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This Roasted Pork Tenderloin is cooked in a rich balsamic glaze that beautifully blends the earthy taste of rosemary, the tangy flavor of vinegar, and a hint of garlic. Paired with perfectly roasted baby red potatoes, this filling and flavorful meal is a perfect choice, especially when served with a light salad and a glass of wine.
If you’re craving more pork tenderloin recipes, give this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin a try—it’s always a hit!
No other cut of pork can hold a candle to pork tenderloin when it comes to soaking up flavor. Since it’s such a thin cut, the rich and deep flavors of garlic, rosemary, and sweet yet tangy balsamic vinegar really get a chance to shine. The glaze also helps ensure that the delicate meat stays nice and tender.
This juicy and flavorful roasted pork tenderloin recipe is also great for a quick meal because it has a built-in side dish. Not only do you get the sumptuous meat, but it also comes with potatoes that are cooked right there in the same pan! This saves time and means the potatoes will be packed with flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- Quick Flavorful Dinner: Opting for pork tenderloin ensures a quicker cooking time and better absorption of flavors, giving you a tender and delicious meal every time.
- All-In-One Meal: The recipe incorporates potatoes cooked right alongside the pork, so you get a flavorful side dish without any extra effort.
- Juiciness Guaranteed: The delicious glaze not only adds flavor but also ensures the pork remains tender throughout the cooking process.
- Effortless: With a short list of common ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, this dish can be assembled in just 10 minutes and is perfect for both beginners and seasoned cooks.
Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin
Although pork loin and pork tenderloin might sound pretty much the same, there’s a world of difference in those six extra letters! Pork loin roast is a much thicker cut of meat. This means it takes longer to cook and needs more time to marinate before the flavor can really sink in, and it’s best for a porchetta recipe or slow cooker pork loin. We use pork tenderloin in this recipe because it is quicker, more tender, and fully soaks up the flavors of the glaze.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pork tenderloin recipe is easy to make with only a handful of ingredients you probably already have sitting around your kitchen. The glaze can be whipped up in no time at all, and the oven does the rest of the work!
- Pork Tenderloin: Don’t substitute other cuts.
- Olive Oil: Used for the glaze and to help brown the pork and potatoes. Any other neutral cooking oil can be used.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Provides a tangy, slightly sweet depth of flavor. You could substitute red wine vinegar with a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar.
- Garlic: Whole cloves, crushed. Use garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon per clove) if fresh garlic isn’t available.
- Rosemary: If you don’t have fresh rosemary, add about 1 teaspoon dried rosemary. Fresh thyme is also a good option.
- Salt & Black Pepper: A simple seasoning that will enhance the flavors of the pork and glaze.
- Red Potatoes: Cut into quarters. Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes can be used instead.
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin
Ten to fifteen minutes is all you need to get this dish assembled and ready for the oven. Follow these easy steps for perfectly cooked tenderloin with potatoes.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Prep Your Materials: Use cooking spray to grease a roasting pan, then place the pork in it.
- Assemble the Glaze: Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, rosemary leaves, salt, and pepper in your food processor and blend until the mixture thickens into a paste.
- Glaze the Pork and Prep the Potatoes: Cover the meat on all sides using 3/4 of the glaze. Cut the potatoes into quarters and spread the rest of the rub onto the potatoes. Place the potatoes around the pork and pop it into the oven for 8 minutes, flipping the meat halfway through to brown evenly on both sides.
- Reduce the Oven Temp to 350°F, and cook for 40 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, and the pork should read at least 145°F on your meat thermometer.
- Let it Cool: Let the pork rest for 5 minutes. This not only cools the meat but also allows the flavorful juices to sink into the pork and potatoes.
- Serve: Transfer the pork tenderloin to a cutting board. Cut it into slices and serve it with the potatoes and a side of roasted carrots.
How to Tell When Pork is Done
Since it can be hard to tell if meat is cooked all the way through just by looking at it, the best way to tell when your pork tenderloin is done is to use a meat thermometer and pull the pork out of the oven when its internal temperature reaches 145˚F. Instant-read digital thermometers are easy to use and give you quick results.
Recipe Tips
From selecting the right cut of meat to mastering the perfect seasoning and cooking techniques, follow these tricks and tips for a successful roasted pork tenderloin dinner.
- Cut of meat: I’ll say it again because it’s important to use pork tenderloin, not pork loin, for this recipe. Keep the loin for this amazing pork roast recipe.
- Cover the Pork: Covering the pan with tin foil after adding the potatoes can stop the steam from escaping and result in a juicier pork tenderloin. However, doing this can make the potatoes less crispy. It’s really up to you to decide whether to cover the pan or not.
