22 hours Ago
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin With Brown Sugar Rub. Rey Lopez/For The Washington Post; food styling by Carolyn Robb/For The Washington Post If you are someone who has the energy and desire to cook dinner every night of the week — or most nights, at least — can you please share your secret with me? Many readers and friends assume I’m making delicious home-cooked meals all the time because of my profession. (Just last week, a friend whom I’ve cooked for before not-so-subtly suggested that I should make dinner for him again sometime soon.
) But in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Lately, most of my evening meals at home have consisted of leftovers from recipe testing and photoshoots, restaurant delivery, frozen dumplings and the occasional package of instant noodles. Planning and preparing meals already takes up a huge amount of time for the average person.
So imagine being someone who thinks about food and cooking for a living. Coming home at the end of a work day and laboring over some elaborate meal is usually the last thing we want to do. But if all it takes is 10 or 15 minutes of work to avoid the temptation to open the delivery app on my phone, then even I can muster the energy to make that happen.
That’s where this air fryer pork tenderloin comes in. One of the aspects I love most about pork tenderloin is its texture. (Tender is in its name, after all.
) The main thing you have to worry about with this lean cut of meat is overcooking it, which can easily be avoided with an instant-read thermometer and a watchful eye. By using an air fryer, you are required to set a timer, adding another layer of protection against overcooking. This recipe is about as simple of a cooking preparation as you can get: Cut the pork in half so it easily fits in the fryer basket, spread a thin layer of mustard all over, coat it with a spice blend, pop it in the air fryer, and you’ve got a delicious main in almost no time at all.
The quick-cooking cut of meat can take on any flavor profile beautifully. In this recipe, I coat it in a barbecue-inspired spice blend composed of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. This combination leads with sweetness, but there’s also smoke, umami, complex pepperiness and a touch of pure heat for a blend that’s complementary and balanced.
(It would be great with any cut of pork or chicken.) Of course, there are plenty of options for blends that you can buy from the grocery store and online, but the benefit of making your own is that you have the control to make it taste exactly how you want. Craving more sweetness? Increase the brown sugar.
Watching your sodium intake? Adjust the amount of salt as you see fit. Don’t like spice? Reduce or omit the cayenne. There’s not often much in this world that we can control, but when we’re cooking at home, we’re in charge.
You can make this (and other) spice blends on the fly, mixing a spoonful of this and a pinch of that until you hit the flavor profile you’re seeking. Or, leave a gift for your future self by making them in bulk so the next time you’re preparing a meal, it’s that much easier — a fast track to a world of flavor in a single jar, no plane ticket required. Travel to India with warming garam masala.
Make a quick stop in the Big Easy with herby, peppery Cajun or Creole seasoning. Hop over to Morocco with heady ras el hanout. Or head down to the American South with this brown sugar spice rub and air-fry pork tenderloin for dinner tonight.
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin With Brown Sugar Rub A brown sugar spice rub adds sweet and smoky flavors to air fryer pork tenderloin. The pork is coated with a thin layer of mustard to help the spice rub adhere – and for added punch. Serve as the main alongside your choice of starch and vegetable, such as roasted potatoes and steamed green beans, or tucked into a sandwich.
3-4 servings Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes. Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes: This recipe was tested in a Cosori 5.8-quart air fryer. Depending on the appliance you use, you may need to adjust the cooking time and/or temperature to achieve the desired results.
1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper One (1- to 1 1/4-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard On the air fryer, select the air fry mode, set to 350 degrees and preheat until the appliance signals it’s ready. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper until evenly combined. Pat the pork dry, cut it in half across, and spread a thin layer of mustard all over the tenderloin halves.
Sprinkle the spice rub all over, pressing to adhere, until evenly coated. Add to the air fryer basket and air fry for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, for medium-rare, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees when inserted into the center of the thickest part of each tenderloin half. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutritional information per serving, based on 4 | 156 Calories: 4g Carbohydrates, 74mg Cholesterol, 4g Fat, 0g Fiber, 24g Protein, 1g Saturated Fat, 426mg Sodium, 3g Sugar We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It’s a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
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