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!
Delicious and so tender!! My 17 year old grandson said it was the best pork tenderloin he had ever eaten!!! Wanted me to be sure and pass that on to my friend that gave me the recipe!! ?
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for the comment!
Too much spice. You dont really taste the pork, just the spice.
Had to bake longer.
Made this for New Yearās dinner. Super juicy! Turned out perfectly. Thank you!
You are right! This is the juiciest baked Pork Tenderloin I have ever cooked. Plus it is very tasty. I will use this recipe for Supper Club,
Easy to make and delicious. Had to cook longer than stated in the recipe.
I was disappointed by the flavor although it is definitely juicy. I think it may have to do with the onion salt and garlic powder. My instinct is that this would taste a lot better if you simply used finely minced real garlic and real onion rubbed into the meat and sauteed at the same time – there would be nicer “bits” in the beef broth reduction. This would not increase the prep time by much, but it would definitely be worth it.
This is a family favorite. I follow the recipe exactly, but I omit the butter at the end. We serve with roasted potatoes and carrots.
I added only 1 teaspoon of paprika so the little ones would eat it too, it was a big hit!
Also substituted the parsley for fresh cilantro, and the apple cider vinegar for champagne vinegar just because that’s what I had on my pantry.
Thank you for this recipe, will make it again for sure!!!
I made this for my wife, daughter and myself. I really enjoyed it, but i messed up on the seasoning amounts, so not my family so much. I’m assuming also smoked paprika, not sweet is supposed to be used, and next time I’ll cut it down on the amount. It was really juicy. I will try again, I’m certain it will come out better.
I actually use sweet paprika in this recipe. But smoked would give it a really nice flavor, too. Although if I used smoked paprika I’d likely cut down the amount as it’s quite powerful. š
Do I have to use aluminum foil to cover my roasting pan or can I use the lid that came with it?
I use foil as I don’t have a lid for mine. If you have a lid then that will work just as well!
First time making this but definitely not the last! As you promised tasty and moist. Very tender. Couldnāt have been easier!
Live alone so having one for a few days and freezing the other.
ThanksĀ
Since when is ghee dairy-free. Isn’t ghee clarified butter?
You’re right, ghee is clarified butter. Most people consider it dairy-free as the lactose has been removed.
Excellent!!!! Ā Iām always afraid of tenderloin being dry. But this was fantastic!!!!
Enjoyed this! Loved how it was tender, and covering the pork while cooking was different for me. A keeper.
This is delicious, but there was way too much chili powder.
Yum! I believe it’s paprika not chili powder. I can only imagine how spicy your pork may have been. Does sound yummy with chili powder tho!!
What chili powder? The recipe doesn’t call for any?
This is delicious! My whole family loved it. I’ve made many port tenderloin recipes but never added the citrus- it was just the right amount – I roasted it at 350 (because I had veggies roasting at the same time) till it came up to 150 then let it rest. It was very moist, juicy, and flavorful! Absolutely delicious!