You’ll love this tried and true, quick, and easy way to prepare Roasted Pork Tenderloin. Searing the tenderloin creates a beautiful crust that seals in all the natural juices, resulting in incredibly tender, flavorful meat!
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This is our favorite oven-baked pork tenderloin recipe. It’s such a well-loved recipe that I had to put it into Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook (I couldn’t risk disappointing everyone by not including it 😉).
Roasted Pork Tenderloin Video
Be sure to check out the video for this roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe—I’ll walk you through every step for tender, juicy results! Trust me, you’ll be shocked at how simple it is.
Pork Tenderloin Recipe
If you haven’t tried pork tenderloin yet, I truly think it’s just as satisfying as steak! Piercing the tenderloin with a fork allows the seasoning to penetrate deeply, eliminating the need for marinating. With its quick prep time, this dish is perfect for unexpected guests or a hungry family.
This recipe is easy to double or triple to feed a crowd, but even when cooking for fewer people, it’s worth making extras—it always disappears quickly! Whether sliced into sandwiches or served as a side, the leftovers are just as delicious the next day. I’m confident this baked pork tenderloin will become a go-to family favorite for you.
Pork tenderloin is often underrated, but you’ll love how this tender and lean cut of meat offers both incredible flavor and great value (we paid $18-$22 for 4 tenderloins at Costco). While we love to roast pork tenderloin, we also love Grilled Pork Tenderloin during warmer weather and Stuffed Pork Tenderloin for special occasions.
Ingredients for Baked Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin – The star of the dish, pork tenderloin is a lean, tender cut of meat that cooks quickly and absorbs the flavors of the rub well.
- Olive Oil – helps create a golden crust on the pork when searing, locking in moisture.
- Black Pepper – freshly ground
- Salt – helps to tenderize the meat, and enhances the natural flavors.
- Dry Rub – Made with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and ground coriander (If you don’t have coriander, you can omit it and the recipe will still work).
Pro Tip:
To remove the silver skin, insert the tip of your knife between the silver skin and the meat. Slide the knife along the meat while simultaneously pulling the silver skin and fat away.
Pork Tenderloin vs Pork Loin
Pork tenderloin and pork loin are both lean cuts of meat, but they differ significantly in shape and size and should not be used interchangeably in recipes. Pork tenderloin is smaller and thinner, typically weighing between 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. In contrast, pork loin is larger, usually weighing between 2 to 5 pounds. For this recipe, you want to use pork tenderloin.
How to Make Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Prep – Preheat oven to 400°F with the rack positioned in the middle. With a sharp knife, trim any fat or leftover silver skin and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare Dry Rub – In a small bowl, combine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, and ground coriander.
- Season – Pierce the pork tenderloin all over with a fork and rub it with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle the dry rub onto the tenderloin. Use your hands to rub the spices into the tenderloin until it is evenly coated.
- Sear – Heat 1 Tbsp oil over med-high heat in a large oven-safe pan such as a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven. Once the oil is hot, add the pork tenderloin and brown it on all sides, about 6 minutes in total.
- Bake, Rest, and Serve – Place the pan in the oven and bake the tenderloin uncovered at 400°F for 13-15 minutes, flipping it over halfway through baking. Continue baking until the center of the pork registers at least 150°F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice into medallions and serve.
What Color is Cooked Pork Tenderloin?
*The USDA now recommends letting the tenderloin get to 145°F and letting it rest for at least 3 minutes. With a perfect pork tenderloin temperature of 145°F, the meat will still be slightly pink in the middle. I highly recommend using a thermometer to achieve the perfect doneness.
Storage Tips
- To Refrigerate: Allow the leftover pork tenderloin to cool to room temperature before storing. Place the pork in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: If you want to store it longer, slice or leave it whole, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- To Reheat: When ready to eat, reheat the pork gently in the oven or on the stovetop with a bit of broth or leftover pan sauce to maintain moisture.
