Tenderloin isn't just a clever name! This long, thin cut of meat comes from the spine area; because it's a muscle used for posture rather than mobility, it is indeed the most tender part of the animal. Better still, pork tenderloin is easy to prepare, versatile, and markedly less expensive than its beef counterpart. F&W's favorite methods for cooking juicy pork tenderloin include air-frying, braising, brining, grilling, and more. Try recipes with German flavors (Pork Tenderloin Smothered in Onion and Mustard), Middle Eastern spices (Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Hazelnut Vinaigrette), or Latin flair (Citrus Chile-Marinated Pork Tenderloin), plus seasonal accompaniments from apples and cider to pineapple or strawberries. These are our best pork tenderloin recipes to try.
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Spicy Mango Pork with Noodles
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The technique of tempering — heating spices gently in oil or ghee to release their essential oils — is commonly used in Indian cooking to build layers of flavor. Here, sweet and peppery mango teams up with pork for a gentle simmer in the spice-laden oil.
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Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Strawberry–Merlot Sauce
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At Beringer, chef Alex Hrabovsky leans on savory pork drippings and lush Merlot to balance the sweet-tart strawberries in this rich sauce for pork tenderloin.
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Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
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Pork tenderloin cooked in the Instant Pot comes out tender and juicy. This particular recipe gets a boost of flavor from a spice rub that includes light brown sugar for sweetness, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper, as well as salt and pepper. Cooking the potatoes in chicken stock along with the pork (and pork drippings) means they emerge garlicky and savory, ready to be mashed with butter while you wilt the kale in the pot with the reserved cooking liquid.
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Pork Tenderloin with Charred Tomatillo Salsa
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"Versatile pork tenderloin has a number of admirable attributes, but let’s be honest: [It] will never make your heart race the way a well-marbled rib eye or glistening red snapper does. That is, unless you partner it with a hot grill, wood-fueled fire, and a seductive ally," says cookbook author Paula Disbrowe. "The lean, mild-tasting meat is made for punchy sidekicks. In this recipe, grilled pork tenderloin is paired with one of my favorite supporting players: a tangy green salsa made from blistered tomatillos, onion, garlic, and serranos, which takes on a complex, caramelized depth from all of the charred and blackened bits."
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Bacon-Wrapped Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
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Cooking this pork tenderloin in the air fryer results in perfectly juicy, tender meat that's nicely flavored with fresh thyme and garlic. For ultra-crispy bacon on the exterior, make sure to use regular-cut bacon instead of thick-cut. If the tenderloin has tapered ends, tuck them under so it has an even thickness.
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Cider-Brined Pork Tenderloins with Roasted Apples
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It's worth taking the time to brine chef Hugh Acheson's tender pork dish overnight, since the brine imparts tangy, sweet flavor to the meat. Served with roasted apples and carrots, the pork is lovely paired with a medium-bodied red wine like Pinot Noir.
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Grilled Pork Tenderloins with Vegetable Curry
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Instead of using rich coconut milk, New Orleans chef Sue Zemanick substitutes coconut water and a touch of full-fat sour cream to add lushness to this curry sauce. Lime juice and red curry paste contribute superb tanginess and flavor, too.
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Stuffed Pork Tenderloins with Bacon and Apple-Riesling Sauce
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Chef Debra Whiting mixes fresh goat cheese with apple, sausage, and greens, then stuffs it inside a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.
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Citrus Chile-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
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The marinade in this super-simple grilled pork tenderloin dish from La Granja chef José Catrimán does double duty. Let your pork sit in the orange juice, garlic, and chile mixture overnight, then cook down the leftover marinade for a glossy sauce to serve alongside.
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Pork Tenderloin Smothered in Onion and Mustard
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Former F&W editor Grace Parisi was thinking about the typical ingredients in a German beer-hall kitchen — onions, mustard, dill — when she created this luscious dish of pounded pork tenderloins.
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Guava-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro-Jalapeño Salsa
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Thisdelicious pork tenderloin recipe features a wonderful guava glaze. The cilantro-jalapeño salsa that's served alongside is irresistible.
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Red Chile Pork and Celery Stir-Fry
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Pork tenderloin is ideal in a stir-fry because it cooks so quickly and stays tender and juicy. F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple combines it with crunchy celery and hot chiles for a dead-simple and deliciously spicy dinner with minimal ingredients.
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Pork Tonkatsu
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In Japan, tonkatsu — fried, breaded pork cutlets — are hugely popular. Here, we use pork tenderloins for this 30-minute recipe. Make the sauce ahead of time for even quicker mealtime preparation.
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Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Raisin-Ginger Pan Sauce
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Cookbook author Pam Anderson likes to serve sliced tenderloin — a very lean cut of pork — with a tangy raisin and ginger-flavored sauce that tastes much more decadent than it actually is, thanks to a secret ingredient: cornstarch, which gives the sauce body without added fat.
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Pork Medallions with Prosciutto, Arugula, and Tomatoes
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Cookbook author Nancy Verde Barr created this winning combination of pork with prosciutto, arugula, and balsamic vinegar.
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Bánh Xèo (Sizzling Pancakes)
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In 1989, Binh Duong owned one of the buzziest Vietnamese restaurants in America, Truc Orient Express in Hartford, Connecticut. Jacques Pépin was a fan. So was F&W's former associate test kitchen director Marcia Kiesel. Duong shared his recipe for bánh xèo, crisp and lacy rice crêpes colored with turmeric and studded with caramelized onions, shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts.
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Spice-Roasted Pork Tenderloin
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A quick spice mix seasoning and trip to the oven are all it takes to make this easy roast pork tenderloin recipe. The tenderloins are ready in under an hour, making them the perfect candidate for both weekend and weeknight meals.
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Sautéed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots and Mustard
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"Pork with fruit and mustard is one of the greatest combinations,” says chef Andrew Zimmern. He came up with this recipe as a foolproof way to “achieve it all” in a single pan.
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Maple-Brined Pork Tenderloin
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Chef Scott Boggs keeps his pork tenderloins extra juicy by soaking them in a spiced, maple-sweetened apple cider brine; the sugars in the syrup caramelize as the meat roasts.
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Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa
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Pork tenderloin is leaner than skin-on chicken and delicious in the spicy, smoky recipe here. For extra fire, add the chile seeds to the marinade.
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Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Hazelnut Vinaigrette
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In the late 1990s, chef Octavio Becerra fell in love with Middle Eastern flavors while helping his friend Nayla Audi open Atlas Café in Beirut, Lebanon. The rub on this pork is his take on za'atar, a spice blend that gets its pungency from ground sumac. Becerra remembers, "Everyone in Beirut had their own version of za'atar," so he suggests experimenting with the ratios of spices to see what tastes best.
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Milk-Braised Pork Tenderloin with Spinach and Strawberry Salad
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Braising a seared pork tenderloin in milk gives it a lovely silkiness, and the milk a delicious, savory caramel flavor. The strawberries in the salad can be simply halved, but julienning them whimsically disguises their shape (they begin to resemble sliced red peppers) — making their sweetness a pleasant surprise.
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Penang-Style Pork with Soft Tofu
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2006 F&W Best New Chef Cathal Armstrong packs this deeply flavorful, very spicy curry with tender pork and tofu and tops it with crispy garlic.
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Skillet Pork Tenderloin with Mustard and Smoked Paprika
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In this easy recipe from cookbook author Julia Turshen, pork tenderloin gets rubbed with paprika and mustard before browning and roasting. The dish is ready in just 30 minutes.
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