Simple steps and foolproof instructions guide you to a delicious Juciy Air Fryer Roast Pork with Crispy Cracking every time.

Skip the long preheat and say goodbye to messy drippings. This recipe is your shortcut to moist, tender, and bursting-with-flavour pork, stress-free!

Air Fryer Roast Pork With Crispy Crackling

We love our roast pork! Shannon usually cooks it in the Weber Q, but when we want a roast pork for dinner and don’t want to use the oven or weber q, I turn to our trusty Phillips XXL Air Fryer.

It may not have a fancy name, but it cooks up juicy, tender pork with crackling so crispy you will wonder why you have never done this before.

Air Fryer Roast Pork Recipe Tips!

What cut and size pork do you use in your air fryer?

Size matters! Know your air fryer before picking the pork. Boneless cuts work best due to size, but a thin-skinned cut is also key to avoiding burnt skin and the basket not being able to open. Want to experiment with a bone-in cut, share how you went!

Tips for perfect crispy crackling every time!

Let the pork rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. This will help the skin to crisp up.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. This will prevent the skin from crisping up evenly.
If the skin starts to brown too quickly, reduce the temperature of the air fryer.
Keep a close eye on the pork during cooking. The crackling can go from crispy to burned very quickly.
Pre-salt the skin the night before to draw out any moisture and place it in the fridge overnight.

How long should I cook roast pork in the air fryer?

I’ve provided a simple table to help guide cooking times for different weights of a small, boneless pork leg. The suggested times are for cooking in an air fryer at a standard temperature of around 180°C or 360°F

Please note that these are just guides, and actual times may vary based on your specific air fryer model and the starting temperature of your pork.

Weight (Kilograms)	Weight (Pounds)	Estimated Cook Time (Minutes)
0.5 kg	1.1 lbs	30 – 40
1 kg	2.2 lbs	60 – 80
1.5 kg	3.3 lbs	90 – 120
2 kg	4.4 lbs	120 – 160
2.5 kg	5.5 lbs	150 – 200

Remember, these are just estimates, and it’s always a good idea to use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork is cooked to a safe internal temperature, which is at least 63°C (145°F). The crackling should be golden brown and crispy to the touch.

How to Cook a Roast Pork in an Air Fryer?

Cooking air fryer roast pork is a piece of cake (well, pork). It’s a lifesaver if you’re juggling oven time too. Just grab a boneless pork leg, some sea salt, salt flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil, and voila!

Ingredients you will need

Small boneless leg of pork
Sea Salt
Olive Oil

Preparing the pork

To ensure a perfect crispy crackle on your air fryer roast pork every time, there are a few important steps to prep your pork roast.

Score the skin. Sometimes, when you buy roast pork, the skin is not scored well. Make sure you check and cut with a very sharp knife, but do not cut too far down; about halfway through the skin is enough.
Dry and salt the skin. Very important, especially if you are using a vacuum-sealed one from your local supermarket. Pat the pork down with a paper towel, then rub a generous amount of table salt over the skin. Then, cover it with a tea towel and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. The salt soaks up moisture from the skin, drying it out.

Note – For the best results, follow the above step, but if you have to do this the day of cooking your pork, dry and salt your pork first thing in the morning and sit covered on the bench.
Bring Your pork to room temperature. For an excellent, even cook, allow your pork to sit covered on your bench so that it warms up to room temperature.

Cooking the pork

When it’s time to cook air fryer roast pork, give it a good rubdown with olive oil and sea salt flakes, making sure to get every nook and cranny, including the score marks.

Repeat the process with a little more oil and salt, but this time, sprinkle it over the top and sides. Don’t go overboard with the salt, or you’ll end up with a salty disaster.

If there’s excess salt on top, scrape it off. And don’t forget to oil up the sides and underside of the pork.

If you have an iGrill 2 meat thermometer, insert the probe into the thickest part of the pork. This will help you keep track of its internal temperature.

Next, preheat your air fryer to 200°C for two minutes. Once it’s ready, spray the basket with non-stick cooking spray and carefully place the pork inside.

Ensure that you position the probe in a way that allows you to close the air fryer properly.

To achieve a good crackle, set your air fryer to 200°C on the roast setting and cook for 20 minutes.

