Name: Indiana Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup corn (thawed, if from frozen); 1/4 cup red bell pepper (diced); 1/4 cup green bell pepper (diced ); 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp paprika; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp milk; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 4 oz cream cheese (cut into pieces ); salt and pepper (to taste); 1 tsp parsley; 1 lb pork tenderloin; 1/4 cup Wondra flour; 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs; 1 large egg (beaten, with a little water ); salt and pepper (to taste ); 2 tbsp canola oil; 6 burger buns; 1/2 cup lettuce

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Indiana Pork Tenderloin Sandwich is a pan-fried slice of pork tenderloin served on a potato roll with a creamy, cheesy corn relish.

Update: This recipe was originally posted in March 2016. The recipe and photos have been updated and republished in February 2021.

Indiana pork tenderloin sandwich sits on a white plate - crispy fried pork sits on a burger bun with a cheesy corn relish on top. Some of the relish is spilling out onto the plate. Behind the sandwich sits french fries and pickles.

It's not very often I'll find a recipe that both Tom and I love enough to make frequently, but this recipe is definitely one of them. I originally found the recipe in Cooking Light magazine and have changed it up a little bit to be even more amazing.

What is an indiana pork tenderloin sandwich?

This sandwich has two main components - the pork, which is thinly sliced, battered and pan-fried to crispy perfection, like a pork schnitzel. And the corn relish - which is made mainly of corn, bell peppers and cream cheese. The corn relish is similar to maque-choux and I've adapted the recipe to bring in more of those flavors.

Midwest breaded pork tenderloin seems to be a popular dish claimed by many midwestern states. Pork tenderloin is pounded thin and coated in a batter before being fried. This version of the sandwich tends to be served on a bun with just mayo and pickles. Which sounds good...but the corn relish is amazing and I think you'll prefer the sandwich with it.

Ingredients for indiana pork tenderloin sandwich sit on a wooden background. Sliced and pounded thin pork loin, panko bread crumbs, Wondra flour, egg, corn, bell pepper, milk, vinegar, cream cheese and seasonings.

🥘 Ingredients for this recipe

For the Pork: pork tenderloin, Wondra flour, egg, Panko bread crumbs, salt and pepper

For the Corn Relish: corn, bell peppers, butter, cream cheese, milk, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and parsley

Sandwich Ingredients: burger buns and lettuce. Optional: tomato slice, mayo

🔪Instructions for this recipe

First, prepare the batter for the pork. Add Wondra flour to one dish, egg beaten with water to another and Panko bread crumbs to a third dish. Slice pork tenderloin and place plastic wrap on top. Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pound pork to an even thickness.
Then cook up the corn relish. Melt butter in a skillet, then add in the corn and bell peppers. Then add the spices to the vegetables and stir in the milk, vinegar and cream cheese, stirring until smooth. Once the cheese has melted, transfer the corn relish to a bowl and garnish with parsley.

Three image collage of the steps for making the sandwich. Image one is the corn relish. Image two is the batter to put on the pork and image three is the fried pieces of pork.

Next, fry up that pork! Heat oil in a large skillet and once hot and shimmering, add the slices of pork. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Then toast your buns. Either wipe out the skillet you cooked the pork in and lightly toast the buns or put them in a toaster oven or oven.
Finally, assemble the sandwich! Place a couple of leaves of lettuce on the bottom of the bun, followed by the piece of fried pork. Top with a heaping pile of the corn relish and put the other half of the bun on top. Enjoy!

Open-faced view of the sandwich, with a heaping pile of the creamy corn relish sitting on top a piece of crispy, fried pork on a burger bun. Pickles sit off to the side of the sandwich.

Substitutions and Serving Suggestions

Corn: fresh corn is great, but frozen can be used too. Let it thaw a few minutes before adding to the skillet.
Pork: dislike pork? While it wouldn't be a traditional sandwich, a chicken cutlet cooked the same way would be delicious!
Serve these sandwiches with fries, chips for an easy side. Or serve with mashed potatoes and a salad.

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Indiana Pork Tenderloin Sandwich - on a white square plate sits the sandwich. The cheesy corn relish is spilling down the sandwich onto the plate. Under the relish is a crispy, fried piece of pork, a bed of lettuce and the bottom half of the burger bun.

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