Pork tenderloin is lean and tasty and easy to prepare, especially with this recipe that sears the tenderloin to form a flavorful crust, sealing in the juiciness, then baking it in our own sweet and savory chili sauce. So juicy and tender...
It's true. Pork tenderloins are some of easiest cuts of pork to prepare. They may seem daunting, but nope. The reality is that pork tenderloins cook up quickly and retain their natural juiciness when you use a very simple method of searing then baking.
There are many methods to cook this particular cut of meat, but we're going SUPER EASY here, and the results?
Delicious!
Here are some general instructions for the simple sear and bake method for a tenderloin.
How to Bake Pork Tenderloin
First, pat your pork tenderloin dry and then rub it down with your preferred dried seasonings. Even a simple salt and pepper mixture is fine.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Next, heat a large pan to medium heat and add a bit of olive oil.
Then, sear your pork tenderloin on all sides until a crust forms on the meat. This is what seals in the natural juiciness of the meat.
Finally, bake the pork tenderloin 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees with a thermometer.
Remove from heat, allow to rest a few minutes, then serve.
See? Easy! We added a few twists to this basic recipe. See below.
First is our dry rub. We used a combination of chili powders, including ancho, cayenne and Spanish paprika, along with some garlic powder. Feel free to use your own favorite prepared blend.
Just be sure to get it rubbed down good!
Next, after the sear, we drenched the tenderloins with the Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce Recipe that we made recently.
So good! Click to get that recipe.
However, if you're looking for something quicker, an easily prepared seasoned tomato sauce or chili sauce works well.
Or hey, bust into your favorite hot sauces and go to town!
This is why we like to keep homemade sauces around. I'll make up a large batch on the weekend and we're able to use it during the week. It makes cooking up certain meals that much quicker.
Alrighty! Time to get searing and baking!
Also try my Spice Rubbed Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe here.
Try Some of My Other Popular Related Recipes
- Chili Baked Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Pork Chops with South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Pork Tenderloin Marinade
- Feisty Italian Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Chili Rubbed Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Guinness Gravy
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Chili Baked Pork Tenderloin - Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins about 2.5 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chili powder blend – I used a combination of ancho cayenne, garlic and Spanish paprika, but a nice Cajun blend is great
- 2 cups Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese
- Limes for serving
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat a large roasting pan to medium heat on the stove.
- Drizzle the pork tenderloins with olive oil, then rub them down with your dry seasonings.
- Sear the tenderloins a couple minutes per side to brown them up. This will help seal in the juiciness.
- Pour in the Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce to cover the tenderloins. Use more if you’d like.
- Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145-150 degrees F.
- Remove from heat and let rest a few minutes before slicing and serving.
- Top with a bit of shredded Manchego chees and squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the top.
Notes
Nutrition Information
John says
I prepared this meal last night and cooked it exactly as the recipe states. All of us in Chili Pepper Madness Nation know that it takes a lot of self-control as a chef to stick with the recipes given how versatile they are and how many different ways you can make a chili based dish. The meal in a word is : FANTASTIC. The chili rub seared adds a great texture and kick to the pork and the recommended sauce (made last week) creates multiple levels of new flavors for the cooked pork. Keep the recipes coming!
REPLY: Thanks, John! -- Mikefrom Chili Pepper Madness.
John says
This looks great and I will definitely try it soon! I may try it as recommended above with the Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce I made a week back and than try another pork with the chipotle sauce I made over the weekend which also came out great.
REPLY: John, that sounds great! Let us know how it turns out. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.