Pork Tenderloin

By Lidey Heuck

Published October 4, 2023

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
3 hours 40 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes, plus marinating and resting
Rating
5(2,420)
Comments
Read comments

A family dinner favorite for good reason, pork tenderloin is lean, inexpensive, and cooks quickly. In this simple preparation, the pork is marinated with garlic, mustard, thyme and honey, browned on the stove, then baked until tender and juicy. The honey helps the meat develop a beautiful crust and lends just a hint of sweetness to pan juices, which are delicious spooned over the cooked pork. Consider this marinade a starting point and feel free to use other fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage or oregano, or add a pinch of your favorite seasoning blend. Pork tenderloins are often sold in packages of two, but you can easily cut this recipe in half; in that case, roast the single tenderloin in the same skillet used to brown it. If your tenderloins weigh less than 1 pound each, you may need to reduce roasting time slightly — begin checking for doneness after 15 minutes.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 pork tenderloins, 1 to 1 ¼ pounds each

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 large cloves)

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 ½ teaspoons dried)

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

5 grams carbs; 111 milligrams cholesterol; 382 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 466 milligrams sodium; 35 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and place them on a rimmed baking sheet or platter. In a small bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, thyme, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture all over the pork, turning to coat, Refrigerate, covered, for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees and remove the pork from the fridge while the oven comes to temperature. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully lay one of the pork tenderloins in the pan and cook on both sides until nicely browned, 6 to 10 minutes total.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to a large baking dish and repeat with the second tenderloin, adding more oil if the pan looks dry. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloins reaches 140 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. (The temperature will rise to 145 degrees as the pork rests.)

  4. Step 4

    After resting, spoon the pan juices over the tenderloins and cut the pork into thin slices. (The center pieces will be pale pink and the end slices will be more well-done.) Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and serve.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,420 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Bibi

Suggestions: Pork will take on marinade quickly, so if you are whipping up a quick dinner, just rub on the marinade and bake. You can skip the pan browning on the stove. The pork: Trader Joe's sells tenderloin singly, and they are good. Remove the silvery tendon-y strip before prepping. Lastly: Cover the dish in the oven for half of the baking. Then remove the foil and watch it sort of brown. Baste. It will remain tender and succulent. Cut in half to test for pinkness while in the pan.

Paul Mason

I'm sorry, I am done with baking or roasting pork tenderloin. This summer I started using the sous vide method of cooking this cut of meat. Cooking this way produces juicy, moist, evenly cooked tenderloin, edge to edge. Finishing in a cast iron skillet will give you a crisp, browned surface. Once you have had pork cooked this way, it is unimaginable to go back to chancing the dry, stiff result from standard oven baking.

dimmerswitch

If you've never cooked pork tenderloin before, note you need to trim off any silver skin on it. We cook it often, it is a fav of my dad's, and even with the best quality tenderloin you will likely need to do it. https://grokker.com/cooking/video/how-to-trim-fat-from-pork-tenderloin/512412a4312b6a421900093f

Kathy

Wonderful recipe - a real winner. I am able to buy single tenderloins, which is perfect for me and my husband. The first time I made this, I browned the meat in a cast iron skillet and then popped it in the oven. No pan juice when it was done. I just made it for a second time, browned it in the same cast iron skillet and then transferred it into a baking dish. Cooked much more evenly and there was lots of pan juice. I know it means one more pan to wash, but the end result was superior.

J. Jordan

Almost all pork can be heartily improved by dry brining. Sprinkle some salt on the meat in the morning and leave it in the fridge. I've never experienced it being left too long. I doubt it's possible. Anyway, I've used this recipe a lot. The marinade can be anything you want really. The technique is what works for me.

Kay K

Would this recipe work well with thick, bone-in pork loin chops? Thank you.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.