Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
A whole pork tenderloin, trimmed and coated in a sweet-smoky spice rub, then air-fried hot and fast until the outside caramelizes into a dark crust and the inside stays juicy. The rub is brown sugar and smoked paprika first, backed up by ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne for a little heat.
The sugar is what makes the crust: it catches the direct heat of the air fryer and darkens into something close to candy on the surface, while the meat underneath stays pale pink at the center. Pulled at 145°F (63°C) and rested a few minutes, the tenderloin is tender enough to cut with a fork and never dry, which is the main risk with a cut this lean.
Pork tenderloin is not the same thing as pork loin, and the two get mixed up constantly. Tenderloin is the narrow, quick-cooking muscle that runs under the spine, usually a pound or so; loin is the wide roast three or four times the size, cut from a different part of the animal and cooked on a completely different timescale. The times in this recipe are for tenderloin only.
This is a fast weeknight dinner rather than anything with deep roots — the technique spread through home cooks once air fryers became common kitchen equipment, and it has settled into a fairly standard method: hot air fryer, a sweet dry rub, one flip, and a thermometer to catch the pull temperature instead of guessing by time. Slice it into medallions and serve with rice, potatoes or a simple salad.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 570 g pork tenderloin, silver skin and excess fat trimmed
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp fine salt (or 2 tsp, if using kosher salt)
- 1 tsp ground mustard powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
Directions
Trim the silver skin and any excess fat from the tenderloin, then pat it dry with paper towels. Leave it out for about 15 minutes so it loses some of its chill before it goes into the air fryer.
Stir the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, ground mustard, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne (if using) together in a small bowl until evenly combined.
Rub the olive oil over the entire tenderloin, then pack the spice mixture on all sides, pressing it into the meat so it holds.
Heat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for about 5 minutes before adding the pork.
Place the tenderloin in the basket, leaving space around it for air to move, and air-fry for 18 to 22 minutes, turning it once at around the 10-minute mark. Start checking the internal temperature around the 16-minute mark so it doesn’t run past done.
Pull the tenderloin once an instant-read thermometer reads 145°F (63°C) at the thickest part.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into medallions about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick. Spoon any juices left on the board back over the slices before serving.
Notes
- Tenderloin, not loin. A pork loin weighs 3–5 lb (1.4–2.3 kg) and needs a much longer cook, roughly 12–14 minutes per pound — it is a different cut and cannot be swapped in using these times.
- 145°F (63°C) leaves the center of the pork faintly pink. That’s the correct, safe finish for pork at this temperature after resting, not undercooked meat.
- Skipping the flip is fine too — it protects the sugar crust from breaking up — but flipping gives more even color on both sides. Either way works.
- Frozen tenderloin: cook at 330°F (166°C) for 33 to 38 minutes, flipping and spooning any released juices back over the meat around the 17-minute mark, still pulling at 145°F (63°C).
- Don’t crowd the basket. If the meat is too close to the sides, air can’t circulate and the crust won’t set properly.
See Also
