This Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin is tender and juicy with a perfectly crispy golden-brown crust! It’s ready in 20 minutes and made with just a few ingredients!
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Okay, I do love my Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Grilled Pork Tenderloin. But I’ve got to be honest…I think the air fryer might just be my new favorite way to cook pork.
This Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin is on another level of deliciousness.
It’s covered in delicious seasonings and brown sugar which caramelizes in the air fryer and forms an unbelievably flavorful and crispy crust. And if that wasn’t enough motivation to make this recipe, it’s ready in a total of 20 minutes!
Paired with these Roasted Potatoes and Carrots or Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a salad, it’s one of our favorite meals!
Looking for more pork tenderloin recipes? Check out Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Glaze, or Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin:
- Pork Tenderloin: you’ll need a 1 pound pork tenderloin, which is the perfect size to fit in the air fryer. You can use a larger tenderloin as well, but you may have to cut it in half to fit or cook it a little longer.
- Seasonings: brown sugar, garlic powder, dried parsley, seasoning salt, black pepper, onion powder, and paprika.
- Oil: you will need oil for the spice rub and to lightly grease the air fryer basket.
How to make Pork Tenderloin in the air fryer:
Perfectly cooked pork tenderloin in just 20 minutes? Count me in!
- Prep the pork: Trim the silver skin from the tenderloin. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, parsley, seasoning salt, onion powder, and paprika. Rub the tenderloin with oil and then rub the seasonings all over.
- Air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF and grease the air fryer basket (brush with oil or use non-aerosol cooking spray). Cook the prepped pork for 8 minutes, check and turn if needed, then cook for another 7-10 minutes.
- Rest and serve: Once the pork has reached 145ºF, remove from the air fryer, rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin FAQs
You’ll cook the pork tenderloin in the air fryer for 8 minutes to start, rotate it, then for another 7-10 minutes. Keep in mind that pork tenderloin is a lean cut of meat, so be careful not to cook too long. You don’t want it to be over-cooked and dry! You can even check the temperature at the 8 minute mark and add time as needed.
You’ll cook the pork in the air fryer at 400ºF. You want the heat to be high enough to form the crust, but not so high that the outside burns before the inside is cooked through.
Leftover pork will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then warm back in the air fryer at 350ºF for 3-4 minutes.
Tips and Tricks
- Bring the meat to room temperature. I like to set the pork out on the counter 30 minutes before cooking it. Room temperature meat cooks more evenly.
- Preheat the air fryer. The air fryer should be hot before you add in the meat. This helps it get that crispy crust and cook evenly!
- Let it rest. Make sure you let the meat sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing into it. If you cut into it too soon, the juices will run out and you’ll end up with dry meat.
Serving suggestions
This Pork Tenderloin is a super versatile entree! Serve it with any of your favorite side dishes. Here are a few of my favorites:
More air fryer mains:
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin (silver skin trimmed)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Meanwhile, trim the silver skin from the tenderloin.
- Combine the seasoning: brown sugar, garlic powder, parsley, seasoning salt, pepper, onion powder and paprika.
- Rub tenderloin with oil and season all over.
- Brush air fryer basket with oil or spray with non-aerosol non-stick spray. Place pork tenderloin in the basket (you can cut it in half if needed to fit, but it will shrink considerably).
- Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, check and turn if the top is getting too brown. Continue cooking for 7-10 minutes, until a meat thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bring the meat to room temperature. I like to set the pork out on the counter 30 minutes before cooking it. Room temperature meat cooks more evenly.
- Preheat the air fryer. The air fryer should be hot before you add in the meat. This helps it get that crispy crust and cook evenly!
- Let it rest. Make sure you let the meat sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing into it. If you cut into it too soon, the juices will run out and you’ll end up with dry meat.
Nutrition Information
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Sue says
What brand of air fryer do you use and what size is it?
The Recipe Rebel says
We have two Chefman air fryers (a 3.7 quart and an 8 quart) and we use them both all the time.
Kevin G Bragg says
Can you add veggies while cooking pork, like potatoes and carrots?
The Recipe Rebel says
I have not tried it, so unsure. If you experiment with it, let us know how it goes!
Derek Heinrichs says
I have an instant pot. Duo crisp + airfryer 11 in 1, 8 quart.
Liz says
This recipe is the best! One of my husbands favorite meals and always turns out perfect. I do cook it a little less and check because I hate overcooked pork.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Liz! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Kim says
I made this pork tenderloin last night and it was super tasty and easy to make! I’ll definitely be making this again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review!