Name: Juiciest Pork Tenderloin
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes, plus at least 1 hour marinating
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 1–1½-lb. pork tenderloins; 3 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided; 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 2 Tbsp. thyme leaves; 4 garlic cloves; ¼ cup apple cider vinegar; ¼ cup Dijon mustard; ¼ cup honey; 1 tsp. onion powder; ½ tsp. red pepper flakes; 2 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as grapeseed)

Slices of pork tenderloin on a platter being served with a honeymustard sauce.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

The best method for cooking pork tenderloin, one that has a golden crust with a truly juicy interior, is to first pan-sear it and then finish it in the oven. A lean cut like this can become very dry if overcooked, so the move is to go hot and fast—which also means dinner is ready in about half an hour if you’ve marinated the pork earlier in the day. A big batch of a tangy-sweet mixture of honey, mustard, and apple cider vinegar gets split in half to serve as both marinade and sauce in this simple recipe. The honey helps create a nice crust on the meat in a shorter amount of time. Grab an instant-read thermometer—it’s a great tool to take the guesswork out of cooking perfectly done pork.

This pork tenderloin recipe serves six; it’s ideal for a dinner party, served alongside a big green salad and some roasted potatoes. But it can also easily be halved for a weeknight dinner for two or three.

Recipe information

Total Time
35 minutes, plus at least 1 hour marinating
Yield
6 servings

Ingredients

2 1–1½-lb. pork tenderloins

3 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided

2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. thyme leaves

4 garlic cloves

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup honey

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as grapeseed)

Preparation

Step 1
Season two 1–1½-lb. pork tenderloins all over with 2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt and 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper and transfer to a large bowl or resealable bag. Add 2 Tbsp. thyme leaves and finely grate 4 garlic cloves over the pork.
Step 2
Mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, ¼ cup honey, 1 tsp. onion powder, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes in a small bowl until just combined. Season with remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Pour half of honey-mustard sauce over pork and turn to coat. Reserve remaining honey-mustard sauce for serving. Cover or seal bag and let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 425°.
Step 4
Heat 2 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as grapeseed) in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Remove pork from marinade and let excess drip off. Sear pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer skillet to oven and roast, flipping pork halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140°, 14–18 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing ½” thick. Serve drizzled with reserved honey-mustard sauce.