What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin
The mild flavor of Pork Tenderloin pairs well with just about any side, but here are some of our favorites:
- Vegetables – Choose from Green Beans Almondine or roasted Roasted Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, or a Roasted Vegetable Medley
- Potatoes – Roasted Potatoes, Greek Lemon Potatoes, Smashed Potato Salad, or Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Salad – Broccoli Grape Salad, Caesar Salad, Arugula Beet Salad, Macaroni Salad
- Rice – White Rice, Risotto, Cilantro Lime Rice, or Quinoa
Is your mouth watering like crazy? Try this pork tenderloin recipe once, and you’ll make it on repeat!
More Pork Recipes You Will LOVE
If you loved this Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe, get ready for more deliciousness! Explore our collection of mouthwatering recipes where pork is the star of the dish.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (extra light), or vegetable oil, or avocado oil**
- 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F with the rack positioned in the middle.
- Trim the tenderloin of fat and any silver skin and pat dry with a paper towel. Pierce pork tenderloin all over with a fork and rub with 1 Tbsp oil.
- Combine your seasonings and sprinkle the dry rub onto the tenderloin, then use your hands to rub the spices into the tenderloin until evenly coated.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil over med-high heat in a large oven-safe pan (cast iron or a Dutch oven will work). Once the oil is hot, add pork and brown on all sides (6 minutes total).
- Place in the oven and bake uncovered at 400°F for 13-15 min, flipping the tenderloin over halfway through baking. Bake until the center of the pork registers at least 150℉ then transfer to a cutting board and let meat rest for 5-10 min. Slice into medallions and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Made this tenderloin for a group of 8, and got rave reviews for days! Used organic pork, so cost was a bit more ($30 for 3lbs), and had to seer in skillet then transfer to roasting pan. Forgot the garlic powder, but the taste and tenderness was amazing! Will definitely use again. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Peggy! I’m so so so so happy you all loved it! Thank you for the wonderful review 🙂
Had to use fresh garlic as I didn’t have any garlic powder. Best pork tenderloin I’ve ever made. My 24 year old daughter was here for dinner and declared it was the best meat I’ve ever made. Thank you!
I”m so happy you and your daughter loved it! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was prob the best pork tenderloin I’ve ever had. I followed the directions exactly and used my cast iron pan. I found after 15 min in the oven it was only about 120F. So I put it back it in the over for another 10min. Turned out just perfect. My 11 yo daughter was eating it off everyone’s plate. It had so much flavor and not dry at all!! I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for a great recipe.
I’m so happy you loved it! thank you for the terrific review. You may have had a thicker cut tenderloin, but I’m glad you checked 🙂
Completely forgot the garlic powder in my distraction last night – and still turned out as the best pork I’ve ever cooked. Used a cast iron skillet and cooked to about 155-160… it was unbelievably tender and juicy, with such a delicious crust. Husband loved it too. Will be going into regular rotation!
I’m so happy you both loved it!! Thank you for sharing that with me :). I’ve used various herbs too if I was out of something and it always works out :).
I didn’t have ground coriander. I substituted it with half dry basil leaves and half dry parsley flakes. I didn’t have a skillet I could put in the oven at 400 degrees so I steered the meat in a good heavy frying pan and put the meat in a roasting pan. Added a little bit of water to the frying pan to get all the nice drippings and poured in the bottom roasting pan. This recipie is excellent the way it is. The only changes I made was because I didn’t have the coriander and the pan that can go in the oven. I give it a 5 as it a very easy, fast and tasty. Thank you for this recipie.
Francine, thank you for such a wonderful review and I like how you improvised the recipe :).
Made this Pork Tenderloin for dinner tonight and it was delish!! My husband can’t wait for left overs tomorrow night. Harris Teeter has them on sale, bogo this week.
That IS a really great deal! I’m so happy you loved the recipe :).
