Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin Recipe

In recent years, there have been a couple of kitchen cooking sensations to hit the markets. Instant Pot was a huge success and saw many millions of units sold and has something of a cult following online with blogs and followers sharing recipes. In this article, you will get to know the easy air fryer pork tenderloin recipe.

The downside to using an Instant Pot, however, is that it cannot fry food or replicate the crunch and taste of it. It has a saute function that even its most devoted fans would struggle to big-up and leaves fans of fried food somewhat underwhelmed.

About the same time the Instant Pot arrived, the air fryer was also launched. Phillips released the first commercially available air fryer and it has spawned dozens of other versions with many different features.

The main thing that all air fryers have in common is that they can produce a healthier version of fried food than other cooking methods. They are also great for cooking healthier cuts of meat such as pork tenderloin.

Here is a brief article on the benefits of cooking with an air fryer, along with a tasty recipe for air-fried pork tenderloin to whet your appetite. 

Why should you use an air fryer?

One reason that an air fryer is so beneficial is the features it has and its size. Many modern apartments, lodgings, and college rooms can be limited in space. Very often it is the kitchen that ends up suffering and there may be little worktop space for your appliances and gadgets.

You can make the most of your teensy, tiny kitchen workspace by using a single pot cooker or small device that will take up little room. An air fryer might be a suitable answer to your problems.

They are also effective when it comes to reducing utility bills as they use little in the way of electricity. Students will appreciate saving cash as will most people, and the design of an air fryer means that they use energy very efficiently.

Nearly all the electricity consumed is directed at cooking as very little is emitted from the device itself, therefore reducing waste energy. 

Is it a healthy way to cook though?

Being good for the environment doesn’t guarantee that it is good for you though. Fortunately, air fryers are believed to cut calories by up to 80% as they use little oil. There are some other health benefits that you may not know.

Healthline reports that there are some health benefits to using an air fryer including the reduction in harmful compounds being formed during cooking. Acrylamide is a toxic compound that can form during certain cooking conditions including frying. Acrylamide is a known probable carcinogenic in humans and should be avoided as much as possible.

Air fryers don’t really fry but instead, use air and high temperature to replicate fried food in taste and texture. This allows the consumer to enjoy their favorite snacks and meals in a healthier way. 

Can they cook pork and other meats well?

Of course, you came here for an air fryer pork tenderloin recipe so you will want to know if the device can cook meat.

Meat cooks very well in an air fryer and will come out moist and taste good. While you may prefer to cook your steak on the BBQ or pan fry them, other cuts do very well in an air fryer including pork tenderloin.

Tasty pork tenderloin with a sweet but spicy rub in the air fryer

Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut you can buy and only has a very high level of quality protein. Over 25% of pork tenderloin is made up of protein and it also contains minerals and vitamin B. It is ideal for air frying as the cooking method avoids adding unnecessary fat to a nice lean cut of meat.

For this recipe, you will need 1 lb whole pork tenderloin.

For the rub:

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cup paprika (smoked if preferred)
• 2 tablespoons cup cracked peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt (adjust to your preference)
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder

If you prefer you can use chili flakes instead of, or as well as cayenne pepper. Chili powder is also an alternative and will give a more rounded flavor than cayenne.

Method:

Combine all the rub ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Pour into a plastic cooking bag and add the pork. Shake vigorously to make sure all the pork is coated. If you prefer you can rub half the amount into the top of the tenderloin before adding the rest to the bag.

Place in the fridge to let the flavors infuse with the meat for an hour at a minimum. For best results leave overnight.

Remove from the fridge for about 40 minutes before cooking for best results if left overnight as it will cook more evenly.

Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F and cook for 20 minutes. Once the pork is properly cooked, leave to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy! 

Takeaway

When you are looking for meal prep ideas for quick but healthy cooking, pork in an air fryer is ideal. Although the marinating can take a while, there are plenty more pork air fryer recipes online for you to try.