Pork tenderloin air fryer time is about 15 minutes at 370°F for a 1 pound tenderloin, per Mississippi State University Extension’s air fryer chart, and it is done at 145°F on a thermometer with a rest, per USDA. Our pork tenderloin product page gives an oven method at 400°F; the air fryer version below uses the extension chart’s numbers and the page’s seasoning.
It is a school night cut: one tenderloin, one basket, a thermometer, and dinner in about half an hour counting the rest. Below are the recipe, a table of the three sourced ways to cook this cut, and the questions people ask about time and temperature.
- The recipe (extension chart plus our page’s seasoning)
- Oven vs air fryer vs grill
- 145°F, the thermometer, and pink pork
- Making it a school night dinner
- Questions people ask
Pork tenderloin air fryer recipe: 370°F, about 15 minutes, to 145°F
The time and temperature are from Mississippi State University Extension’s All about Air Fryers chart, which lists tenderloin (1 pound) at 370°F for 15 minutes and says to “always use a kitchen thermometer to check doneness.” The chart’s tenderloin line does not name the animal; it sits among the chart’s pork rows, and we read it as pork and say so. The seasoning and the rest are our product page’s: olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional garlic powder or paprika, then a 5 to 10 minute rest. So the recipe is a composite of the chart and the page, not test cooked; the recipe card’s 5 minute prep is our estimate.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370°F. The extension page says to preheat so food cooks evenly.
- Rub the tenderloin with olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional garlic powder or paprika, per our product page.
- Place it in the basket with space around it; do not overfill. Use a basket the whole tenderloin fits in, because the chart’s time is for a whole 1 pound tenderloin.
- Cook about 15 minutes for a 1 pound tenderloin, turning it once partway through.
- Check the thickest part with a thermometer. It is done at 145°F; if it is not there, keep cooking and check again in a few minutes.
- Rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing, per our product page.
Our product page lists no weight for the tenderloin, so weigh yours; a heavier one takes longer than the chart’s 15 minutes, and the chart itself says times may need adjusting for the size of the food and your machine. The thermometer, not the clock, ends the cook.
Oven vs air fryer vs grill: three sourced methods for the tenderloin
| Method | Heat | Time | Endpoint | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oven | 400°F, optional 2 to 3 minute sear per side first | 18 to 20 minutes | 145°F, rest 5 to 10 minutes | Our product page |
| Air fryer | 370°F, preheated | About 15 minutes for 1 pound, turned once | 145°F by thermometer, rest | Mississippi State Extension chart; USDA |
| Grill | Grill, 1/2 to 1 1/2 lb tenderloin | 15 to 25 minutes total | 145°F to 160°F | Clemson Extension table |
All three end at the same thermometer reading. The oven line is the one printed on our page; the air fryer and grill lines come from extension pages, and we do not convert one into another. Which cut this is, next to the loin roast, is in pork tenderloin vs pork loin.
145°F, the thermometer, and pink pork
USDA’s safe minimum internal temperature chart puts fresh pork at 145°F with a rest of at least 3 minutes; our page’s 5 to 10 minute rest covers it. USDA’s fresh pork page adds that cooked pork can still be pink at 145°F and be safe, which a tenderloin often is.
The tenderloin is thin, so it moves fast at the end. Check with the thermometer at the chart’s 15 minutes and again a few minutes later if needed, and remember the extension page’s other food safety line: check the internal temperature of meat to ensure it is safe. Our older post on top tips for cooking the perfect pork chop makes the same point about the thermometer for chops.
Making pork tenderloin in the air fryer a school night dinner
Thaw first. Our fresh cuts ship frozen with dry ice, and USDA’s three safe thawing methods are the refrigerator, cold water in a leak proof bag, or the microwave, never the counter; a refrigerator thaw the night before is the easy one. After a refrigerator thaw, USDA says raw pork keeps 3 to 5 days before cooking.
Then it is 5 minutes of seasoning, about 15 in the basket, and a rest while the sides finish. The tenderloin comes from Heritage Duroc hogs raised crate free with no antibiotics ever, per our product page, and it is one of the heritage pork fresh cuts; the product page shows current availability.
Questions people ask about pork tenderloin in the air fryer
How long do I do a pork tenderloin in the air fryer?
About 15 minutes at 370°F for a 1 pound tenderloin, per Mississippi State Extension’s chart, turned once, and done at 145°F on a thermometer. Heavier tenderloins take longer.
Is it better to bake or air fry a pork tenderloin?
Both end at 145°F. Our product page gives the oven at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes; the extension chart gives the air fryer at 370°F for about 15. Pick by the appliance you have; we have not compared the results.
How long to cook pork tenderloin at 400°F?
In the oven, our product page says 18 to 20 minutes at 400°F to 145°F. For the air fryer, the extension chart uses 370°F, and we do not give a 400°F air fryer time because no source we cite does.
Is it better to air fry at 375 or 400?
For tenderloin, the Mississippi State chart lists 370°F. Whatever the setting, the tenderloin is done at 145°F on the thermometer.
370°F, about 15 minutes, 145°F, rest. Pork tenderloin air fryer style is a chart line and a thermometer, and the product page shows current availability.
Order the pork tenderloin, or browse the other heritage pork fresh cuts.