BBQ-seasoned pork tenderloin, braided and air-fried to perfection for the most amazing sliders – thinly sliced BBQ pork tenderloin atop brioche buns, fresh slaw, honey mustard, and pickles.
I’m teaming up with Swift Meats featuring their amazing Pork Tenderloin. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I trust and believe in.
Deliciousness In Minutes!
Pork tenderloin is a go-to protein in my house. I love that it cooks up super fast and is just so delicious! I love that I can get a double pack (that’s 4 pork tenderloins) from Swift Meats at my local Costco too!
For this recipe, I wanted to kind of give you a 2-fer if you will. Now you can stop at the part where it’s air-fried to perfection and serve it that way, but lately, my mind is on things portable and sandwich-esque.
And did I mention that the pork tenderloin is BRAIDED? Yeah, it’s GORGEOUS folks!
Grab Your Ingredients
This only needs a few ingredients and most of these are kitchen and pantry stables.
- 1 Package Swift Meats Pork Tenderloin (they come 2 in a pack)
- Seasonings for the BBQ rub
- Slider buns and toppings if you’re going that extra mile
Make Sure To Watch The Video
Watch the video on this as I walk you through how to cut and braid the pork tenderloin.
Let’s Braid Our Pork Tenderloin
Braiding pork loin and tenderloin has been around for a while so I’m not taking credit for doing it first. It’s genius and truly a showstopper.
- On a cutting board, pat the pork loins dry. Taking a sharp knife, cut each pork loin in 3 strips but DO NOT cut to the end. Leave one end fully intact (leave about 1” intact).
- Once they are split, sprinkle each slice liberally with the seasoning mix. Flip the meat over and season the other side. You may have some seasoning left over, but that’s ok! Allow the meat to rest for about 20 minutes as you want the seasoning to melt into the meat.
Air Fry To Perfection
As you can see in the video, this is easy to do. What I would suggest is using 2 pairs of tongs to put it in the preheated air fryer basket and to flip it so the pork braid stays together.
Chef’s Suggestion
If it’s easier for you, before you put the braided pork tenderloin into the air fryer, take some butcher’s twine and tie the braid ends together.
Talk About A Show Stopper!
At this point, once it’s plated you could stop here and serve this with some of your favorite sides. This is worthy of any holiday dinner table or just because it’s Tuesday night.
But we’re taking this to Slider Town!
Off To Slider Town!
I chose to leave my cole slaw mix undressed and use my Honey Mustard Dressing to drizzle on it. I wanted to keep that crunchificiation of the fresh slaw on the bun since the pork tenderloin was so super tender!
Once the pork was on, next came the pickles and another drizzle of Honey Mustard Dressing. What can I say, I like it saucy!
Crushing HARD On This Slider
Y’all I’m not going to lie… when I made this I literally sat back and said “Whoa! That’s SEXY!” The honey mustard was just dripping ever so slightly off of the pickles and pork. You could smell the sweetness of the red onions and well, the pickles. God, I love pickles!
Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin
What Is A Pork Loin
A pork Loin is large, wide, and thick. It’s also known as the center loin roast or pork center rib roast. It can be boneless or bone-in.
It’s very mild in flavor and sometimes has a fat cap that helps to keep the meat moist as it cooks. Because of the size and fat percentage, this cut is better suited for a hard sear than roasting/smoking it on low heat.
What Is A Pork Tenderloin
Unlike the pork loin, it’s smaller and thinner. Typically it’ll come as a 2-pack. It contains very little fat and thus really benefits from a quick-cook type method like grilling or broiling it whole.
It is extremely lean with very little fat so it can be super juicy and tender when cooked properly.
Recipe Substitutions and Additions
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what I would change on this recipe but we all like what we like and that’s ok!
- Onions – you can omit or go with leeks, green onions, or sweet yellow onions
- Pickles – Dill, baby gherkins, or even a hot & spicy pickle
- Honey Mustard – BBQ sauce, Ranch, or your favorite sauce
The Best Air Fryer BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sliders
BBQ-seasoned pork tenderloin, braided and air-fried to perfection for the most amazing sliders – thinly sliced BBQ pork tenderloin atop brioche buns, fresh slaw, honey mustard, and pickles.
Ingredients
- 2 Swift Meats Pork Tenderloin, silver skin removed
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil, divided
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 –1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 3–4 cups Coleslaw mix
- Red onion slices
- Bread and butter pickles
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Brioche Slider buns
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together the light brown sugar, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, mustard powder, black pepper, salt, onion powder, and cayenne. Set aside.
- On a cutting board, pat the pork loins dry. Taking a sharp knife, cut each pork loin in 3 strips but DO NOT cut all the way to the end. Leave one end fully intact (leave about 1” intact).
- Once they are split, sprinkle each slice liberally with the seasoning mix. Flip the meat over and season the other side. You may have some seasoning left over, but that’s ok! Allow the meat to rest for about 20 minutes as you want the seasoning to melt into the meat.
- When it’s time to air fry, preheat the air fryer to 400F. When it’s at temperature, lightly spray the bottom of the air fryer and carefully put the braid into the basket. My air fryer fits one braid each. Do not overcrowd. Drizzle about 1/2 of the olive oil over top each braid and sprinkle a little more seasoning on top. Set the timer for 16 minutes (if yours is bigger you may need 19 minutes).
- Halfway through, carefully flip. At 16 minutes, open up the air fryer, flip again, and brush half of the BBQ sauce on each pork loin. Pop it back into the air fryer for 2-3 more minutes or until the internal temperature reads 145F.
- Remove from the air fryer and plate. Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before carving.
- To each bun add some slaw mix followed by 1-2 teaspoons of honey mustard. Next add some red onion, carved pork tenderloin, bread and butter pickles, and more honey mustard. Enjoy!
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