Air Fryer Reference
Pork Tenderloin
protein · fresh
- Temperature
- 400 °F
- 204 °C
- Total time
- 22 min
- 1 whole tenderloin
- Flip at
- 11 min
- flip once
- Internal temp
- 145 °F
- 63 °C
Doneness
Exterior is deeply browned and crusty; interior is faintly blushing pink at the centre when sliced, with clear (not pink) juices pooling on the cutting board.
Oil & seasoning
Brush all sides with olive oil — tenderloin is extremely lean and needs oil to brown.
Season with: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, rosemary, Dijon mustard rub (optional).
Watch out for
- Trim the silver skin (the silvery, sinewy membrane on the surface) before cooking. It does not render and contracts during cooking, twisting the loin and toughening the bite where it lies.
- Pull pork at 145 °F / 63 °C — the USDA dropped the safe minimum from 160 °F in 2011. Higher is dry; 145 °F gives a juicy, faintly-blushing centre that is fully safe.
- Rest the loin 5 minutes tented with foil before slicing. Carry-over heat finishes the centre to a uniform doneness; cutting immediately spills the juices onto the board.
- If the loin is over 1¼ lb, fold the thin tail end under itself and tie with twine so the whole piece is the same thickness. Otherwise the tail overcooks while the centre is still raw.