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My recipe for Oven Baked Pork Tenderloin is perfectly tender and moist, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes following a few simple steps. Pair it with your favorite sauce, and serve an easy family dinner everyone will love!
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Best Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Pork tenderloin is a meal I love making for my family. This is an easy cut of meat to work with, because it pairs well with so many flavors and can be prepared hands-off in the oven.
Oven baked pork tenderloin is my favorite to cook for how simple but delicious it is. Baking pork tenderloin results in luscious, tender pork, and gives me time and room on the stove to prepare a sauce and side dishes.
I will show you how to make pork tenderloin and the best sauces for pork, so you can bake it perfectly every time! This is a dish I guarantee you and everyone at the table will love, and with so many great options for pairing with pork tenderloin, you can make it however you like it.
Oven Pork Tenderloin FAQ
Pork tenderloin is best baked at an oven temperature of 400°F in an oven-safe skillet such as a cast iron skillet.
Pork tenderloin does not need to be covered when baking. However, all ovens are different. If you find it is becoming overly browned but not cooking all the way through, you can cover it with foil to prevent it from browning further.
There are a few extra steps you can take to ensure moist oven pork tenderloin. First, bring your pork tenderloin to room temperature before placing it in the oven. You can do this by allowing it to rest, covered, on the counter for about 30 minutes. Second, do not overcook the tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is a lean cut of meat that will dry out very easily when overcooked. As soon as it reaches 155°F as read by a meat thermometer, remove it from the oven. Finally, allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes to up to 15 minutes before slicing it for best results. Make sure to slice against the grain.
It takes approximately 25 minutes to cook pork tenderloin in the oven after searing on both sides on the stovetop.
Pork Tenderloin Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin
- Salt and pepper
- Sauce of choice (see Different Things to Do with Pork Tenderloin)
How to Bake Pork Tenderloin
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and sinew. Cut the tenderloin in half, if needed, to fit into an oven-safe skillet (such as a cast iron skillet).
- Sprinkle the pork evenly with salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings. Rub the seasonings into the pork.
- Warm oil in the skillet and sear the pork on all sides until browned, including the small ends.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes or so, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 155°F as read by a meat thermometer.
- Leave to rest about 5 minutes before serving, sliced, with your preferred sauce.
Different Things to Do with Pork Tenderloin
- Rhubarb chutney: Rhubarb chutney is a flavorful, fruity chutney perfect for pairing with pork tenderloin. This is the sauce we feature in our photos! If using rhubarb chutney, first season pork tenderloin with ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon cinnamon before searing. Then, spoon 2 Tablespoons of the chutney over the pork tenderloin as it cooks during the last 5-10 minutes of cook time. Then, serve with remaining rhubarb chutney from our chutney recipe.
- Garlic butter sauce: Garlic butter sauce pairs deliciously with pork tenderloin. Sear the tenderloin in garlic butter first, then baste it in the last 5-10 minutes with more of the garlic butter. At the end, you can finish it with a final drizzle and fresh herbs, if desired. Pair with simple salt and pepper seasoning or seasoning using dried herbs such as thyme, parsley, and rosemary.
- Lemon butter sauce: Lemon butter sauce adds a nice zing of flavor to pork tenderloin and is so creamy. Prepare the sauce while your tenderloin bakes, then add the sauce to the same skillet after removing it from the oven. Coat the tenderloin completely and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pair with simple salt and pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese to taste.
- Peri peri sauce: Peri peri sauce is a super flavorful, slightly spicy Portuguese sauce that will add a nice kick to your pork tenderloin. You can either add the sauce after cooking the tenderloin by spooning it over the pork, brush the sauce over the tenderloin just before baking it, or marinate the pork in the sauce overnight for ultimate flavor. For seasoning, use simple salt and pepper as the peri peri sauce is already very flavorful.
- Teriyaki sauce: For best flavor, marinate pork tenderloin in homemade teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. You can also brush the pork tenderloin with teriyaki immediately before placing it in the oven, if you’re in a hurry. Bake as instructed, serve, and enjoy an amazing glaze on your tenderloin!
