This Pork Tenderloin Recipe is one of my favorite ways to make pork tenderloin in the oven! It only takes a few minutes to prep and is covered in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce!
Love honey garlic everything? Try this Baked Honey Garlic Chicken, this Honey Garlic Salmon, this stovetop Honey Garlic Chicken recipe or this Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken Dinner.
Honey and garlic is one of my favorite flavor combinations (I just can’t resist a savory recipe with a bit of sweet thrown in).
We love how quick this Pork Tenderloin Recipe is to put together! It’s made with juicy pork tenderloins that are doused in a sweet, savory, and tangy honey garlic sauce, then baked until tender, moist, and insanely flavorful.
This easy dinner recipe takes just 25 minutes to make!
Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Ingredients:
This Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe is made with pantry staples, so you likely don’t even have to leave the house to whip this up!
- Pork Tenderloins: you’ll need two pork tenderloins equalling about 2-2.5 pounds. Be sure they’re both trimmed and ready to go.
- Seasoning Salt: seasoning salt is a simple way to add a ton of flavor to the pork.
- Honey, Chicken Broth, and Soy Sauce: a sweet, salty, and super flavorful base for our honey garlic sauce.
- Garlic: use freshly minced garlic for the best garlicky flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: the bright, tanginess of cider vinegar cuts the sweetness from the honey.
- Cornstarch: helps thicken the honey garlic sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes: optional, but highly recommended for a kick of heat!
How to Make Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe in the Oven
This baked pork tenderloin recipe makes the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Check the recipe card for complete instructions.
- Prep the tenderloins: Place the tenderloins into a lightly greased 9×13″ baking dish, brush them with oil, then season with seasoning salt.
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together honey, broth, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, salt, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes.
- Bake: Pour the sauce around the tenderloin, then bake until 140ºF.
- Drizzle the thickened sauce over the finished tenderloin.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Check the temperature. As always, the best way to tell that meat is done is to use a meat thermometer. Pork tenderloin should be 140-145ºF!
- Don’t overcook. Since pork is a lean meat, it can dry out more easily than other types of meat. Be sure to take it out of the oven as soon as possible after it reaches 140-145ºF.
- Let it rest. Resting the meat for 10 minutes before slicing into it is the key to juicy pork.
- Stocked up on pork tenderloin? Try my Pork Tenderloin Marinade or Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin next!
What to serve with Pork Tenderloin:
This Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin are delicious over a pile of Baked Rice or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice and with a side of roasted vegetables. I love Green Beans with Bacon, Honey Glazed Carrots, or this Easy Broccoli Salad for a prep ahead option.
We always have to have basket of Mom’s Homemade Buns or a slice of No Knead Artisan Bread too!
Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins,, trimmed (1-1¼ lbs each)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ⅔ cup honey
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon red chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Lightly grease a 9×13" baking dish.
- Place the pork in the prepared baking dish, brush with oil, and season all over with seasoning salt.
- In a bowl, whisk together the honey, broth, soy sauce, garlic, cornstarch, vinegar, salt, and chili flakes (use more or less according to your tastes). Pour the sauce around pork in the dish.
- Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the pork reaches 140°F.
- Remove from the oven, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.
Video
Notes
- Size matters: this recipe will not work with a pork loin which is much larger and requires a longer cook time. In the time it takes the loin to cook, the sauce will burn. If your tenderloins are larger than 1.25 pounds each, you may want to add the sauce for the last 15-20 minutes of cook time.
- Check the temp. As always, the best way to tell that meat is done is to use a meat thermometer. Pork chops should be 140-145ºF!
- Don’t over-cook. Since pork is a lean meat, it can dry out more easily than other types of meat. Be sure to take it out of the oven as soon as possible after it reaches 140-145ºF.
- Let it rest. Resting the meat for 10 minutes before slicing into it is the key to juicy pork.
- Slow cooker: you can make this recipe in the slow cooker! Simply add the tenderloins and sauce and cook on low for 3 hours or until done.
- Pork loin: I don’t recommend pork loin for this recipe because they are so much larger and require so much more bake time. If you want to serve the sauce with a pork loin you are cooking, simply simmer it on the stove top until thickened.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Tried this recipe?
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Tag @thereciperebelWhat temperature should I cook pork tenderloin?
I find 400ºF to be the perfect temperature for baking pork tenderloin. It’s hot enough that it can brown on top, but not so hot that it burns before the insides are tender and juicy.
How long to roast pork tenderloin:
Mine usually cook all the way through in anywhere from 15-20 minutes, but this depends on the thickness of the tenderloins you’re using. The best way to tell if your pork tenderloin recipe is done is to use a meat thermometer. Check at 15 and add time as needed until they reach 140ºF.
How to store pork tenderloin:
Leftover Baked Pork Tenderloin will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm either in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
Can I use pork loin for this recipe?
The short answer is no, because a pork loin is so much larger and the cook times will be way off.
If you do try it, you may want to leave the honey garlic sauce off until the last 20 minutes of bake time so that it doesn’t burn.
Can I use chicken in this recipe?
If you’re looking to use chicken breasts instead of pork tenderloin, I recommend checking out my Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken or Honey Garlic Chicken recipes.
Can I make this pork tenderloin recipe in the crockpot?
Absolutely! Check out my Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin recipe for all the details.
