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Hands-down our favorite way to prepare a juicy, flavorful spice-rubbed pork tenderloin. Try this pork tenderloin recipe and you’ll find yourself coming back to it over and over.

Image of sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin on a blue plate with carrots and onions and a fork. In the background, more sliced pork tenderloin is pictured on a cutting board with a knife. Also in the image is a text overlay that reads "our favorite spice-rubbed pork tenderloin."

I’ve needed to blog this recipe for a long time. I have made this spice rubbed pork tenderloin more times than I can count. I’ve made it for my family, I’ve made it for extended family, and I’ve made it for friends.

It is hands-down our favorite pork tenderloin recipe. A close second is probably the pork tenderloin with roasted grapes that I made way back in the early days of my blog.  I also really like this recipe for pork tenderloin with apples and onions, perfect for fall. And if you’re looking for a really quick way to prepare pork tenderloin, try these pork medallions with lemon garlic sauce.

I recently chatted with you all about how much we love pork. (Remember my bourbon-plum BBQ pulled pork?) I’m happy to be teaming up with the Ohio Pork Producers to chat about pork a little more and finally share this recipe with you.

Image of sliced pork tenderloin on a cutting board with a fork and knife.

In that earlier post, I mentioned the changes the National Pork Board recently made to the names of the different cuts of pork. I also mentioned this handy guide that will help you the next time you wander on up to the butcher’s counter.

(If they’re on top of things — my butcher looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him for a New York pork roast for the BBQ pulled pork. But they’ll catch on soon. Hopefully.)

Close up image of two slices of pork tenderloin on a blue plate, served with roasted carrots and onions.

When you’re cooking pork, it is of utmost importance not to overcook it.

For perfectly cooked pork, you want to stop cooking at 145 degrees, removing the pork from the oven, and then let the meat rest at least 5 minutes so that it can come to 160 degrees. You’ll be left with juicy, delicious pork like this pork tenderloin.

I recommend a great meat thermometer – I have a Themapen and I swear by it. I love it. I also plan to print this cooking chart to help me when preparing new pork recipes.

Horizontal image of cooked, sliced pork tenderloin on a cutting board with a knife.

Image of two slices of cooked pork tenderloin on a blue plate served with carrots.

About this pork tenderloin recipe: 

Just a few more quick things about this spice rubbed pork tenderloin recipe. It’s super easy. Mix up two teaspoons of each of the spices (only get one measuring spoon dirty!), rub on, sear, bake, rest, serve. It’s pretty enough to serve to guests and it’s easy enough to be on your menu every week.

This recipe is also Whole 30 compliant, keto and paleo friendly, and because pork tenderloin is so lean, it’s a healthy choice for anyone. A three ounce serving of pork tenderloin is less than 150 calories and contains 22 grams of protein. And it’s delicious!

Image of pork tenderloin served on a blue plate with carrots and onions.

Wondering what to serve with spice rubbed pork tenderloin?

Here’s a few of my favorite side dishes that would pair perfectly with this easy pork recipe:

 

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Hands-down our family’s favorite way to prepare a juicy, flavorful spice rubbed pork tenderloin.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins, each 1 1/2 pounds), fat trimmed and silver skin removed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoons coriander
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, thyme, salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub this all over pork tenderloins.
  3. In a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil. When it is hot, add pork tenderloins and sear on all sides, or about 10 minutes (2-3 minutes per side — you want a nice brown color).
  4. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked to 145°F. Let meat rest for at least 5 minutes (should be 160°F at that point) prior to slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Please feel free to customize the spice mixture to your own liking. If you're a garlic fan, increase the amount of garlic. If you like a little more heat, add cayenne red pepper.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 6 oz.
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 627mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 45g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Rachel Gurk
Cuisine: American / Category: Pork
Verdict: This is one of my favorite (if not my very favorite) pork tenderloin recipes. I haven’t changed my mind.
Husband’s take: “I don’t even really like pork but I could eat this every night.” My kids love this too. Well, E does. N doesn’t really like any meat.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: So easy!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Ohio Pork Council and the Ohio Soybean Council. All opinions are, as always, my own. We love pork and we love this recipe. This post also contains an affiliate link.