What’s so great about pork tenderloin is that it cooks up quick and is very tender and juicy. The average tenderloin weighs about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. The one I used was 1.33 pounds. So most often you will find two tenderloins in the package. For a larger family dinner, I cook both. For just the two or three of us, I cook one and freeze the other for later which makes buying tenderloin a little more economical for my family. Pork tenderloins are also often sold prepackaged in a marinade and as a rule, I do not buy this variety as I do prefer to season the meat myself and control the amount of salt and other additives used in my meal.
My absolute favorite way to cook a pork tenderloin is in my trusted cast iron skillet. Since pork tenderloin is a pretty lean cut of meat, it’s important not to overcook it. It can turn from a tender and juicy cut of meat to dry and chewy rather quickly, so I use a thermometer and cook it to only about 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat. New pork cooking standards issued by the USDA say that it’s fine for the pork to be a little pink inside, as long as it has reached the correct temperature in the thickest part of the meat. This new set of cooking temperatures was issued several years ago now and so it’s become the new standard with pork.
I start the pork on the cooktop and finish it in a pre-heated oven. Start to finish, the meal can be ready in about 25-minutes. It’s awesome for a weeknight meal.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pat the pork dry and cut off any large pieces of surface fat or silver skin covering the meat. Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix into the surface of the pork on all sides.
- On the stove over medium-high heat, heat the skillet and add the olive oil. when the pan is hot, add the pork in the pan, curving it to the shape of the pan if it's too long. Cook the tenderloin 5 minutes to caramelize the top and then flip it and cook for another 5 minutes to caramelize the other side.
- Remove the pan from the cooktop and place it into the preheated oven and continue to roast for another 15 minutes.
- The pork is done when its internal temperature registers 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat.
- Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Cooking time is the same if you use one or both tenderloins.
If you enjoyed Roasted Pork Tenderloin, you may also like:
Love the spices you have used! Your Pork Tenderloin looks amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
I absolutely love my cast iron as well! And the crust that you have on that pork looks amazing! I love a crust that delivers crunch and a lot of flavor!
Gotta love any pan that can go from the stove top to the oven to finish cooking.
I love to make a pork roast when we have a special family dinner; this looks like the perfect dish! And, only 25 minutes, awesome!
It makes a great dish that is impressive to guests but doesn’t take a lot of time or preparation. I serve this with roasted asparagus and oven potatoes since it all cooks up quickly together.
The spices on top of this pork tenderloin look absolutely delicious. I bet your kitchen was filled with the most amazing scent ever. What sides would you recommend serving with this?
I like to serve roasted asparagus and oven roasted potatoes since I can cook them all in the oven together at the same time.
Can’t deny that the house sure did smell good when we were cooking this! 🙂
I love pork loin and agree I’d much rather season it myself than buy one with a marinade! I keep meaning to invest in a cast iron skillet!
Cast iron really is versatile for so many recipes from breakfast to dessert.
This sounds really straightforward. I’ll have to show it to my husband, he loves cooking meat when I’m away!
I hope that your husband enjoys it.
The pork looks perfectly moist and the char on the exterior looks great.
It was delicious, Peter. Very tender and moist indeed.
I just made this and it was absolutely delicious! It was moist and full of flavor! It didn’t take like long at all to prepare and serve. This is definitely at the top of my “go to” dinner meal.
Thanks, Billie! I showed my husband your comment and he said it “was the best tenderloin [he’s] ever eaten. Tender and juicy.” Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! I appreciate it so much. 🙂
Do you cover the pork before putting in oven?
Hi Mrs. Sweeney,
Great question! No, I do not cover it since it’s already been seared on all sides and only goes in for a short time. If you prefer, you may cover it. Thank you for taking the time to stop in and ask that question. I hope you enjoy.