Air Fryer Roast Pork
Mouth-wateringly tender roast pork with no-fail, perfectly crispy, golden crackling. Good news: no more family fights over the best bits of crackling – with this air fryer roast pork recipe it’s all perfect!
Best. Crackling. Ever.
Making roast pork in the air fryer is surprisingly easy, but getting the crackling just right can be tricky. It’s common to end up with meat that’s perfectly cooked but skin that stays soft.
Getting that perfect puffy crackling comes down to removing moisture from the skin and then applying enough heat to make it puff-up.
My method always aces the crackling because it uses salt to draw out extra moisture from the skin before cooking. Plus, there is a fail-safe step you can take to make sure the crackling is perfect. Every. Single. Time.
For some more delicious air fryer pork recipes, try my air fryer pork belly, these tasty air fryer pork chops, or these tender air fryer pork steaks.
three Simple ingredients
A small pork roast
You can use any small pork roasting joint. However, because of the quick roasting time, a more tender cut of pork will be your best choice.
Boneless leg roast or pork loin roast are both excellent choices. Perhaps stating the obvious: if you want pork crackling, choose a roast with a rind (skin).
Make sure you choose a pork roast that will fit in your air fryer. I usually find that a 1kg pork roast fits nicely in my air fryer, and is perfect for serving four (with some leftovers for roast pork sandwiches the next day!).
>> Related recipe: air fryer pork tenderloin
Rolled vs unrolled?
Pork roasts are often rolled and tied to keep them a consistent shape so they cook evenly. However, I generally unroll them to cook in my air fryer as the crackling turns out better if it is lying flat and a consistent distance from the heat. And I’m ALL about the crackling! (you may have guessed!)
Salt
Salt is used for seasoning and to make the crackling really crispy. I used fine sea salt for this recipe, but you can substitute kosher salt or cooking salt.
You will need approximately one teaspoon of kosher salt per 500g/ pound of pork. Note: If you only have table salt (not recommended), decrease the amount to ½-¾ teaspoon per 500g/lb pork, as the grain size is so much smaller.
Oil
I normally use light olive oil when roasting pork in my air fryer. You can substitute another cooking oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil, or corn oil.
Pro Tip
Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point to reduce the chance of your air fryer smoking. Vegetable oil or avocado oil are good choices.
How to roast Pork in the air fryer!
1. Prepare the pork roast
Score the skin.
Pat the pork roast dry, then score the skin/ rind with a sharp knife at ½-inch / 1 cm intervals. Take care to cut only through the skin into the fat beneath, and not into the meat, as this can allow juices to seep in, ruining the crackling.
Salt the rind.
Sprinkle the salt over the pork and rub it in. Make sure the salt gets into the scores – this helps draw moisture out of the skin, which is key for crisp crackling. Set aside for ten minutes.
After ten minutes, pat the pork roast dry again (the salt will have drawn some moisture out of the pork skin), then drizzle with oil and rub in so the pork roast is well covered with salt and oil.
2. Preheat
Preheat the air fryer to 360°F / 180°C. Then place the pork roast in the air fryer basket, skin side up.
3. Air fry pork roast.
Air fry the pork roast at 360°F / 180°C for 45-50 minutes (22 mins per lb / 25 minutes per 500g). See cooking chart below for more cooking times.
When the cooking time is up, check that the pork is cooked correctly by ensuring it has reached 65°C/ 145°F or higher in the center of the thickest part,. The crackling should be golden, blistered, and crispy.
Note: If the pork is cooked through but the crackling needs longer, carefully remove the crackling and place it back in the air fryer for 5 minutes while the meat rests under foil. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
How long to air fry roast Pork
The exact cooking time will vary according to the size and shape of the cut of pork you are cooking, and with different air fryers.
My rule of thumb is to air fry a pork roast for around 22 minutes per pound (450g). So a 2lb (900g) pork roast needs around 45 minutes. Use the chart below to estimate the cooking times for different sized pork roasts.
Use a meat thermometer to confirm that your pork roast is cooked correctly. It should be at least 145°F / 63°C (medium-rare), measured in the center of the thickest part.
