This addictive Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin is moist, tender pork covered in a sweet, sticky maple syrup sauce. It’s an amazing main dish that gets rave reviews every time! Plus it is the perfect dish for entertaining and holidays.
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This pork tenderloin recipe is the bomb.com. One bite and you will forever be addicted! The pork is moist and tender on the inside with a perfectly crispy, golden crust on the outside, all covered in a delicious maple-mustard sauce.
This recipe has fancy, sophisticated vibes, which makes it perfect for holidays or dinner guests. Yet it is still perfectly acceptable to serve for a weeknight family dinner. What’s most important is that every. last. bite. gets eaten every time I serve it. I promise I am not exaggerating.
The original recipe is America’s Test Kitchen Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin, but we slightly simplified a few steps. We left everything else the same because… it really is an amazing recipe as is!
🍳 Why cast iron?
Cast iron skillets are my absolute favorite for this recipe. They get extra hot and retain their heat, which makes them perfect for searing the pork tenderloin. They can also be put right into the oven, so no need to transfer the pork to a different pan and create more dishes. Plus, they last forever and are super easy to clean.
I highly recommend using a cast iron for this recipe. My favorite is this set from Walmart. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can sear the meat in a non-stick skillet and then transfer it to an oven-safe stainless steel skillet or baking dish.
🍁 Ingredients
Maple syrup: Use real maple syrup, not the fake stuff.
Molasses: You can use light or dark molasses.
Bourbon: Adds great flavor that really complements the maple syrup and molasses.
Cinnamon: Just a bit for extra flavor.
Cloves: A little goes a long way to add a boost of flavor.
Cayenne pepper: A pinch of cayenne will help balance the sweetness of the syrup.
Cornstarch: Coating the pork in cornstarch will give it a crispy, golden crust.
Sugar: The sugar will caramelize on the crust of the pork for extra crispiness.
Salt: I prefer kosher, but table salt will also work.
Pepper: Just regular ground pepper.
Pork tenderloins: They usually come in packs of two. Shoot for about 5lbs of meat total.
Vegetable oil: A few tablespoons to sear the pork in.
Whole-grain mustard: Another main flavor, mustard tones down the sweetness of the syrup and adds more depth.
🔪 Instructions
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix ½ cup of maple syrup, molasses, bourbon, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour onto a rimmed cookie sheet.
- Pat prepared pork tenderloins very dry with paper towels. Roll in the cornstarch mixture to thoroughly coat all sides, then shake the excess cornstarch off.
- Heat oil in a cast iron over medium-high heat, then spray liberally with nonstick spray. Place tenderloins in the hot pan and sear on all sides for 8-12 minutes total. All sides should be browned well.
- Add syrup mixture to the skillet and simmer for two minutes, flipping the tenderloins half way through. Remove 2 tablespoons of the glaze and set aside.
- Place the skillet in the oven at 375°F and cook for 12-20 minutes, until a thermometer stuck in the middle of the tenderloin reads 130°. Then remove from the oven and use a silicone brush to rub the glaze from the pan over the tenderloins.
- Return to the oven for another 2-4 minutes, until the thermometer reads 140-145°.
- Remove tenderloins from the skillet and let rest uncovered on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
- While the meat is resting, combine the remaining ¼ cup maple syrup, mustard, and reserved glaze in a small bowl.
- After resting, slice the meat and serve with maple mustard sauce.
🥗 Serving ideas
This pork tenderloin is absolutely excellent for entertaining and special occasions. It just has that special feel to it. This would make a phenomenal Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving alternative to turkey, or meal for a rehearsal dinner. It is also great for serving dinner party guests over the weekend.
You could serve this pork with a variety of sides, but here are some of my favorite options.
- Buttery Dinner Rolls - The easiest dinner rolls! Soft, fluffy, and perfectly golden rolls that only take a few minutes of hands-on time.
- Orange Cranberry Rice - Slightly sweet and perfect for fall. Recipe coming soon!
- Autumn Chopped Salad - The absolute perfect fall salad topped with pears, candied nuts, cheese, cranberries, and bacon.
- Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Salty and full of crispy edges! Plus you can add a drizzle of balsamic glaze to take them to the next level.
- Green Beans Almondine - Sounds fancy, but they are so simple! Skillet green beans with toasted almonds and fresh lemon.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
If you want to double this and serve it to a crowd, you will have to use two skillets. One large 12-inch skillet can fit two tenderloins. My number one tip for success when doubling this recipe is to have all the ingredients measured and ready to go before you start. This will prevent chaos later. Also, if you have a friend who can lend you their hands for a few minutes to help glaze or make the sauce, that is always helpful. I also highly recommend serving it with make-ahead or easy sides so that you can focus on just cooking the pork. See “Serving ideas” above for side suggestions.
🙋 Questions and Answers
If you store your cooked pork tenderloin in an air-tight container in the fridge, it should last up to 5 days. The raw pork will last up to 3 days in the fridge before cooking. If you need it to last longer than 3 days, freeze it and thaw before cooking.