Then lower the heat to 180°C and cook for 25 minutes per 500g or until the internal temperature reaches 68°C.

After your pork reaches an internal temperature of 68°C, remove it from the air fryer and allow it to rest until the temperature rises to 71°C. This is the recommended safe temperature for consuming pork.

Do not overcook your pork in the air fryer to reach this temperature, as it can result in dry meat. Remember, the meat continues to cook while resting, and removing it at 68°C will yield juicy roast pork with a crispy crackle.

Using an instant-read meat thermometer during cooking is useful to monitor the meat’s temperature and know when to take it out of the air fryer.

What to serve with your air fryer roast pork?

The sky is the limit with what to serve. Here are just some ideas that we have alongside our air fryer roast pork with crispy crackling.

Other options are:

Roast or creamy mashed potatoes
Potato Salad with Egg and Bacon
Steamed green vegetables, such as broccoli or beans
Corn, carrots, asparagus and peas.
Roast or mashed pumpkin
Roasted Lemon Potatoes
Other salads, such as garden, coleslaw or caesar.

Air Fryer Roast Pork Recipe FAQ

There are a few common mistakes that can prevent you from achieving that perfect crispy crackling with your air fryer roast pork:

Not Drying the Pork Skin: For the perfect crackling, it’s crucial to thoroughly dry the skin of the pork before cooking. Moisture is the enemy of crispness, so pat it dry with a paper towel and, for best results, leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Insufficient Scoring: Scoring the skin allows heat to penetrate, which helps to render the fat and achieve a crispy finish. The cuts should be close together but not too deep, as this can cause moisture from the meat to bubble to the surface of the skin.
Not Using Enough Salt: Salt plays a crucial role in drawing out moisture and crisping up the skin. Don’t be shy with your sea salt application.
Not Preheating the Air Fryer: Preheating ensures the pork starts cooking at the right temperature from the get-go, which helps to make the skin crispy.
Cooking at the Wrong Temperature: The temperature needs to be high enough to render the fat and crisp up the skin but not so high that it burns before the meat is cooked.

Yes, using a little oil on the skin of the pork can help in achieving a crispy crackling in the air fryer. However, be careful not to use too much. Applying a thin layer of olive oil on the skin, followed by a generous sprinkle of sea salt, can enhance the crackling process.

The oil aids in evenly distributing the heat and helps the salt to stick, which in turn aids in drawing out the moisture from the skin, allowing it to puff up and become crispy during cooking.

Yes, sea salt is often specifically recommended for creating crispy crackling on your air fryer roast pork. The coarse texture of sea salt helps to draw out moisture from the pork skin more effectively than finer salts. This aids in achieving a crispy, puffed-up crackling.

However, it’s important to remember that too much salt can make the dish overly salty, so adjust to taste.

Using a marinade or rub on your air fryer roast pork can add a lot of flavour, but you should be cautious if your main goal is to achieve a perfect, crispy crackling. Many marinades and rubs contain ingredients that add moisture or can burn at high temperatures, both of which can hinder the formation of good crackling.

If you wish to use a marinade or rub, consider applying it to the meat side only, leaving the skin clean and dry apart from a coating of oil and a good sprinkle of sea salt. This approach should allow you to add extra flavour without compromising the crispiness of your pork skin.

Remember, for the best crackling, the skin needs to be as dry as possible before it goes into the air fryer. After marinating, pat the skin dry thoroughly and use plenty of salt to help draw out any remaining moisture.

Knowing when the crackling on your air fryer roast pork is done largely comes down to appearance and sound. Here are the things you should look out for:

Appearance: The pork skin should have puffed up significantly, forming hard, crispy bubbles. It should be a deep golden brown colour. If some areas are puffing up and others are not, you may need to rotate the roast for even heat distribution.
Sound: Tap the top of the crackling with a utensil; it should sound hard and hollow, much like a hard-shell candy. Be careful to use a utensil and not touch it directly, as the skin and fat underneath will be very hot.
Taste Test: If you’re still unsure, you can always cut off a small piece of the crackling and taste it. It should be crispy and not chewy. If it’s still a bit chewy, it needs more time.

Remember to avoid overcooking, as this can lead to a burnt or bitter flavour. Once you’re satisfied with the crackling, you can remove the roast from the air fryer. Let it rest for a few minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.

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