‘This feels like a culinary crime’: Chef tests frozen steak air fryer hack. Then she takes a bite

Air fryers have taken over kitchens across the U.S., with data showing nearly two-thirds of households owning one today.

With their growing popularity, air fryer recipes are popping up everywhere. From pasta to cookies, oatmeal, and beyond, the possibilities seem endless.

Now, TikTokers are stirring curiosity with a new hack: You can cook a frozen steak in an air fryer and achieve the perfect medium-rare.

Naturally, people are skeptical—including one chef who decided to put this viral method to the test. So, does it actually work?

A viral video from Erin Morley (@chef.erinmorley), who says she “has been a chef since 1999,” shows her testing out the claim that a frozen steak can be cooked to perfection in an air fryer.

Her video has already garnered over 3.9 million views, and her reactions say it all.

What were the chef’s discoveries?

“People are actually cooking their steaks in an air fryer from frozen,” Chef Morley says at the beginning of the video, clearly intrigued but skeptical.

The chef walks viewers through her process, starting with the frozen steak. 

“I hear you're supposed to coat it in olive oil and season it, and then throw it in there,” she says, following these steps carefully.

She coats the steak generously with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper before placing it in the air fryer.

“We’ll start at eight minutes,” she says, setting the timer. Halfway through, she flips the steak and cooks it for another eight minutes.

When the steak is done, she pulls it out, adds butter on top, and cuts into it. Her reaction speaks volumes. “Look at that,” she says, showing off a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak with a pink center.

The frozen steak hack verdict

Though through very few words, it’s clear Chef Morley is impressed by the results but isn't thrilled with how simple this method turned out to be.

“I have been a chef since 1999 and I just made a steak in the air fryer,” she says, holding up the cooked steak. Finally, with a mix of disbelief and resignation, she declares, “I quit.”

The science behind the air fryer hack

As it turns out, chefs have been raving about cooking meats from frozen way before this hack went viral. 

For instance, America’s Test Kitchen compared cooking thawed versus frozen steaks and found some interesting results.

Their tests suggested that frozen steaks might brown just as well as thawed ones, while retaining more moisture inside and offering a more even cook, with fewer grey streaks in the meat.

If this theory holds true, an air fryer could potentially enhance the process even further. These appliances work by circulating hot air rapidly, which may speed up browning reactions like the Maillard reaction—the interaction of proteins and sugars that creates new flavors and textures when food reaches around 300°F.

By cooking from frozen in an air fryer, the meat might brown evenly while staying tender and moist inside while it slowly thaws.

@chef.erinmorley Steak cooked in the air fryer from frozen. ???? This was a 0.7 kg Entrecôte and i did 200°c for 8 min per side #steaktiktok #steak #airfrysteak #kitchenhacks #cookinghacks #steakrecipe #perfectsteak #cookingtips ♬ original sound - Chef Erin Morley

The air fryer gets hate from viewers

In the comments, many users aren’t big fans of air fryers as an appliance. Others defend the chef’s experiment, and others are curious to try the hack for themselves. 

“The air fryer is the culinary equivalent to AI,” criticized one user.

“Guys she isn't saying this is now the way she will be doing steaks always,” defended another. “But it is showing there is more than one way especially on those days when nothing is planned & nothing defrosted.”

Chef Marley responded, writing, “Thank you!!! Someone gets it!”

“This is a ‘it works, I don't like the fact that it works, but it works’ moment,” says a third. 

The Daily Dot has reached out to Chef Morley via Instagram and TikTok direct messages for comment.

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