Pork is known for drying out easily, but tenderloins are easier to keep moist. First, avoid overcooking it. While it is baking, check the temperature often. It can go from “not quite done” to “super dry” in just a few minutes. The pork will continue to cook for a few minutes in the pan before you slice it, so remove it 1-2 degrees below the target temperature.
Second, if you aren’t serving your pork immediately after slicing, loosely cover it with tin foil. This will trap the moisture and prevent excess air exposure from drying it out.
Third, drizzle sauce on top to keep it moist.
Although they sound similar, they are quite different cuts of meat and cannot be substituted for one another. Pork loin, technically called pork loin roast, is a much thicker cut of meat that is best cooked low and slow. Pork tenderloin is a much thinner cut of meat that is best cooked quickly with higher heat.
You are almost guaranteed to find a layer of silvery-white connective tissue on your pork tenderloin. This is the silverskin. Unlike the other fat on your pork, it won’t melt or cook off because it is not solely fat. Before cooking, it is essential that you remove the silverskin. Simply use a sharp knife to trim it off as you would a thick layer of fat.
The safe temperature for pork tenderloin is anywhere between 145-160°F, but we prefer ours around 150-155°F. Use a thermometer placed into the thickest part of the tenderloin to measure the temperature.
Technically pork tenderloin can be slightly pink inside, but should not be dark pink or bloody. We prefer our pork medium-well or well done. This article has a fantastic picture (upper right-hand side) showing the color of pork at different temperatures.
📖 Other cast iron recipes
- 5-Ingredient Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin - Another pork tenderloin favorite seasoned with creole seasoning and thyme, then drizzled with a sweet honey butter sauce.
- Buttery Dinner Rolls - Soft, tender rolls that are super easy to make using frozen rolls, butter, and simple herbs.
- Skillet Roasted Corn - The most flavorful corn dish! Frozen corn caramelized with onions and garlic makes a fast side dish that always gets rave reviews.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Shake off the excess cornstarch to avoid a gummy crust.
- The heat is important in this recipe. Too hot and it easily burns, not hot enough and the pork doesn’t brown. The pan should be on medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking.
- Pork tenderloin comes in different shapes and sizes. It does not usually have just two defined sides… sometimes it has 3 or even 4. Make sure to season and sear every side for the best results.
- Often times one tenderloin will be smaller than the other. If this is the case, the smaller tenderloin may cook faster. Check the temperature often during baking and remove each tenderloin as soon as it reaches the desired temperature to avoid drying it out.
- Use real maple syrup for true mind-blowing flavor. The fake stuff just doesn’t taste the same.
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📋 Recipe
Mind-Blowing Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- ¾ cup maple syrup divided
- ¼ cup molasses dark or light
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of cloves
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 5 lbs total) trimmed and silverskin removed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix ½ cup of maple syrup, molasses, bourbon, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour onto a rimmed cookie sheet.
- Pat pork tenderloins dry with paper towels. Roll in the cornstarch mixture to thoroughly coat all sides, then shake the excess cornstarch off.
- Heat oil in a cast iron over medium-high heat, then spray liberally with nonstick spray. Once hot, place tenderloins in the hot pan and sear on all sides for 8-12 minutes total. All sides should be browned well.
- Add syrup mixture to the skillet and simmer for two minutes, flipping the tenderloins half way through. Remove 2 tablespoons of the glaze and set aside.
- Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 12-20 minutes, until a thermometer stuck in the middle of the tenderloin reads 130°. Remove from the oven and use a silicone brush to rub the glaze from the pan over the tenderloins.
- Return to the oven for another 2-4 minutes, until the thermometer reads 140-145°.
- Remove tenderloins from the skillet and let rest uncovered on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
- While the meat is resting, combine the remaining ¼ cup maple syrup, mustard, and reserved glaze in a small bowl.
- After resting, slice meat and serve with maple mustard sauce.
Notes
- Shake off the excess cornstarch to avoid a gummy crust.
- The heat is important in this recipe. Too hot and it easily burns, not hot enough and the pork doesn’t brown. The pan should be on medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking.
- Pork tenderloin comes in different shapes and sizes. It does not usually have just two defined sides… sometimes it has 3 or even 4. Make sure to season and sear every side for the best results.
- Often times one tenderloin will be smaller than the other. If this is the case, the smaller tenderloin may cook faster. Check the temperature often during baking and remove each tenderloin as soon as it reaches the desired temperature to avoid drying it out.
- Use real maple syrup for true mind-blowing flavor. The fake stuff just doesn’t taste the same.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Nikki says
Would it be ok with jus one tenderloin I think two would be too much for 3 people?
Danielle says
Yes, one would be perfect for 3 people. Just half the other ingredients as well.
Teresa says
Would it still work if I left out the bourbon? I don’t want to buy some just for this as we don’t drink any alcohol so would have no other use for it.
Danielle says
Feel free to leave it out. It will still be delicious!
YtheWait says
Perfect Dish for tonight!!!!!!
Misty says
Hope you enjoy it!
Harmony says
We ate every last bite of this pork. I think this would be really good for serving family when they come for the holidays!
Misty says
Yes, it's a great option for Christmas or New Years! Glad you liked it!