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….😂
By cider vinegar is that apple cider vinegar?
Yes same thing Brooke, I hope you try it and love it! N x
This was fantastic! Simple, quick and “oh so tasty”! It will definitely be in my list to make again.
I don’t cook new recipes very often and not sure what happened but my sauce was not thick, what went wrong?
Hi Joanne, it’s not an overly thick sauce my more like a syrup – did it resemble the sauce in the video? If not, you may of just needed to simmer slightly longer on the stove to thicken. N x
I usually don’t ever comment on recipes either you like them or you don’t but this recipe was absolutely delicious. My only little nit would be that it needs a little more seasoning but as far as the temperature and time to cook was excellent. I have never cooked a tenderloin that wasn’t dry and this was beyond delicious and moist. Would cook again. Also the leftovers made the most delicious pork sandwich. So, win-win all the way!
Excellent – delicious, quick and easy! We had it with sweet potato mash and coleslaw. Thanks for another great recipe!
This is a delicious, simple recipe. I don’t have an ovenproof skillet. I seared the pork and poured the sauce over it as the recipe says. Then I transferred the pork to a baking sheet and put that in the oven, leaving the sauce to simmer and reduce on the stove while roasting the pork. It turned out great.
Could you half this recipie if cooking for two people ?
Thank you 😊
As a chef I have changed this recipe slightly to make it a bit more see special. I added double cream to the sauce and did a dry rub for the pork of smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar and seasoning. It’s now one of my favourite pork dishes, so thanks very much.
Just cooked this but used maple syrup as didn’t gave enough honey. Served it with mash and griddled asparagus, baby sweetcorn and sprouting brocoli. Can not believe how easy and quick it all came together and it was delicious. Will definitely be cooking this again and its going in tbs family cookbook. Many thanks and can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
At what point did you add the cream, at the last stage ?
Hi Lesley
Yes at the end, then whisked in. Finished with a little butter to give it a good shine. Only used about 50-60ml double cream, and let it reduce down. Hope that helps.
Utterly yummy! Followed the recipe (sort of…), cooked in a heavy casserole dish and reduced the amount of honey and increased the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce, used sweet paprika but no added salt or pepper. Nobody likes lockdown but it forces me to try to create dishes I love. Can’t wait to try this sauce with chicken! Thank you x
just made this with the maple syrup option, and it was absolutely delicious.
I love your recipes, approach, and Dozer!
just made and tastes as delicious as it smells . Nagi I love your recipes, you just maje everything so simple to follow!!!
Haven’t made this yet but it sounds delicious! Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Haven’t made this yet but sounds delicious! Can this also be done in a slow cooker?
Holy cow. This was awesome and so easy. I actually laughed while eating because I couldn’t believe how good it was and how little effort it took. We ate it with rice and roasted broccoli. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s in the rotation now 🙂
Cooked this recipe last night. It came out perfectly and tasted delicious. Had some of the pork left over and it makes great hot pork filled rolls. Will definitely be making this again.
Wow!!! That was just delicious and so easy to make! Thank you!
I made this for the first time today. My wife couldn’t stop raving about the sauce. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Does the pork and the sauce freeze okay? If I make both tenderloins I’ll have plenty of leftovers, which I love! Thanks.
Made this for the first time.
The pork turned out tender and juicy, the sauce is delicious!
I will be cooking this for friends and family.
Just cooked this two nights ago, my husband and I love it! I will definitely be making this again!