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….😂
We all enjoyed it! Love the sauce! Was so easy!!
Is your temp 180 fan oven?
Hi Carol…yes this recipe is 180C / 350F / 180Fan. I will always specify if you need to use a lower temperature in a fan oven. Thanks! Nx
Hi Nagi
Cooked this for dinner tonight for my family, absolutely delicious! served with mash, broccoli and carrots. Will definitely double the sauce next time and also the rub, Thank you Nagi for yet another winner!
Hi Nagi
Cooked this for dinner tonight for my family, absolutely delicious! Will definitely double the sauce next time and also the rub, Thank you Nagi for yet another winner!
Excellent! First time I can remember ever having made pork that was not dry. I used pork loin (chops) in a dutch oven and it worked perfect from stove to oven to stove!
This dish is fantastic!! I shared it with my DILs!! Thank you for posting.
Second time I’ve made this, and it’s even better than the first. I was using my inbuilt oven instead of the countertop, the heat distribution is slightly more even and indirect, and all of the pork is borderline pink. It’s heaven! Eating it with the sweet potato spiral dish and steamed veg! Life could be so much worse… thank you Nagi!
Excellent recipe and easy to make. Followed directions and the pork tenderloin was very tasty and tender. Looking forward to her other recipes.
Made 1st time tonight… wonderful. Pork was tender and had a really good flavor. Made w homemade mashed potatoes and broccoli. Delish and easy for anyone that enjoys cooking. highly recommend.
Simple and elegant! I took advice from another reviewer and I made the rub and sauce ahead of time. I doubled the sauce because (as I suspected) it was too delicious not to!
Made this at least a week ago and it was so simple and seamless that we just had brilliant pork to eat for 2 days and I forgot to come back and say thank you! Thank you, Nagi, for the absolute wealth of lovely recipes you’ve brought to my life feeding the 19yo ‘DS’ (who is currently ‘lifting’ as if his life depends on it) – so I am always in need of good recipes!
This recipe was fabulous, and my husband ate seconds. Quick, easy, simple ingredients and guest-ready flavor and presentation. I doubled the sauce for extra dipping. Will make again!!
Absolutely delicious!
Great recipe! My family loved it!
Excellent dish. Everyone loved it.
This was DELICIOUS!! I used molasses instead of honey. It’s definitely a keeper! Served with white rice and fresh green beans ♥️♥️♥️
Cooking this for my card group.
I don’t want to be in kitchen cooking the whole time, is there things I can do ahead of their arrival. Usually they are here a couple hours becore ear dinner.
Thank you
I made the rub and sauce ahead of time. If you do that, it comes together in no time at all, and you will be able to interact with your guests.
Today was my 1st Of Nagi’s recipes & it came out beautifully! Served it with a simple cole slaw. Perfect!
I shared the recipe with my daughters who i know will love it! Thanks!
ya
I was wondering, I’ve read that olive oil shouldn’t be heated at a high temperature. What are your thoughts in this?
Hi Jennifer, no it shouldn’t as it has a lower smoke point that other oils (so it’s not idea to shallow/deep fry in). Pan frying doesn’t heat up the oil enough to make an impact here, but if you over heat it you’ll simply be destroying some of its health properties in the process. N x
Hi. Can you please say the method for top of cooker cooking (not oven) of the tenderloin of pork. Thank you
Extremely easy followed exactly. I always worry about pork and flavors but this was flavorful and definitely a keeper