Learn How to Air Fry Pork Fillet Medallions with these simple instructions. Pork tenderloin is surprisingly economical and seriously quick to cook so don’t overlook this tasty cut.
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Pork fillet is a fairly new cut to me but I’ve cooked with it many times since testing and making my How to Air Fry Whole Pork Fillet. As great as cooking the whole fillet is, I’ve found that I sometimes like to cut it into chunky slices and cook them individually. This gives more surface area to colour and season the pork.
This recipe is also very similar to my How To Air Fry Pork Medallions which uses the slightly larger part of the full loin. Although you can readily buy pork loin medallions, tenderloin medallions aren’t generally available pre-cut. It is best to cut them yourself from a whole tenderloin unless you have a proper butcher who can cut them for you.
How to Serve
Like most simple cuts of pork, these pork fillet medallions are extremely versatile. One of the most common ways to serve them is with a creamy mushroom or masala sauce. Add some simply cooked greens and new potatoes for a perfect meal.
Or try serving them as I have with lots of fresh salad, fragrant spicy rice, creamy coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Ingredients
Pork Fillet/Tenderloin
Pork fillet is the common name for this cut in the UK but is more usually known as pork tenderloin in the US. So I use the terms interchangeably. It can also be known as pork eye fillet.
Most fillets available to buy pre-packaged are around 450-500g (16-18oz). You might find that they are available in larger sizes from butchers. I usually allow half a fillet (around 225-250g or 8-9oz) per person so bear this in mind when purchasing.
Oil
I’ve stuck with my tried and tested method of using a neutral cooking oil. The pork medallions are extremely lean so this little extra added fat does make a difference. It also encourages the pork to brown during the short cooking time and gives the seasonings something to stick to.
If you prefer to use another oil or melted butter, please do so. As always, I do encourage you to consider the flavour of the fat you choose in combination with your seasonings and the vibe of the rest of your meal. Coconut oil for example has a flavour that would clash with a lemon and rosemary seasoning. But olive oil would pair with that perfectly for a Mediterranean inspired meal.
Seasonings
Again, I’ve stuck to my favourite extremely-simple-but-effective seasoning mix of 50% garlic salt and 50% paprika. But this is just a base recipe. You can choose any seasonings you prefer from simple sea salt to a full on marinade, spice rub or glaze.
Whichever option you do choose, you should make sure that it contains salt in some form or another.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Pork Fillet Medallions
For medallions which are roughly 50g/2oz each and around 2cm/1″ thick, you should cook them for 10 minutes then turn and cook the underside for a further 3 minutes.
If your medallions are thinner, they will need a shorter cooking time. Start with 5 minutes and then keep cooking them until you are happy. Once cooked all the way through, the medallions will be firm rather than soft to the touch.
Thicker medallions will of course require a little extra cooking time but do turn them after 10 minutes and then finish the cooking on the second side.
How to Air Fry Pork Fillet Medallions From Frozen
Assuming that you have cut your tenderloin before freezing, you can easily cook these fillet medallions from frozen. I recommend running them under the tap for a few seconds to make sure any surface ice crystals are removed. Dry them thoroughly and then oil and season as normal.
For some inexplicable reason that defies logic, I don’t find that the frozen medallions take any longer to cook them when air fried from fresh. Do check them after the 12 minutes cooking time to check and cook for longer if needed.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Or they can be frozen. Choose an air tight container or bag for either option.
I actually prefer to reheat the pork in the microwave with a drop of water. This steams the pork and prevents it from drying out. To replicate this in the air fryer, loosely wrap the medallions in foil with a tiny but of water and then air fry until they’re piping hot – around 4-5 minutes.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry Pork Fillet Medallions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pork Fillet (Tenderloin) - around 450g/18oz each
- 2 tsp Oil - see notes
- ¾ tsp Seasoning - see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
- Thoroughly dry 1 Pork Fillet (Tenderloin).
- Use a sharp knife to cut the fillet into roughly 2cm/1" slices. Exactly how many slices you end up with will depend on the shape and size of the tenderloin as they can vary.
- Drizzle over 2 tsp Oil and ¾ tsp Seasoning and toss to thoroughly coat the pork.
- Place the medallions into the air fryer basket. Leave a little space between each slice so the air can circulate.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Use tongs to turn the medallions over.
- Cook for a further 3 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Check the pork is cooked through, you can see this by making a cut and checking that the meat is nearly white in the centre of the thickest part. Unlike chicken, pork can be eaten with a slight pink blush but if you prefer it more cooked, put it back in for 2 minutes at a time.
- Allow to rest for at least 2 to 3 minutes before serving. You can just allow it to sit in the basket or covered in foil on a plate.
To Cook From Frozen
- It is best to cut the pork fillet into medallions before freezing.
- Cook for 13 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Check that the pork is sufficiently cooked in exactly the same way as if cooking from fresh!
Notes
- Oil – Choose your oil to match your flavouring. For example use garlic, salt and rosemary with olive oil or for a more neutral flavour, sea salt and black pepper with vegetable oil.
- Seasoning – Choose any seasoning mix, spices or dried/fresh herbs. Make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice.
- I used vegetable oil with a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can just fit 1 whole fillet cut into 9 x 1″ medallions in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate. I could likely fit another 4 to 5 medallions in although the air would circulate less and I would likely need to cook them for slightly longer.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Peter says
I always forget about pork tenderloin but this cooked so well in the air fryer.
Lesley says
This is a great way to cook tenderloin, I added a bit of smoked paprika and they didn’t dry out, cooked to perfection.
Sisley says
This was such a great way to cook pork medallions. The more i use my air fryer the more I feel lost at the thought of not having it.
Dave says
Pork tenderloin is my favourite cut of pork and we loved this recipe for the air fryer. So easy and so tasty.