Cooking a pork shoulder roast in a ninja foodi

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Air fryer roast pork is simple and delicious. Roasting pork in an air fryer is such a great way to cook it, it is quick and extremely easy, and gives the tastiest succulent pork with extra crispy crackle!

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How to roast pork in an air fryer

Roast pork is a popular dish for a Sunday roast dinner, but once you know how to make it in your air fryer you will be able to whip it up for a delicious dinner any night of the week! You can have a delicious, tender, pork roast in under an hour.

Cooking a pork roast in the air fryer is so quick and easy; with a little simple preparation, quick cooking time, and easy clean-up, this is definitely my favorite way of roasting pork!

If you like your pork tender on the inside with crispy crackling on the outside, you should give it a try!

For some other easy air fryer pork recipes try air fryer pork chops, air fryer crispy pork belly, or air fryer pork schnitzel.

Air frying is also great for roasting other meats, I really love air fryer roast beef, air fryer beef tenderloin, and air fryer lamb roast.

Scroll down for the printable recipe card for this air fryer pork roast, or read on for all the details.

Ingredients

Quantities for all ingredients are given in the recipe card below.

Pork roast

The beauty of this recipe is it can be used for any joint of pork. You can use any small pork roast, however, because of the quick roasting time, a tender cut of pork is going to be your best choice.

I normally use a boneless pork loin roast, which is a classic roasting cut. Boned and rolled it makes a fantastically juicy and tender roast.

Pork tenderloin (or filet) is a great choice for an extra tender pork roast, but since the cooking times are a little different, I have a separate recipe for that here: air fryer pork tenderloin.

A tougher cut like pork shoulder (pork butt or Boston butt) can be air fried, but you may find that it is better slow-cooked as it needs a longer cooking time to get really tender. These cuts are perfect for making slow cooker pulled pork.

If you want pork crackling, choose a roast that has a rind (skin).

When buying your pork roast, be sure to choose one that will fit in your air fryer. I usually find that a 2lb pork roast fits nicely in my air fryer, and is perfect to serve 4 (with some leftovers for roast pork sandwiches the next day!).

Seasoning

I like to keep the seasoning simple when roasting pork, and just use kosher salt. I think this lets the flavor of the meat really shine.

The salt is also important for getting the crackling really crispy as it helps to draw the moisture out of the skin as it cooks, so don’t skip it even if you decide to use some different flavorings.

You will need approximately 1 teaspoon of flaked or kosher salt per lb of pork.

If you prefer, you can add in some other spices with the salt when seasoning the roast. Try flavors like:

• Fennel
• Smoked paprika
• Garlic powder and/or onion powder
• Black pepper
• Cajun seasoning
• Italian seasoning

Oil

I normally use light olive oil when roasting pork in my air fryer, but you can use any liquid cooking oil that you would usually use for roasting a cut of meat.

Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point to prevent your air fryer from smoking during cooking. Vegetable oil or corn oil are both good choices.

Directions

This recipe is pretty simple and straight-forward, however there are a few key steps to getting perfect roast pork in the air fryer.

Step 1: Prepare the pork roast

Pat the pork roast dry. If your pork roast has a rind or layer of fat, then you will need to cut through this with a sharp knife to make deep scores through the rind.

Try to just cut through the pork skin or rind into the fat beneath, and not into the meat, as the pork roast can lose moisture during cooking if the meat is cut. Cutting through to the meat can prevent the crackle from getting really crispy, and cause your pork to dry out during roasting.

Step 2: Season pork roast

Now you are ready to salt and oil the pork.

1. Sprinkle the salt over the pork and rub it in, making sure it gets into the scores in the rind.
2. Set aside for ten minutes. The salt will draw moisture out of the pork skin, helping it to turn into perfect crunchy crackling (you can skip this step if you pork roast doesn’t have a rind, or you dont like crackling)
3. After ten minutes, pat the pork roast dry, then drizzle with oil and rub in so that the pork roast is well covered with salt and oil.

Step 3: Roast pork in air fryer

Place the pork roast in the air fryer basket, and air fry for around 50 minutes (25 minutes per lb of meat) – see section below for more details on cook times. 

When the cooking time is up, check that the pork is cooked correctly by ensuring it has reached 145°F (63°C) in the center of the thickest part, and that the crackling is done to your liking. If the pork is cooked but crackling needs longer, carefully remove the crackling and place it back in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes.

p.s. Here’s a close-up of the crackling, just in case you didn’t see it in that last photo…

Step 4: Rest the pork

Finally, remove pork roast from the air fryer, cover with aluminum foil and leave to rest for ten minutes before serving. This is important to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat before you carve it.

If you find that the crackling is too hard to cut through easily when you are carving the meat, turn the roast over and cut it crackling side down and cut with a sharp knife.

Cooking times

Exactly how long to roast pork in an air fryer will depend on many factors, including the exact size and shape of the cut, and how powerful your air fryer is.

The rule of thumb that I use is to air fry a pork roast for around 25 minutes per lb. So a 2lb pork roast needs 50 minutes.

See the table below for estimated air frying times for different-sized pork roasts.

