Savory Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Dinner

Talk about versatility – this delicious pork tenderloin sheet pan dinner is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or an upscale dinner party.

Dec 06, 2022

I have a confession to make about today’s recipe. When I was developing it, I had little hope that it was going to be tender, juicy, and flavorful. Pork tenderloin is an incredibly lean cut of meat. From a health perspective, that makes it a great protein choice. From a taste and tenderness perspective, that usually means tough, dry, and bland.

Wow, did this recipe surprise me. Incredibly flavorful, tender and moist is how I would describe this pork tenderloin. I think two crucial steps led to the delicious outcome – a flavor-packed rub and not overcooking the pork.

Using a dry rub, as I did in this recipe, is a great way to season and tenderize meat. Of course, the flavor in the rub comes from the granulated garlic and onion, ground ginger, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. The kosher salt does double duty in that it provides flavor and helps to tenderize the pork. Interestingly, brown sugar helps to tenderize the meat as well. And, because it is somewhat moist, brown sugar kind of acts like a glue, helping the spices in the rub adhere to the meat. For maximum flavor, allow for a 12-hour marinating time.

Crucial step number two – don’t overcook the meat. For pork tenderloin, as well as other whole cuts of pork and pork chops, the recommend internal safe temperature is 145 degrees. For an accurate reading, place a digital food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Once 145 degrees is reached, remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest for three minutes before slicing and serving. This safe cooked temperature leaves the meat juicy with a pink blush in the middle.

To your health,

Darlene

SAVORY PORK TENDERLOIN SHEET PAN DINNER

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: about 3 slices pork and 1 cup roasted vegetables

Prep: 20 minutes

Ready: 45 minutes (not including marinating time)

INGREDIENTS

Spice Rub

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Remaining Ingredients

1 pound pork tenderloin
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup apricot or peach jam
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups red bell pepper slices (about 1 1/2 large peppers)
3 cups fresh French green beans (also called haricots verts)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

To prepare pork tenderloin for marinating: in a small bowl combine the spice rub ingredients of brown sugar, granulated garlic, granulated onion, ground ginger, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Pat pork tenderloin dry with paper towel and rub entire tenderloin with a 1/2 tablespoon oil. Rub entire tenderloin with spice rub mixture. Place in a glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 6 to 12 hours.

To prepare sheet pan dinner: in a small saucepan, combine jam, vinegar, soy sauce, granulated garlic (1/4 teaspoon), ground ginger (1/4 teaspoon), and red pepper flakes. Over low heat, stir until ingredients are combined. Remove from heat and reserve a 1/4 cup of apricot sauce to pour over cooked sliced pork.

Place red bell pepper slices and green beans in center of sheet pan, drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil and toss to coat. Move vegetables to the sides of the pan and place the marinated tenderloin in the center of the pan.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Roast pork and vegetables for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle apricot sauce from saucepan (keeping the reserved 1/4 cup of sauce separate for later use) over tenderloin and vegetables, tossing vegetables to coat. Return to oven and continue roasting until a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 145 degrees; about 10 minutes. Remove sheet pan from oven and allow pork to rest for 3 minutes.

Cut tenderloin into 12 or 16 slices and place on a serving platter. Season vegetables with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add vegetables to serving platter and drizzle reserved apricot sauce over pork slices and serve.

Cook’s note: Pork tenderloin is sometimes confused with pork loin. Pork tenderloin is a smaller, long cut of meat that usually weighs about 1 pound. Pork loin (also referred to as pork loin roast) is a thick, wide rectangular cut sold as a roast. It typically weighs 2 to 4 pounds.

Nutrition Information per Serving

340 Calories, 9 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 62 mg Cholesterol, 488 mg Sodium, 43 g Total carbohydrate, 4 g Dietary fiber, 29 g Total sugars, 6 g Added sugars, 25 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 51 mg (4%) Calcium, 2 mg (10%) Iron, 777 mg (15%) Potassium