Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

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.

Why You Should Air Fry Pork Tenderloin

Dinner in under 30 minutes! This meal, including the prep work, is ready to eat in under 30 minutes. Make a quick sauce to brush on your tenderloin before it is cooked in the air fryer—once the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, you're ready to eat!

Honey-dijon pork. My favorite way to eat pork, whether it is pork chops, tenderloin, or ribs, is with 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-friendly, omit the honey and use a sugar substitute. If you make the honey dijon sauce and want to lower the fat, use 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.
  

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.
• If you prefer, you can use fresh herbs in place of dried ones. I recommend 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

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 and result in a chewier bite. Undercooking (less than 145 degrees) makes 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: ¼ cups mayonnaise, ¼ cups Dijon mustard, ¼ honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Mix together and serve!
• Slice your tenderloin into about ½-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-fried vegetable to pair with this meal. It's great for when the pork is resting under the foil for a quick and easy side dish! Air-fry green beans, asparagus, crispy brussels sprouts, 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! This allows 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?

By brining your tenderloin in a simple brine for 12 hours before cooking it in the air fryer, you can add a lot of moisture and flavor and tenderize the meat.

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. When you are ready to cook, make sure 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. When thawed and reheated, they 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

📖 The recipe.

More Recipes To Try