Say goodbye to dry and flavorless pork tenderloin. With my easy cooking method, you can make the best, juicy, tender pork tenderloin in under 30 minutes.
Watch the Video
If you’re tired of dry pork tenderloin, try this easy recipe. It guarantees moist and juicy pork, which you can make with your favorite spice rub.
I use the same method for cooking the tenderloin in our recipe for pork tenderloin with apples and this tenderloin with onions and peppers.
Key Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin: I use 1 to 1 ½ pound tenderloins for this recipe (also called pork fillet in the UK). If you notice any tougher silvery skin on the pork, trim it away with a knife.
- Oil, salt, and pepper: Season your pork generously with salt and pepper and use a high-heat cooking oil (I use avocado oil).
- Seasoning: Additional seasoning is optional, but this is a great time for your favorite spice blend. I actually love this steak seasoning for pork.
- Liquid: Once my pork is cooked and resting, I love adding a splash of broth or wine to my skillet to make a quick pan sauce. I do the same when making pork chops.
- Butter: I swirl in a tablespoon of butter to make my pan sauce silky. This is optional but really lovely.
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin
My favorite method for cooking pork tenderloin has two parts:
- Sear the pork on the stove until golden brown on all sides.
- Finish by baking them in the oven.
You’ll begin by removing any tough white or silver areas of the tenderloin and patting your pork tenderloins dry (wet meat won’t sear). Then, season them with salt (hold off on other seasonings for a bit later).
Now add your tenderloins to an oven-safe skillet with some oil over medium heat and cook for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown all over. The pork will still be raw in the middle, but that’s okay. It will finish cooking in the oven.
Now that the pork is nicely seared, add your spice blend or herbs. I add these now because spice blends, especially those with more delicate herbs, can burn when the pork is seared in the hot pan.
To finish cooking the pork, roast it in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Slide your skillet into a 425°F oven and roast until cooked in the middle.
You can tell when pork tenderloin is cooked when an internal thermometer registers between 145°F and 150°F. At this temperature, the pork may be a little pink in the middle. You can continue to cook the pork, but it will be less moist and juicy in the middle.
For the juiciest pork tenderloin, make a quick pan sauce. To do this, use the same skillet you cooked the pork in and add about 3/4 cup of liquid. I love white wine or broth.
Cook the liquid and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the browned stuck bits from the bottom of the skillet (there is so much flavor there). When the liquid is reduced by half, swirl in a tablespoon of butter.
Storing Pork Tenderloin
Baked pork tenderloin lasts stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it. To freeze it, wrap it in foil and place it into a freezer bag or container for about a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin
I love serving pork tenderloin with that easy pan sauce over a bed of mashed potatoes. For something a little different, try mashed sweet potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
Adding an extra veggie on the side is lovely, too. I love these roasted green beans and these buttery roasted carrots (both roasted in a 425°F oven like our pork). For a fresh side, try a salad. Toss your favorite salad ingredients together and add one of these easy homemade dressings: homemade balsamic, our easy ranch, and this honey mustard dressing.
More Easy Pork Recipes
- Juicy Skillet Pork Chops
- Baked Pork Chops
- Easy Pork Tacos
- Amazing Pulled Pork
- Homemade Crispy Carnitas
Best Juicy Pork Tenderloin
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
For the best, juiciest pork tenderloin, sear the pork on all sides in a skillet before finishing it in the oven. The spice blend you use is up to you (we love using a this steak seasoning or fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme).
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 pork tenderloins, 1 to 1 ½-pound each
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons seasoning blend/rub of your choice, fresh or dried
Pan Sauce (optional)3/4 cup white wine, broth, apple cider or a combination
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
- Cook Pork Tenderloins
1Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
2Trim each tenderloin of any tough white or silver skin (this can be tough when cooked). I use a small sharp knife and slide the blade under and outward to remove it.
3Pat pork dry with paper towels. Then, generously season with salt.
4Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed oven-safe frying pan over medium heat.
5Add the pork tenderloins and cook, occasionally turning, until browned all over, about 2 minutes per side. Scatter the seasoning blend or herbs over the pork.
6Roast for 10 to 20 minutes or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers between 145°F and 150°F. Allow the pork to rest out of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
- Make Pan Sauce
1While the pork tenderloins are resting, return the skillet to medium heat.
