These How To Air Fry Pork Medallions instructions make cooking these lean pork tenderloin steaks in your air fryer a breeze. The effortless recipe can be adapted, seasoned and flavoured to just how you like them with no fuss and in barely any time at all.
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Pork medallion steaks are the lean cousin of pork chops and pork loin steaks. Loin steaks are simply chops with the bone removed. Loin medallions are loin steaks with the fat and fattier end removed. As a result they’re very lean and benefit from a really quick cook.
So the air fryer is ideal for quick cooking these steaks. With some simple seasoning and a little oil (they need some help), they can be prepped and in the air fryer in a matter of moments.
How to Serve
I eat pork steaks of various types all the time. They’re my go to quick meal. One of my favourite ways of serving them is stuffed into a soft buttered baguette. Such a pleasure!
Air fryer pork medallions are great to eat hot or cold although in honesty, I do prefer them hot. Here are just a few ways I eat them – don’t be limited by this list – there are so many ways!
- Sliced onto the top of a steaming bowl of ramen.
- Wrapped in soft tortillas with peach salsa and guacamole.
- Served with rosemary potato cubes and savoy cabbage in giant yorkshire puddings.
- With sticky rice, a side of sesame tenderstem broccoli and lashings of hot honey butter garlic sauce.
Ingredients
Pork
“Pork medallions” is the name usually given to this particular cut of pork in the UK. They could also be called loin eye steaks, lean pork steaks, tenderloin steaks or any other similar variation.
They are usually cut around 2cm thick and that is the thickness the cooking time in this post is based on. For a thicker cut medallion, you will need to increase the cooking time. For a thinner cut, decrease the cooking time.
Exactly the same cooking time and method will work for pork loin steaks (the less lean ones). Pork chops with the bone are a little different.
Oil
I used neutral flavoured vegetable oil but you can use any standard cooking oil which works with your seasoning flavours.
The trick with air frying (or any frying for the matter) is to oil the meat and not the air fryer. This prevents any being wasted and creating unnecessary smoke.
Please don’t skimp on the oil. Pork medallions are incredibly lean and can very easily be very dry – cooking with some oil will help with this. It also ensures that the seasoning distributes evenly and sticks to the pork.
Seasoning
What seasoning you use is really up to you. You can flavour them very simply with just sea salt and a neutral oil or go heavy with a seasoning mix. You can add sauces or add the pork to other already flavoured food after cooking.
The only rule is that you must include salt. I used a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika for these images.
Allergen Information
This how to air fry pork medallion 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 to Air Fry Pork Medallions from Frozen
Although it makes zero scientific sense, pork medallions cook from frozen using the exact same temperature and time settings as when you cook them from fresh.
Cooking straight from frozen is super convenient. You can add seasoning to the frozen steaks but I more often than not add oil and seasonings before freezing – that way I just throw them in the basket and go – brilliant!
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Cooked air fryer pork medallions can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can also be well wrapped and frozen.
To reheat in the air fryer, I use the rule of cooking for around 1/3 of the cooking time at the same temperature. So the medallions will reheat in around 5 minutes at 200c/390f. Check that they are piping hot all the way through and cook for longer if needed.
You can also reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
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 Medallions
Ingredients
- 4 Pork Medallions
- 1 tsp Oil - – see notes
- ½ tsp Seasoning - – see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
- Thoroughly dry 4 Pork Medallions.
- Drizzle over 1 tsp Oil and ½ tsp Seasoning and toss to thoroughly coat the pork.
- Place the medallions into the air fryer basket. Leave a little space between each so the air can circulate.
- Cook for 14 minutes at 200c/390f.
- If you want to turn them after 10 minutes, you can do – I don't need to using the rack in my air fryer.
- 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.
To Cook From Frozen
- Cook for 14 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 4 pork medallions in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate.
- 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.
Mary says
Awesome!!! My husband just kept saying “ummmm!”
Cat says
Pork is my absolute weakness and I’d not cooked them in my air fryer before. They turned out perfectly and I’ll be making them like this again and again!