The instantaneous temperature response of pulverized coal particles to fluctuating gas temperature in a hot airflow is investigated. The particle relaxation time for temperature is analyzed. Both numerical and analytical approaches are adopted to solve the instantaneous particle energy equation. The results obtained by the two approaches are quite close. The gas temperature fluctuation has an obvious influence on the particle instantaneous temperature, especially for particles with relatively small diameters. The effects of fluctuation intensity and frequency of the gas temperature, as well as particle Reynolds number, on the particle instantaneous temperature response are delineated. The present study provides a basis for further exploring the impacts of gas turbulence on the particle reactive behaviors.