The two major functions of human natural killer (NK) cells are conventionally associated with distinct cell subsets. Thus, cytolytic activity is mostly confined to the CD56^dimCD16⁺ subset, whereas cytokine production is generally assigned to CD56^brightCD16^+/− cells. In this study, we reevaluated the functional capabilities of these NK subsets with regard to the production of IFN-γ at different time points after cell triggering via NKp46 and NKp30 activating receptors. Different from previous studies, cytokine production was also assessed at early intervals. We show that CD56^dim NK cells produce IFN-γ already at 2 to 4 h, whereas no cytokine production is detected beyond 16 h. In contrast, CD56^bright cells release IFN-γ only at late time intervals (>16 h after stimulation). The rapid IFN-γ production by CD56^dim NK cells is in line with the presence of IFN-γ mRNA in freshly isolated cells. Rapid IFN-γ production was also induced by combinations of IL-2, IL-12, and IL-15. Our data indicate that not only cytolytic activity but also early IFN-γ production is a functional property of CD56^dim NK cells. Thus, this subset can assure a rapid and comprehensive NK cell intervention during the early phases of innate responses.