Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
This is the juiciest baked pork tenderloin recipe ever. It's coated in an easy spice rub, quickly browned in a pan which creates a lovely crust, then baked in a simple pan sauce to keep it incredibly tender, juicy, and delicious. The melt-in-your-mouth tender pork tastes amazing as leftovers, too!
Serve this pork tenderloin with our creamy cucumber salad and some greek lemon potatoes. And if you like pork recipes, make sure to try our popular baked pork chops.

Baked Pork Tenderloin
This is our favorite pork tenderloin recipe. The pork is buttery soft and practically melts in your mouth.
The spices we use are the same as the ones in our popular baked pork chops recipe. The combination of paprika, onion and garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper is simply delicious.
Pork tenderloin vs pork loin
Pork tenderloin and pork loin are two different cuts of meat that need to be cooked differently.
The tenderloin comes from a muscle that runs along the spine. It is not a well-used muscle, so it is very tender. It is long, thin, and very lean.
Pork loin is often referred to as a rib roast and comes from (you guessed it) the rib section. It is a large cut that can be bone-in or boneless and is often sold with a thick fat-cap on it.
In this recipe, we use pork tenderloin.

How to bake pork tenderloin
Making oven baked pork tenderloin is incredibly simple. Here's what you'll do:
- Coat each piece with a simple spice rub.
- Sear the pork in a hot pan until nice and brown then move it to a baking dish.
- Deglaze the pan with some beef stock then pour this tastiness (and some apple cider vinegar) over the pork.
- Dot the top of the pork with butter, cover the pan, and bake.
Let the pork rest for a few minutes before slicing it into rounds and pouring the delicious sauce over the top. Yum!
Full instructions in the recipe card below.
Pork tenderloin cooking temp
Pork tenderloin should be cooked for a short time in a hot oven to prevent it from drying out.
Bake pork tenderloin in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-25 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the tenderloins and how long you seared them. For the best results, use an instant-read thermometer and remove the pork from the oven when it reaches 145 degrees.
READ MORE: Primavera Pork Tenderloin
Tips for baking the best pork tenderloin
- Do not overcook it. As with any lean cut of meat, if it is overcooked, it will be dry. The key is to cook it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and no more. The pork will be a tiny bit pink in the center and buttery soft.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer. It's an inexpensive kitchen tool that every kitchen should have. Using a thermometer will ensure that your meat is perfectly cooked.
- Sear the pork before you bake it. Taking the 6ish minutes to do this step will not only give it a beautiful color, but it also adds flavor and seals in the juices, so it stays more tender.
- Add a little liquid. We deglaze the searing pan with some beef stock and add this to the roasting pan. It adds a fantastic flavor and helps keep the tenderloin juicy.
- Pour a little apple cider vinegar over the pork. It will help tenderize the meat and give a delicious flavor to the sauce.

Making a sauce for pork tenderloin
We love this sauce! Not only does it help keep the pork tender, but it's also delicious poured over everything on your plate.
- Beef stock – we use it to deglaze the pan so that any of the delicious bits stuck on after searing the pork will be a part of the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar – adds the best flavor.
- Pork juice – as the pork bakes, it releases its liquid, which becomes part of the sauce. Yum!
There are no extra steps needed to make this sauce. Once the tenderloin is ready to serve, remove it from the pan and pour the pan juices over the sliced pork.
What to serve with baked pork tenderloin
The simple spices we use in this recipe means the pork goes well with many different sides. Here are a few of our favorites:
Veggie sides:
- Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon (pictured)
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Kale Apple Salad
- Roasted Asparagus
- Best Roasted Broccoli
Starchy sides:
- Steamed Basmati Rice – with a little butter
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (with Boursin!)
- Crispy Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes
What to do with leftover pork tenderloin
This tenderloin makes amazing leftovers. We prefer to serve leftovers cold as it's easy to accidentally overcook meat when reheating it.
- Make a pork sandwich with mayo, horseradish, red onion, and some arugula.
- Slice it thin and put it on top of a big salad.
- Use it instead of chicken in this chicken salad recipe.
- Dice it and put it in some fried rice or this cauliflower fried rice. Add it at the very end, just long enough to warm it through.

Watch the baked pork tenderloin video
Popular Pork Recipes
- Baked Pork Chops
- Pineapple Pork Stir Fry
- Juicy Primavera Pork Tenderloin
- Stuffed Spanish Pork Chops with Gordal Olives
- Easy Pulled Pork Chili

Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb each
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons EACH: onion powder and garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon EACH: oregano, salt, and pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter, can sub ghee for dairy-free
- Minced parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Dry the pork tenderloins well with paper towels.2 pork tenderloins
- Mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub this spice mix over all sides of the pork.1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons EACH: onion powder and garlic powder, 1 teaspoon EACH: oregano, salt, and pepper
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork, working in 2 batches if your pan is not big enough to fit both tenderloins without them touching. Sear the pork on all sides until it is brown, about 6 minutes total. Take the pan off the heat.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Move the pork to a baking dish. If the spices left in the pan are black, wipe them away with a paper towel. Return the pan to the heat and add the beef broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck-on bits then boil for 1 minute until it reduces to about ¼ cup. Pour this sauce over the pork.½ cup beef broth
- Pour the apple cider vinegar over the pork then dot the top with the butter. Cover the baking dish with foil.1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter
- Bake the pork for 20-25 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Serve with a little minced parsley, for color.Minced parsley
Notes
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best pork tenderloin recipe I’ve ever made
This was the best pork Tenderloin I have ever tasted and the recipe was super easy to follow. Will be making it again tonight!
I rarely take the time to comment on recipes but I followed this almost exactly and it was fantastic itās company worthy for sure. Itās in my favorite recipe folder. Ty!!!
Great recipe but I just want to mention that ghee is not dairy free, although many can tolerate it.
Just made it tonight. It was fantastic!
Really tasty!!
Kristen,
I used your recipe to feed 35-40 people at my church. Everyone raved about it! The tenderloin was so juicy. My pastor’s wife even asked me for the recipe. Also, I’m gluten free, so I was happy to have another dish that everyone can enjoy.
Thank you,
Pam
Made this last nite for supper and it was delicious…loved the rub and it was tender….it’s sometimes are to keep tenderloin moist but it was…will definitely make it again
I have made this at least once a month for the last year! Perfect every time!Ā
We like pork loin an I usually cook in a bag but doing it this way makes it moist an very delicious also low carb which is goodĀ
I have made this twice exactly according to the recipe and it came out delicious. My husband put this on the ‘regular dinner rotation’. We ate one tenderloin and froze the other. It came out of the freezer just as delicious as the day I made it. I’m making it again tonight.
Yes, I made it. I seared it in my cast iron skillet, then put the skillet in the 400 degree over, heated while I was searing the tenderloin. I have one of those thermometers with a long wire so I can read the temperature from the outside while the sensor is monitoring the temperature inside the tenderloin. I removed from the oven at exactly 145. Best, most tender, juiciest tenderloin I’ve ever made.
I have made this recipe dozens of times. It gives the pork great flavor and it’s never dry. Thank you!
Iāve made this recipe a few times now and it turns out juicy and tasty each time. Ā My MIL used to make it like the consistency of leather so it was never on my go to favourites. Ā It is now!
I halved this recipe for my family of 3 and it was perfect! The pork was very juicy and tasty. It went perfectly with roasted red skinned potatoes and a side of steamed edamame.
Delicious Ā and easy recipe for pork tenderloin. While the pork was resting I further reduced the juices to a glaze to pour over the meat, yum!
This was amazing! Iāve made it several times for guests and itās always a hit!Ā
And I really appreciate the set up of the recipes, where each item and its amount is listed in the steps as it is used in the recipe – no endless scrolling up and down! So helpful!Ā
Excellent recipe. Ā Made a slurry to make gravy with sauce while meat resting.
Way too much ad activity, but YES!!! 5 stars from me and the wife. I saved the best whole pork tenderloin in my life š
This is a go to recipe at my house!
Definitely juicy and never dry. Well seasoned
Three words: Yum. Yum. Yum.
I usually make a stuffed pork loin for Christmas but decided to try something different this year.
It’s a simple recipe with ingredients that most people have on hand.
I used beef bouillon cube instead of broth and sparkling cider instead of apple vinegar.
I had four tenderloins totaling about 5-1/2 lbs.
I was raised in a family where my dad made my mom cook pork to the point of being dry and tough otherwise she was “going to kill us all” with undercooked pork.
I baked it at 410 for about 30 minutes to a temperature of 140. Slightly pink. It came out really tender and delicious,
I will definitely do this again.
Kristen, this recipe sounds good so can you offer suggestions and baking times for making this recipe for Christmas dinner for about 20 people.
Thank you!
I suggest using 2 separate baking dishes to ensure they cook properly. And they’ll likely need a little more time in the oven!
best ever, I removed at 140. like mine a tiny bit pinker
This was an easy to prepare pork tenderloin with common spices and ingredients. Delicious!
While it was roasting I roasted broccoli that was prepared with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. An uncomplicated, but delicious meal. A little white wine didn’t hurt either!
Easy and delicious we made this 2 nights in a row
I thought I had found my favorite tenderloin recipe but I’m rethinking that! I realized that I was out of apple cider vinegar so I used some white wine to deglaze the pan before I added the beef broth and reduced it. I baked it for 20 minutes and the temp got up to about 180 or so but the end result didn’t take overcooked at all. Clearly mine were smaller than I realized. I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken the juice into a delicious savory gravy. This will be made again!
It turned out good, but I don’t know why I didn’t trust myself… that’s what’s happens when I follow a recipe, be cause I should’ve known. PAPRIKA BURNS! Don’t sear when you have a paprika rub…you don’t get to sear your prok, all that happens is that your rub will burn
This is the BEST recipe for guaranteed juicy, flavorful tenderloin! My husband is extremely picky and after one bite he actually said āthis is really good and tenderā! š® He asked for seconds! Ā Thank you for a quick, easy and flavorful tenderloin recipe! This is definitely going to be my favorite recipe for pork tenderloin! š
Delicious
I like how you provide the amounts of each ingredient in the step by step instructions so cooks donāt have to scroll back up through the recipe. Canāt wait to try this!Ā
Cut it with a fork it was sooo tender. Spices and sauce were remarkable. Thank you .
Amazing! I don’t make pork loin because it’s always so dry but this try recipe changed my mind. Flavor is outstanding and meat was very juicy. I followed recipe exactly. Now if I just knew how to sear without smoking up the house and burning rather than charting. Used a heavy SS pan but only a spoonful of drippings because the crusties we’re black. It was still amazing! Thank you for this recipe.