This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin has a garlic herb rub that gives it INCREDIBLE flavour! Simply cook it in the pressure cooker with some chicken broth or add an easy 4 ingredient honey balsamic glaze to make it extra special. An easy dinner recipe that is healthy, too! Cook from fresh or frozen.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients needed to make this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin:
- How to make Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin:
- Tips and tricks for cooking Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot:
- Variations on this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin:
- More instant pot recipes you’ll love!
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Rub Recipe
I’m back to the basics this week with this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin!
I love that pork tenderloin so easy to cook (always tender!) and a great lean source of protein. The garlic herb rub on this tenderloin gives it such incredible flavour, that the honey balsamic glaze is totally optional!
We love sauce on everything, so I wanted to add an easy glaze that’s made right in the Instant Pot on saute after you take the pork out to rest. It only takes a few minutes and 4 ingredients to whip up, and is a nice touch if you’re serving the pork with rice or mashed potatoes.
If you’re looking for more ways to cook pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin & Potatoes.
No Instant Pot? You’ll love this Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin, this Roasted Pork Tenderloin and this Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe!
Ingredients needed to make this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin:
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth provides the thin liquid we need to create pressure in the pressure cooker, and also adds more flavor than water. Be sure to use low sodium chicken broth or you may find your sauce is too salty!
- Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegar gives our sauce depth and some brightness from the acidic flavor — paired with the honey, it gives us the perfect sweet and tangy blend.
- Pork tenderloin: it is easy to confuse pork tenderloin with pork loin. A pork tenderloin is long and skinny and usually weighs about 1 pound. A pork loin is very large, and will not cook in the same amount of time. Be sure that you have a pork tenderloin for this recipe.
- Seasonings: the seasonings are simple and pair well with a variety of flavors. Feel free to get creative here and use what you have on hand!
- Honey: honey adds a bit of sweetness and balances out the balsamic vinegar.
- Ketchup: ketchup adds sweet, savory, and tangy flavor and completes our sauce.
- Water + Corn Starch: a little water and corn starch slurry stirred into the sauce on saute thickens the sauce and makes it come together.
How to make Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin:
- Add the liquids to the Instant Pot and add the trivet. You can skip the trivet if you want to cook the pork in the liquid, but I find that it does wash away some of the seasonings.
- Prep the pork tenderloin by trimming the silver skin (here is a helpful video to show you how), cutting in half (to fit in the pot) and seasoning.
- Put the lid on and pressure cook on high for 3-7 minutes (depending on how done you like it!)
- Let the pressure release naturally (this means you do not touch the valve until the pin has drops) for at least 10 minutes before removing the lid.
- Remove the pork tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest while you make the glaze on saute.
Tips and tricks for cooking Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot:
- If you prefer, you can season and sear this pork tenderloin in a bit of oil on saute before adding the liquid for the sauce. Just be sure to deglaze and remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pot so that you don’t get a burn message.
- You can absolutely cook frozen pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot, but if the exterior of the tenderloin is completely frozen, the rub won’t adhere well, which is why I recommend letting thaw a few hours if possible (I give cook times for all below in the recipe).
- Pork tenderloin is one of those meats that you can eat medium or medium well, but it’s always best to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. You are looking for around 145-150 degrees F before resting, depending on your tastes.
- You can absolutely cook more than one tenderloin in your Instant Pot — stack them up and it shouldn’t take any longer unless they are frozen right together. Try to stagger them so they do not overlap completely (crisscrossed works great!).
Variations on this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin:
- Leave the sauce out (you still need the water or broth to come to pressure), cook your pork tenderloin in the pressure cooker, and then toss with barbecue sauce for a summery spin.
- This pork tenderloin is naturally gluten free and dairy free, just be sure to double check all of your ingredients.
- Don’t have an Instant Pot? Check out my Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Glaze or this easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe!
More instant pot recipes you’ll love!
- 30+ Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken (Fresh or Frozen)
- Instant Pot Brown Rice — the perfect side dish for this pork tenderloin recipe!
