Post was Updated on February 10, 2022
A perfect recipe of pork loin in an air fryer that is tender and juicy inside and that has a nice brown on the outside. It is perfectly seasoned with a mix of spices, salt, and olive oil. For an even better taste, we’ll serve near it an easy and delicious sauce of roasted tomatoes and garlic.
I love this recipe because you don’t need to think a lot about marinating the pork meat. Just mix a couple of spices that you have under your hands and leave it for a while. It is very easy to cook and will require minimum attention from your side.
I like to cook the pork loin, especially in the air fryer because you will get a crispy and golden crust on the outside and it will remain super juicy on the inside.
The cooking process is so simple, but you will get impressed by how tasty and juicy this piece of meat will become in the end. It is a great option for a nice Sunday dinner.
Difference Between Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin?
As they may sound similar, these are two different parts of the pork. Usually, pork loin has a layer of fat and it is a little wider than the tenderloin. On another side, the tenderloin is longer and thinner as a shape and contains less fat.
🥰 Why You Will Love This Recipe?
- Even if it’s pork, this part of the meat is low-fat.
- Because we cook the pork loin in an air fryer, the meat will turn juicier in the end. Which is usually difficult when we use a low fat meat.
- It’s an easy recipe that you can’t go wrong with.
- This recipe is suitable even for a more special dinner.
🏆 Tips for Success? How to Make It Better?
- This recipe allows you to experiment with spices because the meat have a netrual taste. That means that it goes well with almost anything. You can try marinating it even in fruit sauces.
- Use a meat thermomether that will let you to know the inner temperature of the meat. We need to obtain at least 145°F / 63°C.
- Let the meat to rest for about 15-20 minutes. In that time, the inner juices will distribuite evenly and the meat will be juicier.
How to Make the Pork Loin in the Air Fryer?
- Cut the fat excesses if is needed.
- Season the meat with your own mix of spices or with a store bought one.
- Cook the pork loin for about 45 minutes at 300°F / 150°C.
- Leave it to rest for about 15-20 minutes.
For more detailed recipe instructions, I highly recommend you to read the entire recipe to find all the expert tips and recommendations.
🥘 Ingredients Needed for This Recipe?
- Pork Loin.
- Spices. I used a mix of my own of dried spices such are fennel seeds, thyme, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, ground bay leaf and salt. You can easily use a mix of Italian seasaonings.
- Garlic. If you want, you can use dried garlic instead of a fresh one and to mix together with all the spices.
- Olive oil or use whatever oil you prefer to use for the meat.
- Fresh tomatoes. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, you could also use canned tomatoes in their own juice. In that case you don’t need to cook them. You will only mix the sauce with the spices in the end to get the sauce.
Quick Note: A full printable version of this recipe with all the ingredients and quantities is available at the end of this recipe.
🍳 Variations
You can opt for a variant in which you will replace tomatoes with fruits such as apples, oranges, or tangerines.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
This meat would go well near a fresh salad or near some side dishes in an air fryer such are:
No Oil Air Fryer Carrot Fries
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chunks
Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans
Air Fryer Crispy Eggplant Fries
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
👩🍳 Directions
Put the meat in a bowl and pour over it all the spices and olive oil. Massage the meat well until the meat will be covered with spices and oil on all sides.
Leave the meat to marinate for a while. Preferable for at least half an hour.
Pro Tip: I will recommend leaving even for two hours at room temperature to marinate. If you have time and want to get the most out of the meat, then marinate it in the evening and keep it in the fridge until the next day when you bake it.
After the meat was marinated enough, place the meat in the air fryer basket together with tomatoes and garlic. We will use later the cooked vegetables to make a simple and delicious sauce.
Pro Tip: Bake the meat at 400°F / 200°C for 10 minutes to form a quick crust that will keep the meat juice inside.
After that, lower the temperature to 300°F / 150°C and cook the meat for another 35 minutes. Our goal is to reach the meat’s internal temperature of 160°F / 72°C.
Quick Note: The cooking time can vary depending on the size of the meat, the model of your air fryer, and the size of the air fryer basket. Because of that, in the last 10 minutes, use a food thermometer and check the internal temperature of the meat. You can use a simple meat thermometer but you will have to open the air fryer basket every time. If you are a big fan of cooking in the air fryer, I recommend a wireless thermometer with which you will see the temperature of the meat on your phone. Also, you will get notified when the meat will reach that specific temperature.
Pro Tip: After that, put the meat on a plate and cover it with aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes (as a general rule, you should rest the meat for half of the cooking time) so that the juice is evenly distributed inside and as a result, the meat will be juicier.
How to Make an Easy Tomato Sauce
- Place the tomatoes and garlic on a clean plate.
- Peel the tomatoes and garlic.
- Pour over them the juice that was eliminated in the air fryer basket from the meat during cooking.
- Grind them with a fork or blender.
- Optionally, you can add over them some chopped greens for extra color and freshness.
In the end, serve the meat near the sauce that we just made.
♻️ Make Ahead, Storage and Heating:
You can prepare the marinade and marinate the meat with all the spices and olive oil a day before.
Let the pork loin completely cool and put it in an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up to two-three days.
You can put the pork loin in an air-tight container and keep it in the fridge for about a month. I don’t recommend keeping it for longer in the freezer because the longer you keep it, the more meat will change its taste.
You can reheat the meat in 1-3 minutes using a microwave oven or in 4-5 minutes using a preheated air fryer.
📋 Recipe Card:
Easy and Juicy Air Fryer Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Pork Loin
- ⅛ teaspoon Fennel Seeds Dried & Grounded
- ⅛ teaspoon Thyme Dried & Grounded
- ⅛ teaspoon Oregano Dried & Grounded
- ⅛ teaspoon Rosemary Dried & Grounded
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper Grounded
- ⅛ teaspoon Bay Leaf Dried & Grounded
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 13 oz Tomatoes
- 1 piece Garlic Medium
Instructions
Pork Loin in Air Fryer
- Put the meat on a plate and pour over it all the spices and oil.1.5 lb Pork Loin
- Massage the meat well so that the spices and oil are soaked on all sides. Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes.⅛ teaspoon Fennel Seeds, ⅛ teaspoon Thyme, ⅛ teaspoon Oregano, ⅛ teaspoon Rosemary, ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper, ⅛ teaspoon Bay Leaf, ½ teaspoon Salt, 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Place the meat in the air fryer basket with the vegetables and cook the meat at 400°F (200°C) for 10 minutes to form a quick crust that will stop internal juice leakage.13 oz Tomatoes, 1 piece Garlic
- After that, reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and cook the meat for about 25-35 minutes. For best results, I recommend using a meat thermometer to see when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F / 72°C.
Tomato Sauce
- Peel the vegetables that we cook together with the pork and add over them the sauce that drained from the meat while it cooked.13 oz Tomatoes, 1 piece Garlic
- Mix everything with a fork or blender.
- Optionally, you can add chopped parsley or other herbs you prefer.
Serving
- Serve the meat near the tomato sauce.
I was skeptical, but this pork really came out juicy. For sure I will cook more often this recipe!