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
Making this recipe for the second time because the first time I made it, I felt like a 5 star chef! Simple, flavorful, juicy. The secret is pan searing it first before putting the tenderloin in the oven. I let mine to 160 degrees and it was amazing! Thank you, Natasha!
Jessica, I’m so glad you like the recipe and you are welcome 😁.
Hi Natasha,
I was trying to make this recipe for a church potluck. Is it possible to sear it the night before and then bake it in the morning?
Julia, I haven’t tried it that way but it should work. You might have to bake it a little longer.
Tasted great! But it took well over 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven to get the internal temp to 150-160.
Hi Peter, was your tenderloin much larger than mine?
I want to make this tonight, but want it to be a little pink on the inside. How long should I leave it in?
Hi Linda, do you have a meat thermometer? Bake until center of pork registers 150˚F (I let mine get to 160 and it’s still super tender). You don’t want to go over 150˚F for a little pink on the inside. Not all ovens are the same but as a guideline, I’d say 12-13 minutes in the oven.
Just made this tonight as a quick dinner. It was delicious! My husband thought it was gourmet. Made it with mashed golden potatoes, green bean and baby carrot medley an sauteed apples. I made a simple onion gravy for the potatoes. Simple and could even be made for “company”. Will make again.
Mmmmm your dinner sounds amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review!
Hi – Great looking recipe and I can’t wait to try it tomorrow.
Quick question – I’m planning on using both loins that comes in the Costco bag, does it matter if I sear both or does it have to be done one at a time? I guess I’m just worried about crowding the pan too much since I’m only searing, not cooking the meat.
Thank You! 🙂
If they both fit into the pan without touching each other then you can sear them together. If not, I’d recommend searing them separately then transferring them into 1 of the pans which is oven safe and baking them together. When I doubled the recipe, I seared them separately to be safe :).
I made this using a Calphalon non stick fry pan and put it in the oven with no problem. I didn’t have coriander so substituted basil. It was delicious – thanks!
That’s great to know! I guess as long as it’s oven safe, it should be fine. Thanks for sharing that Linda! 🙂
Natasha…….When putting in the oven do I leave pan “uncovered”? Also about how long does it take to reach this temperature I am thinking by your sum up times !5 minutes?
Hi JoAnn, yes, leave it uncovered and bake 13-15 minutes and then don’t forget to let it rest.
Great recipe, easy with great results. I didn’t have coriander but went with the other ingredients. I used a cast iron skillet for browning and put the whole thing in the oven. Great flavor and cooked nicely.
Thank you for the nice review, I’m glad you liked it 😀.
Can I use this recipe for pork loin
Since pork tenderloin and pork loin vary so much in size (thickness), you can’t really substitute them for one another. It is best to cook pork tenderloin over fairly high heat while pork loin is best either slow roasted or grilled. I haven’t tried to substitute them in this recipe but my gut tells me no :).
Absolutely delicious – didn’t have coriander so used 1/2 tsp each of basil and parsley. Def one of, if not the best tenderloin I’ve ever made. Have to watch closely though as can easily overlook and thus be dry. Thank you for this recipe.
I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Cooked this tonight. Was a huge success wife my wife and kids. Very flavorful and juicy! will use this recipe again for sure!! highly recommended this to anyone!
Charles, thank you for such a great review, what a compliment 😊. I’m so glad that everyone loved it.
Cooking this right now. Do I cover the Dutch oven while it is in the oven? I’m covering to keep it juicy, but I’m afraid the recipe intends it to be uncovered. I guess I’ll just keep an eye on it???
You do keep it uncovered. I will always tell you if it is meant to be covered. You don’t want to cover it because you don’t want it to steam cook but rather roast.
I want to make this for dinner tonight, but I don’t have coriander…I saw one commenter said she used 1/2 basil and 1/2 parsley flakes in place of coriander. Do you suggest anything different than that?
You can substitute with those or just leave out the coriander. I’ve done it without (the last time I made this actually, because I was out) and it turned out great :).
It will be just fine without coriander. Many people find it too strong anyway. The recipe all ready calls for Italian seasoning w/c contains basil and parsley, so don’t add more.
This was the best pork tenderloin that I’ve ever made/had!!! And I love that it was easy, quick, and only used one pan.
Isn’t that great? I love the one-pan factor too :). Thanks for the awesome review!
I have a 4 pound tenderloin and would love to try this recipe… Would I quadruple the ingredient amounts? How much longer should I cook it?
Thank you!
Without testing one that large, I can’t really guess exactly how long to bake it. I’d definitely recommend using a meat thermometer. I probably wouldn’t quadruple the ingredients since you don’t have 4x the surface area and the outsides might get too salty. I’d recommend making about 2 1/2 to 3 times the ingredients for a 4 lb tenderloin.
Love all your recipes! Would like to try this one. Wondering if I could put it in a crockpot?
Maureen, this recipe won’t work in the crockpot. It will be a completely different result. I would have to try making it in the crockpot and see what alterations need to be made before recommending it.
This is by far, the best pork tenderlion I have ever had, much less made. Perfect for our Christmas dinner, and lefties for a few days. Wonderful!!!!
Sorry I forgot to rate – of course this is 5 stars!!!!
Robin thank you for such a great review, it’s quiet a compliment 😊.
Can I cook more than one tenderloin in the pan? I will need 2 tenderloins for dinner. Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
If your pan can fit them, you can make more than one, just keep a little space between them. The bake time should be the same – I’d aim for the higher end (15 minutes) if roasting 2.
I cooked this last week and it is a very delicious and easy to make recipe. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! My sister told me she’s making this same recipe for Christmas dinner! 🙂
I’m making this for Christmas dinner as well for my wife and her family. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I hope you all love it. Have a wonderful Christmas!