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken & Rice Recipe (pressure cooker)
(Yes, more!) Instant Pot recipes
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Rub
written by Ashley Fehr
This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin has a garlic herb rub that gives it INCREDIBLE flavour! Simply cook it in the pressure cooker with some chicken broth or add an easy 4 ingredient honey balsamic glaze to make it extra special. An easy dinner recipe that is healthy, too! Cook from fresh or frozen.
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 183cal
Ingredients
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
To Make the Glaze:
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot and add chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Add the trivet to the Instant Pot.
- Trim silver skin from the side of the tenderloin. Cut in half crosswise (so that it fits).
- In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, parsley, seasoning salt, onion powder and black pepper. Sprinkle over all sides of tenderloin and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing. Select Manual, high pressure (the default), and set timer to 7 minutes for fresh pork (10 minutes for partially frozen, or 13 minutes for frozen) — for medium-well. If you like your tenderloin more on the rare side, 3-5 minutes is sufficient for fresh pork.
- When the cook time is done, turn the Instant Pot off and let pressure release naturally for 8-10 minutes. Open the lid and remove the trivet with the pork on it and let rest for 5-10 minutes while you make the glaze. Do not drain the liquid.
To Make the Glaze:
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute and add the honey and ketchup. Stir together the water and corn starch and whisk into the Instant Pot. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasoning or sweetness to taste.
- Slice tenderloin and serve with glaze as desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 183cal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 523mg | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Keywords instant pot pork tenderloin, pork tenderloin instant pot
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Gail D. says
Sauted first as one of the persons rating this recipe did.Partially frozen tenderloin cooked 12 mins-overdone at 165+. Sauce/glaze too watery after cooking nearly 5 mins.Taste was good.Ok, for a last min. dinner, but will stick to other roasted pork tenderloin recipes in conventional oven when time permits.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Gail! I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it as much as we do! If you’re sauteeing the meat first, then 12 minutes for partially frozen would definitely be too long unfortunately. The frozen pork will also release a significant amount of water as it cooks which is likely why the glaze was a little watery. I hope you give it another try sometime! Thanks for letting me know how it went 🙂
Lois Misiewicz says
I made this the other night from frozen. It was cooked perfectly and was delicious. I will be making it again. I may add a little more balsamic the next time. Definitely a keeper.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lois! I’m so happy you liked it!
Sam says
Not long enough for completely Frozen. I had to add an additional 6 minutes. Unfortunately I was making the glaze before I sliced it.
Jean says
I made this tonight in my IP for 10 min, temperature was right on point at 148, and while it was moist it was tough. Any thoughts on why this would be? I have yet to get a tender roast out of this type of meat in the oven, the crock pot or the Instant Pot. Frustrating.
Ashley Fehr says
It shouldn’t be tough, but it won’t be “shreddable” at that length of cook time either. It should be tender and slice easily, and you should be able to cut it easily with a fork once sliced. The only thing I can think of is sometimes if the pressure is released too quickly the meat can become tough, but other than that I’m not sure! I hope that’s somewhat helpful!
Judy says
I’m still new to my IP and was confused by some of the readings!
Tenderloin was good, just a tad over cooked. Served with wild rice and still vine ripened tomatoes. The sauce was also very good. I would make this again!
Now if I can get this comment to post after 3rd try, I’ll be happy!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Judy! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Fiorella Marante says
This sounds wonderful, planning on making it tonight! I have misplaced the trivet that goes in the insta pot. Can I still make this recipe? Any suggestions on what I can use instead? Thank you!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks! You can probably cook it without the trivet just fine! The seasoning just won’t stick to the pork where it sits in the liquid.
Heather Peterson says
This sounds delicious and I would love to make it this evening! Can you add potatoes and carrots into the bottom of the pot or will that mess something up? ?
Andrea Stocking says
I’m wondering about this too!
Ashley Fehr says
I think that’s a great idea! You’ll just want to add somewhat large pieces, as you don’t want the veggies to turn out mushy! I usually do baby potatoes for 3-4 mintues, so maybe a little larger than that.
