Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions

Easy Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Apples, pork, and onions are a winning combination. The sweet apple slices and savory onions get nice and soft, and are flavored with butter, a bit of apple cider vinegar, and thyme. Depending on how low you cook them, they can be almost like a warm chutney and complement the pork perfectly.

Perfect for a quick every day meal. This recipe is easy to prepare, doesn’t require many ingredients, only gets one pan dirty, AND it’s pretty healthy! Pork tenderloin is lean and a good source of protein.

Also works for dinner parties. Because this recipe is easy to make, I often make it for dinner parties. It tastes fancy and I feel perfectly comfortable serving this dish to guests.

An autumn recipe. If I haven’t convinced you yet, I’ll also say that this is the perfect fall meal when apples are in season and at their very best. When it’s paired with roasted acorn squash or delicata squash? Color me happy! Warm buttery apples, caramelized onions, savory pork — I’m pretty sure you’re going to love this meal!

About Pork tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is an easy fast-cooking meat to prepare. It can be roasted whole or cut into quick cooking slices. It’s usually quite tender if it’s prepared properly. Overcooking pork tenderloin can make it dry and tough.

Many people confuse pork loin with pork tenderloin. They are different cuts.

Pork tenderloin is a much smaller cut of meat, usually one and half pounds or less. It is lean boneless meat that doesn’t have excess fat to trim off and is best cooked quickly until it’s just done (145°F).
Pork loins are larger, up to five pounds. They are boneless as well and usually come with a thick fat cap on the top. The meat is lighter in color. Pork loins can be cooked whole as a roast or sliced (pork loin chops). They can be braised in a slow cooker (try slow cooker pork loin with balsamic glaze), an Instant Pot (Instant Pot pork loin roast), oven or a smoker.

Ingredient Notes

• Pork Tenderloin: This lean cut of pork usually runs about one and half pounds. Look for an unseasoned pork tenderloin. Often they come with a marinade or seasoning already added and that won’t be necessary with this recipe because you’ll be seasoning the pork yourself.
• Apples: You’ll need a couple of large apples. Use a crisp flavorful apple that holds its shape when cooked like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, or Sweet Tango. It’s up to you whether you peel the apples or not.
• Onion: Look for a sweet onion variety such as Vidalia for the caramelized onions.
• Butter: The apples and onions are sautéed in butter. They are slow cooked allowing the butter to soak in, creating a caramelized flavor.
• Olive Oil: You’ll need a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or another oil that can take a little heat. The thin slices of pork are flash fried over a fairly high heat.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The sweet tangy flavor of apple cider vinegar goes perfectly with the apples and onion. It adds just a bit of zip to them.
• Thyme: Dried or fresh, it doesn’t matter. Use a bit more if you’re using fresh.
• Salt & Pepper: Season the dish to taste.

How To Make Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Sauté the onions and apples. Choose a large skillet, add a little bit of butter, and cook the apples and onions until they’re soft, about twenty to twenty-five minutes total.

Season the mixture. When the onions and apples start to look almost caramelized, you’ll know they’re ready. Season with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, salt and a dash of salt. The vinegar will add a nice tang to the mixture which goes perfectly with the richness of the pork. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Sauté the pork. Put the same skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, sauté the pork slices with a bit of oil for six to eight minutes. Don’t overcook the pork, you want it to be medium rare, 145°F, or with just a slight tinge of pink in the center.

Garnish and serve. That’s it! You’re ready to serve this delicious meal. Divide the warm apple onion mixture between 4 plates, and add a few slices of pork tenderloin.  A sprig of fresh thyme makes a nice garnish.

What Goes With Pork Tenderloin

Sides: Serve the dinner with creamy stovetop scalloped potatoes or a piping hot baked potato. Sweet potatoes, either roasted or cooked in your Instant Pot, are a good choice, too. Round out the meal with roasted broccoli or roasted green beans with parmesan and basil. Air fryer green beans or air fryer beets are a really quick option.

Dessert: Try this apple spice cake with bourbon glaze or easy pumpkin pudding (only 4 ingredients!). Lately we’ve been loving Instant Pot rice pudding.

For dinner party: If you’re having guests, serve apple cider mocktails (delicious with or without alcohol) or apple cider mules. For appetizers, butternut squash crostini and spiced pecans are a nice choice.

Recipe Variations

• Love balsamic? Instead of apple cider vinegar, substitute balsamic vinegar.
• Add raisins. Cook raisins with the apple mixture. They’ll soften and add lots of flavor. You can use either regular raisin or golden raisins.
• For garlic lovers: Add garlic, 1 or 2 cloves, finely minced, to the onion and apple mixture.

Make-Ahead Ideas

If you want to get a head start on this meal, prep the onions and apples up to a day ahead of time. Store them in separate containers in the fridge.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: Refrigerate leftover pork promptly in a covered container. It will keep for three to four days. If you’d rather freeze the leftovers, they’ll keep for two to three months in a freezer safe container. For best results, thaw frozen pork overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat: Gently reheat single portions in the microwave. For larger amounts, warm the sliced pork, apples, and onions in a skillet over low heat until heated through.

More Ways To Prepare Pork Tenderloins

• Pork medallions with lemon garlic sauce
• Spice rubbed roast pork tenderloin
• Pork tenderloin with port wine sauce 
• Grilled pork kabobs with apples
• Maple pork tenderloin with brown sugar and carrots (Love From the Oven).