Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin is the easiest way to get tender, juicy pork on the inside with a crisp, caramelized outside. Seasoned with an amazing blend of brown sugar, paprika, garlic, and a dash of chili powder, and this pork tenderloin is cooked to perfection in less than 25 minutes!
New year, new air fryer recipes! Time to break out that new Christmas gift and put it to work because guys have I got a recipe for you! Pork Tenderloin in the air fryer. No more overcooked, dried out meat – the air fryer ensures that this pork comes out tender and juicy every time.
This Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin cooks in under half an hour and has the most amazing flavor. A brown sugar caramelized crispy outside, with a sweet and smokey inside. My kids LOVE it with my Instant Pot Applesauce, Copycat Rice a Roni, or my Parmesan Roasted Baby Potatoes the perfect meal for those picky eaters.
Why you will love this recipe
- No more overcooked, dried out meat. The air fryer ensures that this pork comes out tender and juicy every time.
- It’s super flavorful and tender with a caramelized outer layer thanks to a yummy dry rub.
- It’s ready in under 25 minutes.
- As it cooks you can whip up a side dish or two, like this Quinoa and Black Bean Salad or my Air Fryer Zucchini, and have a full meal ready to go in no time.
- My whole family will eat this one which is everything these days!
Ingredients + Best Pork Seasoning
Another reason to love this Air Fried Pork recipe is that it relies mostly on pantry ingredients that you have on hand, and the spice rub is quick and easy to mix together.
This pork seasoning is sweet and savory, and that pairs perfectly with pork or any meat – you might remember it from my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs. We triple this seasoning blend whenever we make it so we can have it on hand whenever we need it!
Here’s everything you need:
- brown sugar – During the cooking process the sugar will caramelize and give the outside of the pork a wonderfully crisp coating. You can also sub raw sugar, coconut sugar, or turbinado sugar.
- paprika – A smoky paprika really elevates the flavors in this mix, but regular paprika works perfectly, too!
- garlic powder – A dash of onion powder can be added as well.
- chili powder – To give your seasoning rub a bit of spice, but this isn’t spicy at all!
- kosher salt + black pepper – For flavor and also to highlight the sweetness from the brown sugar.
- pork tenderloin – You’ll want cuts of meat that are about 1-1 ½ pounds each. I order mine from Butcher Box so I always have them in the freezer. Love how quickly they thaw, too! Wherever you get yours, make sure you get a good cut of meat.
- olive oil – You can also use olive oil cooking spray, whichever you have on hand.
Instructions
This air fryer pork tenderloin is one of the easiest Air Fryer recipes ever!
Simply:
- Mix up your seasoning to create the dry rub.
- Trim up your pork.
- Coat with a little olive oil and the seasoning blend.
- Air fry at 400 for 18 minutes.
- Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
For the full recipe, be sure to check out the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Do not skip the rest! Be sure you let your pork tenderloin rest for the full 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Otherwise you risk drying out your pork!
- Take some time to trim the silvery fat before cooking using your best sharp knife – this usually takes only a few minutes and results in better tasting pork.
Recipe FAQs
What I love about this recipe is how FAST it comes together, making it a weeknight go-to in my house. You only need to cook pork tenderloin for 18 minutes in the Air Fryer! This is for two smaller, 1-1.5 pound tenderloins. If your tenderloins are a larger size, you might need to cook them for 20-22 minutes.
I HIGHLY recommend getting an inexpensive digital thermometer for cooking pork or any meat properly and to avoid overcooking. The internal temperature of the pork should be 145° – 160° F when cooked through, but the closer you get to 160° the dryer your pork will be. When I cook pork tenderloin, I remove it at 145° and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, as it will continue to cook and the juices settle, keeping the meat tender and delicious! Fully cooked pork will still look a little pink inside, so going by how it looks can be tricky – get that thermometer!
Pork tenderloin and pork loin often get confused with each other, but they are actually two different cuts of meat with two different cook times. Pork tenderloin is a long, skinny, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. A pork loin is wider and flatter, and can be boneless or bone-in cut of meat. If you use a pork loin for this recipe, you will want to cook for 12-14 minutes per pound.
You sure can. The seasoning rub and subsequent steps will still be the same. However, when it comes to oven baked pork tenderloin you’ll want to preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 25-35 minutes until the pork has reached the correct internal temperature (again, get that thermometer ready!). Place on a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. You can also make this recipe on the grill as the weather warms up!
Meal Prep + Storage
Prep Ahead: this recipe is very quick and easy to make without prepping ahead of time and I enjoy it best the night it is made. To save a few minutes, however, I like to mix up the spice blend on meal prep day. In fact, I make a triple batch and keep it on hand to use on all the things.
Storage: Leftovers of this flavorful Pork Tenderloin will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. I love diced it up and adding it to a veggie and rice stir fry.
To Freeze: You can freeze leftover pork. Slice it, then wrap the slices very well in plastic wrap or foil, then place in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To Reheat: Cold cuts of this meat make for delicious next day sandwiches or wraps or as a salad topper for lunch. If you do want to warm things up, simply pop in the air fryer or in the oven on 325 until heated through. You could also heat it stovetop in a pan using some chicken broth so it doesn’t dry out.
More Healthy Pork Recipes
Instant Pot Asian Pork Tenderloin
Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Easy Salsa Verde Pork Tenderloin
Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Butter
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin | Fit Foodie Finds
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Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Sprinkle of pepper
- 2 pork tenderloins 1-1 ½ pounds each
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or olive oil cooking oil spray
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat/silver skin. Coat with olive oil, then rub with spice mixture.
- Preheat air fryer to 400° F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully place pork tenderloin into air fryer and air fry at 400° F for 10 minutes, then flip, cooking 8-10 minutes longer. Internal temp should be 145° – 160° F, but I typically remove my pork at 145° -150° as it can dry out fast.
- When air fryer cycle is complete, carefully remove pork tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes (it will keep cooking and the juices will settle) before slicing. Save any juices from the cutting board to serve over sliced meat.
Oven
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat/silver skin. Coat with olive oil, then rub with spice mixture.
- Place pork in a baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes, until the pork has reached the correct internal temperature. Internal temp should be 145° – 160° F, but I typically remove my pork at 145° -150° as it can dry out fast.
- Place on a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Save any juices from the cutting board to serve over sliced meat.
Rachel says
Absolutely delicious! Quite possibly the first time everyone in my family all loved the same meal. Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Such a win, Rachel! Thank YOU!
Megan says
So delicious as always! Followed recipe exactly. The sitting 5 minutes at the end was super helpful.
I have been so thankful to have found your blog a few months ago. I have a desire to eat healthy but my husband has felt for years that healthy sacrifices flavor. We have tried so many of your recipes and haven’t tasted a single one where flavor is sacrificed. Even my husband loves your recipes. Thankful for you and you sharing your talents.
Nancylynn says
Winning over husbands with healthy recipes is one of my favorite things about this job! Thank you so much for the compliments and so glad you’re here! 💓
Ashlee says
I made this last night and it was absolutely amazing. I made it exactly as instructed and it was juicy on the inside and amazingly crispy on the outside. I have been following your site for several months now and I am so appreciative of your deliciously healthy recipes. Thank you for another keeper!!
Nancylynn says
This comment is so thoughtful, thank you!!
Julianne says
This recipe was amazing! We just got our air fryer this Christmas and this is one of the best things I’ve made in it yet (and we’ve been making lots of things in there). Moist and flavourful. Mmmmmm……