Air Fryer Beef Wellington

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Air Fryer Beef Wellington. Introducing you to the best ever homemade beef wellington. If you want to master the famous steak in pastry dinner party favourite, then this is how to do it in the air fryer.

Forget worrying that beef wellington is too complicated to make, chef Dom and the rest of the Milner house are walking you step by step through homemade air fryer beef wellington.

We originally shared with you how to make beef wellington in an air fryer back in 2017 and we wanted to update it today for you with better photos and some extra ideas.

Homemade Beef Wellington

One of the best things about being a food blogger, is being able to cook so many different things and always trying something new.

As a home cook, we often fall into the habit of cooking a handful of the same things on rotation.

With more than 1200 published recipes (as I write this) and with many new ones being added every week, it’s the excitement of doing something different.

I also LOVE having the kids in the kitchen with me and them learning something new too.

I mentioned to them that we were making beef wellington in the air fryer, how it was the best meat in pastry they will ever eat, and they were there, ready to get stuck in and enjoy something new.

If that is also YOU and you want something different, that has the wow factor in the air fryer, then this homemade beef wellington is for YOU.

Its ideal for dinner parties, Christmas dinners, new year’s eve parties, thanksgiving, easter and so much more.

Also, out of 500+ air fryer recipes, I can honestly say it’s the best meat recipe on our site.

Plus, as well as our free newsletter, we also have a free air fryer mini course. It is ideal for air fryer beginners or those that want to get more confident with their air fryer. The free course runs for 5 days with a new lesson delivered each day to your inbox.

What Is Beef Wellington?

The kids asked, as we got the beef wellington ingredients out and I was there telling a 5 year old and a 6 year old the simple version, and that is that beef wellington is steak in pastry.

But its not just any steak in pastry, its fillet steak (the best cut) that is sat next to a layer of mushrooms and chicken liver pate.

It is the best way to enjoy beef in the air fryer and it is worth the effort to make it too.

Why Is Beef Wellington Called A Beef Wellington?

A beef wellington is called a beef wellington because it was created for the first ever Duke of Wellington, after his victory at the Battle of Waterloo way back in 1815. Ever since then it has been a regular on the dinner party menu and is often referred to as the best way to enjoy meat in pastry.

What Is So Special About Beef Wellington?

What is not to LOVE about meat wrapped in pastry? We all love an air fryer Cornish pasty or Aussie meat pies and when you think about it, those are cheaper cuts of meat.

Then you make beef wellington with best meat and OMG you have the best food you have ever eaten.

How Difficult Is Beef Wellington?

Well, as I have mentioned above, my 5 year old and 6 year old are helping me make beef wellington, so that just shows how easy it is to make a homemade beef wellington and that its not difficult at all.

Though, using the air fryer does help make it easy and does help keep the fillet steak moist and does help with the golden pastry.

What Cut Of Beef Is Best For Beef Wellington?

The best cut of beef for beef wellington is a good sized piece of fillet steak. But note this is an air fryer recipe, so you don’t want to go too big.

We trimmed our fillet steak down to 1kg/2.2lbs and then once we cooked it, it only just fitted into our air fryer basket.

If yours is too big, then the leftovers can be made into air fryer fillet steak.

If you are on a budget and simply can’t afford fillet steak for your wellington, then you can make our air fryer meatloaf and use that instead or you can swap fillet for sirloin or rump.

Or another idea is to make a beef brisket wellington. I was in Asda yesterday and noticed that their frozen beef wellington is made from beef brisket.

Though of course a cheaper cut, will not be as good, but it’s a good backup plan.

How Much Does It Cost To Make A Beef Wellington?

The BIGGEST cost for making a beef wellington is the beef wellington meat. If you are using fillet steak, then its going to cost more compared to a cheaper cut of meat.

