After I made this pork tenderloin in my air fryer, I was more excited than i’ve ever been about a recipe i’ve made. The flavors of the seasoning rub are so perfect, the meat is so juicy, and the taste is simply out of this world! Do you sense a little excitement from me about this recipe?
Pork tenderloin is the filet mignon of pork. It’s a very lean, very tender piece of pork. It can be prepared a number of ways and works well with so many different seasoning mixtures. One of my favorite ways to prepare pork recipes is with a seasoning rub combination of brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper. And maybe just a dash of cayenne for a little heat. This seasoning mix, along with the simplicity of an air fryer, will produce a pork tenderloin that you will not believe. The outside of the tenderloin will crisp up and the brown sugar will caramelize to create a flavor explosion. With the high speed circulating heat of the air fryer, and being close to the heating element, it’s the perfect environment so that the pork tenderloin stays nice and juicy on the inside.
Air Fryer with the Best Damn Pork Seasoning Rub
Our recipe for air fryer pork tenderloin couldn’t be more simple. We use a medium sized bowl and mix together the dry ingredients. Before we rub the ingredients on the tenderloin, we’ll want to cut off any of the “silver skin”, which is just a thin membrane that is usually on part of the meat. Just use a sharp knife and peel it away. Then coat the pork tenderloin with some olive oil and rub in all the seasoning mix.
Preheat your Air Fryer
Set your air fryer to 400°F and preheat for 5 minutes. Once the air fryer is preheated, keep the temperature at 400°, select air fry setting, and set the time for 20-22 minutes. Most pork tenderloins are usually between 1 lbs and 1.5lbs. For pork tenderloin on the small size, go with 20 minutes. For larger size meat, go with 22 minutes. The key is to get an internal temperature of 145°F when measured at the center of the meat with an instant-read thermometer.
Let The Cooked Pork Tenderloin Rest
After the cooking is done, carefully remove the pork tenderloin from the air fryer and place on a plate or cutting board and let it rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.
More Great Pork Tenderloin Recipes
- Best Damn Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Smothered Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
- Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Recipe
Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Mouthwatering, tender, juicy and delicious pork tenderloin made in an air fryer.
Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin (1.25lbs – 1.75lbs)
- 2 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tbs smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder (optional)
- ½ tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat/silver skin. Coat with a ½ tablespoon olive oil. Rub spice mixture on entire pork tenderloin.
- 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 20-22 minutes. Internal temp should be 145°F.
- When air fryer cycle is complete, carefully remove pork tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Save any juices to serve over sliced meat.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Charlene Simmons says
My my husband loves this recipe. I have made it several times. Thank you Jason.
Carla Ramos says
I made this recipe and the taste was delicious! So moist with a hint of crispy on the outside. This recipe is a keeper! I substituted brown sugar with coconut sugar 🙂
Sharon says
Tender and tasty. Maybe just a tad ‘hot’ for my palate. Next time I’ll dial down the cayenne pepper. 1.2 lb tenderloin for 21 minutes 400* was perfect.
Kathleen Welsh says
Following the instructions pays off!
I doubled the rub and used the extra for the sweet potatoes side.
Tender good super easy. Juicy! Delicious and the 2.75 lbs of meat was $5.50. Plenty of leftovers.
Jane Wood says
This is wonderful! I’ve made this several times, and my husband loves it so much, he doesn’t want it cooked any other way. It’s so easy and delicious! The two of us don’t eat the whole pork roast at once, so we save the rest for sandwiches on rye bread with a little sauerkraut. Or dark mustard. Yum!
J says
Unbelievably easy and tastes awesome!!! Thank you
Judy says
So easy and absolutely delicious. This might be the recipe I have shared with family and friends most often.
Mouse says
My brother decided I needed an air fryer (which I didn’t quite agree with at first)… I’m so glad he got one for me!
I’ve tried other pork recipes in the air fryer, and I have to say this is THE BEST! The seasoning mix is so simple, yet SOOO tasty, (even with the garlic left out), and the cooking time is only a few minutes.
This is something I’m sure I will be making again!
Nyyx says
Wow, wow, WOW! This was absolutely delicious!! My husband could not get enough of it. Highly recommend. The chili powder was optional but I wanted to try it out. It definitely added kick to it so I’ll leave it out next time for the sake of the kids but it’s going in our monthly rotation for sure!
Brenda L Leach says
I have made this recipe multiple times and follow as written..
FABULOUS every time!!
I slice very thin when serving..always flavorful and tender!