Air fryer pork tenderloin
A whole pork tenderloin with a sweet smoky crust, juicy all the way through and done in the air fryer in about 20 minutes.
- 35 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.50 a serving
- 220 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1¼ lb
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 220 calories, 30 g protein, 4 g carbs and 8 g fat, and costs about $1.50 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 3 min
the tenderloin dry and off the thin, shiny silver skin by sliding a small knife just under it.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Trim. Trimming means cutting off the parts you don’t eat, like stem ends, tough bits or thick fat. It keeps chewy or bitter bits out of the finished dish.
How you’ll know: What’s left is the good part, with no dry ends, woody stems or thick white fat.
Dolly’s tip: Silver skin never softens. Slide the knife under one end, hold that flap up, and angle the blade slightly upward as you cut.If the tenderloin is too long for the basket, cut it in half across the middle.
Rub it all over with the oil, then with the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper mixed together. Wash your hands.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Air fry 10 minutes, turn it over, and air fry 8 to 12 minutes more, until the thickest part reads 145°F.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: The thin tail cooks first. Take the temperature in the fattest part.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Let it on a board for 5 minutes, then it into ½-inch rounds.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
