Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
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You’re looking at the juiciest baked pork tenderloin recipe ever. With over 800+ reviews, you can count on the recipe working every time. Keep reading to find out exactly how we make this incredible meal!
One reader, Liz says, “Followed recipe exactly — best pork tenderloin I have ever made/had. Whole family loved it. Delicious. ★★★★★”
This is my favorite pork tenderloin recipe. The pork is buttery soft and practically melts in your mouth. It’s coated in an easy spice rub, quickly browned in a pan to create a lovely crust, and then baked in a simple pan sauce to keep it incredibly tender, juicy, and delicious.
The spices I use are the same as the ones in my popular baked pork chops recipe. The combination of paprika, onion, 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 require different cooking methods.
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.
In this recipe, I use pork tenderloin.
Oven baked pork tenderloin ingredients
Pork tenderloin: If yours are larger than 1lb, they’ll take longer to bake. Be sure to check on them until they’re cooked through.
From the spice rack: Paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper combine to season your tenderloin and bring out the best flavors.
Cooking oil: Helps to create a beautiful sear on the pork! A neutral, high-heat oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil is ideal.
Beef broth: For depth and richness of the beautiful sauce.
Apple cider vinegar: A little acidity is key to cutting through the sauce’s richness and tenderizing the meat.
Butter: If needed, you can swap out the butter for olive oil or dairy-free butter.
To garnish: A little minced parsley adds a fresh, herbaceous finish.
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.
Making a sauce for pork tenderloin
I 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: I use it to deglaze the pan so that all the delicious bits stuck to the pan after searing the pork become part of the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar: adds the best flavor.
- Pork juice: as the pork bakes, it releases liquid that 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.
Tips for baking the best pork tenderloin
- Do not overcook the meat. 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 also add flavor and seal in the juices, so it stays more tender.
- Add a little liquid. I deglaze the searing pan with some beef stock and add it 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 the sauce a delicious flavor.
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 my family’s favorites:
How to store leftovers
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, let them cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. Pop the container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Or, keep it in a freezer-proof container in the freezer for up to three months.
Watch how to make this recipe
Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each – see notes)
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons 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 sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoons salt , 1 teaspoons pepper
- Heat the oil in a large, stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork, working in 2 batches if your pan is not large enough to fit both tenderloins without them touching. Sear the pork on all sides until it is brown, for about 6 minutes. If searing in batches, add an extra splash of oil for the second batch. Take the pan off the heat.2 tablespoons olive 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, 2 tablespoons 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 ¼ -inch thick rounds. Pour the pan juices over the pork tenderloin slices and serve with a little minced parsley, for color.Minced parsley
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Equipment
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
What to do with leftover oven baked pork tenderloin
This tenderloin makes amazing leftovers. I 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.
Followed recipe exactly — best pork tenderloin I have ever made/had. Whole family loved it. Delicious.
Was the pork 145 degrees. The video when cutting the loin looked raw to me. I know pink is fine but video looked raw to me.
The pork in the video was cooked to 145 Fahrenehit!
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!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it turns out juicy and tasty each time. My MIL used to make it like the consistency of leather so it was never on my go to favourites. 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 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! I’ve made it several times for guests and it’s always a hit!
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!
Excellent recipe. 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 👅
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