Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

I made this Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin for my in-laws on a night I wasn’t trying to impress anybody. I had a two-pack of tenderloins that needed using, and dinner had to happen fast. My mother-in-law took one bite, set her fork down, and asked me for the recipe before anyone else had even started. I’ll take it — especially for something that’s four ingredients and 25 minutes in the air fryer!

Pork tenderloin in the air fryer takes 22 to 25 minutes at 350°F. Brush it with a Dijon and brown sugar paste, air fry until the center reads 145°F, then let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

The marinade is four things you already have, and it goes straight onto dry pork and into the basket — no marinating time to plan around. One tenderloin feeds two generously, and since they come two to a pack, I cook both and slice the second one cold for lunches.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Fast and easy – With this recipe you can quickly cook a pork tenderloin in the air fryer with just a few simple ingredients. Just baste the pork with a mustard marinade and air fry it.
• Tender every time – It can be hard to make lean cuts of meat tender. This recipe cooks the pork quickly without overcooking it because there is nothing worse than dry pork.
• Flavorful and versatile – The mustard marinade adds amazing flavor to the pork without being overpowering. It is the perfect protein to make for meal prep or a quick dinner. Pair it with your favorite side dishes for a balanced meal.

I like to serve this simple pork with greek yogurt mashed potatoes and smashed brussels sprouts for a balanced meal everyone in my family loves!

Ingredients You’ll Need

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this pork tenderloin in air fryer with just a simple marinade.

• Pork tenderloin – pork tenderloin tends to come in packs of 2 so I tend to double this recipe and make both. If you want to use frozen pork, please allow it to thaw completely before continuing on with the recipe
• Dijon mustard – the sharp mustard really enhances the flavor of the pork. If you do not have dijon mustard you can use yellow mustard or a whole grain mustard.
• Brown sugar – a little bit of sugar adds a nice sweetness and caramelization to the outside of the pork.
• Coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper – I like to keep the seasonings simp for this roast pork recipe, but you can easily switch up the spice mixture. Add garlic powder and onion powder for a little extra flavor. Add a little spice to the marinade with some smoked paprika or cayenne pepper.
• Cooking spray – I like to use an avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray to grease the air fryer basket.

Looking for a recipe to make with pork chops? Try these shake and bake pork chops or honey garlic pork chops.

Why 350°F Instead of 400°F?

If you’ve made air fryer pork tenderloin before, 350°F might look low. Most recipes call for 400°F, and I cook mine lower on purpose.

Pork tenderloin is one of the leanest cuts at the meat counter — there’s almost no fat running through it to buy you a margin for error. It’s also tapered, thick in the middle and thin at one end. At 400°F the outside and that thin end cook much faster than the center, so by the time the middle reaches 145°F the rest has gone past it. That’s the dry, chalky pork most people blame on the cut itself.

Dropping to 350°F narrows that gap. The heat has time to move toward the center while the outside is still catching up, so the whole tenderloin finishes closer to evenly. You trade about four or five minutes of cook time for a much wider window between juicy and overdone — and with a cut this lean, that window is the whole game.

The glaze is the other reason. Brown sugar starts to caramelize around 320°F and burns not far above it, and an air fryer moves hot air fast right at the surface of the meat. At 400°F the sugar in the Dijon paste scorches and turns bitter before the pork is done. At 350°F it caramelizes into a glaze that browns without burning, which is exactly what you want on the outside of a tenderloin.

One thing that matters more than the temperature: use a thermometer. Pull the tenderloin when the thickest part reads 145°F, which is the USDA’s safe temperature for whole cuts of pork, then let it rest. It will climb a few more degrees off the heat, and the juices redistribute instead of running onto the cutting board. A slightly pink center is safe, and it’s what juicy pork looks like.

How to make Air Fried Pork Tenderloin

Step 1: Pat pork tenderloin dry and mix brown sugar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Step 2: Brush pork tenderloin with a generous amount of the brown sugar dijon marinade.

Step 3: Preheat air fryer and gently place pork tenderloin in a greased air fryer tray.

Step 4: Air fry at 350F for 22-25 minutes – check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer and when it reaches 145F-150F the pork is done.. Allow tenderloins to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into slices.