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….😂
Hi Nagi,
I made this tonight for dinner…wow, absolutely delicious.
I served it up with roasted vegetables, fantastico😄.
Yet another keeper.
Have a good weekend.
Thanks again.
Phil x
I’m so glad you loved it Phil!!
Hey Nagi,
This was so easy and delicious! I served it with roasted green beans and potato pancakes (great to mop up the sauce). My husband ended up licking his plate and also the pan…at the table haha. Many thanks!
Greetings from The Netherlands!
Great idea Daphne, sounds like you nailed it!
Hi Nagi – looks yumm! Do you think this would work in a largish dutch oven? I just don’t have an oven proof skillet in Australia…
Hi Janis! The one I use is normally is called a Lodge which is sold in Australia and it’s $30 at Victoria’s Basement 🙂 Best money I ever spent! It will last me forever I’m sure. But yes it will be fine in a dutch oven but reduce the oven cook time by a couple of minutes because all that extra cast iron around the tenderloins will probably make it cook faster (because cast iron retains so much heat!)
Glad I came back ! Idiot child that I am had never heard of Lodge but sure know Victoria’s Basement ! Guess where I am going 🙂 ?
Thanks Nagi 😀 I have a couple of the Lodge skillets here in USA plus an aebleskiver pan… but not in Australia… Guess I could drag one home but being lazy… and I have a dutch oven…
Thank you for adding the calorie intake 🙂 cant wait to try it
It’s a good low cal one!! N x
Hi Nagi, thanks once again for another high calibre recipe. Yumm, I know now what I am going to do with my pork fillet in the freezer.
Just a question, what would you recommend in place of paprika, as it doesn’t agree with my finicky digestive system. Many thanks, Julie
Hi Julie! Just skip it 🙂 It will still be super tasty! N x
Thanks Nagi, will let you know how it went. x
I’ve never cooked pork tenderloin but this recipe has me ready to take the plunge. Question though. Where’s the garlic in the honey garlic sauce??
hi Jordan! It’s at the top under pork, it gets sautéed separately 🙂 N x
Absolutely delicious! Was so easy and and ready in no time. You could serve this to company and they would think you catered it in from a nice restaurant. Nagi, this is the third recipe that I have made of yours and they are all excellent. Thanks and keep those recipes coming!
What a wonderful compliment, thank you Angela! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂 N x
Bet that feels so comfy, Dozer ! Thought you had a similar yellow one before – perhaps not so smart with all those edgings ? Tell Mommy I have just put a pork fillet on my next shopping list for a very simple dish I have not made quite that way before . . .
I got him ANOTHER one… good to have an extra on hand, he uses it almost every day in winter!
pork only has to be 145f. what is wrong with pink and juicy?
Nothing! I have the pink and juicy internal temp in the notes 🙂 N x
Dozer – “named and shamed” pffff!!!!!! Made my day
I’m telling you, he secretly loves it and wears it with PRIDE!!! 😂😂😂
Hi Nagi, Can I use this recipe for lamb? Which cut would you recommend? Thank you as ever
ABSOLUTELY! So – you can use this sauce for any lamb steaks (sprinkle with the rub, sear, remove, then simmer sauce, then return lamb into sauce just to coat). Or backstrap – cook it the same as tenderloin but reduce bake time because backstrap is thinner. YUM! N x
Hi Nagi! Now I know what I’m going to do with that pork tenderloin I have in the freezer! This looks stickylicious! I’ve also got a pound of new red potatoes that I will steam, smash and pan saute into crispy goodness to go with it!
Oooh… can I come over for dinner?? 😇
I’ll join you – I have one in the freezer too! And the potatoes side like a nice option for the side 🙂
You, me, Dorothy – it would be a riot! 😂 N xx