Air fryer pork tenderloin, juicy on the inside, brown and spicy on the outside. A fuss-free recipe ready in less than 30 minutes.
Cooking pork tenderloin is generally an easy task, and making air fryer pork tenderloin is even easier. All you have to do is to season the meat, and air fry it for less than 20 minutes flipping once. Really! That’s it!
And the result? A nice, juicy piece of meat, slightly crispy on the outside, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. And if you like pork tenderloin, but don’t have an air fryer, try this amazing cast-iron tenderloin, the apricot glazed tenderloin, or the pistachio-crusted pork.
Expert tip
According to USDA pork is considered safe to eat when it has an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit/ 63 degrees Celsius. At this point, it will be medium-rare and quite pink. Don’t overcook the pork out of fear it might not be safely cooked.
Recipe ingredients
Just the meat, very little oil, and some spices.
Pork tenderloin:
- The filet or pork tender is a lean, long, boneless piece of meat, which is cut from the muscle that runs alongside the backbone of the animal.
- Not to be confused with the pork loin, which is also rather lean, but much larger. The loin is cut from the back of the pig, it can come with bones or without.
- The tenderloin should be cooked quickly, it can be either air fried, roasted, grilled or broiled.
- The piece I had weighed about 500 g/ 1.1 lb and I was able to easily fit it in one piece in the basket of the air fryer.
- If your piece is much larger, cut it in half, you will definitely be able to fit the pieces into the basket.
- 500 g was enough to feed 2 adults and 2 children, so two pieces would be more than enough for 4-6 adults.
Spices:
- A mixture of salt, pepper, sweet, smoked and hot paprika, garlic and onion powder and dried thyme.
- You can change the seasoning according to taste.
- Choose any other dry rub you like, or just combine a few spices you happen to have in the cupboard.
How to cook?
Prepare the meat:
- Start by removing any fat.
- Remove the silver skin, it is tough and chewy.
- Place the blade of a small, sharp knife under the silver skin and cut a little piece of skin that you can hold on to. Run the knife under the skin, working at an angle.
- Carefully, remove the silverskin, without cutting into the meat underneath. The skin should come away in a long strip.
- Coat the meat with the oil and rub it well with the spice mixture.
Air fryer pork tenderloin cooking time
- Preheat the air fryer, if necessary, some machines need it, some not. Mine does, so I preheat it for 3 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius/ 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the meat into the basket.
- Air fry for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for 7 more minutes.
- The cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat pieces. It is best to check that the recommended internal temperature has been achieved by using a meat thermomether. The temperature should be 63-70 degrees Celsius/ 145-160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The temperature will rise slightly after you remove the meat from the pan, so if you remove it when at 63 C/ 145 F, it will have a temperature of 65 C/ 149 F once you serve it.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, it’s preferable to do that. It’s tough and chewy and it will shrink during cooking making the meat look weird.
Refrigerate the air-fried pork tenderloin in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Freeze the slices in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Air Fryer: Reheat slices for a few minutes until hot.
Stovetop: Heat a little oil in a pan flip the slices for a few minutes until hot.
Oven: Wrap the slices in aluminum foil and reheat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ 180 degrees Celsius until hot.
What to serve with it?
Any side dish you can think of. I love it with oven-roasted potato wedges, sweet potatoes dauphinoise or crispy smashed potatoes. Carrot or pumpkin rice goes well with the pork as well. When it comes to veggies, a simple green salad with yogurt dressing or a white cabbage salad is perfect.
More air fryer recipes:
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 500 g/ 1.1 lb pork tenderloin Note
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Remove the excess fat and the silverskin on the pork tenderloin.
- Preheat the air fryer, if necessary, and according to the machine’s instructions. I need to preheat my air fryer for 3 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius/ 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix together all the spices.
- Coat the meat with the oil and rub it well with the spices. Place into the basket.
- Cook for 10 minutes, flip and cook for 7 more minutes. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat pieces. It is best to check that the recommended internal temperature has been achieved by using a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 63-70 degrees Celsius/ 145-160 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature will rise slightly after you remove the meat from the pan, so if you remove it when at 63 C/ 145 F, it will have a temperature of 65 C/ 149 F once you serve it.
- Let rest for 5 minutes, slice, and serve.