Amber says
Could you put the meat and marinade in pan in the morning before work and then cook that evening when you got home?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Amber! To make ahead I would make the sauce separately and then just pour over before baking. I think you could add it a couple hours before but I maybe wouldn’t do it for a whole day just because I don’t know how much the vinegar would break down the pork.
Mary says
This was excellent! Seared the pork with sesame oil. Used half honey/half molasses (thought I had more honey but not). Served with Instant pot onion-apple Arborio rice!!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Mary! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Megan says
Loved this recipe!! When you reheat after being frozen, what temp and about how long? Does the sauce reheat after being frozen too?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Megan! So glad you enjoyed it! To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm either in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
Liz says
Made this recipe a few weeks ago and it was so easy and absolutely delicious! A definite keeper! I’m cooking for my in-laws this weekend and this is one of the dinners that I’m bringing…I know they’ll love it too.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Liz! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Lisa CT says
Hot damn it’s a keeper! This recipe was fantastic. I made minimal adjustments. I used a cast-iron pan and seared the tenderloin for a minute on each side. I let the meat rest prior cooking at room temperature for 45 minutes. Instead of regular oil, I used roasted sesame oil. My fiance makes our own seasoning salt. After searing, in went the sauce and in the oven for 22 minutes. After the 10 minute rest period….that bad-boy freak’n ROCKED! This recipe is now in my tenderloin rolodex along with Island Pork Tenderloin 😋. Thanks kindly and keep em coming.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Nancy says
This is delicious. No problem with the cooking time – what many people fail to do is to take meat out of the fridge appropriately 30 minutes before cooking, for it to lose some of the chill. Anyone who barbecues steak knows this. This is a nice simple and fast recipe – will definitely make again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Sammie says
It took waaaay longer. The sauce didn’t really so much. The recipe says don’t cook above 140-145 degrees. But mine was that temp and still bleeding. I lost my appetite.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sammie! I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe. Internal temperatures for pork are similar to when cooking steaks. 145 is consider medium rare, so if you like your pork cooked longer, you’ll need to adjust the timing on your end. Hope this helps!
Heidi Belcher says
Made this tonight, it was very good!! My family loved it and my twins are very opinionated, they told me it was worthy to write in my cookbook!! A+ on this one!!
I checked it at 15 min. And it needed more time, so I wrote to check at 25 min.
Will be marking again and will also be trying this sauce on other meats.
Chicken will be next!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Heidi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Sarah says
I’m giving this a go tonight and would like to know what others have served with? I’m so looking forward to giving h this a go
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! The sides are endless! I just recently made it and had roasted vegetables and rice as sides! Enjoy!
Sarah says
I made this in the slow cooker and it was amazing x the suace was good and my hubby had leftovers for work stuffed into soft pitta breads x
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback in the slow cooker!
Johanne says
Hello. I’m not a perfect belangal. Can we all your recipes in french? If it’s possible Thank you Jojo
jmasson_3@sympatico.ca
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Johanne! I am not able to translate them in french. Maybe try Google translate?
Jennifer Pierce says
tried this last night and we loved it, sauce is delicious. I did find however that the pork needed to cook a little longer than 20 minutes. Will make again, thank you for this recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Deborah says
I seared the tenderloins in a cast iron skillet first, then added the sauce mixture and roasted at 375° for 25 minutes. I did not use low sodium ingredients. Sauce and pork delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Deborah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Betty says
I tried this recipe tonite and it was delicious! Now gonna try making this sauce for chicken over white rice!
Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Betty! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Amber says
Not a lot of flavor and the sauce was just to loose no where the consistency in the video. Had to cook my pork tenderloin way longer then the recipe asked for.
The Recipe Rebel says
Sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Amber. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Deb says
To be honest I just didn’t feel like it had a lot of flavor.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Deb. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Nancy says
How can I do this on an outdoor grill?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Nancy! Here is how we grill our pork tenderloins: https://www.thereciperebel.com/grilled-pork-tenderloin/ Hope this helps!
Dianne Weat says
Made this the other night. Cook time was a bit longer but I know my oven is quirky so not a problem. Sauce did not burn at all. We enjoyed leftovers for a couple of nights and I don’t normally enjoy leftovers! Sauce was amazing – I might make it in a saucepan for noodles anytime. Just delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Dianne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Anna says
I love this recipe! It turns out amazing every time! I usually add extra garlic and red peppers flakes because I like the spice. It does take longer to cook though…I usually cook it for about 45 minutes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Anna! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Ian says
I made the tenderloin for dinner tonight and we enjoyed it but, sorry Ashley, I have to agree with Tonya, Claire, Laurie, Matt, Jaimee (and others), the timing seems off. At 20 minutes, the two tenderloins were still pink and relatively raw with the internal temperature of only 115’F and I had to cook it for a further 20 minutes until it got to a safe temperature above 145’F. Original weight was 1lb each. Any time I have cooked tenderloin it has been about 20 – 30 minutes per pound, usually after searing the outside first. I saw your recipe and thought I’d give it a try for a change and followed the directions precisely but we could not have eaten it after only 20 minutes of cooking. Please accept this as a constructive review and not as criticism. We did enjoy it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it Ian!
Rich says
I going uk try this tonight! It’s exactly what I’m looking for.
BTW pork needs to be cooked to a minimum of 145°F I usually go up to 165°F to be sure since you shouldn’t cook pork rare