Cooking times will vary according to the size and shape of the cut of pork you are cooking, and will also depend on how efficient your air fryer is.

The cook times in the recipe below are correct for my Philips Airfryer. If you have another powerful brand of air fryer like the Nuwave or a Ninja Foodi, then expect cook times to be similar.

However, the only way to be really sure that your pork roast is cooked correctly is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. For roast pork, it should be 145°F/ 63°C, measured in the center of the thickest part.

Use the times in the table above as a guide, but always confirm it is cooked with a thermometer.

The best meat thermometer I have found to use with an air fryer is the Meater*. This is a truly wireless meat thermometer, that you use with an app on your phone. It is like a skewer that you stick in the meat, and it allows you to check the temperature without opening the air fryer. It will also alert you when the meat is cooked perfectly.

However, any instant-read meat thermometer should do the job, and is much more budget-friendly.

Getting crispy crackling

Pork crackling can be tricky to get right. The level of crispiness of crackling depends on how much moisture there is in the pork skin, and removing as much of this moisture as possible during cooking.

Air frying is a good place to start, but there are a few other steps you can take to get it as crispy as possible.

1. Remove moisture from the rind. Pat the skin dry before cooking, and also after you score the rind. The skin will only start to crisp up after all the moisture is gone, so starting with dry skin is essential to perfect crackling.
2. Score the rind. It is really important that you only score the skin during this step, cutting through to the fat, but not to the meat.
3. Add salt and rub in. Take the time to rub the salt in properly and make sure the salt get into the scores. Then set is aside for ten minutes. The salt will draw more moisture out of the pork skin. When the ten minutes is up, blot away the moisture with paper towels, but try to leave the salt where it is.
4. Finally, add oil, and rub in well. This helps the skin to crisp up, and will react with the salt and the fat under the rind making the skin puff up and get really crispy.

These steps should be enough to ensure that your crackling is crispy and perfect every time, but if all else fails you can also carefully remove the crackling once the pork has finished cooking, and crisp it up in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes while the pork roast is resting.

Serving ideas

I usually serve roasted pork as a traditional roast meal with a selection of vegetable side dishes. For a quick and easy gravy, try this recipe for making a rich brown gravy from stock cubes.

You can cook vegetables in the air fryer with the pork while it is roasting, though I would recommend partially cooking them before roasting the pork, then finish them roasting while the pork is resting. This is because roasting vegetables or potatoes in the air fryer with the pork can lead to too much moisture in the cooking environment, which can prevent the crackling from crisping up.

Here are some simple ideas to try:

• Air fryer roast potatoes
• Air fryer roasted vegetables
• Air fryer broccoli
• Air fryer parsnips

I also like to serve steamed vegetables with roast pork, and have found that the quickest way to steam them is in the microwave. Prepare the veggies while the pork is roasting. Start them steaming while the roast pork is resting. See microwave steamed vegetables for some options to try.

Leftovers

Store any leftover pork roast in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days.

You can reheat the pork roast in the air fryer. The length of time required will depend on the size of roast you have leftover:

• To reheat slices, air fry for 2-3 minutes until warmed through
• For a larger piece, start with 3-4 minutes and air fry for longer if required until it is warmed through

Scroll down for the recipe card for this air fryer roast pork!

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 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. It is also really important to rest it for at least ten minutes after cooking.

Air Fryer Roast Pork Recipe Card

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Inactive Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

How to cook a pork roast in an air fryer. Perfect for pork loin or any other small pork roast.

Ingredients

• 2 lb pork roast [Note 1]
• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. 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.
2. Sprinkle salt over the skin and rub in [Note 2]. Leave the pork roast for 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw the moisture from the skin.
3. Pat the pork roast dry again, then drizzle with oil and rub in.
4. Preheat air fryer oven to 360°F (180°C).
5. Place pork roast in air fryer basket, and cook for 50 minutes (25 minutes per lb of meat). 
6. When the cooking time is up, check that the pork is cooked to ensure it has reached 145°F/ 63°C in the center of the thickest part [Note 3].
7. Remove pork roast from air fryer, cover with kitchen foil and leave to rest for ten minutes before serving [Note 4].
8. Carve into slices to serve [Note 5].

Notes

1. Try boneless pork loin roast, pork shoulder blade roast, rolled roast or any other small pork roast.
2. This step is key to getting crispy crackling, so skip it if your pork roast doesn't have a rind.
3. Use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature in the thickest part.
4. If the crackling is not quite as crisp as you would like it at this point, remove it before resting the meat, and put back into the air fryer for 5-10 minutes until crisp.
5. If you find that the crackling is too hard to cut through easily when you are carving the meat, turn the roast over and cut it crackling side down and cut with a sharp knife.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.

You may also like:

• Air fryer pork steaks
• Air fryer pork burgers
• Air fryer whole chicken
• Air fryer baked potato
• Air fryer vegetable recipes

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I’m Eliza, busy mom, home cook, and blogger. My goal is to help everyone cook good food. Whether you are short on time, skills, or motivation, there is something here for you! We have dozens of quick and easy recipes for dinner, lunch, side dishes, and more. Our recipes use everyday ingredients, for quick delicious meals your family will love! Read more…