- White wine sauce: Prepare our bechamel sauce as instructed, and finish it with white wine until thickened and creamy. Add fresh (or dried) herbs such as rosemary and thyme for best flavor. Once it’s thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon, it’s ready. The sauce can be prepared while making the pork tenderloin. Add it to the skillet with the tenderloin after the pork is removed from the oven, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Recipe Tips
- Split longer pork tenderloin in half to fit into the skillet if necessary so all parts cook evenly.
- Bring pork to room temperature for 30 minutes, covered on the counter, before cooking.
- This recipe is for 1 pound pork tenderloin. Slightly larger tenderloin, such as 1 and a half pounds, will work just as well.
- Sear on all sides, including the tips, for best results.
- Allow the pork to rest for 5-15 minutes after removing it from the oven before slicing.
- Slice against the grain for the most tender cuts of pork.
Side Dishes for Pork Tenderloin
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Cheesy Orzo Risotto
- Instant Pot White Rice
- Portuguese Rice
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
Easy Pork Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy
- Philly Pork Sandwich
Check out all my favorite Pork Chop Recipes!
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📋 Recipe
Tender Oven Baked Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- oven-safe skillet such as a cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin (1 tenderloin – a little more, ex. 1.5lb, is fine)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or more/less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more/less to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and sinew and cut the tenderloin in half if needed to fit an oven-safe skillet.
- Sprinkle the pork evenly with salt and pepper, and any other desired seasoning, and rub the seasoning into the pork.
- Warm the oil in the skillet and sear the pork on all sides, including small ends. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for around 25 minutes, until pork has reached an internal temp of 155°F as read by a meat thermometer.
- Leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Split longer pork tenderloin in half to fit into the skillet if necessary so all parts cook evenly.
- Bring pork to room temperature for 30 minutes, covered on the counter, before cooking.
- This recipe is for 1 pound pork tenderloin. Slightly larger tenderloin, such as 1 and a half pounds, will work just as well.
- Sear on all sides, including the tips, for best results.
- Allow the pork to rest for 5-15 minutes after removing it from the oven before slicing.
- Slice against the grain for the most tender cuts of pork.
- Rhubarb chutney: Rhubarb chutney is a flavorful, fruity chutney perfect for pairing with pork tenderloin. This is the sauce we feature in our photos! If using rhubarb chutney, first season pork tenderloin with ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon cinnamon before searing. Then, spoon 2 Tablespoons of the chutney over the pork tenderloin as it cooks during the last 5-10 minutes of cook time. Then, serve with remaining rhubarb chutney from our chutney recipe.
- Garlic butter sauce: Garlic butter sauce pairs deliciously with pork tenderloin. Sear the tenderloin in garlic butter first, then baste it in the last 5-10 minutes with more of the garlic butter. At the end, you can finish it with a final drizzle and fresh herbs, if desired. Pair with simple salt and pepper seasoning or seasoning using dried herbs such as thyme, parsley, and rosemary.
- Lemon butter sauce: Lemon butter sauce adds a nice zing of flavor to pork tenderloin and is so creamy. Prepare the sauce while your tenderloin bakes, then add the sauce to the same skillet after removing it from the oven. Coat the tenderloin completely and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pair with simple salt and pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese to taste.
- Peri peri sauce: Peri peri sauce is a super flavorful, slightly spicy Portuguese sauce that will add a nice kick to your pork tenderloin. You can either add the sauce after cooking the tenderloin by spooning it over the pork, brush the sauce over the tenderloin just before baking it, or marinate the pork in the sauce overnight for ultimate flavor. For seasoning, use simple salt and pepper as the peri peri sauce is already very flavorful.
- Teriyaki sauce: For best flavor, marinate pork tenderloin in homemade teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. You can also brush the pork tenderloin with teriyaki immediately before placing it in the oven, if you’re in a hurry. Bake as instructed, serve, and enjoy an amazing glaze on your tenderloin!
- White wine sauce: Prepare our bechamel sauce as instructed, and finish it with white wine until thickened and creamy. Add fresh (or dried) herbs such as rosemary and thyme for best flavor. Once it’s thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon, it’s ready. The sauce can be prepared while making the pork tenderloin. Add it to the skillet with the te
Nutrition
Photos by Caroline Williams.
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