Creating mouth-watering **roast beef in the air fryer** begins with selecting high-quality ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to achieve that perfect flavor and texture:

• 2-2½ lb Beef Roast (907-1134g): The type of beef roast you choose is paramount to the success of this recipe. Look for cuts specifically recommended for roasting, such as a **sirloin tip roast**, which is lean yet tender when cooked correctly. The size and shape of your chosen cut will directly influence the cooking time, so keep this in mind.
• 1 Tablespoon Oil (e.g., Olive Oil): A good quality oil, like olive oil, helps in two ways: it promotes a beautiful crust on the exterior of the beef and helps the seasoning adhere evenly. You can also opt for avocado oil or grapeseed oil, which have high smoke points and neutral flavors.
• Steak Seasoning: A robust steak seasoning blend is crucial for enhancing the natural flavors of the beef. You can use your favorite store-bought mix or create your own with a combination of coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a pinch of dried thyme or rosemary. Be generous with the seasoning; it forms a flavorful crust.

For a detailed, printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions, please refer to the end of this post. Remember, a meat thermometer is an absolute non-negotiable for this recipe; it’s your best tool for ensuring perfect doneness without overcooking.

Selecting the correct cut of beef is a critical step for a successful and tender **air fryer roast beef**. Not all cuts are created equal, and choosing the wrong one can lead to a less-than-ideal result. For air frying and oven roasting, you want cuts that are naturally tender or will become tender relatively quickly, rather than tough cuts that require long, slow cooking methods to break down connective tissue. The goal is a juicy interior and a beautiful crust without excessive drying.

Here’s a guide to the best cuts of beef for your **air fryer roast beef recipe**, along with their characteristics (source):

• Chateaubriand Tenderloin Roast: Often considered the crème de la crème, the beef tenderloin roast is renowned as the most tender beef roast. It’s exceptionally lean and boasts a melt-in-your-mouth succulence. Its primary drawback is its premium price, making it a splurge rather than an everyday choice. Ideal for a truly special occasion.
• Ribeye Roast: A classic and popular choice for traditional roast beef. The ribeye roast is celebrated for its rich flavor and generous marbling (intramuscular fat), which contributes to its incredible juiciness and tenderness. It’s less lean than the tenderloin but offers a more robust beefy taste.
• Shoulder Petite Tender: This smaller cut, often referred to as the “poor man’s tenderloin,” offers a surprisingly tender texture at a more affordable price point than the Chateaubriand. Its compact size makes it perfect for quick air frying, reaching desired doneness efficiently.
• Tri-tip Roast: While not as exquisitely tender as the tenderloin or ribeye, the tri-tip roast is highly flavorful and can still yield an excellent **air fryer roast beef**. It’s a versatile cut that benefits from proper slicing against the grain to maximize tenderness.
• Sirloin Tip Roast and Top Sirloin Petite Roast (Top Loin): These are fantastic, budget-friendly options that offer lean meat suitable for both roasting and air frying. They deliver good beefy flavor and can be wonderfully tender when not overcooked. The sirloin tip is a popular choice for this recipe due to its balance of cost and quality.
• Rolled Rib Roast: Also known as boneless prime rib, this is another highly tender and flavorful cut. Its richness and succulence make it a superb candidate for air frying, offering a luxurious dining experience.
• Top Round Roast: Traditionally, top round and eye of round are often recommended for slow cooking methods due to their leanness and potential toughness. However, I’ve personally tested these cuts in the air fryer, and they produced surprisingly great results, especially when sliced thinly. They offer a leaner option with good beef flavor.

Understanding USDA Beef Grades for the Best Roast

Beyond the cut, understanding **USDA beef grades** can significantly impact the flavor, juiciness, and tenderness of your **air fryer roast beef**. These grades are a voluntary system overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture, and they primarily assess two characteristics:

• Quality: This refers to the eating characteristics of the meat, including its flavor, juiciness, and tenderness. It’s largely determined by the amount of marbling (flecks of fat within the lean meat) and the age of the animal. More marbling generally means better flavor and tenderness.
• Yield: This grade indicates the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass, which is less relevant for consumers buying individual cuts but important for butchers and processors.