I did a quick price check on Tesco’s:

• Fillet Steak – £29.42 for a kilo
• Mushrooms – £0.90
• Chicken Liver Pate – £1.00
• Frozen Puff Pastry – £1.25
• Fresh Garlic – £0.60
• Total Cost = £33.17

Note, that if you swapped fillet steak for a meatloaf in the middle instead, that meat would cost £7.16, and this would bring the cost down from £33.17 to £10.91.

Also note, that our fillet of beef wellington will easily feed 6 people so even with fillet that is JUST £5.52 per person.

Or if there is only two of you, you could just cook 330g of fillet steak and this would also decrease the cost.

Beef Wellington Ingredients

Beef – To make the best beef wellington its all about the best fillet steak. We purchased our fillet from the butchers and then cut a little off so that we got our first size.

Pastry – Any frozen puff pastry pack is fine for this recipe, or you can make beef wellington with shortcrust pastry too. Though make sure it is thawed and at room temperature prior to air frying.

Mushrooms – I recommend using chestnut mushrooms and then slicing them lengthways into thirds. Then air frying them first. You then have flavoursome garlic mushrooms prior to the pastry being added.

Pate – Any pate will do. I am using brussels pate that I purchased from Asda, but you can mix and match with your favourite or make your own.

Seasoning – You will want your beef fillet well seasoned prior to air frying. Nothing is worse than bland meat. We used salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley.

Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this air fryer beef wellington recipe, it has just been our Philips Air Fryer. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of air fryer recipes and perfect for a cheats beef wellington.

How To Make Beef Wellington?

• Ahead. Start your beef wellington the day before. A beef wellington to cook in the middle whilst wrapped in puff pastry and cooked in the air fryer is easily achievable if you give the fillet a precook the day before. Score your beef, spray with extra virgin olive oil and season. Then air fry.
• Prep. You also want to prep your garlic mushrooms the day before too. Then they can sit in garlic butter in the fridge overnight before cooking the beef wellington the next day.
• Temperature. The next day an hour before cooking, allow the beef, pastry and pate to go to room temperature.
• Roll. Using your rolling pin and a little flour, roll out your pastry. Then add a layer of pate, a layer of mushrooms and your fillet steak.
• Repeat. Then roll again with the rest of your pastry and again add pate and mushrooms.
• Layer. Add your second pastry over your fillet, add egg wash to create some glue, and then tuck it in and wrap the pastry fully around the meat. Turn over and cut with scissors to allow it to breathe and egg wash.
• Cook. Next load your beef wellington into the air fryer basket and air fry until golden.
• Serve. Slice up your beef wellington and then serve.

You are probably wondering why we partially cook the beef the day before? This is to sear the beef, add the flavour to the beef and to partially cook it enough so that the pastry wont be done before the meat.

Plus, we have also found for the best beef wellington a fillet left in the fridge overnight allows the seasonings to marinate and make them even better.

Also, another reason is that the beef carries a lot of juice and you can allow it to rest before going in the fridge and it stops too much juice inside of the wellington and the pastry getting soggy.

For example, here is the fillet wrapped in foil ready for the fridge and the excess juices from the fillet sitting on a chopping board for an hour.

Can You Reheat Beef Wellington?

No, you can’t. That is because when you are starting the cooking process the day before, you are cooking it to rare.

Then the next day you are reheating your beef wellington in the air fryer and because you can’t reheat beef twice, then a reheat is not recommended.

Leftover Puff Pastry

I always find that when we roll it out, we end up with way too much leftover puff pastry. As the kids were helping us with this recipe, they grabbed their Christmas cookie cutters and make shapes.

If you are like us and have kids helping you and want them involved, I recommend:

• Helping you season the fillet
• Letting them help you roll the pastry
• Letting them spread the pate over the pastry
• Decorating it with the mushrooms
• Adding the egg wash

These are all things above that Jorge and Sofia did, oh as well as eating it when it was cooked!!

More Air Fryer Beef Favourites

• Air Fryer Rump Roast
• Air Fryer Pot Roast
• Air Fryer Roast Beef
• Air Fryer Brisket
• Air Fryer Prime Rib

Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!