Made this is last night. Excellent! Tender and juicy and NOT OVER COOKED. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing that with me.
Great recipe! The meat was really tender and moist.
Thank you Ester, I’m glad you loved it :).
This was the perfect amount of time to cook our tenderloin. It turned out amazing! Thank you! My favorite thing to do with leftover tenderloin is to cube it and make baked pork tacos. I am so excited for dinner tomorrow.
Rachel, I love the idea of those tacos, using leftovers :). Brilliant!
I’m planning on making this for company and I have a question, can I do all the steps except baking ahead of time and just bake few more minutes? What do u think? Thank you ahead of time 🙂
Yes that should work fine. And you are right, you will need to bake just slightly longer if the meat is chilled in the refrigerator. How far in advance are you planning to make this?
Just about an hour or so. I don’t know if it’s the pan I have it my stove top but when I fry things especially meat it splatters so much and so I try to avoid frying last minute before company because there is so much clean up after. Thank u so much I can’t wait to try it!
That should work fine 🙂 and you are welcome.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! So juicy and flavorful! Went well with mashed potatoes. My 7 year old really liked it and said it’s as good as steak (steak is one of his favorite meats). Thank you for sharing your recipes! 😉
Vita, thank you for the great review, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe :).
I don’t have a safe oven pan, so can I just transfer it on a baking sheet?.. Or the flavor just wouldn’t be the same? … I am drooling a lil while looking at your pictures, haha!
That will work fine. The one I’m using is by Lodge Cast Iron (see link above under “favorite things”). It’s convenient when you don’t have to wash two separate pans and I’m convinced cast iron makes food taste a little better 😉
I might make this for dinner on Sunday. It’s been a while since the last time we had a pork tenderloin. I’m sure it would satisfy our tummies. Thanks for this. Great dish Natasha!
Thank you Maureen! I hope you love it! I consider Sunday a very special day of the week. I’d be honored to have one of my recipes on your menu 🙂
Looks yummy. We hardly ever buy pork now. I actually cant remember the last time I have. Someone mentioned about venison tenderloin, and I too wonder if it would work because our freezer is stocked from last season. I will have to give it a try 🙂
Let me know how it works out. I’m curious! 🙂
Dear Natasha,
Thank you so much for this recipe.
I made it for dinner tonight and my husband is in love. He said to throw out any other pork tenderloin recipe I have and make sure I only use this one from now on. Thanks again!
Shura, thank you for such a great review and you are so welcome :).
It’s always nice to have a good, go-to, recipe like this for holidays or special occasions. I will definitely have to try this one!
Hi Shelby! I hope you love it and that it becomes a new favorite for you!
Yum… so juicy. Perfect for any side dish. 🙂
Valya, I totally agree with you :).
Wow! Love pork tenderloins, will deffinetly try it! Thank you!
I hope you love this recipe! How do you usually prepare them?
You can google for “heritage pork” around you but we order from a nearby farm or at the farmers market, I am in upstate ny so I don’t think this helps you lol .
What’s your opinion of pork in old country vs american pork? We been ordering heritage Berkshire pork because american pork tastes wrong to us
To be honest, I haven’t tried that brand so I don’t really have anything to compare it to. Ofcourse the more natural or organic the meat is, the better, but I’m not sure about old country vs American. Where do you order it from? Maybe I should give it a whirl 😉
It’s been so long since I’ve had pork loin.
This looks perfect! I’m putting it on the menu for Sunday family dinner.
For some reason, it’s easy to forget about it and then you have it and you end up eating it for a couple weeks in a row because you realize how good it is. Maybe it’s just us? 😉
Well, if its Sunday dinner then it will be my mom making it. But if it’s a weeknight then it’s me or my wife. In the past, I haven’t been really good about eating pork, but my wife love pork tenderloin. I’m wondering if I can do this with the deer tenderloin, if that would work. I’m a big hunter and even though Costo is cheap, don’t have one around me.