This Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast is deliciously seasoned, cooked to perfection, and fast and easy because we’re cooking it in our air fryer.
Recipe Overview
Pork loin roast is versatile, tasty, and much simpler to cook than you might think.
We’re making an air fryer pork loin roast that cooks up quickly in the air fryer. It will rival any oven-roasted pork you’ve ever had. This roast is tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned.
Our recipe is for a large pork loin roast, not a pork tenderloin, which is a much smaller, thinner cut of pork. They are different and will have different cooking times.
I like the loin roast because I can get more meat for the price and the larger size means there is much less risk of overcooking it. For more delicious pork dinners, try Air Fryer Pork Chops (no breading), Air Fryer Pork Belly, or Air Fryer Pork Chops.
ingredients you’ll need
- Pork Loin Roast – Look for a cut that is about 2.5 pounds. Remember that the loin roast is different than a tenderloin. The loin roast is thick and shorter.
- Olive Oil – Rubbing olive oil on the roast helps keep it tender and allows the seasonings to stick to the meat.
- Italian Seasoning – This blend of Italian herbs is delicious on almost any kind of meat and it’s a great shortcut spice blend.
- Kosher Salt – To season the meat well, I like a coarse ground kosher salt.
- Garlic Powder – This adds a warm, savory note to the pork.
- Black Pepper – to finish up our simple pork roast seasoning, add freshly ground black pepper.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Preparing the Pork Loin for Cooking
Often, pork loin roast comes with a thick layer of fat on top of it. You can address this fat layer in two ways.
One, score the fat using a sharp knife, in a crisscross pattern. This will allow the fat to render when cooking and become crispy.
Two, you can remove the fat entirely. This will result in leaner slices of meat without any crispy edges.
Make sure not to just leave the fat layer as it comes. If you don’t score it, it will shrink and not cook right.
How to make it
- If your roast has a layer of fat on top, cut the fat crosswise in slits, every half inch or so as shown above.
- Add the dried Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to a small bowl.
- Stir seasonings until well combined.
- Pour olive oil over the roast and rub all over until completely covered. Then cover the pork loin with the spice mix.
- Place the pork in the air fryer basket.
- Cook in the air fryer at 360F for 20 minutes. Flip the roast over and cook for an additional 25 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145F.
How to tell when it’s done
Your finished air fryer pork roast will be golden brown on the outside and tender and juicy inside.
Pork is safely cooked when the center of the roast reads at least 145ยฐF using an instant-read thermometer. I highly recommend using a thermometer to test your meat when cooking.
what to serve with Pork Loin Roast
This simply seasoned pork roast pairs well with any of your favorite sides. I suggest a potato and a vegetable. Try Air Fryer Potato Wedges , Air Fryer Asparagus or a serving of pearl couscous salad.
A roast like this is also delicious when sliced very thin and used for sandwiches.
Pork Loin vs. Pork Tenderloin
These are two different cuts of meat. A pork loin roast is a wider and thicker cut that generally has a fat cap or layer of fat on top of it.
On the other hand, a pork tenderloin is a thin, narrow cut of meat that is cut from the loin of the animal. It is a very tender, lean cut of meat.
This recipe is for the larger pork loin roast. A pork tenderloin will be overcooked if you use this method.
Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb Pork Roast
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- If your roast has a layer of fat on top, cut the fat crosswise in slits, every ยฝ inch or so.
- Pour the olive oil over the roast and rub all over until completely covered.
- Add the dried Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Cover the pork loin with the spices
- Place the pork in the air fryer basket.
- Cook in the air fryer at 360F for 20 minutes. Flip the roast over and cook for an additional 25 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145F.
- Let the roast rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Cook until the pork reaches 145F. If you like your pork more well done, cook to an internal temperature of 155-160F.
- I highly recommend getting an instant read thermometer so you can check the internal temperature of your meat.
- Remember a pork loin roast is different from a pork tenderloin. A pork loin roast is larger and shorter, whereas a tenderloin is typically long and skinny. A tenderloin will cook much quicker than a pork loin roast.
- If your pork loin roast has a layer of fat on it, I highly recommend scoring it so that the fat can render as it cooks and become very crispy. You can also trim the fat off completely if you prefer.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better!ย When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
We did ours in the oven the other day, with leftovers. Now I’m going to try in the Air Fryer. Thank you!
Now this looks perfect! ๐ And I love that you made this in the air fryer.
I always struggle with cooking pork loin roast, and I finally found a fool-proof method! This is such an easy and flavorful way to cook pork.
So glad you enjoyed it!
i love this air fryer recipe, it so easy and I totally can make this one!
It may be hard to go back to any other method after this eh? This pork looks AMAZING and I cannot wait to get my air fryer so I can test it out asap! xoxo
Do you start with fat side up or down? Most all that Iโve cooked (a lot) have had the fat cap on top the whole time.. Iโve just never seen a recipe that cooks cap down at ant time, not scrutinizing just curious. Thanks!
Hi Tim! So you can actually do it either way. Often we do the fat side down and find it gives a crisper skin, but you can also start with it up as well. If you aren’t looking as much for the crispiness, starting with it up is best :). Kinda comes down to personal preference. ๐ I hope that helps! ๐