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
I made this tonight and it was absolutely fantastic! I had to tweak a few things though so I was concerned but it was great. I am allergic to garlic so I had to leave that out and I didn’t have coriander so I looked it up and cumin was suggested. I halfed the cumin because I was leary but now I wish I had used the whole teaspoon. The only other thing I did was use grapeseed oil because I didn’t have any of the ones you recommended. I knew it was good for high heats and it worked. I wish I had thought to make some sort of gravy with the juices but I didn’t think about it until I was through eating. I also have a gluten sensitivity so I’m not sure I would have known how to do that without flour. I’m sharing your page and recipe on my blog so I hope that’s ok. If not, please respond and let me know and I’ll remove it. Thanks for the great meal!
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! As long as you follow my terms listed here, sharing is just fine! 🙂
Forgot to pierce with fork or flip halfway through baking, still came out excellent! Transferred from fry pan to glass baking dish, added 1/2 cup chopped red onion to fry pan juices and sauted until almost transparent then added a couple of teaspoons of chopped garlic. Deglazed pan with about 1/3 cup chardonay, then added 1/2 cup beef stock, 4 roughly chopped fire roasted peppers (jarred, from Costco) and about 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts, brought to boil then simmered about 3 minutes to bring vegetables up to temperature. Poured vegetable mixture and juices over roast in pan and roasted for about 18 minutes. Delicious!
Mmmm, that sounds good! Thank you for sharing Jeff!
Wow! What a great and easy recipe. Followed the directions exactly. This is absolutely a recipe that I will be making over and over again.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! You’re welcome Dave!! 🙂
I made this last week for the first time. Used half the salt, added onion powder and witheld coriander (only because I didn’t have it). This was the best pork loin turnout I’ve ever had. Thanks a bunch!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing Marissa!
I am trying your recipe tonight. I do not have a frying pan that goes into the oven. I will sear in my frying pan then have to put into roasting pan. will this change how it turns out?
That should work just fine and I hope you love it! 🙂 The single pan is just to save an extra dish from ending up in the sink 🙂
Hi, would this still turn out if I skip the browning process and just put in a pan in the oven to do all of the cooking?
Hi Chanelle, the searing/browning step is important in this recipe as it helps to seal in the juices, producing a very tender center.
I am going to to roast a 5 lb loin. Should I still bake at 400 degree? I know it will take longer but didn’t know if higher temp longer would dry it out.
That seems really large, are you certain it’s a pork “TENDERLOIN” and not a pork Loin. This recipe is not intended for a pork loin.
So delicious!
Why trim the fat? Doesn’t that help keep the meat juicy?
Hi Vincent, with this method of cooking, searing the meat seals in the juices and it roasts quickly so it isn’t necessary to keep the fat on it. It actually works better to remove the silver skin.
Do you have the nutritional information on this?
Hi Dawn, I don’t typically include calorie counts because of the time constraint that I have. I really need to hire some help to do that for me! When I need a quick answer though; I have used Caloriecount.com (their recipe analyzer is free).
Hi, I want to make this recipe, but, wondered how long I should cook it if I have 3 tenderloins? Thank you.
The baking time should be pretty close to the same if you are not crowding your tenderloins into the pan. If you keep them on a roasting pan without touching each other, it should be about the same baking time, it may be a few minutes longer. I would recommend using a meat thermometer to be sure.
I hate admitting it, but I used a pre-mixed spice for steaks and roasts that my local butcher shop carries, but followed your directions exactly other than that. It was PERFECT. Thank you for this recipe, it will be my go to for future tenderloins. 🙂 Great New Year dinner!
Glad you loved the recipe! Happy New Year Shea 🙂
The most tender pork I have ever prepared. My spices were parsley,sage, fresh rosemary and thyme with sea salt anf fresh ground pepper. Followed directions exactly and was the best tenderloin …. a bit pink in the center and so moist. Made a nice gravy by deglasing the pan drippings. Even leftovers after two days were still as tender and moist. My new favorite pork recipe. Delicious Natasha… thank you
You are very welcome and thank you for such a rave review 😬!
Merry Christmas! This was my very first pork tenderloin and it turned out fantastic! Thank you so much!
It reached internal temperature but was still pinkish inside. But it was so wonderful!
Vikki, I’m so glad to hear that 😬! Thank you for such a nice review!
From all the pork loin recipes I have seen, this one its the one I have decided to make, looks so good and juicy, hope it comes out the same way as yours, thank you for the recipe!
You are gonna love it! Let me know how it turns out. Merry Christmas 🙂
I bought 2 pork tenderloins at COSTCO (total weight is 5.40 lb. or about 2 3/4 lb. each) I would like to roast both in a 350 degree oven so I can also roast some garlic red potatoes. Is the 20 min. per pound ? Have you roasted your tenderloin in foil before? I also saw a recipe to do in a crock-pot. Your idea on this? Recipe said to cook for 4 hours on low….Trying to decide how to cook…THanks
Hi Pam, I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t really say. Searing and then roasting is my go-to method for pork tenderloin because it produces really juicy results. If you use your larger tenderloins with this method, I would suggest using a meat thermometer to check the tenderloin for doneness.
Hi natasha, What do i do if i cut the pork and it doesnt look quiet done (still a little pink)
Hi Lily, I would highly recommend using a meat thermometer to be sure. If your tenderloin was the same weight as mine, it should be sufficient to sear/roast per the instructions for it to be fully cooked. Pork tenderloin will look a little pink normally even when it is fully cooked. When you watched the video recipe, did my pork look the same “pink” that yours did? I even overcook it a little bit every time (personal preference) and it still looks a little pink inside but that is to be expected.
Hi Natasha
Have a question. I would like to make this pork and was wondering if I can do everything except oven, wanna do like brown and when needed like in 1 or 2 hours put in the oven?
So my question is if I am gonna brown meat and if it’s gonna seat like room temperature for 1 or 2 hours and after that put to the oven?
Thank you
I think that should be ok, but keep in mind it will cool down before going into the oven so you might bake a little longer since you’re re-heating it. I do think it would be better to sear and bake and then reheat gently before serving. This meat stays really juicy and tastes great served even at room temperature.
Hi Natasha-
I want to serve this for a christmas dinner. I found another pork tenderloin recipe with a cranberry sauce, if I made the cranberry sauce could this be added as an option to put over this pork tenderloin recipe or would the flavors conflict?
Hi Julie, I haven’t tried that combination but it does sound like it could work well.
Super easy and good!
Thank you Karen! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Best pork tenderloin I have ever made! Will make this over and over! Thanks for a great recipe!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!