This easy air fryer pork tenderloin recipe is so simple and delicious - in 30 minutes or less! You'll love the fabulous combination of flavors, including honey, dijon mustard, garlic, lemon, and herbes de Provence - a French classic.
Jump to:
- Why You Should Air Fry Pork Tenderloin
- Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin in the Air Fryer
- Prepping Pork Tenderloin in the Air Fryer
- How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in Air Fryer
- What to Serve with Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- More Tips for Making The Best Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Storing Leftover Air Fry Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin Recipe Air Fryer FAQs
- 📋 Recipe
- More Recipes To Try
- 💬 Comments
Why You Should Air Fry Pork Tenderloin
Dinner in under 30 minutes! This meal is ready to eat in under 30 minutes, including the prep work. You just make a quick sauce to brush on your tenderloin before it is cooked in the air fryer--once the internal temp reaches 145 degrees, you're ready to eat!
Honey-dijon pork. My favorite way to eat any pork whether it is pork chops, tenderloin, or ribs--is a honey mustard sauce. The acidity from the mustard and sweetness from the honey is just divine. Add some herbs and fresh garlic, and it's a home run.
Healthy. Pork is high in protein and low in carbs. To make this sugar free and keto omit the honey and use a sugar substitute. If you make the honey dijon sauce and want to lower the fat, use a light mayonnaise.
Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin in the Air Fryer
Here's what you'll need to make this juicy pork tenderloin air fryer recipe:
- Pork Tenderloin: I used about a one-pound pork tenderloin for this recipe; if you use a larger pork loin, you may need to cut it to fit into your air fryer. Cut crosswise in half if needed.
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Dijon Mustard: substitute with your favorite mustard if preferred.
- Honey: omit if you want to reduce the sugar for a keto recipe.
- Olive Oil: substitute with your preferred oil if desired.
- Dried Herbs de Provence: this classic combination of herbs traditionally includes basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, savory, tarragon, and bay leaf.
- Lemon Juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice is my preference.
- Minced Garlic: use fresh garlic and mince your own or use store-bought pre-minced to save time.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
Use this method on other pork products such as bone-in or boneless pork chops.
Omit the honey if you want to make this recipe keto or low-carb.
Use your favorite mustard in place of the Dijon mustard.
Add brown sugar substitute to your mustard mixture to add a bit of sweetness while keeping it low carb--start with 1 teaspoon and adjust to taste.
Use fresh herbs in place of dried ones if you prefer. Herbs I recommend using would be basil, rosemary, oregano, and thyme.
Add some chili powder to your sauce to make it a little spicy. You can also add your favorite hot sauce or hot mustard to kick it up a notch or two!
Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 🙂
Prepping Pork Tenderloin in the Air Fryer
If the tenderloin is too long for your air fryer, cut it in half crosswise. Trim silver skin and excess fat, pat with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper, and brush with marinade. Refrigerate if needed. Remove pork loin from the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes prior to air frying.
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in Air Fryer
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making air fryer pork tenderloin:
1. In a small bowl mix salt, pepper, dijon, honey, herbes de Provence, lemon juice, and garlic together.
2. Dry pork loin with a paper towel if needed. Brush the sauce over all sides of the pork.
3. Preheat air fryer. Place pork loin in the center (cutting in half crosswise to fit). Cook, turning halfway until the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees F.
4. Remove pork from the air fryer. Place on a plate, tent with foil, and let rest before serving. Season to taste. Slice and serve with honey dijon sauce.
For detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below!
How Long to Cook Pork Tenderloin in Air Fryer
We suggest cooking your tenderloin for 18-22 minutes in the air fryer at 350 degrees until the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees F. You can check this with an instant-read thermometer.
If you cook your tenderloin for too long (higher than 145 degrees), it will dry out the tenderloin and result in a chewier bite. Undercooking (less than 145 degrees) will make you susceptible to getting a food-borne illness if you consume undercooked meat.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Pair with a honey dijon sauce for dipping:
Recipe: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Mix together and serve!
Slice your tenderloin into about 1/2-inch slices.
Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley; if using fresh herbs in the marinade, save extra for garnish.
Serve with roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower with butter, salt, and pepper.
Try making an easy air fryer vegetable to pair with this meal. Great for when the pork is resting under the foil for a quick and easy side dish! Air fryer green beans, asparagus in the air fryer, crispy brussel sprouts in the air fryer--and SO many others!
More Tips for Making The Best Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Pat drying the outside of the pork tenderloin with a paper towel allows for your sauce to stick to it better, which will infuse the flavors into your tenderloin for a better end result.
Alternative: Searing your pork tenderloin before cooking in the air fryer may help with keeping your tenderloin juicier by sealing them in. This also adds great color and flavor to the outside. Smother your sauce after searing, and then cook the remainder of the way until your internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
Don't skip the foil tenting step in this recipe! By doing this, it is allowing your pork to rest and soak in the juices to make the perfect, juicy, tender slice of pork loin.
How do you keep pork from drying out in the air fryer?
You can add a lot of moisture and flavor and tenderize the meat by brining your tenderloin in a simple brine for 12 hours before cooking it in the air fryer.
A simple brine is typically a mixture of even quantities like a 1:1 ratio. That is 1 gallon of water to 1 cup of kosher salt. You can add aromatics to your brine, such as peppercorns, onions, garlic, and lemon wedges, but it is unnecessary. Make sure when you are ready to cook to pat the skin dry so your sauce sticks to it easily.
Storing Leftover Air Fry Pork Tenderloin
Store your leftover pork tenderloin, whole or sliced, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If stored whole, I would suggest slicing it when reheating so it gets reheated evenly and does not dry out.
You could also freeze your leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 months. I find that when thawed and reheated that it does tend to be dryer, so you may choose not to freeze or prepare a gravy to help with moisture.
Pork Tenderloin Recipe Air Fryer FAQs
If cooking in an air fryer, the temperature to use to cook is 350 degrees F. The internal temperature of the pork loin should be 145 degrees F for safe consumption. If cooking in the oven, your cooking temperature and length of time may vary.
Be sure not to overcook your pork tenderloin, which will result in a tough hard to chew texture. Only cook to 145 degrees. Letting your tenderloin rest under foil after it is cooked will also let the juices reabsorb back into the meat to make it tender and juicy.
When cooking in an air fryer, it is best to cook at a higher heat to achieve caramelization by the time your pork reaches 145 degrees F internally. This is the best way to ensure your pork stays tender and flavorful. If you are cooking in an oven, slow cooking is preferred at a lower heat to allow time for the protein to break down and become tender.
📋 Recipe
Pork Tenderloin Recipe (Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 14 to 16 ounces pork tenderloin (trimmed, and halved crosswise to fit air fryer, if needed)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
(Optional) To Make Honey Dijon Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix salt, pepper, dijon, honey, herbes de Provence, lemon juice, and garlic together.
- Dry pork loin with a paper towel if needed. Brush the sauce over all sides of the pork.
- Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees. Place pork loin in the center (cutting in half crosswise if needed). Cook, turning halfway about 18 to 22 minutes or until the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees F.
- Remove pork from the air fryer. Place on a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste. Slice and serve with honey dijon sauce.
Optional Honey Dijon Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together honey, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Make ahead, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- TIPS: Only cook until the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees F. Remove and tent with foil.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve sliced. Drizzle with honey dijon sauce.
Nutrition
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