ANNIE says
First ever instant pot meal – it was a hit! Not a morsel for leftovers either! Thanks for a great recipe!” – the only thing I did differently was searing it on Sauté before proceeding with the rest of the recipe as written.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Annie! That’s a great tip!
Susan Knox says
Just made this for dinner. I had Hormel pork tenderloins lemon garlic flavor (2 in a pack). I didn’t use the seasonings since it was already seasoned, I followed the rest of directions adding the stock and followed the directions for the glaze. It was very tender and the glaze added a little something special. My husband missed the grill marks from our usual grilling. Since I had only sliced one of the tenderloins; I cleaned out the instant pot and browned the other one on saute setting. This one was good also so I think I will brown the meat first next time.
Just a note to clean the instant pot after browning I just add some hot water and detergent and let it sit a little. The cooked on brown bits clean easily. If browning meat first I would just scrape this up after adding stock to add flavor to the dish.
Jennifer says
Loved this. The pork tenderloin was tender and flavourful. This is the first IP recipe I’ve loved (other than the obvious easy stuff like whole chicken, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt).
I eat on the lower carb side of things, so I made your glaze with sugar-free ketchup, no added sugar table syrup, and thickened it with a sprinkle of xanthan gum.
Thanks for sharing your great recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Elisabeth says
I am planning to make this recipe tonight. I made the mistake of buying a pork loin tenderloin (2.5lbs). Is it best to just cut it in half and follow the recipe, or is it better to cut it longways as another commenter did? Also, if I cut it to be around 1-1.5 lbs, can the cook time stay the same?
Ashley Fehr says
If you cut them lengthwise to be long and skinny like tenderloin, you can likely keep the cook time the same. I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Sharee says
Really tasty. Just made it for friends. Everyone like how tender and juicy this turned out. I have added this to my repertoire! Thank you, Ashley.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sharee! And thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
Mary says
We like our pork tenderloin pink in the middle. Can this be achieved by this recipe? Wouldn’t want to lessen the cook time much more as it’s already quite minimal. Thx for any advice.
Ashley Fehr says
I think if you like it more medium in the center I would cut it down to 5-6 minutes if using fresh pork tenderloin. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Joan Barnett says
I just made this for dinner, it was delicious. We enjoyed the tenderness and the fact that it wasn’t dry but nice and moist. We also like the sauce but it would’t thicken with one tablespoon of corn starch so I used two and it was perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Montana says
Can i make this in the pot without the rack on the bottom? We do not have that attachment.
Ashley Fehr says
Of course! I don’t use the rack at all.
Meli Uribe says
For sure, this is probably the best tenderloin recipe for the Instant Pot. I was a little nervous that the pork would come out dry and tough, but it came out perfect! Thabks for the recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Yay! I’m so glad!
Amy says
I’ve made a ton of pork tenderloins and this is by far the BEST!! It came out so moist with amazing flavor and the glaze is really delicious on top. I had 2 tenderloin (about 3lbs$ so I cut each in half and arranged so nothing really overlapped and cooked for 8min. I made Cuban sandwiches with the leftovers the next day. Thank you for this recipe! It will be utilized over and over.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amy! It makes me so happy that you love it as much as we do!
Mandy Brown says
Can flour be substituted for corn starch for glaze?
Ashley Fehr says
It could but you would want to dissolve it in some cold liquid before adding it to the pot.
Sara says
If I double the meat (two pork tenderloins), should I double the liquid? Sorry for the stupid question–I am new to Instant Pot cooking.
Jason says
Probably not (unless you want double to glaze), you really just need about a cup of liquid to create enough steam to pressurize the Instant Pot. The pot may work a little harder/longer to get the pot to pressure and keep it there for the duration of the cook.
Ashley Fehr says
Great answer! Thanks!
Carole says
Does the meat not need to be browned first?
Ashley Fehr says
You could! I don’t usually. We like it that way just fine 🙂