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….😂
The sauce was so good! Very easy and turned out great! I found after reducing the sauce it did get a little too sweet so next time I might add less honey. Otherwise, delicious!
This turned out so so good BUT! The sauce totally burnt in the oven!! I followed exactly as the recipe. 18 min until 155. What can I do so this doesn’t happen? I want to use the sauce
When I make mine I only use 1/4 cup honey. For my family that’s sweet enough. Also if you go to Mandy I. The making pork tenderloin recipe she has a video on this recipe.
i dont have oven can i sear it and pan fry with the sauce, thanks and im a fan of your recipes
Loved this recipe. Easy and delicious!! The perfect combination!!
I followed this to the T, exactly as written and it turned out Devine! Nice and saucy how I like and my husband couldn’t get enough of this. I served the pork with brown and red rice and green beans and broccoli. Perfect meal. Thank you, your recipes are always such a success !
I only have Dark soy sauce, how bad will it be if I use that?
I wish someone would have answered this as I am in same predicament and am making today.
I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you so very much! My husband says this ones a keeper! High praise!
I’m not sure what I did wrong my sauce burned to the bottom of my pan…I did use a cast iron skillet could that be the problem?
Not sure what I am doing wrong. I followed all the steps but after 20 minutes it is no where near to being cooked the meat thermometer didn’t even move! It doesn’t say to cover or not while in the oven so perhaps that is what I am doing wrong. Any suggestions?
In the oven 20 minutes and temp didn’t rise tells me you are using a bigger chunk of meat other than a tenderloin. perhaps you are cooking a pork loin roast?
This is the first time I have ever left a review on a recipe. I am not a very good cook, and often I end up disappointed with my results, but this was SO GOOD! That sauce…!
I’m so glad you gave it a shot Julie, that’s so great to hear! N x
Absolutely loved this. Cooked for 2 so used just one tenderloin but kept sauce for 5 serves. Glad I did that. That sauce is so satisfyingly good. Thank you for another brilliant recipe, Nagi.
absolutely yummy…absolutely a crowd fav…even getting 1 ready for a birthday meal for a mates mum as has become a requested treat..
This was scrumptious! Used the honey pork to top a harvest salad that included farro, walnuts, dried cranberries and roasted butternut squash. Pretty and soul satisfying. Hope you doing ok in Sydney. 🤗
I made this tonight and my family loved it! I doubled the sauce and after, cut the pork up into bite size pieces and soaked up all that yummy juice. I read from one of the commenters to add cayenne to the rub. I’m so happy I did, we enjoyed the sweet heat. Absolutely wonderful quick recipe and will add to the rotation!!
The sauce is so good! The pork is good no overcook, although it took 25 mins for my oven to cook the pork for the internal temperature to reach 155F
For sure it’s a recipes to keep and to make again!
Thanks Ngai🥰
Smoked paprika? Sweet paprika? What paprika?
Hi Lucy – just normal or sweet paprika. ie not smoked or spicy paprika! N x
Made this today to celebrate first day of 2021. It was so delicious! The only thing that didn’t work for me was the sauce in the oven, even though it was not long in the oven, it was not usable once I took the pan out of the oven. Maybe my pan was too large. Didn’t really matter in the long run because the juice of the pork once enough on its own as sauce. Will make this again.
Eager to try this week. My gentleman friend likes pork over beef or chicken and I’d seen this recipe and decided its what I’m fixing for NYE dinner. I like the idea of sweet spicey sauce and using the trusty crockpot. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Always love your recipes! This one turned out fantastic… even my 5 year old daughter that doesnt like pork much ate the entire serving on her plate so thank you!
WOW! It was a huge hit here with my family tonight, two of the people of which said they don’t like pork but LOVED this! I doubled the recipe and substituted the soy sauce with Worcestershire sauce and did half rice wine vinegar half balsamic with an AMAZING result! I also cooked onions with the garlic and they caramelized perfectly with that glaze sauce and added a wonderful onion flavor to the honey sauce! The meat is so so juicy and tender compared to all other pork recipes Ive done. Definitely doing this again!! For those who like spice, add some cayanne, about 1/2 a teaspoon(or more if you like it to kick more). Fantastic flavor to add to the smoky paprika. Doing this again!!