- Score the Tenderloin: Before adding the glaze, try making small cuts or scores across the top of your pork. This helps the meat stay tender and absorb more flavor.
- Allow the Meat to Rest: Giving the pork time to rest both before and after it’s roasted will also help it stay tender and absorb the flavors more deeply. The resting time after cooking is especially important to lock in the juices.
Serving Suggestions
Since this pork tenderloin recipe already has a built-in side dish, any other sides should stay light. This refreshing Cabbage Cucumber Salad has a light dressing and brings the bright crunch of fresh greens. You could also pair the pork with our Classic Southern Coleslaw and these amazing Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Cooled pork should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze. To freeze roasted pork tenderloin, wrap it in plastic wrap and foil before freezing it, and keep it in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. To serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat. To reheat, use the oven to warm it through. You can also use the stove if you want to give it a light sear. If you saved any of the glaze or the juices from the pan, pour them on before reheating to add more flavor and keep the meat tender.
More Flavorful Pork Recipes
This dish is a rich and flavorful way to make pork tenderloin, but there’s so much more you can do with this little cut! Check out the recipes below for more inspiration.
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Char Siu
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Baked Bone In Pork Chops
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Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar of Modena
- 10 cloves garlic, smashed
- ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed, scrubbed, and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a roasting pan with cooking spray; place the pork inside the roasting pan and set aside.
- In a food processor or small blender, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper; process until thickened and the consistency is that of a wet paste.
- Spread 3/4 of the glaze on all sides of the pork. Prepare the potatoes by combining them with the remaining glaze. Arrange the potatoes around the meat. Place in oven and cook for 8 minutes, flipping the pork halfway through cooking for even browning.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F.
- Continue to cook for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring the potatoes halfway through cooking, until the pork is cooked and the potatoes are tender. Pork is done when its internal temperature registers at 145°F.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the roast to a cutting board; slice and serve with the potatoes.
Notes
- Marinating Time: If time allows, let the pork marinate in the balsamic mixture for a few hours. This allows for deeper flavor penetration.
- Cover the Pork: Using tin foil to cover the pan can make the pork juicier by trapping in the steam, but it might reduce the crispiness of the potatoes.
- Score the Tenderloin: Make small cuts on top of the pork before glazing. It helps in flavor absorption.
- Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh rosemary and garlic over dried or pre-minced versions. They significantly impact the depth and authenticity of flavors.
- Temperature Check: Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork is cooked to the desired temperature. It’s the best way to avoid over or under-cooking. If the pork is cooked through before the potatoes, remove the pork from the pan, transfer it to a cutting board, and continue to cook the potatoes until done.
- Let the Meat Rest: Resting the pork before and after roasting is crucial for retaining juices.
- To Store: Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, tin foil, or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Amazing easy recipe! Great for dinner party!
Hi:
Made this pork and it was very good but just wanted to ask what do I need to do to have the sauce they have in the video… mine didn’t have any sauce..
TIA!
Pork loin and pork tenderloin are two different cuts. I was looking for loin recipes and this one came up. Perhaps you’ll want to change the name of your recipe.
Did anyone else have an issue with the potatoes not being done all the way? When the 50 minutes was up I had to re up the temp to 450 to finish both the meat and potatoes
The title of this recipe is misleading. Pork loin and pork tenderloin are two entirely different things.
Agreed! Very different cuts of meat. That being said, maybe the potatoes would cook through with a pork loin?
I’m cooking 1lb rather than 2. How would you suggest I adjust the cooking time?
We are thinking of making this on Christmas Day but my family wants mashed potatoes instead. What would be the cooking temp / time for just the loin? Thanks!
Hi there, I followed the directions as you posted but the meat came out dry. Have I over cooked the meat? If so how long? I used 2 lbs of meat and cook the total time of 55 min.
Bases on reading this comment, I checked the temperature about 20 minutes early, the temperature was 160°F. II took it out of the oven immediately and it was not dry, it was moist and delicious. I believe the article does state To gage doneness by temperature and not time.
Can you use chicken instead of pork?
If so what would work best? And how long to cook it?
It’s frustrating that this recipe is listed as a “Pork Loin” recipe but it actually calls for a pork tenderloin. Those are very different cuts of meat. You might want to consider renaming this recipe so it is not misleading.
I didn’t see it in the recipe but do you cover the pan while baking the balsamic pork loin ?
Hi! No, you don’t need to cover it – I never have. However, I do see some commenters here that did cover theirs and then uncovered it for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
ok thanks Katerina