Easy Oven Roasted Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This delicious and easy Oven Roasted Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin is a main dish you will want to make over and over. It is seared before being glazed with a honey garlic sauce and then is placed in the oven to roast. The result is a pork tenderloin with incredible flavor that, when sliced and served with additional sauce, is drool worthy!

Searing the outside of the pork tenderloin before roasting is the best way to ensure a juicy and moist piece of meat in the end. It also gives it a golden-brown crust that not only looks nice, but adds great flavor too!

The sweetness of the honey in the sauce combined with the garlic is a great flavor combo for this dish. Brushing the pork tenderloin with the savory honey garlic sauce before roasting it allows the outside to become caramelized during roasting, which is the best part about the whole thing! This honey glaze is inspired from the sauce used in my Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts.

For more delicious main dish recipes, try: Italian Dunkers, Easy Creamy Taco Soup, or Turkey Pesto Sandwich.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This
• Ingredients Needed
• Step by Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• Storing and Freezing
• Other Recipes to Try
• Recipe

Why You Will Love This

• It is juicy and moist. This recipe is written to given you a perfectly cooked juicy pork tenderloin that is not dried out and tough. The meat is seared before roasting and this gives it a golden-brown crust that helps seal in the juices. This will easily become one of your favorite pork recipes.
• The honey garlic sauce. The honey garlic sauce is easy to make and adds amazing flavor. This is a delicous way to please picky eaters!
• It is easy! This great recipe is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort. Also, it doesn't take too much time to prepare, making it perfect for the whole family on busy weeknights!

Ingredients Needed

• Pork tenderloin: This recipe is tested and written for pork tenderloins that are about 1 ½ pounds. You could use smaller or larger ones, but the cooking time would just need to be adjusted. Alternatively, you could cook more than one tenderloin, but I would also double the honey garlic sauce!
• Salt and pepper: Used to season the pork before cooking it.
• Olive oil
• Honey
• Garlic: This recipe uses 2 tablespoons minced garlic. I like to use the minced garlic in a jar, stictly for convenience. This is about equal to four garlic cloves.
• Soy sauce: Regular or low sodium soy sauce works great for this.
• Lemon juice: You will need to juice a whole lemon for this. Fresh lemon juice is best, but if you have it in a bottle, you could use about 2-3 tablespoons.
• Sesame seeds: These are spinkled on top as a garnish before serving. If you don't have them or don't like them, skip them.
• Green onion: Used as a garnish and adds a nice flavor to the dish! You will only need about one chopped green onion.

Step by Step Instructions

Here is how to make this easy recipe. Some special equipment you will need: an oven proof skillet (I prefer to use one of my cast iron skillets), a basting brush and a meat thermometer.

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 475°F.

STEP 2: In a small saucepan, add the honey, garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat until it is boiling, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes or until it is slightly thickened. (It will thicken more as it cools.)

STEP 3: Reserve ¼ cup of the honey garlic sauce in a small bowl and set the remaining sauce aside.

STEP 4: Season the pork tenderloiin with the salt and pepper. Using your hands rub it in and make sure it is evenly seasoned.

STEP 5: Heat your oven proof skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot, about 2 minutes.

STEP 6: Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom.

STEP 7: Add the pork tenderloin to the hot skillet and cook, without touching it or moving it for 2 minutes.

STEP 8: Using a tongs, flip the pork tenderloin over and cook, without touching it or moving it for 2 minutes.

STEP 9: Cook on the last two sides, 1 minute each. Then remove from the heat.

STEP 10: Brush the tenderloin with ½ of the reserved honey garlic sauce. Place skillet in the 475°F oven for 10 minutes.

STEP 11: Remove the skillet from the oven and use the tongs to flip the tenderloin over. Brush with the remaining reserved honey garlic sauce and place back into the oven for 10 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F.

STEP 12: Once the internal temperature reaches 140°F, remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes befoe slicing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and serve with remaining sauce.

Expert Tips

It is important that you reserve some of the honey garlic sauce in a separate bowl for brushing on the tenderloin. You want some extra sauce that is not contaminated by the raw meat for serving.

Once you add the pork tenderloiin to the hot skillet, be sure to leave it alone until you are ready to flip it. This allows that delicous crust to form!

If you are using a pork tenderloin that is either larger or smaller than 1 ½ pounds, you will want to adjust the cooking time, after flipping the roasted tenderloin, cook to an internal temperature of 140°F before remving from the oven. (You may find that you will have to cook for additional time if the tenderloin is much larger.)

The National Pork Board recommends the internal temperature of pork to be 145°F. This recipe says to remove from the oven when it reaches 140°F. It will continue to cook to the recommended internal temp of 145°F while it rests.

To test the internal temperature of the tenderloin, place a thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the meat. I prefer to use an instant read thermometer for the most accurate results.

To slice the tenderloin, transfer the meat to a cutting board after it has had time to rest. Use a sharp knife to slice it into ½-inch thick slices.

Use leftover honey garlic glaze on pork chops, chicken breasts or chicken tenders.

FAQ

Storing and Freezing

Store leftover cooked pork tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, place on microwave safe plate, cover with a paper towel and cook for 1 minute, or until heated through.

Freezing leftover pork tenderloin is not recommended. Uncooked pork tenderloin can be frozen for up to six months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before you plan to use it.

Other Recipes to Try

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