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….😂
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
If it’s a Nagi recipe you know it’s gunna be bangin
Delicious and easy. The meat was tender and the whole dish was flavorful.
This pork tenderloin recipe was beyond delicious! Five of us ate it and five of us loved it. It was easy too.
Definitely 5 stars!
Wow! Before I tried this recipe, I didn’t really like pork, but trying to get used to it because it’s a better meat for my heart.
And this recipe has changed the game for me. It was incredibly delicious.
I made the sauce on maple syrup. I made an audible moan of pleasure when I took the first bite.
This is my first 5 star rating on a recipe prompting me to try other recipes Nagi has to offer.
Nagi, thank you for sharing. 🙂
This was absolutely delicious, made the lemon potatoes to go with it as advised. Whole family loved it.
Perfection! Tender and flavorful! Served with mashed plates and roasted butternut.
It smelled disgusting for some reason while it was cooking (maybe because I used the wrong vinegar?) but the end product tasted great. I’d make it again.
Tried this recipe in a pinch because I was going to be busy and it turned out to be a fantastic recipe that my family is going to love! So simple yet so delicious!
Nagi at RTE is my go-to for simple, sensible, easy recipes. I can trust her and this recipe is another brilliant one. Simples !
Haven’t cooked this for a while, but yet again it was fantastic! You’re my go-to site whenever I need a great recipe. Thanks again Nagi. Much love to Dozer too! 🙂
A very tasty and easy recipe. I rubbed the spices on the tenderloin earlier in the morning to enhance the flavouring. I would definitely be making this again.
This is a simply delicious meal! The tenderloin was so tender and moist! My hubby enjoyed it as soon as he took his first bite!
Thank you this recipe because it’s a keeper!
😊Laura
Do I cover the pork when it goes in the oven or not? Thanks, lovely recipe!
I only had balsamic vinegar, but it was delicious and shockingly easy.
I scaled this recipe down for one pork tenderloin (just two of us). My husband said “this was excellent.” High praise for a man who usually has no comments.
This pork tenderloin recipe is probably the best one I’ve ever tried! Quick, easy, and so tender and flavorful. My husband loves it too and I plan to make it for my in-laws (who love tenderloins)!
Love this so much, easy favour are amazing, family love it and went for seconds. Will be making this again.
Nagi, thank you for an absolute
stellar recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as written and the results were amazing. The pork was so juicy and tender. This recipe will be rotated often. Hugs to Australia for you and Dozer too!