Juiciest Baked Pork Tenderloin
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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!
Not only is this the best pork loin recipe Iāve ever eaten, I also found the leftovers to be very versatile; I diced up the remaining meat, used the drippings to sautĆ© some onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, then put all that and some cheese to make the most delicious quesadillas!
This recipe was spot on!!! The tenderloin was super tender and flavorful! The internal temp of 145 left enough pink but not to much. Ā Absolutely will use this recipe over and over again.Ā
Thank you for this recipe! I have used it three times now, and my family loves it. The last time was on a pork loin, as opposed to tenderloin, and was still a hit. I did add a little more apple cider vinegar to the loin. Thanks again!
i made this to the recipe. This was a very juicy pork tenderloin made in a cast iron skillet. I am not a paprika fan and sensitive to the flavor. For me the the paprika dominated the entire dish. Since the method and texture of the pork was outstanding, the next time I use this recipe I will either eliminate the paprika or use a different rub, most likely a BBQ rub such as Oklahoma Joe’s or Gates. I do recommend that you try this succulent recipe.
What a great recipe! Ā Thank you! Ā Ā I made it tonight. Ā The flavor was exceptional. Ā I will definitely make it again and again. Ā I already shared the recipe with my sister. Ā It was an easy recipe. I used smoked paprika instead of regular paprika and I did not add the salt. Ā Mmmmm…
Fabulous thank you!
Every time I make a pork tenderloin it tastes like the bottom of my shoe, Iām also not a huge fan of oregano.Ā
That being said I followed this recipe exactly and it is absolutely YUMMY! I shared the recipe with my friends and family immediately!Ā
I discovered I can make a tenderloin! Juicy and tender with a great mix of flavors. Will definitely make again.
I was going to use the “Montreal Chicken” seasoning but changed to this recipe. Wow. This was spot on!! Ā 3-men approved and that’s saying a lot in my house!! A definite keeper. Thank you so much!! ? I’ll definitely make this again!!
I made pork tenderloin tonight following this recipe… I am in my 60s and I love to cook and this is my all time favorite pork tenderloin recipe! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!!
I don’t usually care for pork tenderloins, but this recipe was delicious. Thank you.
Absolutely delicious! Cuts like butter! Couldn’t be easier to make. It’ll be one of my go to recipes.
great pork tenderloin!
To me, it needed something–very bland and dry (I baked for 25 min, maybe should have checked at 20 min but the tenderloin was large and thought it needed the 25). Ā The juice is very good, tho, and very much needed on the meat but, even tho it was an extremely easy recipe, would not make it again. Ā I did have some dijon mustard that I put on the side, and that did help–maybe spreading meat with dijon then adding rub would make the difference??? Ā My opinion only; maybe others feel differently. Ā
Delicious and easy! It’s the first time I’ve made a baked tenderloin and my family absolutely loved it. They raved about how juicy it turned out. This recipe will definitely be on rotation in my house. Thank you!
Really tender and not dried out! I used my own rub on the tenderloin. Great recipe.
These pork tenderloins were the best that I have ever eaten. Ā They were a big hit with the family. Ā I will definitely do it again and again and again!!!