By KBC Associate 
This easy air fryer pork tenderloin is incredibly juicy and the pantry-friendly spices build amazing flavor!
This is the only air fryer recipe I have ever posted…and it may be the last. But it is so good that it, alone, is worth keeping an air fryer around for!
Spice Rub for Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
There are several reasons this air fryer pork tenderloin is SO GOOD. First, pork tenderloin (yum). Second, hands-off air fryer cooking for juicy pork. And third, the spice rub that adds amazing flavor to the pork.
The spice rub is six very simple ingredients:
- brown sugar (don’t skip it! It helps crust the pork as it cooks)
- smoked paprika (one of my fave ingredients ever)
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt + pepper
The pork tenderloin is coated with olive oil and then rubbed with the spice mix. It may seem like a lot of dry spices, but keep patting and sprinkling and use it all up. Flavor, flavor, flavor!
Tips for Cooking Pork in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer for at least 5 minutes. This helps the pork cook faster, more evenly, and develop that gorgeous, yummy crusty exterior.
- Line the air fryer basket. This is technically optional, but trust me, it’s a wise choice to consider, otherwise the air fryer is a beast to clean after. I don’t have fancy pre-made air fryer liners, but a piece of parchment paper tucked in the bottom works just as well.
- Check the temp. Depending on the size and brand of air fryer, the pork may cook faster or slower (some brands/sizes may cook hotter than others). Judge the pork tenderloin’s doneness based on temperature rather than exact time; start checking the temp around 18 minutes. An instant-read thermometer {aff. link} should register 145 degrees F at the thickest part.
Another Essential Tip + Removing Silver Skin
Once the pork is finished cooking, remove it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
I don’t care if you take shortcuts with any other aspect of this recipe, but do not, I REPEAT, DO NOT, skip this step. Letting the pork rest allows the juices to redistribute ensuring better, juicier pork.
About the silver skin: if the pork tenderloin you are using hasn’t been trimmed, you can remove the silver skin before cooking. Silver skin is a band of connective tissue on one long side of pork tenderloin, and it is easily cut away with a sharp knife. If you need a visual, google “how to remove silver skin” and you’ll get a lot of helpful info. To be perfectly honest, I sometimes remember to do this and sometimes I don’t. I’m not encouraging you to forget, of course, but when I haven’t removed the silver skin, I don’t notice a huge difference in the cooked pork (the areas of silver skin/fat are easily trimmed off after cooking).
Love Hate Relationship With Air Fryer
I’ve waxed poetic on Instagram about my love/hate relationship with my air fryer. We don’t use it very often, and I gripe about how bulky it is and what a pain it is to clean, BUT like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, this air fryer pork tenderloin is 100% the reason we still have one.
This is easily my 16-year old’s favorite meal (the weeknight chicken tacos in my cookbook are a quick second); we’ve been making it for a long while, and I figured that even though air fryer recipes aren’t my specialty, it was high time to share it!
It really is so quick and easy. The pork is intensely flavorful and so incredibly juicy!
P.S. If you don’t have an air fryer, the pork can be roasted on a lined and lightly greased baking pan in a 400 degree F oven (if you have a convection oven, roast at 375 degrees F). It may not develop the same delicious crust as the air fryer, but the oven method definitely works in a pinch.
Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (see note)
- 1 medium (about 1.5 pounds) pork tenderloin (see note)
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Mix the brown sugar and spices together in a small bowl.
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Drizzle the pork with olive oil to coat evenly.
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Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the pork rubbing it into all sides of the pork. It might seem like a lot of dry mix to use – but try to use all of it for maximum flavor.
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Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F for at least 5 minutes. (See note for oven cooking method.)
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Place pork into the air fryer (use parchment to line the air fryer for easier cleanup, if desired) and cook for 18 to 22 minutes until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees F at the thickest part.
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Remove pork from the air fryer to a cutting board. Tent lightly with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Pour any extra juice from the air fryer or cutting board over the pork before serving.
Olive Oil/Mustard: in place of the olive oil (or in addition to), a bit of yellow mustard can also be rubbed lightly over the pork before adding the seasoning mixture.
Oven Cooking Method: If you don’t have an air fryer, the pork can be roasted on a lined and lightly greased baking pan in a 400 degree F oven (if you have a convection oven, roast at 375 degrees F). It may not develop the same delicious crust as the air fryer, but the oven method definitely works in a pinch.
Serving: 1 serving (about 1/3 pound), Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 654mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 2g
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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