Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
We made 1 pork tenderloin (1:8.8lbs/oz) using this cooking method. I had already used McCormick Smokehouse Maple seasoning as a dry rub the day before and put it in a ziplock bag in the fridge overnight but needed to know how to cook it. Found this recipe today.
I forgot to reduce the ½ cup of beef broth and didn’t use apple cider vinegar because we put it in our cast iron skillet (preheated in the oven bc it doesn’t fit on the grill) for the oven and acidic things damage the seasoning on the cast iron. We had it with mashed potatoes, baked beans, grilled zucchini, green bean casserole, rolls and gravy. It didn’t matter that I forgot to reduce the beef broth. We took the foil off of the tenderloin when temp was 140°F, turned the oven off, and let it sit in there for another 5min. The meat was juicy and didn’t need gravy. The gravy was for the mashed potatoes and rolls. This turned out great. Yum! 👍 👍 Next time I’ll use the seasonings in this recipe. Great addition to the meal rotations!
Forgot to rate. 5 stars for sure! Thanks!
I tried this recipe.
The flavour was amazing.
My son loved.
However, after covering with foil I found the tenderloin steamed, the flavorful crust disappeared and it became over cooked?
Thoughts?
And yes I have both an oven and meat thermometer.
Shannon
Hi Shannon! The crust definitely softens as it does steam under the foil. If the tenderloin was overcooked it is likely that it was a bit smaller than the ones we used in recipe testing. If they seem a normal size to you, try cooking them for a few minutes less next time and just use your meat thermometer to check them before you take them out of the oven. They should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
I googled 5 star pork tenderloin and made this tonight. I followed your recipe except for less oregano and this was the tastiest, juiciest pork tenderloin I’ve ever made. It’s a magic recipe since I’ve made so many dry sub-par tenderloins! We love it! I also made your Greek lemon potatoes (delicious!) and would have made your creamy cake salad, but alas, my cucumber was not edible. Thank you for the recipes!
best pork tenderloin recipe I’ve ever made
So tasty, easy and zip zap dinners on the table. I added small chunked potatoes, onion, carrots, bit of celery which made whole dinner so fast
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 it’s company worthy for sure. It’s in my favorite recipe folder. Ty!!!
I was wondering if this could be seared on the grill and then placed in the oven?
We haven’t tried it but I would be scared that it might dry it out as it would need to stay on the grill longer to develop a nice crust.
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!
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 good
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.