Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin for dinner has never been easier thanks to the Pioneer Woman's Air Fryer! With just 5 minutes of prep and about 25 minutes of cooking, this air fryer pork tenderloin recipe can land on your dinner table in under 30 minutes. The best part? The pork cooks entirely in the air fryer, saving precious cleanup time from grease splatters on the stove. Add this to your list of easy dinner recipes that cook in under 30 minutes!

What is the best method of cooking pork tenderloin?

For pork tenderloin with a flavorful crust and moist interior, roasting in the oven or air fryer yields the best results. But first, you'll want to start with a flavorful rub. This recipe uses salt and pepper for base seasonings, with brown sugar to help promote browning on the exterior. Dried thyme, paprika, and garlic powder add additional flavor, but you can switch these spices up to suit your taste or what's in your pantry. Then, roast the pork either the oven or the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes total, flipping once.

Do you need to sear pork tenderloin before baking?

Not necessarily. Some recipes add a searing step in order to develop a flavorful "crust" on the pork tenderloin. For this recipe, the circulating air from the air fryer acts like a convection oven, giving the outside of the pork even browning as the interior cooks to the perfect temp (145 degrees Fahrenheit).

Is pork loin the same as pork tenderloin?

The cuts are different! Both come from the back of the pig, however pork loin is generally much thicker and sometimes has bones attached (think pork rib roast) and therefore will take longer to cook. Pork tenderloin is a boneless, much thinner, a more slender cut, and is what is used in this recipe.