Mustard Pork Tenderloin
One-pan Mustard Pork Tenderloin is tender and juicy with a savory Dijon mustard sauce and cooks in about 30 minutes. This fast, easy pork tenderloin recipe is simple enough for a weeknight meal and elegant enough for a special occasion.
Complete the meal with roasted potatoes and green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
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You're Going to Love This
- Perfectly tender and juicy pork tenderloin with savory Dijon sauce
- Easy one-pan recipe with simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store
- Dijon pork tenderloin makes awesome leftovers -- serve thin slices of cold pork tenderloin on Hawaiian rolls with Swiss cheese and Dijon for a delicious lunch or snack.
Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
Pork tenderloins. Be sure to get pork tenderloin for this recipe, not pork loin. A pork tenderloin is a long, lean cut of meat that is about 1 pound each. Pork loins are much larger, 2-5 pounds each, and will take much longer to cook.
Oil. Olive oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, and avocado oil are all great choices for searing meat at a high temperature.
Dijon. Dijon mustard is the perfect pairing for pork. If you don't have any, try one of these Dijon mustard substitutes.
Heavy cream. A little cream stirred into the mustard cream sauce adds richness and, of course, creaminess.
Variations
- Swap out the brown sugar with honey for a delicious honey mustard pork tenderloin.
- Add your favorite seasonings to the pork tenderloin before searing like Italian seasoning, onion powder, paprika, and cumin.
- If you don't have fresh garlic, add garlic powder with the brown sugar and Dijon.
- If you choose to use fresh thyme instead of dried, add 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme with the cream.
- If you don't have heavy cream, stir in a little sour cream into the mustard sauce right at the end. Do not boil or it can curdle the sauce.
How to Make Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Step 1: Pat the tenderloins dry. Heat oil in a 12" oven-safe stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Season pork with salt and black pepper, sear all sides until you get a nice crust. Remove the seared tenderloins from pan.
Step 2: Add butter and garlic to the pan, stir until light golden brown. Add the broth, scraping up the golden bits from the bottom of the pan. Add brown sugar, mustard, and dried thyme.
Step 3: Return the tenderloins to the pan and turn to coat them in the sauce.
Step 4: Place pan in oven and bake uncovered until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees f on an instant-read thermometer. Use a spoon or pastry brush to baste pork with the sauce a few times during cooking.
Step 5: Remove tenderloins from pan and place on a cutting board to rest. While the pork rests, return skillet to stove top, add cream, and simmer a few minutes until slightly thickened.
Step 6: Slice tenderloins into 1" thick medallions. Serve pan sauce on top of the pork or in a small bowl on the side. If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley or fresh thyme.
Expert Tips
- If the silver skin (a silvery connective tissue) is still attached to the pork tenderloins, remove it by sliding a knife underneath it and gently pulling or cutting it off.
- Pat the pork dry before searing to achieve better browning.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the pork. Check the pork with a meat thermometer and remove it when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, cook the tenderloins and sauce on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.
- After roasting the pork, cover the handle of the skillet with an oven mitt so you remember it's HOT!
FAQs
The recommended internal temperature of pork used to be 160 degrees -- however, it often resulted in dry, tough meat. The USDA has changed its stance and recognizes that cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees with a 3-minute rest is just as safe as cooking it to 160 -- and that it results in more tender, juicier meat.
Reheating pork can be tricky because you don't want to cook it anymore and dry it out. Our favorite way to enjoy leftover mustard pork tenderloin is cold and thinly sliced.
If you choose to reheat it, do so gently and with relatively low heat. In a skillet, heat a little oil over medium heat and add whole or sliced tenderloin. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and turn every few minutes until warm. Slices will only take a few minutes, while a whole tenderloin will take 10 or more.
Or, place it in a 300-degree wrapped in foil with some broth. Reheat pork to an internal temperature of 165.
Store leftover pork tenderloin and mustard sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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📖 Recipe
Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork tenderloins
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, each
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Sear the tenderloins in the hot pan on all sides, 6-9 minutes. Remove tenderloins from the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and the garlic to the pan. Stir for 30 seconds until light golden. Add the broth. Use a spatula to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and thyme. Return the tenderloins to the pan and turn a few times to coat in the sauce.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake uncovered until the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloins. Baste the pork with sauce a few times during cooking.
- Remove the tenderloins and place on a cutting board to rest. Return skillet to the stove over medium heat (careful, the handle is HOT!). Stir cream into the sauce and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
- Slice tenderloins into 1" thick medallions. Spoon sauce over the tenderloins or serve on the side. Sprinkle with fresh herbs like parsley or thyme, if desired.
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Notes
- If your pork tenderloins have silver skin (silvery connective tissue), remove it by sliding a knife underneath it and gently pulling or cutting it off.
- Pat the pork dry before searing to achieve better browning.
- Be careful not to overcook the pork. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the meat. Check with a meat thermometer and remove when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, use a baking sheet or baking dish for the oven portion.
- After baking the tenderloins, place an oven mitt on the handle of the skillet so you'll remember it's HOT.
This was SO GOOD!!!! I took your recommendation and subbed honey for the brown sugar, but used hot honey and it gave a little extra kick that we loved. Definitely a keeper in this house!
Oh my gosh, the hot honey sounds amazing!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe :). Thank you for letting me know! Cara