2Add the liquid (wine or broth) and simmer, using a spoon to scrape all the browned stuck bits from the pan, until reduced by half. Add butter, and serve drizzled over the pork.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- When is pork tenderloin done? We cook our pork to 145°F. This means the pork will be barely pink in the middle, safe to eat, and juicy. If you do not like it pink in the middle, cook it a bit longer, but keep in mind that staying close to 145°F will result in the juiciest, most tender piece of meat.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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Wow, this recipe is quite excellent! Easy, quick and oh so tasty. I used an organic pork, and added fresh organic carrots and onions and made the gravy with red wine. Luscious! Thank you guys!!
That’s wonderful, Pamela! I’m so happy you gave it a try.
I am so happy with this recipe. The pork remains succulent and it is so easy to prepare. Great for last minute entertaining. Thank you
Yay! We are so happy you enjoy it 🙂
This is just a wonderfully simple recipe. Even my low cooking skills can do. My apartment gets very hot when I cook in my oven. Can I use my toaster oven? What modifications would I need to make? I’m only going to do a half recipe. 6 servings is too much for just me. Let me know if there’s anything I need to be aware of when I make these modifications. Thanks.
Julia, my suggestion is to not worry about doing a half recipe. I live alone and always cook the whole recipe. The leftovers for this recipe are delicious and can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. I only slice what I’m going to eat initially and refrigerate the rest. You can then slice for delicious sandwiches, and/or just eat the slices cold. Of course, it can be warmed, but be careful not to dry the meat so you must use more of the pan sauce or add a little stock when warming. Hope this helps you? This is a delicious recipe and just what I was looking for. I have been somewhat confused about pork tenderloin and a pork loin filet lately, but your video has cleared up my confushion. I have been making pork filet for several years, but usually on the grille. I really like the idea of browning and then finishing in the oven. Thank you for the video and recipe, I have subscribeded to your newsletter.
I cooked pork tenderloin used your recipe with a home made vegetable sauce I cooked before with swede,parsnip, carrot, onion and spring onions. We ate pork tenderloin with rice. It was delicious!
This all sounds delicious. So glad that you enjoyed it, Ainhoa!
If you want to serve dit at 145 degrees, shouldn’t you remove it from oven before it reaches 145, as it will continue to cook wh8le resting? Would 135 or 140 be better to serve at 145? Clarification would be appreciated, thanks!
Hi there, we remove at 145 degrees and then allow the pork to rest.
I tried cooking my first pork tenderloin in the crockpot. It was awful and dry. I thought I had better search more recipes and came across yours. OMG! The best ever! This recipe and method is definitely a keeper. I used thyme and rosemary (dried), chicken stock as my deglazing liquid. Next time I plan to use white wine. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
I made this for supper tonight, my husband said it’s the best pork tenderloin he’s ever had! I took it out of the oven at 145; but I was afraid that it wasn’t cooked enough for us, so I put it back for another 5 minutes….should have stuck with the 145, because I over cooked it…but it was still delicious! I used white wine and soup stock for the pan juice….and added some of the same seasoning that I had put on the pork…wow…it was so very good! Will definitely make again! I wanted to post a pic, but didn’t see a prompt for uploading.
Could you share what seasoning blend you used?
I thought I lost this recipe and I was devastated. I made it and didn’t save it and it took me a while to click through recipes to find it again. My husband gets burnt out on pork tenderloin and I was told not to buy it anymore but I couldn’t pass up a sale one day and used this recipe and he is a total convert. Kids loved it too even my pork hating one. It’s really great! Making it again tonight at everyone’s request!
My oh my! It was so easy, juicy and delicious! In my 70 yrs I never thought a pork roast was so easy to make. Even our 10 yr old finicky eater grand kid ate it all. It just took 30 minutes bcs it was a bigger loin. I cut it in half for the cooking.
So tender and flavorful. I loved it and before this evening it was not one of my favorite meats, but now that has changed!
Hi! Could I use this recipe for a pork tenderloin roast? Or would it be better to slice it first?
Thanks!
Hi! You can, but it will need longer in the oven.
Have made this recipe 5or6times now. It is perfect, juicy and tender! Use Italian spices in the oven and several different liquids for the sauce and always a Pat of butter to finish. It never fails to be delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and tips!!!
Thank you for making a great pairing of flavors! I chose the rosemary/thyme with red wine and beef broth, turned out great!
Cook the pork tenderloin today : just right. I shall get some cider and use it for the sauce next time. So much better as I use to grossly over cook it and it was always so dry and fibrous.well pleased thank you
Such an awesome recipe! I cooked pork tenderloin for the first time & used this recipe. I used herbes de Provence on the outside of the pork. I used chicken stock as the liquid to deglaze for the pan sauce. My husband doesn’t like pork pink in the middle so I let the internal temp come up to 155, 160 and it was delicious with some instant pot mashed potatoes.