Pork Tenderloin seasoned with a rub, seared until golden then oven baked in an incredible Honey Garlic Sauce until it’s sticky on the outside and juicy on the inside! A quick and easy pork fillet recipe with high returns for very minimal effort.
Pork tenderloin recipe
Pork tenderloin is like chicken breast – it’s a lean, tender cut of meat and when cooked just right, it’s juicy and succulent.
It is also easy to overcook, and overcooked tenderloin = dry and bland.
Hence the beauty of this pork tenderloin recipe. It’s unbelievable when the pork is cooked perfectly.
But if you go slightly over, no one’s going to notice with this outrageously delicious honey garlic sauce!
What you need
VERY few ingredients! This is another one of those recipes with high returns for low effort – minimal ingredients, less than 10 minutes of active effort for incredible flavours!
How to cook pork tenderloin
The best way to cook pork tenderloin is to start it on the stove and finish it in the oven. Sear the pork first to give it a nice crust (remember, colour = flavour 🙌🏻) then finish cooking it in the oven.
Can’t it be cooked entirely on the stove??
Yep, it sure can, but the outside ring of the tenderloin will be cooked more than ideal by the time the centre is just cooked. Reduce this uneven cooking by bringing the pork to room temperature before cooking.
What about in the oven?
Again, yep, you sure can, but you won’t get the same colour on the surface of the tenderloin so you’ll notice a loss of flavour. But with a sauce this good, it’s forgivable to skip the initial sear! 😇 Directions in the recipe notes.
Look at that sauce glazing the pork!!! Doesn’t it look incredible??!
The Honey Garlic Sauce used in this pork tenderloin recipe has made an appearance in various forms on my website, such as with Salmon, Chicken Breast and as a dipping sauce for the crispiest ever Baked Chicken Wings.
It’s just one of those terrific back pocket sauces that works with virtually every protein. Just a few ingredients that totally transforms when simmered on the stove into a savoury-sweet sauce.
It’s inevitable that it will make yet another appearance one of these days!
What to serve with pork tenderloin
Though you cannot see it properly in the photo above, that yellow/green blur in the background is this Lemon Potato Salad which I added steamed green beans to. A two-in-one carb + veg side that keeps for days, I’m a big fan of those! Here’s a few more:
Kale and Quinoa Salad and Garlic Butter Rice with Kale (kale is a nutrition powerhouse and these are 2 seriously tasty ways to eat it!)
Otherwise, serve it with a fresh garden salad tossed with a fresh vinaigrette like French, Italian or the everyday salad dressing used in this Cabbage Salad.
I’d also recommend something to slop up the sauce with – bread, mashed potato, or Cauliflower Mash. What looks like mash in the photo below is actually Mashed Cauliflower. Carb free, creamy smooth indulgence – you’ll see it in the recipe video! ~ N x ❤️
Watch how to make it
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Pork Tenderloin with Honey Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloin (pork fillet), 500g/1lb each (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
- 3 garlic cloves , very finely chopped
Pork Tenderloin Rub:
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, light or all purpose (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Mix Sauce ingredients together.
- Mix Rub ingredients then sprinkle over the pork.
- Heat oil in a large oven proof skillet (Note 3) over high heat. Add pork and sear until golden all over.
- When pork is almost seared, push to the side, add garlic and cook until golden.
- Pour sauce in. Turn pork once, then immediately transfer to the oven.
- Roast 15 – 18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 68C / 155F (Note 4).
- Remove pork onto plate, cover loosely with foil and rest 5 minutes.
- Place skillet with sauce on stove over medium high heat, simmer rapidly for 3 minutes until liquid reduces down to thin syrup.
- Remove from stove, put pork in and turn to coat in sauce.
- Cut pork into thick slices and serve with sauce!
Recipe Notes:
- Cider vinegar – white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or champagne vinegar. OR 2 tbsp normal white vinegar.
- Soy Sauce – Use light or all purpose. Do not use dark soy sauce or sweet soy sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I love the robe so much, I got another one and put his name on it. Poor boy, now he’s been named and shamed….😂
Had to come up with a last minute dinner for 9 and just happened to have pork fillets – 5* feedback from all. Ps love, love, love the sauce!
Just the best.Easy and super tasty
Forgot to rate it! Max stars, definitely..
Absolutely delish and super easy for a weeknight. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli and drizzled the sauce over everything..so good. Mine did take a little longer than 18 min at 350, I ended up putting the temp up for an extra 5 min or so and pulled them out at 145°F.👌
This recipe is delicious. It really elevates a weeknight meal. My husband can’t get enough. I wouldn’t change a thing. And as always your directions are so clear and easy to follow.
Always one of your go to recipes that I make if we have guests and they looove it! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe ❤️
My only change – added sweet chili sauce to the sauce ingredients. ( possibly 1T) I was concerned that the sauce would cook down too much so after tenderloins removed added a little water more sweet chili sauce & thickened with cornstarch. Pork was lovely and tender & the modified sauce was a hit with my husband & grandchildren.
This was delicious! A hit with my whole family. Will make again as it was so easy. Served over mashed potatoes with an arugula salad on the side.
Seriously best pork tenderloin recipe I have ever cooked (& I have tried many). I encourage anyone to try this recipe. They will not be disappointed.
Seriously best pork tenderloin recipe I have ever cooked (& I have tried many). I encourage anyone to try this recipe. They will not be disappointed.
I’m in agreement with the last poster who said this was their go-to recipes. With the price of beef a bit more than I want to pay here in the US and the relative affordability of pork tenderloin, this is one of my favorite quick but fancy weeknight dishes meat-forward dishes that I prepare time and time again. AND, the sauce is great with chicken thighs as well. Thank you!
Easy recipe to follow and meat was super tender , thank you 👍
This recipe is one of my go-tos over and over again. So easy, fast, using pantry ingredients and gets tons of compliments. And the leftovers make a great wrap the next day. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Really tasty and tender
Great recipe! I substituted the maple syrup for a sugar free version which worked out really well.
I’ve tried a few of your recipes and they are excellent
Fabulous and delicious, another winning recipe Nagi, thank you!
Brilliant recipe. Tastes amazing – went well with a thai salad with coconut dressing.
I made this the other night, I used a S/P/G steak seasoning and just added paprika. I also decided i wanted it spicy so i added crispy fried chili flake in oil to the suace. I used about 3 tbs, Turned out great
Great recipe! Like others had mentioned it was super moist and the flavour was amazing.
Unfortunately I only had dark soya sauce left so used it even though the recipe stated not to use it.
Definitely a keeper