When you imagine pork tenderloin recipes, chances are you think of oven roasting or grilling. We've got plenty of those in our collection of the best recipes, but we've also included twists like quick air-fryer dishes, tacos, and succulent bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. Whether it's a busy weeknight or a lazy Sunday, these easy recipes will satisfy.
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One-Pot Pork Cassoulet
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Slow-cooked cassoulet originated in the Languedoc region of southern France, but we're giving the comfort food a modern, speeded-up makeover with this oven-roasted pork tenderloin recipe. Done in less than an hour, this hearty stew still tastes as though it's simmered all day, thanks to aromatic vegetables, turkey sausage, tomato paste, herbs, and chicken broth.
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Pork Skewers with Couscous Salad
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While the cashew- and cherry-studded couscous is good, what really steals the show in this grilled pork tenderloin recipe is the turmeric. The golden-hued, earthy, peppery, and slightly bitter spice lends extra flavor to the smoky grilled tenderloin pieces. Garam masala, chili powder, and fresh lime also star in the unique (and uniquely tasty) meat marinade.
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Barbecued Pork Tenderloin Salad
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This is no wimpy lettuce-only salad. In fact, this is a dish that might just change your definition of "salad." Piled high with protein-rich grilled pork tenderloin, bacon, and black-eyed peas, this dish is as visually vibrant as it is flavorful. You'll want to dig into this BBQ pork tenderloin entrée salad early and often every summer.
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Pork, Ginger, and Delicata Stir-Fry
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This is one of the best pork tenderloin recipes when you're craving Asian-inspired fare. Shake up your stir-fry routine with this low-calorie dish that's high in flavor. Sturdy delicata squash and protein-rich pork soak up layers of complexity from fresh ginger, soy sauce, rice and balsamic vinegars, and red curry paste. For even more kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
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Air-Fryer Jerk Pork Skewers with Black Bean Mango Salsa
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One bite of this air-fryer pork tenderloin recipe will transport you to the Caribbean. Dressed in zesty jerk seasoning and sweet coconut flakes, then faux-fried until crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, these pork tenderloin skewers are tasty and easy. We want you to feel like you're on vacation. Pair the skewers with a fresh mango, black bean, and red onion salsa and serve them on a fluffy bed of rice.
Buy It: Gourmia Air Fryer ($60, Target)
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Make-It-Mine Sheet Pan Dinner
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Assemble a truly different meal customized to the season, all on one sheet pan, using this clever baked pork tenderloin technique. Choose your own dinner adventure with our rub ideas—Greek, barbecue, mustard-thyme, or sweet 'n' spicy—then add vegetables and (of course) the pork. Once baked, take the flavor over the top with a pesto, Greek yogurt, or citrus sauce.
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Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Carrots, Chickpeas, and Cranberries
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This roast pork tenderloin recipe looks (and tastes) as though it took all Sunday afternoon to prepare, but looks are deceiving. It takes only about 25 minutes to prep and less than 30 minutes of oven time. Also, everything cooks in one skillet, so cleanup is a snap.
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Pork-Wasabi Tacos
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Instead of cooking the entire pork tenderloin, slice and skewer the meat. It will grill up surprisingly quickly. For this zippy taco recipe, a hoisin glaze complements the savory meat beautifully. The final pork product is so incredible, you'll want to try it in tortillas, atop rice, or on its own next to a big pile of veggies. You can't go wrong.
Buy It: Royal Gourmet 13-Inch Flat Skewers ($20, Target)
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Chile-Lime Pork
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A zesty marinade of lime, cilantro, and seasonings gives pork tenderloin loads of flavor before it even hits the grill. No wonder one BH&G home cook thinks this recipe is so great: "Very easy to make, and my husband loves it!" Serve it with a green salad or pasta salad for a perfect cookout dinner.
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Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions
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Pork and apples are as natural a pairing as peanut butter and jelly, or peas and carrots. For this pork tenderloin with apples, we turn up the flavor volume with luscious caramelized onions. The classic-with-a-twist combination is sure to become a go-to dinner for busy weeknights.
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Pork, Brussels Sprouts, and Barley Bowls
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Boneless pork tenderloin recipes don't come more simple than this one. For a low-fuss, high-flavor meal solution, brush a simple orange-thyme vinaigrette over the pork and bake for 10 minutes. Then add the sprouts to the sheet pan, roast for 15 minutes more, and pair everything with your whole grain of choice.
Unlike tough, marbled cuts like pork butt that need to cook for long periods to be tender (see: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork), pork tenderloin is lean, so it cooks quickly and stays tender. A quick sear followed by 10 minutes in the oven, it's one of the fastest among my 30-minute meals. Versatile.
If you're not confident in your cooking skills, there is one foolproof way to guarantee your pork ends up on the tender side, even if you cook it too long: Soak it in a brine or a marinade. According to Hazel, these kinds of preparations always produce the most tender outcomes.
Brine Them! After you bring your pork chops home, time to brine! Brining pork chops is one of the best ways way to guarantee a juicy cooked pork chop. Even a quick 30-minute brine (or up to four hours) makes a big difference.
Brine the pork to maintain moisture by soaking it in a mixture of salt and water, baking soda, vinegar or even milk. You can also pour hot water over the loin to shrink the rind, which can enable better absorption of brine, milk, oil or marinade.
Marinating the tenderloin in a mix of apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, onion powder, and salt makes it even juicier—find the full recipe for Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin here.
The size and structure of a tenderloin make it perfect for cooking quickly on high heat. You want to be able to brown the outside while still keeping it a little pink on the inside.
How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.
Brining involves soaking your meat in salt water to increase the tenderness and moistness of the final dish. Brines always contain salt and water, but can also include other ingredients for added flavor like apple cider, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme.
CG: Roasting is the most natural way to cook a pork loin, and it's the easiest and the quickest to get into the oven. I like to sear the outside and then roast it, or you can just roast it as is. The indirect method of cooking preserves pork loin's inherent juiciness and tenderness.
Tenting can be suitable for some cuts of meat, but if you want a crunchy crust on your roast, then it's best to leave it uncovered. If you notice that the roasted pork is browning too much, you can lightly cover it with aluminum foil. However, do not cover it for the last 5-10 minutes in the oven.
Slicing and Heating: One of the easiest ways is to slice the pork thinly and then reheat it slowly on a low setting, ideally in some kind of sauce or broth. This introduces some extra moisture and can help to tenderize the meat.
Doing this will help the pork loin from becoming dry and tough. First, wait until your oven is preheated. Once your oven is at 400° F place the loin inside and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes take the loin out and lower the oven temperature to 350 ° F and cook the loin for another 20 minutes per pound of meat.
Meat juices inside can not react when we cook cold meat. We need room temperature for a juicy and tender steak. If you want to cook a tasty, delicious pork tenderloin in your oven, keeping all the flavors, you need to take it out of the refrigerator one hour before.
Pork shoulder might start out as a fatty, tough cut of meat, but cook it low and slow for a few hours and it will be transformed into tender, juicy shreds that fall apart with the touch of your fork.
Tenderloin is lean and one of the most tender cuts around, but the lack of fat means that overcooking it will result in dry, tough meat. Follow this tip: Tenderloin is best served rare or medium-rare, so use a thermometer to make sure it doesn't get cooked past 140°F in the center.
Place it in the hot oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F (medium), 20-30 minutes. If roasting for longer than 20 minutes, cover the pork loosely with foil to prevent the top from burning. Remove the tenderloin from the oven.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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