Air Fryer Pork Steaks are covered in BBQ seasoning and sauce to create a delicious and easy dinner option in under 15 minutes!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
Cooking pork steaks in the air fryer has been a game-changer for me. They are such an inexpensive cut of pork and I can find them right in Walmart. Plus, they cook in under 10 minutes (15 minutes with prep time)!
This recipe includes no breading and works for both boneless and bone-in pork steaks. Please make sure you are using a thin pork steak (not a full pork shoulder, or full pork chuck roast).
In this post I will teach you:
- What the difference between a pork steak and a pork chop is
- How to make pork steaks in the air fryer
- What temperature pork butt steaks need to be cooked to
- How to reheat pork steaks in the air fryer
- How to cook frozen pork steak in the air fryer
Are Pork Steaks the Same as Pork Chops?
No, while pork steaks and pork chops both come from a pig, they are two entirely different cuts of meat.
Pork Steaks – also known as pork shoulder blade steak or Boston butt
This cut of pork comes from the shoulder of the pig. It has extraordinary flavor because of the marbling of fat and tissues included and makes for a flavorful dish.
Note: though called a Boston butt or pork butt, this cut of meat does not come from the butt of a pig
Pork Chops – also known as pork loin chops or pork rib chops
A pork chop comes from the spine of the pig. Therefore, you can choose rib cut pork chops that include part of the pig’s ribs. This cut of meat can be a little drier than that of a shoulder blade steak but still makes for a great choice in the air fryer.
Make these great air fryer pork chops in your air fryer:
- Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Bone-in Pork Chops with Breading
- Air Fryer Honey Garlic Pork Chops
How to Cook Air Fryer Pork Steaks
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
STEP TWO: Massage the pork butt steaks with BBQ dry rub to evenly coat them. I like to use Stubb’s BBQ Rub.
STEP THREE: Take half of the BBQ sauce and place it in a bowl. Baste half of it on one side of the steaks. Place the pork steaks in the air fryer with the BBQ side down then baste the top side with BBQ sauce.
You can also just baste both sides outside of the air fryer, but I like to do it this way to avoid more BBQ sauce cleanup.
I love to use either Stubb’s BBQ sauce or Sweet Baby Rays when I don’t use my flavorful homemade BBQ sauce.
STEP FOUR: Cook the air fryer pork steaks for about 4 minutes, then baste with the rest of the barbecue sauce by basting the top, then flipping the pork shoulder blade steak over and basting the other side.
Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, for a total of about 9 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Remove the pork steaks from the air fryer and let rest for at least 3 minutes. Baste additional BBQ sauce on them if desired, then enjoy!
Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
- Air Fryer Ham Steaks
- Air Fryer Ribeye Steak
- Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
- Air Fryer Keto Chicken Breasts
- Stuffed Pork Chops in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Marinated Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Pork Loin
What Temperature Do Pork Steaks Need to Cook To?
Pork steaks are done cooking when they just hit 145 degrees after a 3-minute rest.
If a shoulder blade steak is cooked longer, it can start to become tough. I recommend using an Instant-Read Thermometer to quickly check the internal temperature while using an air fryer to keep as much hot air inside the air fryer as possible.
I use the Kizen Instant-Read Thermometer.
How To Reheat Pork Steaks in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place the pork steaks in the air fryer and baste both sides with BBQ sauce.
- Cook the Boston butt steaks for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and enjoy!
How to Cook Frozen Pork Steaks in the Air Fryer
I love cooking food from frozen in the air fryer as it has saved dinner on many occasions when I realize it’s still… well in the freezer.
You can cook everything from frozen steaks to frozen pork tenderloin in the air fryer too!
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Place the frozen pork steaks in the air fryer and cook for 13 to 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking, flip the steaks and add the BBQ rub and baste with BBQ sauce on both sides.
- Remove from the air fryer and enjoy!
What to Pair with Air Fryer Pork Steaks
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
- Air Fryer Carrots (or this Instant Pot Glazed Carrots recipe!)
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
See other Air Fryer Vegetables you will love here!
Air Fryer Pork Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 pork butt steaks
- 1 tablespoon Stubb’s BBQ Rub or other dry BBQ rub
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce of choice I love Stubb’s and Sweet Baby Ray’s
- additional BBQ sauce for coating after cooking optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Massage pork steaks with BBQ dry rub to evenly coat it then baste both sides with BBQ sauce.
- Place the pork steaks in the air fryer in one layer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until the inside hits 145 degrees.
- Remove them from the air fryer and let sit at least 3 minutes before cutting. Baste with additional BBQ sauce if desired and serve.
My honey loves pork and fixing this up looks easy and so very tasty. Love how approachable this recipe is!
These pork steaks were so flavorful! And, yes, to Sweet Baby Ray’s!
Very delicious. I’ll be making this again.
Omg, pork steaks were so good.
Helpful hint and I learned this from my Dad…season your pork the night before and let it sit in the icebox, uncovered (yes, I’m a Southern boy) overnight. Allow the pork to come to room temperature before you cook. Works every time.
This is a great recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Yes! The longer you season your meat, the more it will soak into it and become more flavorful!
Probably a dumb question but when I reheat the pork steaks, do I use the air fry or bake function? I’ve been cooking for over 50 years and am trying to move into the 21st century but so many buttons on one contraption are confusing to me! Love your blog and recipes!!
Hi PJ! Those buttons really just change the temperature and time listed. To make it easier, any time you use an air fryer recipe, switch it to the air function (unless it’s the Dual Blaze, then in that case use the bake function for things like cake, etc.).
So in this case, turn your air fryer to air fry to 350 degrees, then put the leftover pork steaks in the air fryer and reheat them for 3-4 minutes.