How to cook Lamb Leg Steak in air fryer

Cook a lamb leg steak in a preheated air fryer for 4 minutes while replicating shallow pan frying, with the steak air fried in a little oil sat underneath the basket.

While I wouldn't recommend any steak be air fried, as its best to fry in a skillet or frying pan, you can cook a Lamb Leg Steak in a little oil which will be added to the bottom of the outer container - not the basket where food goes. Air fry at 400°F/205°C for 4 mins. to a medium rare, preheating for 10 mins.

While the following may seem impossible for any air fryer that utilizes a basket - as oppose to a removable crisper plate - smashing a lamb leg steak flat and thin enough so it fits underneath your air fryer basket should allow you to shallow fry.

While a little oil would need to be heated up for a full 10 minutes, this wouldn't really cause the oil to spit and sizzle until the steak is placed in the oil.

In addition, the lamb leg steak will be wedged in between the bottom of the outer container, and the basket underside with the steak pressed against both surfaces.

You won't have enough time to produce a nice brown sear on either side of the steak, but it will appear nicer than if the steak was air fried inside the basket as normal.

Because you will be air frying the lamb leg steak in an unconventional way - but not in a dangerous way I might add - you must thoroughly clean both basket and outer container, as it will be where you cook the steak, oil and produce cooking juices.

How to know how long to cook a lamb leg steak for is practically impossible, unless you bang your steak flat to an exact thickness of 2cm just like mine.

You will want to get the air fryer and oil really hot of which, a 10 minute preheat will guarantee the air fryer is properly heated, in a way the steak will quickly cook rather slow cook - which will cause it to over cook rather than fry to a medium rare.

I know it seems impossible to shallow fry in the bottom of your air fryer container, but it is possible if any food item is thin enough to wedge in between both basket and container.

Handle raw lamb leg steak in foil to check if it fits between the basket and container - to not contaminate a clean air fryer -  while wrapping the raw lamb leg in cling film while you bang it flat with the bottom of a saucepan.

For reference, I air fried a Tesco Finest British Lamb Leg Steak with a Sage & Rosemary Butter, weighing 200g.

How long to cook Lamb Leg Steaks in air fryer

On my first attempt I managed to air fry a perfect medium rare lamb leg steak, with equally delicious buttery mash potatoes and peas.

Certainly how long it takes to air fry a lamb leg steak will depend on the  thickness and the desired doneness you wish to air fry to.

Bear in mind, my particular lamb leg steak was approximately 2cm thick at its thickest area - where it was possibly 1.5 centimetres at its thinnest. It needed 4 minutes in total to cook to a medium rare, flipping over at the 2 minute mark.

I think its possible you can replicate these air fryer instructions to a medium rare as well, providing you bang your own lamb leg steak to a 2cm thickness.

If your lamb leg steak is between 1 to 1.5cm then I believe you will have to count to 90 seconds for each side in your head.

Remember, it isn't possible to air fryer precisely in an air fryer as there's no second hand.

If a medium to well down lamb leg steak is preferred, aim for 6 minutes for medium and 8 minutes for very well done, with no pink visible inside the steak.

More so, a different cut of lamb steak can vary in cooking times of which, these air frying instructions apply to a lamb leg steak only.

Prepare air fryer

So you aren't scrambling to clean the air fryer, its important to clean basket/container first thing, to focus all your attention on preparing and cooking the Lamb Leg Steaks.

• STEP 1: Check available space under basket - You'll need a minimum gap of 20mm to fry these steaks
• STEP 2: Remove access crumbs and bits in bottom of container - Which would of fell through the gaps of the basket when air frying food previously

• STEP 3: Soak basket inside container for 10 minutes - With the basket sat in the outer container, soak for a minimum of 10 Mins. to soften filth
• STEP 4: Scrub clean Basket & Container - To get ready to fry Lamb Leg Steaks in shallow oil, be sure every bit of filth is scrubbed away

NOTE: Failure to properly clean your air fryer basket and outer container will result in any filth actually baking into the oil and lamb steak juices, of which you will end up consuming.

Prepare Steak

To prepare your Lamb Leg Steak you must flatten the steak using a heavy saucepan, continuing to bang the steak flat until the steak fits under the basket void.

• STEP 1: Sit Lamb Leg Steaks at room temperature for 15 Mins. - Always cook a steak from room temperature as the cold will effect the timing
• STEP 2: Establish thickness to flatten steaks  - Check distance between basket underside and bottom of outer container; using a cocktail stick or similar to measure internal spacing in milimetres

• STEP 3: Flatten Lamb Leg Steaks using saucepan -  - Press steak in cling film wrap, followed by banging the steak until desired thickness
• STEP 4: Ensure air fryer basket will close with steak in bottom - Basket must fit with no resistance as the air fryer it won't close properly

NOTE: Unfortunately this plan works if you have available space underneath your detachable basket; whereas an air fryer which utilizes a crisper plate will have no trouble.

How to air fry Lamb Leg Steak to Medium Rare

You will want to imitate pan frying your Lamb Leg Steak which is to shallow fry in oil, cooking to a medium rare with 2 Mins. of air frying time on each side.

• STEP 1: Season Lamb Leg Steaks with Salt & Pepper - You will want to season you steaks with a little salt and pepper before air frying
• STEP 2: Heat 3  tbsp. of oil for 10 Mins. inside bottom of container - Oil can take time to fully heat; when it does it can smoke which should be fine

• STEP 3: Set temp to 400°F/205°C for 4 Mins.; air frying 2 Mins. on each side - Lamb Leg Steak which is approximately 2mm thick will air fry to medium rare in 4 mins. - ensure you give the steak 2 minutes exactly to fry in oil on both sides
• STEP 4: Allow Lamb Leg Steaks to rest on plate for 3 Mins. - Allow access juices to render out in 3 Mins; any extra time would cause the steak too cool to much

NOTE: With the oil added to the bottom of the container, established whether there's a deep end the oil runs into; if there is, the steak must be air fried in this area.

Summary

While a very thick lamb leg steak can be air fried actually inside the basket like any food item, doing so with a 2cm or so thick lamb leg steak will be impossible.

It will cook but the steak itself won't cook to a medium rare if that is what you prefer, and there will be no sear so the steak will be pale in colour. Not a problem with my method, which involves shallow frying this steak in the bottom of the outer container.

You know what the outer container is: outer container is what the basket normally attaches to before being slid back into the air fryer appliance.

Often there is a gap of approximately 2cm or so between the basket underside and the bottom of the container.

It is here where you can air fry a lamb leg steak in the air fryer at 400°F/205°C for 4 minutes; flipping over half way to allow both sides to sizzle in the shallow oil.

Both air fryer and oil must be given a minimum of 10 minutes to preheat, because that is close to how you would fry a steak in a frying pan.

All this demonstrates how to air fry a lamb leg steak in a conventional air fryer with a basket. If your air fryer utilizes a crisper plate instead, then good on you because all it takes to make space, is to remove the crisper plate to shallow fry on the bottom.

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