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Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin

This air fryer beef tenderloin is coated in delicious butter, garlic, and fresh herb rub and cooked perfectly in the air fryer!

Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin on a serving platter.

I know we all think of air fryers being used for making some seriously tasty snacks, but have you ever considered using them for your holiday main course?

It makes perfect sense! You don’t have to turn on the oven, you don’t have to dirty up extra roasting pans (causing you more dishes at the end of the night,) and the air fryer cooks up meat to perfection! It’s a triple win!

This air fryer beef tenderloin is cooked with yummy butter, garlic, and fresh herb rub, so it stays juicy and is packed full of flavor.

Trust me, once you serve this up to your guests at your next holiday party, they’ll all want an air fryer for themselves!

Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin ingredients on a sheet pan.
Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin covered in herb butter before cooking.

Ingredients for air fryer beef tenderloin

  • Beef tenderloin – The star of the dish! Savory, juicy, and delicious beef tenderloin is an absolute crowd-pleaser.
  • Butter – This will keep the beef tenderloin juicy and help our other seasonings adhere to the tenderloin.
  • Herbs – Fresh is best! The combination of fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary is classic and complements the beef tenderloin.
  • Garlic – Garlic is a classic ingredient that will add earthiness to the dish.
  • Kosher salt and black pepper – It’s super important to season your beef tenderloin properly to bring out all the delicious flavors.
Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin in the air fryer.
Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin cooked in the air fryer basket.

How to prepare your beef tenderloin

It’s important to properly trim and tie up your beef tenderloin before cooking. 

Trimming and tying help keep the shape of the tenderloin even throughout so that it cooks evenly in your air fryer and stays juicy throughout.

To trim your beef tenderloin:

Locate the shiny, whitish-gray connective tissue. 

Using a sharp knife, carefully slide it under the skin in between the connective tissue and the meat. 

Make slow, long strokes with your knife, cutting away the connective tissue while pulling it back. Be sure to stay as close to the connective tissue as possible, and don’t cut down into the meat!

Repeat until you reach the end and discard the connective tissue. 

A fork picking up a slice of Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin.

To tie your tenderloin:

Your ultimate goal here is to make sure it’s an even cylinder shape. We will be cinching it together in one to two-inch intervals with twine.

Take about 12-15 inches of twine, and begin on the left side of the tenderloin, loop it around, and tie a knot using the end of the twine.

This is your anchor knot.

Now take the rest of the twine, create a loop, and loop it under the tenderloin about 1-2 inches down from your anchor knot, pull it taught.

Keep creating loops and putting them every 1-2 inches down until you reach the end of the tenderloin.

Bonus:

You could skip these two steps and ask your local butcher to do this for you! They will trim and tie your beef tenderloin for you, free of charge.

Sliced Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin.

Air Fryer FAQ

An air fryer is a tabletop convection oven.
It mimics the outcome of a deep-fat fryer but without oil. Hot hair is moved around via a fan that quickly and crisply cooks the food. The two most common air fryers you’ll see are basket-style (that is what I have) or convection/toaster oven-style. There are pluses to both, but I prefer my basket style.

I prefer the basket-style air fryer as it’s smaller and takes up less room than the toaster oven-style air fryer. My biggest tip regarding air fryers is to pick a style that will work best for your family and the amount of food you will cook. My large basket-style air fryer can cook up to 12 wings, 2-4 servings of french fries, etc., which works well for my household.

The answer to this will depend on your brand. It is ALWAYS best to double-check all brand recommendations by reading your user manual or visiting their website and seeing if they address this question on their site. My air fryer brand is basket style, and the outer and inner baskets are dishwasher safe.

Rare Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin on a serving plate.

Storage and leftovers

Any leftover air fryer beef tenderloin can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, simply place in a microwave-safe dish covered loosely with a damp paper towel and heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin on a platter.

More air fryer recipes

Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin

This air fryer beef tenderloin is coated in delicious butter, garlic, and fresh herb rub, and cooked to perfection in the air fryer!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 – 3.5 pound beef tenderloin trimmed and tied
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon fresh minced thyme
  • ½ teaspoon fresh minced sage

Instructions

  • Bring the beef tenderloin to room temperature by allowing it to sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, grated garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, thyme, and sage.
  • Pat the beef tenderloin dry with a paper towel and then rub the compound butter evenly over every side.
  • Place the beef tenderloin in the air fryer and cook it at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to cook the tenderloin for another 12-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the beef reaches 120 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.
  • Cover the beef tenderloin with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
  • Serve the beef tenderloin with your favorite sides and enjoy immediately.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Notes

  • Check with your butcher to see if they can tie your beef tenderloin. 
  • Don’t overcook your tenderloin. It is meant to be served with a pink center. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 1392kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 95g | Fat: 109g | Saturated Fat: 46g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 48g | Cholesterol: 368mg | Sodium: 633mg
Course Air Fryer
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer beef recipes, air fryer tenderloin recipes, beef tenderloin in the air fryer, beef tenderloin recipes
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Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin pin for Pinterest.
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

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