A simple baked pork tenderloin recipe with only three ingredients makes preparation a breeze. This tried and true recipe makes juicy pork with a flavorful dijon crust that simply melts in your mouth.
THIS BAKED PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE IS: GLUTEN FREE, PALEO AND LOW CARB.
A BAKED PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE WITH ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS!
I've been eating this recipe for about 15 years now. It was the very first thing that my wife cooked for me back when we were still dating. I can still remember that first bite. The tender pork awash in a savory dijon herb crust. It was so delicious. I thought she must have worked all day to make it. Turns out, it's about the easiest pork tenderloin recipe that I've seen. Big props to my wife for making it all look so easy.
Prepping the Pork Tenderloin
For those of you not entirely familiar working with pork tenderloin, here's the scoop: when you buy it from the store, the package is going to come with 2 tenderloins. I'm not sure why, but I haven't seen a single tenderloin sold in any of the grocery stores around here in years. Welcome the second tenderloin with open arms. Its visit will be short as it disappears from your cutting board during dinner.
Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat. You can clean it with a sharp paring knife fairly easily. The one spot to be sure to remove is the tough silver skin. It might look white when you first look at it, but if you get into it, there is a silver sheen to it. Just stick the paring knife under that section and remove it. It will be tough and chewy if you leave it on there. Not sure about you, but those two adjectives shouldn't be used when talking about the "tender"loin, if you know what I mean.
At our house, we cook the tenderloin on parchment paper. As the pork cooks, it releases moisture which the parchment absorbs. All this means is that there is no sticking when you remove it from the oven. If you choose to use aluminum foil to line your pan, give it a quick spray with some of that non-stick stuff or olive oil. Not too much, just a bit.
QUICK COOKING TIP: Beware the overcooked pork tenderloin! Here's the scoop... Pork is lean so it will dry out pretty quickly. The dijon does a great job of preventing dryness in this recipe, but heat will eventually win out. Be sure that you have your instant read thermometer ready to go. At about 20 minutes, make sure you take a quick reading of the temperature of BOTH tenderloins. One will undoubtedly be larger than the other, so they will be cooking at different rates. At 150 degrees, remove the cooked tenderloin from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. The temperature will rise another 5 degrees while it sits, which will be "just a bit pink" on the inside. Perfection.
Let's get to cooking on this baked pork tenderloin recipe.
BAKED PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE
From oven to table, this baked tenderloin recipe will quickly become a family favorite. Juicy, flavorful and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 2.5 LBS Pork Tenderloin
- ½ Cup Dijon Mustard
- 1.5 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
- Prepare the tenderloins by removing the silver skin and slicing 3-4 times lengthwise on the tenderloin. Smother with the dijon and sprinkle the Herbs de Provence on top.
- Add the tenderloin to the oven and cook for approximately 25-30 minutes. Be sure to temp the meat at 20 minutes. When the tenderloin is at 150 degrees, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Slice against the grain and serve hot!
Notes
Cooking the meat to 150 degrees and allowing to rest on the counter should give you a nice, pink interior. Different ovens cook at different rates, so maybe check at 18 minutes if your oven tends to cook hot.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Amount Per Serving Calories 241
Final thoughts on the baked pork tenderloin recipe:
We made this at my catering company many times. We made it for a couple reasons: first, it's fast. Fast to prepare and fast to cook. Second, it is a recipe that holds well and really has a broad appeal. Even for people who can't stand dijon, you'll find that the mustard loses most of its punch in the oven. The mixture of flavors from the Herbs de Provence just melds perfectly with the mustard and the pork.
This is the perfect dish to go with some asparagus with shallots (recipe coming soon!), definitely awesome with some butter braised carrots with thyme or even my caramelized Sauteed Brussel Sprouts. If you're looking for something really special and really easy (why not add more easy!) then take a look at these creamed leeks. They are just so good. If all else fails, a simple salad with dijon vinaigrette would pair perfectly.
A big thank you goes out to my wife (not only for this recipe, but for so many things) for making this for me so long ago and pretty much whenever I want since then. It's one of my favorites. Awesome recipe.
If you made or are planning on making the baked pork tenderloin recipe, let me know! Any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment. Thanks!
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