Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Not only is grilled pork tenderloin juicy, flavorful, and perfect for entertaining, it’s also easy enough for a weeknight meal! A sweet-and-savory marinade and a few simple tricks guarantee it always turns out tender.
How long it takes: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: grill, zip-top bag or shallow dish, small bowl or liquid measuring cup
Servings: 4
This One Is in My Summer Rotation
As much as I love grilled burgers or brats, sometimes I want to break out of that routine. Grilled tenderloin feels like something special. (Grilled pork kebobs are another favorite of mine!) This is one of those recipes I come back to every summer.
If pork tenderloin is on sale, make sure to pick some up and give this recipe a try!
What makes mine special:
- Incredibly juicy and tender: The secret’s in the marinade and letting the tenderloin come to room temperature so it cooks evenly and quickly on the grill.
- Pantry marinade with a big payoff: A handful of pantry staples come together to create layers of savory, tangy, and sweet flavor.
- Easy to scale: The marinade can be doubled if you’re cooking for a crowd and want to grill two tenderloins at once.
Ingredient Notes
There are two components to this recipe: the pork tenderloin itself and the marinade. Here’s a quick overview:
- Pork tenderloin: Look for a tenderloin weighing about 1 to 1¼ pounds, which will serve 3 to 4 people. Make sure the tenderloin is not seasoned or marinated already; it should be a plain tenderloin. Sometimes tenderloins come in packages of two; you can easily double the marinade ingredients and grill both tenderloins at the same time.
- Marinade: Olive oil helps keep this lean cut moist, while soy sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper bring ALL the flavor.
How to Make Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Make the marinade. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
Marinate. Place the pork tenderloin in a zip-top bag or a shallow dish. I prefer a bag for this recipe to ensure that the marinade completely covers the pork tenderloin. Add the marinade to the bag, and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. (If you use a zip-top bag, I still recommend setting it in a dish to catch any leaks. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you’ll be glad you did!)
Recipe Tip
Don’t over-marinate. More isn’t better when it comes to marinating time! After 8 hours, the proteins in the meat will begin to break down and affect its texture, making it mushy.
Prepare for grilling. Take the pork tenderloin out of the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes before you plan to start cooking to let it come to room temperature. Preheat your grill to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil the grill grates.
Grill. Remove the pork from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and discard the marinade. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so, until the outside of the tenderloin has nice grill marks, is evenly charred, and reaches an internal temperature of 140 to 145ºF.
Rest. Transfer the grilled pork tenderloin to a plate and tent it with foil. Let the pork rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to reincorporate. Slice it into approximately one-inch slices, and serve.
What to Serve With Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled sides. Since you have the grill fired up anyway, make grilled Brussels sprouts or grilled zucchini. They’re quick and easy. Grilled vegetable salad or grilled peach salad with burrata are a little more complicated but super tasty and totally worth the effort.
- Salad. I love cold deli-style salads that I can prep in advance when I’m grilling. Try this dill potato salad, it’s one of our favorites. A simple cucumber tomato salad would go well with the pork, or try my classic pea salad or carrot salad recipes.
- Potatoes. These Parmesan potatoes are a side that goes with almost anything. If you’re a fan of baked potatoes but don’t want to turn your oven on, try air fryer baked potatoes. Easy and delicious!
Leftover slices of grilled pork tenderloin make fantastic sandwiches! You can warm the pork first or serve it cold.
Refrigerate: Store leftover pork tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. With such a lean cut, I’d steer clear of freezing leftovers, as it’s likely to be dry upon reheating.
Reheat: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave to avoid drying it out.
More Pork Tenderloin Recipes
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 to 1¼ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, Dijon, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Place pork tenderloins in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the pork and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.1 pork tenderloin
- For best results, remove pork from the refrigerator about 15 to 30 minutes before grilling (see note).
- Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400 to 450°F). Clean and oil the grates.
- Remove pork from the marinade and let excess drip off (discard the marinade). Grill the pork for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely charred on all sides and the internal temperature reaches 140 to 145°F.
- Transfer the grilled pork to a clean plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. The internal temperature will continue to rise slightly.
- Using a sharp serrated knife or carving knife, slice the tenderloin into 1-inch slices, and serve.
Notes
- Pork: Be sure to buy pork tenderloins that are unseasoned and not already marinated. If the tenderloins are slightly smaller or larger, simply adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Pro tip: Removing the pork from the refrigerator ahead of time allows it to warm up slightly which helps it cook more evenly. If the pork is ice cold all the way through, the outside will get done before the inside does. If the room temperature is very warm, I’d lean more toward 15 minutes. You can preheat the grill in the meantime.
- Yield: A 1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin will yield four 5-ounce servings, 3 to 4 slices each, depending on how thick the slices are. The nutrition information below is calculated for 1 ¼ pounds. Keep in mind that the information is slightly skewed because most of the marinade is discarded and not eaten.
- Double the recipe: Often two pork tenderloins are packaged together. If you’d like to grill both of them at the same time, the marinade recipe can easily be doubled.
- Variations: The marinade is pretty versatile and can be used for pork chops, steak, or chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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