This Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin will melt-in-your-mouth and burst with flavor all at the same time. It is a holiday worthy meal to serve for your friends and family, but just as good for a casual family dinner anytime throughout the year. In this post, I will share everything you need to know about cooking pork tenderloin, including some tips and tricks to get the best flavor!!

For starters, I truly believe that pork tenderloin is a meat that is completely underrated. Not only is it easy to cook, it is just as good leftover as it is fresh out of the oven. That is, if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers. This meat is also low in fat and is a great alternative to making another boring grilled chicken breast.

Tips and tricks for cooking:
- Pick the right tenderloin. Often times, grocery stores sell already marinated tenderloins. Be sure to pick the plain pack. Pork tenderloins are almost always sold in packages with two per package. They are long, thin cuts of meat, so this recipe uses both pieces in the package.
- Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin. To be honest, this is something I had to watch on youtube to learn how to do myself. As a self-taught cook, google and youtube have been my best resource.
- Marinate for AT LEAST 6 hours. The longer you marinate the meat, the more flavor that will soak into the tenderloin. For this recipe I would recommend marinating between 12 and 24 hours. I usually marinate for about 16 hours before cooking, but always overnight.
- Sear the tenderloin before baking. This forms a crispy crust on the meat that helps seal in the juices while baking — that is what makes the tenderloin so juicy. This is a very important step that you won’t want to skip!
- Use a thermometer to take the internal temperature of the meat. Pork Tenderloin is a lean cut of meat so you will want to check periodically throughout the cooking process so you don’t overcook the meat. The recommended internal temperature of a pork tenderloin is 145-160 degrees F. I usually remove mine from the oven when it hits 150 degrees F because it will continue cooking as it rests, which leads me to my next tip. For additional information on meat temperatures, you can reference this guide from Food Network.
- Let your meat rest! Like searing, this is a very important step to hold the juices in.
- Slice against the grain rather than in the same direction that they run. This can make a difference between a tough or tender bite. No one wants a chewy bite of tenderloin…
- Garnish tenderloin slices with fresh rosemary and cranberries. This completes the dish while adding a visually appealing impact to your prepared meat.

What side dishes do I serve with my Pork Tenderloin?
This recipe can be served with any vegetable side. I like it best with red skin potatoes or carrots baked directly in the pan (see pre-baked picture below from my archives). The natural juices soak into the potatoes so that they are nice and tender on the inside, but get slightly golden brown on the outside. The recipe for my oven roasted potatoes can be found below with the tenderloin recipe! Are you drooling yet?
Another tasty option, especially around the holidays, is to top a slice of tenderloin with cranberry salsa. I like this recipe from Allrecipes. The salsa is another great make-ahead recipe. In fact, the flavors are better the longer it sits!


I seriously CANNOT wait for you to try this recipe!!

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 Pork Tenderloin silver skin removed
Marinade Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finley chopped
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 4 cloves garlic minced
Butter Sauce
- Pan scrapings from Pork Tenderloin
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 tbsp pork marinade thoroughly mixed
- 2 tbsp butter
Roasted Potato Ingredients
- red skin potatoes halved
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- Lawry's season salt
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients. Reserve 3 tablespoons for the pan sauce and set aside. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziploc bag and marinate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of the pork tenderloin (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Place the mean on prepared foil pan. DO NOT CLEAN THIS SKILLET! You will use it to make the pan sauce.
- In a medium bowl, mix halved potatoes with olive oil, Lawry's season salt, and chopped rosemary. Stir until potatoes are evenly coated. Add to foil pan surrounding the meat.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and cook for 40-45minutes or until the meat has reached 150 degrees.
- Remove from oven and let meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, place the skillet that was used to sear the meat back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the 3 tablespoons of reserved marinade and boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and pour over the sliced tenderloin.
I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made and don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram!
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