Air Fryer Breaded Cubed Steak (Bistec Empanizado)

This breaded cubed steak recipe (bistec empanizado) is a Puerto Rican staple, and making it in the air fryer is easy and healthier!

If you’re in a cooking rut and need new dinner ideas, your family will love this breaded steak! Beef cubed steak is an inexpensive cut of meat, the same used in country fried steak (I have that recipe in Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners). Tommy grew up on this dish, which is now on our dinner rotation. Last year I started cooking Breaded Cubed Steak in the air fryer, and we all loved it. It's crispy golden perfection, and now we don't eat it any other way! I serve it with Puerto Rican Beans and rice and some lime wedges on the side. So good! And for more steak recipes without the breading, try this Air Fryer Steak.

You might not think of breading thin steaks, but in many Latin countries, fried breaded steaks (bistec empanizado), like chicken cutlets are very popular. It's a tasty way of taking a cheap cut of beef and making it flavorful.

Cube steak or cubed steak is an inexpensive cut of beef that's been tenderized, usually top round or top sirloin. It is tenderized and flattened by pounding with a meat tenderizer. The name refers to the shape of the indentations left. This is also the meat used for the American dish chicken-fried steak. I personally like to tenderize it again at home with a meat mallet, so it's extra tender.

I love to serve these cubed steaks with rice and beans and a salad or sliced avocado. I always have sofrito in my freezer, so Puerto Rican rice and beans are a staple in my house, but any version will work, like these Black Beans and Rice or Dominican Beans.

The steak will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It's best to reheat it in the air fryer so the breading stays crispy.

Post a pic and mention @skinnytaste or tag #skinnytaste!