Pork Tenderloin is incredibly easy to roast in the oven! Serve it with sautéed apples and bacon for the ultimate family dinner on a crisp fall evening.
Comfort food can be a hassle, right? Tell me I’m not the only one with those feelings. There’s usually the meat, and the side, and the vegetables. Oh, and a sauce. But roast meat in the oven? It becomes so easy!
Recipe tips
- You can halve the recipe if you’re serving a smaller family. Use a Dutch oven just large enough to hold 1 pound of pork loin.
- Careful when removing the the lid from the Dutch oven, it is very hot. You must use oven gloves to handle it. I have burned myself before when I forgot!
- If you don’t have any apple juice, feel free to substitute chicken broth and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
Pork tenderloin FAQs
The government’s food safety board recommends cooking all pork, including pork tenderloin, to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F. Get the full chart here.
I oven roast pork tenderloin at a lower temperature, but covered in a Dutch oven or braiser. This is a trick my chef-trained husband taught me – it helps a lot to keep this cut perfectly tender.
No, pork tenderloin is not the same as pork loin. Pork loin is a large, flat cut of pork coming from the back of the animal. Pork tenderloin is very tender and comes from the muscle along the backbone.
Substitue pork loin
If you want to make this recipe with pork loin instead of tenderloin, you absolutely can! Please use the recipe as written below, adding 20-30 minutes of roasting time. The exact time your pork loin needs in the oven will depend on the size and thickness of your cut, so please use a food thermometer to check the center of the loin for doneness (145°F per the food safety guidelines I linked above).
Side dish ideas
Creamy polenta or instant pot mashed potatoes work really well as a starchy side. I also like to add a big, crisp salad, or sautéed green beans as a vegetable option.
Leftovers
Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat either sliced in a little butter or oil on the stove, or bake, covered, at 350°F until piping hot all the way through.
More pork recipes
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Bacon
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
- salt & pepper to taste (I use about ½ – 1 teaspoon of salt because I have small children and don't want to add too much sodium to their diet)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter diced
For the apples and bacon:
- ½ cup diced bacon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped (OR ¼ teaspoon dried)
- 5 leaves fresh sage chopped (optional) (OR ⅛ teaspoon dried)
- 3 large green apples like Granny Smith, cored and diced
- ½ cup apple juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the pork
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Rub the pork loin well with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (or other oven-safe pot with a lid) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the pork well on every side.
- Take the pot off the stove. Carefully coat pork loin with minced garlic and herbs, dot with butter. Cover Dutch oven with a lid and roast covered in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue roasting the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 145-150°F at its widest part.
- Remove the tenderloin from the Dutch oven and place it on a serving plater. Tent the meat with aluminium foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain to serve.
To cook apples and bacon
- While the pork is resting, place the Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove and cook the bacon until browned and crispy.
- Add the garlic, onion, thyme and sage. Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is has softened.
- Add the diced apple and continue cooking until it’s softened and starting to brown.
- Increase the heat to high and pour the apple juice over the compote. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom, season with salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
- Serve immediately with the rested pork and your side of choice.
Notes
- You can halve the recipe if you’re serving a smaller family. Use a Dutch oven just large enough to hold 1 pound of pork loin.
- Careful when removing the the lid from the Dutch oven, it is very hot. You must use oven gloves to handle it. I have burned myself before when I forgot!
- If you don’t have any apple juice, feel free to substitute chicken broth and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first shared as Pork Tenderloin with Apple Bacon Compote recipe on Food Fanatic.
Kadee says
This was very good! We will definitely be making it again. I didn’t have sage, but used some rosemary. Very tasty recipe. Thanks!