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….😂
Everything about this dish was wonderful; the flavour, texture and the blushing pinkness. The best part about it is that it was so quick and easy to make. I usually stay away from tenderloins. They always came out hard and dry. But I took the challenge putting my faith in Nagi’s words and it was an eye opening experience. Thank you for another great recipe.
Served this for the family followed by your chocolate cream pie. It’s now our new favourite. I can usually find something to criticise about the meals I serve but this turned out so fantastic, I was speechless (for which my family thanks you.) So tender, so juicy, so fast to prepare….and the sauce is the nicest I’ve ever had. Thanks, Nagi. Another triumph!
Hi Nagi,
I’ve made so many of your wonderful recipes and always check your website first when looking for a new recipes. Ive bought all the basics you said so I’m always ready to put something together But mostly at first I followed you because my dog was also named Dozer a golden that I loved but Im hook on your food thank you for sharing all these great recipes and dozers life
Was exactly what I expected from the recipe. Great meal! Thank you for posting.
Absolutely delicious recipe. Hubby doesn’t like pork but he devoured this along with my 3yr old. So tender and flavoursome. Thanks Nagi xx
Had this tonight easy absolutely amazing perfection 😊
Can I use pork butt/’shoulder for this recipe.?pl let me know
We had guests coming for dinner and i had 30 minutes to whip up dinner. This recipe ticked all the boxes and was a hit with our guests
Have just made this recipe (mostly – I’ve runout of soy sauce so I substituted Tamarind and Chilli ketchup) and rather than pan cooking I BBQ’d it to sear it then brushed with the sauce and finished on the BBQ with indirect heat and some whiskey barrel wood chips – it turned out absolutely fabulous and is my new favourite way to cook pork tenderloin
Easy instructions to follow. Doubled the honey garlic sauce. Good on the mashed potatoes. Absolutely 😋 dinner. Loved by all. Would definitely make again and again ….
Top Notch
Delicious, everyone loved this, especially the sweet sticky sauce.
absolutely delicious no more words needed
Was delicious 😋
Hi Nagi, just made this today for dinner for my wife and I. Absolutely beautiful and we will certainly add to our repertoire.
Also made your Coq Au Vin yesterday and today but have followed your advice to wait until tomorrow to enjoy.
Thanks very much Nagi. You bring joy to many.
Regards
Stuart
Great flavour from the sauce. I reduced the honey, partly as I didn’t have enough but also becase we don’t like sweet sauces. It was just right, not too sweet, not too tart. Served with a mash of sweet potato, broccoli, zucchini all simmered together with grated ginger.
Great way to add some flavour to pork. Don’t skimp – buy the pork tenderloin.
I never comment on a recipe, but I just feel like I need to for this one. First the recipe is on point, perfect flavor, perfect cooking timing, perfect EVERYTHING! And I am usually so scared of pork turning dry, but not this recipe, it came out like in a Micheline star restaurant! Also, I’ve made a couple of other recipes from your site and they are so so good, everyone of them. Now, I just look for any recipe I need in you page instead of going to Pinterest. Your recipes for sure are going to come out great. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I am so glad I discovered this recipe. Delicious and good value to boot.
I made this tonight! So good!! My husband loved it!!
Devine. Absolutely devine. I can imagine this recipe with a poke bowl topped with some sesame seeds, a sticky stir fry or a pulled pork burger topped with this sauce. Even sticky ribs. LLOOVVVEED THIS!