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    Home » Recipes » Pork

    Air Frying Pork Loin for Perfect Crackling

    November 18, 2021 By Sara McCleary Updated November 18, 2021 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    air frying pork loin pinterest pin

    Air frying pork loin results in super crunchy crackling and tender moist pork. It's the no-fail way to roast a pork loin with perfect pork crackling every time. Plus it's a great way to free up oven space.

    front view of of the result of air frying pork loin

    If you struggle with achieving pork crackling the air fryer is your best friend. I've tried every no-fail pork crackling method known to man. Just between us friends, they are all hit and miss at the best of times.

    Let's face it, you can always achieve perfect crackling, but often that means a dry tough piece of pork loin. By air frying pork loin you end up with moist tender pork and crunchy crackling every time.

    As well as the perfect roast pork loin, you'll have extra oven space. Which is a saviour when you are catering to a crowd during the holiday season and special occasions. More oven room to cook other dishes.

    Sara xxx

    Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin

    top view of raw rolled tied pork loin
    front view of raw rolled tied pork loin

    Don't confuse pork loin (pictured above) with pork tenderloin. They are two very different cuts of pork from different areas of a pig. Australian Pork Stars have a great pork cuts chart which is worth bookmarking.

    Pork Loin

    • Pork Loin is also known as: Rolled loin or with bone loin rack in Australia. Other parts of the world it is known as; center cut pork loin roast, center cut pork roast, pork center loin roast, pork center cut rib roast, pork loin center cut, pork loin center rib roast, pork loin roast center cut, and pork loin rib half.
    • Where does it come from: The pork loin comes from the back of the animal. Other cuts from that area are butterfly pork steak, cutlet, loin steak, and loin chops.
    • What does it look like: Looks like the picture above. A thicker cut of pork with the skin still attached. It can also come bones in (ribs bones), like a standing rib roast.

    Pork Tenderloin

    • Pork Tenderloin is also know as: Pork fillet, pork tender, or gentleman's cut.
    • Where does it come from: From the inside of the ribcage, lower on the back than the pork loin, and is a part of the loin cut.
    • What does it look like: It is a long thin boneless cut or pork which is extremely lean.
    above view of air fryer pork loin with two pieces sliced

    Air Frying Pork Loin Instructions

    Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable version of this recipe.

    If you have time start the recipe the day before by removing the pork loin from any packaging. Wipe it down with some paper towel and place it on a plate. Put the loin in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours or the night before. This will help dry out the skin.

    Don't have time? Don't worry. Simply make sure you have dried off as much moisture from the pork skin you can with some kitchen towel before airy frying.

    Take the pork loin out of the fridge 1 hour - 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the pork to come down to room temperature, or close to it if in a hot climate.

    air fryer basket lined with parchment paper

    Pre-heat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 200°C/400°F. While it pre-heats cut a piece of baking/parchment paper to fit your air fryer basket.

    I use a hole punch to create holes, or you could use a pair of scissors. I create them the same way as my step-by-step guide for basket liners in my siu mai recipe. You can also buy pre-cut air fryer basket liners.

    Score the skin of the pork loin if it hasn't already been scored with a sharp knife. Top tip, ask your butcher to do this for you.

    pork loin in air fryer basket

    Place pork loin skin side down on dry plate and rub with some olive oil. Then season with salt and pepper.

    Turn the pork loin over so that the skin is facing up. Rub the skin with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Rub the salt into the skin, trying to get some salt in the score marks.

    Place pork in the lined air fryer basket and "fry" at 200°C/400°F for 20 minutes.

    pork loin in air fryer basket after 20 minutes

    After 20 minutes pull the basket from the air fryer and check the pork. Above is what it should look like at the 20 minute mark. Crackling is starting to form, and the skin should be golden.

    Put the basket back in the air fryer and fry for a further 20 minutes at 200°C/400°F. After 20 minutes use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the pork loin, middle of the thickest part. Also check to see how your crackling is going.

    If the crackling has completely formed and the internal temperature reads 70°C/160°F (medium /well done) take the pork out of the air fryer and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

    If the crackling hasn't totally formed all over the loin, continue air frying the pork loin for a further 10 minutes.

