combination.

Give it a hot start

Give your joint an initial hot blast by cooking on air fry at 220C (420F) for five minutes. This helps seal in the flavour (just like when searing a beef joint in a pan). After the initial five minutes, adjust the air fryer’s temperature down to 170C (335F) for the remainder of the cooking time (see the next tip for more on cooking times).

Cooking times for air fryer roast beef

Knowing how long to cook roast beef in an air fryer depends on two main factors. The weight of your beef joint and how well done you like your beef.

Decide whether you want your beef rare, medium or well done and calculate your air fryer timings accordingly. As a guide, on an air fryer setting of 170C (335F), you’ll need 15 minutes per pound/450g to achieve rare beef. Then add extra minutes as follows:

For rare beef – no extra minutes

For medium-rare beef – add five extra minutes

For medium beef – add 10 extra minutes

For medium-well-done beef – add 15 extra minutes

For well-done beef – add 20 extra minutes

If you want to be even more precise, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your beef joint in the last few minutes of its cooking time. Here are the temperatures to aim for when using a meat thermometer for your air fryer beef:

Meat thermometer temperatures for roast beef

Rare: 52C (125F)

Medium-rare: 57C (135F)

Medium: 63C (145F)

Medium-well done: 66C (150F)

Well done: 71C (160F)

Let it rest

Once you’ve removed your beef from the air fryer basket, it’s important to let it rest for 20 minutes before serving. Here’s why you let meat rest before serving:

During the cooking process, the muscle fibres of the meat firm up, releasing water. This moisture migrates towards the meat’s surface and if you cut into the meat right away, it pools out, leading to a dry roast. Allowing the meat to rest gives the moisture a chance to reabsorb into the meat, preserving its lovely juiciness.

The benefit is that you can use your air fryer to cook side dishes like roast potatoes, roasted veggies or pigs in blankets while the meat rests.

Top Tip: Remove the beef from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

Looking for other ways to cook beef in an air fryer? Try this tasty air fryer meatballs recipe.

Or for a traditional Christmas dinner, try this air fryer turkey crown recipe or air fryer salmon from frozen.

Have you cooked air fryer roast beef? How did it go? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a ⭐star rating and a comment below. I love hearing from you all. Thanks for visiting!