Description
This Easy Baked Pork Tenderloin recipe offers a simple, flavorful way to prepare tender and juicy pork with a spiced brown sugar rub and a finish of melting butter. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, it yields perfectly cooked pork medallions with a delicious pan juice drizzle.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins about 1 pound each
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1/4 cup butter cut into pats
- Chopped parsley optional, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400F and move the oven rack to the middle position for even cooking.
- Prepare the Tenderloins: Trim any excess fat and remove the silver skin from the pork tenderloins. Pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels to help the rub adhere better.
- Mix the Spice Rub: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well to create a uniform spice blend.
- Coat the Pork: Rub the spice mixture all over the pork tenderloins ensuring an even coating on all sides.
- Arrange in Baking Dish: Place the coated pork tenderloins in a 9×13 inch baking dish and top each tenderloin with pats of butter.
- Bake the Pork: Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145F.
- Rest the Meat: Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes to retain its juices before slicing into medallions.
- Serve: Pour the pan juices over the sliced pork and garnish with chopped parsley if desired. These juices also pair well with side dishes like mashed potatoes.
Notes
- This recipe serves 6-8 people depending on portion sizes. Halve the ingredients to prepare one pork tenderloin (about 1 pound).
- Use pork tenderloin, not pork loin, as the loin requires longer cooking and is tougher.
- Pork cooked to 145F is safe to eat and may still have a slightly pink interior, which is normal and desirable for juiciness.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure perfect cooking every time without over or undercooking.
- This recipe is featured in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook, offering a trusted source for more everyday recipes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