    Cooking Times & Temperatures

    Not all pork loins are created equal. Some can be quite chunky with a lot of meat, others may be a little more slender. How thick your pork loin is will determin how long it will take to cook through. This is why a meat thermometer is important.

    If the loin is thick the crackling will form before it is cooked through properly. If this is the case, loosely cover the crackling with foil and continue cooking the pork loin at 180°C/350°F until the desired innternal temperature has been achieved.

    There is a minconception that pork needs to be cooked completely. That's wrong. It is perfectly safe to eat pork that has a slight pink blush to it. Obviously you don't want it too pink, and definately not rare! I recommend medium-well. Remember it will continue to cook while it rests.

    Internal Cooking Temperatures for Pork Loin

    The recommended temperature to pull the pork loin out of the air fryer is 70°C/160°F. This is when tested in the middle of the loin at the thickest part.

    Medium-Rare: 65°C/150°F
    Medium: 68°C/155°F
    Medium-Well: 71°C/160°F
    Well: 74°C/165°F

    Roasting Times for Pork Loin

    How long you will need to air fry your pork loin will depend on its size/weight, if it is a thick or thinner cut as well.

    700 grams/1.5 lbs: 40 minutes
    900 grams/2 lbs: 50 minutes
    1.2 kgs/2.5 lbs: 60 minutes

    For larger cuts of pork loin add another 10 minutes per 200 grams/ 0.5 lbs

    Perfect Side Dishes

    Now that you have mastered the perfectly cooked pork loin with amazing crackling you'll need some side dishes to go with it. Below are a couple of my personal favourites, and you will find more in side recipes and salad recipes sections on Belly Rumbles.

    • Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
    • Crunchy Nutty Broccolini Slaw
    • Delicious Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
    • Christmas favourite, Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon (my mum's recipe)
    • Green Bean Casserole, a classic for Thanksgiving
    above view of cooked air fryer pork loin

    Sara's Top Recipe Tips

    Air Fry for a Cooler Kitchen

    As a bonus for my fellow Aussies. The air fryer won't heat up your kitchen as much as the oven on a hot Christmas day. Plus it's portable if you want to do a little air frying outside while the prawns (shrimp) sizzle on the barbie.

    Meat Thermometer

    I mentioned it earlier, and I am repeating myself. Invest in a meat thermometer if you don't own one. I also recommend one that you can read in both celcius and fahrenheit. Makes having to convert temperatures obsolete.

    Cutting the Pork Loin

    Remove all string or ties used around the pork loin during cooking. Place the loin on a chopping board crackling side down. Using a sharp knife heavy knife start cutting a slice of pork the thickness you want.

    When you get to the crackling at the bottom press down on the back of the knife with your other hand (while still holding the knife handle firmly) andt cut through the pork crackling. You will end up with evenly cut crackling on each slice of pork.

    air fryer pork loin recipe

    Air Fryer Pork Loin

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    Air frying pork loin results in super crunchy crackling and tender moist pork. It's the no-fail way to roast a pork loin with perfect pork crackling every time. Plus it's a great way to free up oven space.
    4.50 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Christmas, Main
    Cuisine Australian, British
    Servings 6
    Calories 198 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 900 grams (2 lbs) pork loin
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons salt

    Instructions
     

    • If you have time start the recipe the day before by removing the pork loin from any packaging.
      Wipe it down with some paper towel and place it on a plate.
      Put the loin in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours or the night before. This will help dry out the skin.
      Don't have time? Don't worry. Simply make sure you have dried off as much moisture from the pork skin you can with some kitchen towel before airy frying.
    • Take the pork loin out of the fridge 1 hour - 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the pork to come down to room temperature, or close to it if in a hot climate.
    • Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 200°C/400°F. While it pre-heats cut a piece of baking/parchment paper to fit your air fryer basket.
    • Score the skin of the pork loin if it hasn't already been scored with a sharp knife. Top tip, ask your butcher to do this for you.
    • Place pork loin skin side down on dry plate and rub with some olive oil. Then season with salt and pepper.
    • Turn the pork loin over so that the skin is facing up. Rub the skin with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Rub the salt into the skin, trying to get some salt in the score marks.
    • Place pork in the lined air fryer basket and "fry" at 200°C/400°F for 20 minutes.
    • After 20 minutes pull the basket from the air fryer and check the pork. Crackling is starting to form, and the skin should be golden.
      Turn the pork in the air fryer basket if it seems to be browning more in one particular spot.
    • Put the basket back in the air fryer and fry for a further 20 minutes at 200°C/400°F.
      After 20 minutes use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the pork loin, middle of the thickest part.
      Also check to see how your crackling is going.
    • If the crackling has completely formed and the internal temperature reads 70°C/160°F (medium /well done) take the pork out of the air fryer and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
    • If the crackling hasn't totally formed all over the loin, continue air frying the pork loin for a further 10 minutes.
      See Notes Section for further temperature and time information.

