Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
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 ā 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 ā adds the best flavor.
- Pork juice ā 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 ā with a little butter
- Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes
- 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
Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each ā see notes)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons EACH: onion powder and garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon EACH: oregano, salt, and pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Ā½ cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon butter (can sub olive oil for dairy-free)
- Minced parsley (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 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 Ā¼ cup. Pour this sauce over the pork.Ā½ 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 Fahrenheit. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing it into Ā¼ -inch thick rounds. Pour the pan juices over the pork tenderloin slices and serve with a little minced parsley, for color.Minced parsley
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our pork recipes!
Great recipe, mine was already marinated/seasoned with the blue Pappy’s seasoning. It was on the heavy side but even on the low end of cooking it was overcooked. Should have checked it sooner but it was still delicious. Chopped it up and mixed with mayo for sandwiches today.
Why does the tutorial video showing how to cook the meat and the website photos look so significantly different?
I think it’s because when I sear meat, I use a stainless steel pan, which creates a lot of fond and darkens the sauce. Our videographer used a nonstick pan, so there were no dark spots to scrape off the bottom of the pan and darken the sauce. š
Easy and delicious! My kids loved it too.
Delicious !
Followed recipe exactly — best pork tenderloin I have ever made/had. Whole family loved it. Delicious.Ā
This is an amazing recipe! I didn’t have onion powder so I used Powdered ranch dressing instead. My oven is a little cool, so I cooked it a little longer than you recommended – but it was tender and juicy and SO good! I can’t wait to make it again for company! Thank you.
This is an amazing recipe! I didn’t have onion powder so I used Powdered ranch dressing instead. My oven is a little cool, so I cooked it a little longer than you recommended – but it was tender and juicy and SO delicious! I can’t wait to make it again for company! Thank you.
I have several pork tenderloin recipes, but this one will now become my go-to choice. Ā It turns out just as advertised. Ā I may use a little more beef broth next time in order to have more of that delicious sauce. Ā The seasoning rub is outstanding.
So easy and deliciously tender. Thank you so much for sharing.
Can’t wait to try Pea salad recipe
This recipe was delicious !! Juicy, tender and full of flavor! I added a couple of sliced apples and it was perfect! I made roasted garlic masked potatoes and sautĆ©ed asparagus with this tenderloin! Very flavorful meal!Ā
Great recipe. Ā Thank you. Ā I love the touch of apple cider vinegar. Ā The tart bite to it nicely cuts through and balances out the rich pan sauce.Ā
One minor comment about the notes. Ā Searing drives the Maillard reaction, which gives us a great crust on the meat and the fond we scrape up to make rich, delicious pan sauces. Searing, however, does not lock in juices. Ā The muscle fibers in meat simply do not work that way. As you said, in this case, it is the higher heat and shorter cooking time that gives this recipe itās juicy result. Nice job. Ā
Whole family LOVED It!
I made this last night, and it turned out great!!Ā
Made this last night and the family loved it. Served it with your cucumber salad and some roast potatoes. Will make it again!
Very moist pork tenderloin but needs something with it. My family found it a little bland served on its’ own with the pan juices. Could use a condiment to go along with it. That being said the recipe works as promised and we will make it again.
For a more robust taste, you could double to spices. š
Do you have the recipe for the pea salad in the picture? You suggest cucumber salad but the peas look amazing! I tried searching the site.
I’ll be sharing that recipe tomorrow!