For home cooks aiming for the **best roast beef ever**, focusing on the quality grade is paramount. Here’s what each grade means for your roast:

• Prime Beef: This is the highest quality grade, distinguished by abundant marbling. Prime cuts are exceptionally flavorful, juicy, and tender, making them an outstanding choice for **air fryer roast beef** if your budget allows. They offer the most luxurious eating experience.
• Choice Beef: A high-quality option that is widely available. Choice beef has less marbling than Prime but is still very tender and flavorful. Most grocery stores carry Choice beef, and it works wonderfully for this recipe, offering a great balance of quality and affordability.
• Select Beef: A step below Choice, Select beef is leaner with noticeably less marbling. While it can be suitable for some applications, it tends to be less juicy and tender than Prime or Choice. For **air-fried roast beef**, Select beef might be a bit dry unless carefully managed or marinated to enhance its juiciness and flavor. I generally do not recommend it for roasting in an air fryer.
• Standard Beef and Commercial Beef: These are lower grades, often sold ungraded. They have minimal marbling and are generally tougher and less flavorful. These grades are best avoided for stand-alone roasts and are usually processed into ground beef or other products.
• Utility Beef, Cutter Beef, Canner Beef: These are the lowest grades of beef, almost exclusively used for ground beef or in highly processed meat products. You are unlikely to find roasts from these grades in a retail setting, and they would certainly not be suitable for a delicious **roast beef air fryer recipe**.

For the best results with your **air fryer roast beef**, aim for Prime or Choice grade beef. The investment in a higher-quality cut will truly pay off in terms of flavor and texture.

Bring Roast to Room Temperature

For optimal browning and even cooking, it’s crucial to let your roast rest at room temperature for approximately one hour before cooking. This step allows the meat to relax and ensures that it cooks more evenly from edge to center. A cold roast hitting a hot air fryer will contract and cook less uniformly, potentially resulting in a raw center and overcooked exterior.

Air Frying Process

Preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit (200°C) for 5 minutes. This ensures the air fryer is at the correct temperature for an initial sear. Place the seasoned and tied roast in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 15 minutes at 390°F (200°C) to create a beautiful, caramelized crust. After this initial searing, flip the roast, reduce the temperature to 325°F (160°C), and continue cooking in 10-15 minute increments. This two-stage cooking method (high heat then lower heat) is excellent for developing a crust while gently bringing the interior to your desired doneness. The total cooking time will vary based on the roast’s size and your air fryer model.

Rest the Roast for Maximum Juiciness

Once your beef reaches the desired internal temperature, remove it from the air fryer and transfer it to a cutting board. Loosely cover the roast with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes at room temperature. This crucial resting period allows the juices within the meat, which have been pushed to the center during cooking, to redistribute throughout the roast. Skipping this step will result in juices running out when you slice, leading to a drier roast. The internal temperature will also continue to rise by a few degrees during this time, a phenomenon known as “carryover cooking,” so factor this into your target temperature.

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  2-2½
  lb
  
  beef roast
  
  (907-1134 grams; see article above for tips on choosing the right beef roast for roast beef
  )
  

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  1
  tablespoon
  
  olive oil
  

• 
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  steak seasoning
  
  (to taste)

• 
  Important! Please read the article above before beginning this recipe! It contains information critical to recipe success.
  
• Allow the thawed roast rest at room temperature for about an hour.
• Tie the roast with cooking twine about every 1-inch (2.54cm) to make it more compact. Rub the tied roast on all sides with oil. Sprinkle the roast on all sides liberally with the steak seasoning.
• Preheat your air fryer to 390℉ (200°C) for 5 minutes. Air fry roast beef for 15 minutes in the air fryer preheated to 390°F (200°C), then flip it and cook in 10-15 minute increments at 325°F (160°C) until done.

  Use the temperature guide provided in the article to get your preferred level of doneness. It required a cook time of 40-50 minutes to get my roast to an internal temperature of 130°F (54°C), which is medium-rare.

• After the beef reaches the desired internal temperature , cover it in foil, and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes at room temperature. This resting period helps ensure the roast will achieve maximum juiciness.
• After air frying and resting, you can remove the twine from the roast and unroll it. It’s very important to shave roast beef against the grain into the thinnest slices you can. Enjoy!

💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule

This is a level 2 recipe (transition or weight maintenance).

Roast beef is an excellent entree packed with high-quality protein. Beyond its satisfying taste, it provides a plethora of essential nutrients vital for overall health, including riboflavin, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. I consider it a nutritious and healthy staple in my diet.

If you’re aiming for a lean beef option, prioritize cuts with “loin” or “round” in their name. For those with weight loss goals, you can effectively lower the meal’s calorie count by thoughtfully modifying your side dish choices. Instead of traditional calorie-dense options like buttery mashed potatoes, rich biscuits, and indulgent Yorkshire puddings, opt to pile your plate high with non-starchy vegetables. This approach allows you to enjoy the delicious roast beef while aligning with your dietary objectives.

Additionally, this **air-fried roast beef** recipe is naturally low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, making it suitable for a wide range of dietary needs and preferences. While obviously not appropriate for vegetarians, nearly everyone else can comfortably enjoy this delightful main dish.

Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe and depends on the the cut of beef and your portion size. Sodium content depends on the amount and type of steak seasoning used.