In the Midwest, we pound our pork tenderloin thin, bread it, and deep fry it before sandwiching it between hamburger buns. We made that classic a bit healthier by using the air fryer, but it still turns out juicy, crispy, and flavorful. Highly recommend serving these with a big squirt of yellow mustard, plenty of dill pickles, and a few thin slices of onion.
Slice the pork tenderloin on the bias into 4 evenly sized pieces of meat.
Place each piece between a layer of plastic wrap and use a mallet to pound it out to 1/4 inch thickness. The pork won’t form a perfect circle and will be larger in diameter than a sandwich bun.
Add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and stir to combine.
Season both sides of the pork.
To make the breading:
Add the flour and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt to a shallow dish and stir to combine.
Whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together in a second shallow dish.
Add the panko and remaining teaspoon of seasoned salt to a third shallow dish.
Dredge each piece of pork in first the flour, then egg, then panko, making sure the pork is fully coated in the breading.
To air fry:
Spritz the basket of your air fryer with oil spray.
Arrange the breaded pork in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You will likely need to work in batches. Liberally spray the top of the pork with oil spray.
Air fry at 400 degrees for 4 minutes, flip, spray with oil spray, and continue air frying for 4 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy and cooked through.
Set cooked pork on a plate in an oven with the light turned on to keep warm and continue cooking the remaining pork tenderloin until it’s all cooked.
Place all of the pork tenderloin in the air fryer basket (it’s okay to stack them here) and rewarm for 1 minute at 400 degrees.
To assemble sandwiches:
While the pork is cooking, butter the buns and cook on a hot skillet over medium heat until the buns are toasted.
Arrange a piece of pork on each bun and top with a squirt of mustard and slices of pickles and onions.
Serve hot.
Notes
Most air fryers are not large enough for all four sandwiches at once. You will almost certainly have to cook in batches.