    Notes

    Internal Cooking Temperatures for Pork Loin
    The recommended temperature to pull the pork loin out of the air fryer is 70°C/160°F. This is when tested in the middle of the loin at the thickest part.
    • Medium-Rare: 65°C/150°F
    • Medium: 68°C/155°F
    • Medium-Well: 71°C/160°F
    • Well: 74°C/165°F
     
    Roasting Times for Pork Loin
    How long you will need to air fry your pork loin will depend on its size/weight, if it is a thick or thinner cut as well.
    • 700 grams/1.5 lbs: 40 minutes
    • 900 grams/2 lbs: 50 minute
    • 1.2 kgs/2.5 lbs: 60 minutes
     
    GENERAL COOK’S NOTES
    All oven temperatures are fan-forced, increase the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F) for convection ovens.
    All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified.
    • 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
    • 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
    • 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
    • 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
    • I use the below unless specified in my recipes.
    Herbs are fresh | Vegetables are of a medium size | Eggs are roughly 60 grams in weight (large) 
     
    NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW IS A GUIDE ONLY

    Nutrition

    Calories: 198kcalProtein: 34gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 561mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword pork roast in the air fryer
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Max

      February 20, 2023 at 10:30 am

      5 stars
      Perfect crackling every time. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sara McCleary

        February 20, 2023 at 10:35 am

        5 stars
        Hi Max
        It really is a great way to get perfect crackling every time. Glad it is working for you.
        Cheers, Sara

        Reply
    2. Jane

      December 29, 2022 at 2:55 am

      5 stars
      I made this for Christmas day dinner. Was a huge success. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough crackling, people were fighting over it LOL.

      Reply
      • Sara McCleary

        February 20, 2023 at 10:34 am

        5 stars
        Hi Jane
        Very happy to hear it was a success. We have the same problem, no matter how big my piece of loin is there still isn't enough crackling for my family either!
        Cheers, Sara.

        Reply
    3. Megan

      November 26, 2022 at 9:50 am

      1 star
      Followed everything and crackling absolutely flopped.

      Reply
      • Sara McCleary

        February 20, 2023 at 10:24 am

        Hi Megan
        Sorry to hear that, obviously something didn't quite go to plan.
        Cheers, Sara

        Reply
    4. Peta

      November 22, 2022 at 6:01 am

      5 stars
      I had never thought about roasting any meat in an air fryer before this. It worked really well. The only thing is that I finished cooking the loin in the oven after the crackling formed. I needed my air fryer for other things.

      Reply
    5. Victor

      October 27, 2022 at 10:45 pm

      About to try the pork loin now, so will let you know how I got off

      Reply
      • Sara McCleary

        November 11, 2022 at 10:53 am

        Hi Victor
        Hope it all went well and the pork loin was delicious.
        Cheers, Sara

        Reply
    6. Lucy

      February 15, 2022 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Sara, thank you for this recipe. I've made it a few times now, each time with perfect crackling 🙂 Works better than in the oven.

      Reply
      • Sara McCleary

        February 20, 2023 at 10:49 am

        5 stars
        Hi Lucy
        Very happy to hear that air frying pork loin is a win for you. It is for me 🙂
        Cheers, Sara

        Reply

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    photo of Sara McCleary, Founder, Belly Rumbles culinary travel blog

    Well hello there! I’m Sara McCleary a food photographer, creative recipe developer, and avid traveller (when the World isn’t in a pandemic).

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