Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin is flavorful pork loin with a dry rub and dried spice mixture that's pan-seared then baked with butter for a tasty main course.
Update: This recipe was originally shared in February 2014. The recipe has been updated and republished with new photos in October 2022.
This pork tenderloin recipe is SO easy you're gonna love it! A simple dry rub is spread over the pork before pan-searing. Then it's topped with dried herbs and pats of butter before it finishes cooking in the oven. When garnished with fresh herbs, this pork tenderloin looks like you spent hours on a fancy dinner that only took a little over 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- pork tenderloin
- brown sugar
- cayenne
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning
- unsalted butter
- optional: fresh herb garnish (thyme, rosemary, polutry mix, etc)
Instructions
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a 9x13 baking dish with foil. (If you have oven-safe pans, skip the baking dish!)
Then, mix up the dry rub ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
After that, season and sear the pork. Spread the dry run over the pork tenderloin. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Then pan-sear the pork. Add the pork to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until just golden brown.
Next, complete cooking the pork in the oven. Place the pork in the baking dish, sprinkle the Italian seasoning on top and then top with pats of butter. Loosely wrap foil over the tenderloin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees F. (If cooking in skillet, top with spices and butter, cover loosely with foil.)
Finally, let rest 5 minutes. Once pork has rested, cut into slices and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Substitutions and Additions
- Use a premade dry rub instead of making your own
- Add butter, flour and stock to the juices left in the skillet to make a quick gravy. Jazz it up by adding fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme and some minced garlic.
- Replace Italian seasoning with dried rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, marjoram or basil.
Serving Suggestions
Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin is delicious with mashed potatoes, Parmesan Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Parmesan Green Beans or Brown Sugar and Thyme Roasted Carrots
FAQ
Previously, it was thought that pork needed to be cooked to 165 degrees, like chicken, but that is no longer the case. For a juicy piece of pork, 145 degrees F is the minimum cooking temperature.
Pan-searing locks in the flavors of the dry rub and reduces the overall cooking time in the oven. To skip this step, the tenderloin would need to cook for around 45 minutes to reach temperature.
Pork tenderloin is a narrow, tender strip of meat that comes from the backbone. It is always boneless, while a pork loin can be boneless or not, and is a flat, wide piece of meat coming from the back of the pig.
Want to save this recipe for later? Follow me on Pinterest! Rather watch a video? See if I've made this recipe by following me on Tiktok!
Recipe
Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper or less if you don't like heat
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pork and Herbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lb pork tenderloin fat trimmed
- 3 tablespoon Italian seasoning dried
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into 6 slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil. (Skip the baking dish if you have oven-safe pans)
- Combine spice rub ingredients in a small bowl and rub all over the pork tenderloin.2 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Sear each side of the pork for 2-3 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 lb pork tenderloin
- Transfer pork to baking dish and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top. Top with pats of butter.3 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F.
- Let tenderloin rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving. If desired for presentation, garnish whole tenderloin with fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
Notes
Nutrition
Comments
No Comments