Roast pork air fryer cooking times chart
Use this chart to estimate how long to air fry your pork roast. Remember to monitor the roast closely towards the end of the cooking time – please don’t burn the crackling!! 😱
|
Pork roast size |
Approx. weight |
Cooking time |
|---|---|---|
|
Small roast |
1 lb / 500g |
25–30 mins |
|
Medium roast |
2lb / 1kg |
50–60 mins |
|
Large roast |
3lb / 1.5 kg |
75–90 mins |
Tips for really sharp crackling
- Score the rind carefully to avoid cutting into the meat. Cutting into the meat means moisture will get into the rind, preventing it from reaching its crunchiest potential.
- Rub the salt into the scores well. The salt will draw more moisture out of the pork skin, which you can blot away with paper towels.
- Remove moisture before adding oil. Pat the pork roast as dry as possible before adding the oil.
- Rub the oil in. The oil reacts with the salt and the fat under the rind making it puff up for ultra crispy crackling.
- If all else fails, you can carefully remove the crackling from the roast when the meat is cooked, and crisp it up in the air fryer for 5 minutes or so.
Serving ideas for roast pork
- Serve roast pork alongside crispy roast potatoes, a selection of steamed vegetables, and homemade gravy for a traditional roast dinner.
- Creamy mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and mushroom gravy.
- Roasted vegetables, creamy scalloped potatoes, and apple sauce.
- Pile thinly sliced roast pork on a soft bun with a generous helping of homemade coleslaw and a drizzle of tangy barbecue sauce.
Note: If you also want to cook side dishes in the air fryer, you can pre-cook them for part of the cooking time before the pork, then put them back in the air fryer to finish cooking for 5-10 minutes while the pork is resting.
Air Fryer Roast Pork With Crackling
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 900 g pork roast Note 1
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt kosher salt, cooking salt
Instructions
- Pat the pork roast dry. If the pork roast has a rind, score the skin with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern, cutting into the fat beneath, but not into the meat.
- Sprinkle salt over the skin and rub in. Leave the pork roast for 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw the moisture from the skin.
- Pat the pork roast dry again, then drizzle with oil and rub in.
- Preheat air fryer oven to 360°F/ 180°C.
- Place pork roast in air fryer basket skin side up, and cook for 45 minutes at 360°F/ 180°C [Note 2].
- When the cooking time is up, check that the pork is cooked through to at least 145°F/ 63°C [Note 3].
- Remove pork roast from air fryer, and allow to rest for ten minutes before serving [Note 4].
Notes
- Try pork loin roast, boneless leg roast, pork shoulder, rolled roast or any other small pork roast.
- Cook for 22 minutes per lb / 450g:
Pork roast size Approx. weight Cooking time Small roast 1 lb / 500g 25–30 mins Medium roast 2lb / 1kg 50–60 mins Large roast 3lb / 1.5 kg 75–90 mins - If the crackling is not quite as crisp as you would like it at this point, remove it before resting the meat, and put it back into the air fryer for 5-10 minutes until crisp.
- Wrap the underside of the pork roast in foil to keep it warm, but leave the crackling uncovered.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
FAQs & Tips
Can you cook frozen pork loin in an air fryer?
According to the USDA it is safe to cook frozen pork in an oven, on the stove or grill without defrosting it first – this would also apply to an air fryer (it is essentially a countertop oven).
They recommend that the cooking time may be about 50% longer. Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to ensure it reaches the safe temperature (145°F / 63°C).
How do you keep pork roast from drying out?
Quick roasting in an air fryer is the best method to cook a pork roast without it drying out. Also, using a meat thermometer to ensure that it doesn’t get overcooked is key to keeping this cut of meat moist and tender. Resting it for at least ten minutes after cooking is also really important.
I made the roast pork in the air fryer today and it is delicious! Moist and tender with a nice crackling. This will be my go to way in future. Thanks!
I wanted to know about this for cooking during Christmas/after Christmas. Simple to follow instructions but given the pre-heat temperature but not explained if this is the same temperature the joint should be cooked at or not? That’s very important information surely?!
My favourite go to recipe for roasting pork. Come out perfect every time 👍. Crackling is perfect! This is the best way to cook pork roast, I’m never going back to the oven.
Amazing
Have made this twice, and it turned out great both times, the crackling is perfect!