Name: Air-Fryer Steak Tacos
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup red wine vinegar; ⅓ cup sugar; ½ red onion, sliced thin; 2 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin; 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and sliced thin into rounds; 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and halved with grain; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; ¾ teaspoon ground cumin; Salt and pepper; 6–12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed; 2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (½ cup); 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin; fresh cilantro leaves; lime wedges

Why This Recipe Works

With little oversight—thanks to the air fryer's regulated heat and built-in timer—this automated sous chef turned out juicy, perfectly cooked steak (flank steak offered nice beefy flavor; cutting it in half sped up the cooking) while we warmed tortillas and prepared a few garnishes. For a hands-off, zingy topping, we quick-pickled sliced red onion, jalapeño, and radishes, letting the vegetables steep until crisp-tender in a hot mixture of red wine vinegar and sugar while the steak cooked. To finish, crumbled queso fresco and sliced avocado added pleasant richness, and cilantro leaves gave our tacos a pop of freshness.

Instructions

Microwave vinegar and sugar in medium bowl until steaming, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, radishes, and jalapeño and set aside.

Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Rub steaks with oil, sprin kle with cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange steaks in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until steaks are browned and register 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare) or 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 13 to 18 minutes, flipping and rotating steaks halfway through cooking. Transfer steaks to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Drain pickled vegetables and return to now-empty bowl. Slice steaks thin against grain. Serve with warm tortillas, pickled vegetables, queso fresco, avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges.