25 Satisfying Pork Tenderloin Dinners 

Pork tenderloin is lean, quick-cooking, and delicious. It stands up to bold flavors and is so versatile it can move from down-home casual to elegant to global, as this collection of recipes shows. At the grocery store, steer clear of pre-marinated tenderloins or ones injected with solution to “enhance juiciness.” Those products are typically loaded with sodium. Instead, add your own seasonings and stay in control of the flavor and salt.

First up, this gorgeous main uses just one skillet—first to sear and roast the pork, then to caramelize the fennel and mushrooms. Arugula isn't only for salads; it wilts nicely when sautéed in the pan juices from the pork tenderloin.

The Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas and collard greens in the New Year is a delicious one, though not remotely quick enough for a weeknight. Until now, that is. Collards fair nicely in a quick sauté; slice into thin ribbons so they wilt quickly and stay tender. Canned black-eyed peas also save time. Pork is a natural pairing for greens and black-eyed peas. Here a lean, perfectly seared pork tenderloin is the star.

A generous amount of smoked paprika forms a nice crust on the pork as it sears in the pan, while also contributing big, bold, smoky flavor. If you haven't invested in a jar or tin of this powerhouse ingredient, we suggest that you add it to your pantry: It’s great in spice rubs for meat; stirred into chili or other soups that could use a lift; sprinkled on oven fries; or dusted onto hummus for a flavor boost. The pork cooks to perfection using a two-step method. First, it’s seared in a skillet until beautifully browned, and then it’s finished in the oven until done to the perfect temperature for juicy results.

This modern twist on hearty German fare gets a fiber boost from savoy cabbage and a crunchy-tart finish from cranberries and almonds. Be sure to let the pork rest atop the cabbage mixture; the juices infuse it with rich, meaty flavor.

Homemade teriyaki sauce is much fresher and more vibrant than bottled sauce and makes for a delicious sweet-salty glaze on lean pork tenderloin. Mirin lends this sauce a rich flavor; it’s a sweet rice cooking wine that you'll find near the rice vinegar on the Asian foods aisle. If you can't find it, you can substitute sweet Riesling, dry or cream sherry, or sweet marsala wine. It would be a shame to let any of that luscious sauce go to waste; serve over a bed of brown rice to soak it all up.

Kale and spinach provide a hearty salad base for herb-seasoned pork tenderloin, tangy feta, sweet grapes, and a bright olive oil dressing. If packing your lunch for the office, assemble greens, cheese, and grapes in a large plastic container. When ready to heat, add warmed pork and dressing, and shake salad with top on to evenly distribute dressing and ingredients. Dairy-free option: Use 2 teaspoons toasted chopped walnuts instead of feta cheese.

Thin foods cook faster. Pork medallions get better browning than a whole tenderloin; potato slices get crispier than wedges. Thinly sliced apple, fennel, and shallots absorb more vinaigrette without losing crunch.

Crushed whole spices create a beautiful crust on a seared and roasted pork tenderloin. You don't need a spice grinder or mortar and pestle; place the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a ziplock bag and crush gently with a small, heavy skillet until very coarsely ground. Refrigerated potatoes are parcooked, saving you oven time. Coat and sear the pork while the oven preheats. Make the yogurt sauce while the pork and potatoes bake.

A sweet and savory peach glaze caramelizes on the pork as it cooks to perfection in a grill pan. We cut the tenderloin in half crosswise for easier maneuvering and faster cooking, and we tent the pork with foil to hold in more heat while it's in the pan. You could also use a cast-iron skillet if you don't have a grill pan. Serve with Watermelon-Tomato Salad.

This easy weeknight dinner marries sweet, bourbon-spiked peaches with succulent pork tenderloin for a savory-sweet effect. On the side, we toss together a crunchy cabbage slaw. 

Use a stainless steel pan instead of a nonstick here, if possible. A stainless surface will better collect fond (also known as browned bits) from the pork, which is then deglazed to lend rich flavor to the mushrooms and onions as they cook. Cook pork tenderloin on the stovetop instead of oven-roasting it; this gives it a delicious brown crust. Medium heat is key: It browns the pork without burning or toughening the surface before the middle reaches the right temp.

Think of this refreshing salad as a deconstructed spring roll: cool rice noodles, crisp vegetables, and a sweet-and-spicy vinaigrette instead of a dipping sauce. Top it all off with savory stir-fried pork. Look for brown rice noodles on the Asian foods aisle of your supermarket or in your local Asian market. We love that they offer up whole-grain goodness, and, once cooked, they’re pretty much indistinguishable from white rice noodles. If you're unfamiliar with fish sauce, you'll find it on the Asian foods aisle, too. We find it to be indispensable in the kitchen, lending savory depth to all kinds of dishes; try a splash in meatloaf or burgers; guacamole; meat or chicken marinades; or spaghetti sauce.

We cut the tenderloin in half before grilling for a nicely charred crust and a juicy inside in half the time. Traditionally, jerk seasoning is meant to be spicy, but we found the heat to be moderate and not overwhelming in this dish. Fresno chiles look like red jalapeños, and are slightly milder than green jalapeños. The grilled pineapple salsa is a fantastic accompaniment for the pork, well balanced between sweet pineapple, tart lime, pungent onion, and fragrant cilantro. The salsa would also work well with grilled chicken or fish. Serve with ice cold Red Stripe Jamaican lager for a full-on island meal experience.

This dish comes together in just one pan, making for quick clean up and tons of flavor as the elements build on each other. Corn starch gives the sauce a little thickness and high glossy shine. While some folks are anchovy-averse, they're a wonderful addition to dishes like this because they add meaty, umami flavor to veggies without tasting fishy. Anchovies are often a secret ingredient in some of the most delicious marinara sauces. Round out the meal with a creamy polenta spiked with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and be sure to ladle a little sauce over it, just as you'd put gravy over mashed potatoes.

When you're serving a crowd, aim to keep the entrée simple while also making it delicious. Roast Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Apricot Jam achieves both goals beautifully: It’s done in only 30 minutes, requires basic pantry staples, and the sweet-spicy jam is the perfect finishing touch. For more heat in the sauce, double the crushed red pepper, or try stirring in a seeded habanero chile or serrano pepper. To turn this into a fitting brunch option, serve with split Orange, Honey, and Thyme Biscuits; for a fantastic lunch idea, serve on pretzel or onion rolls.

This recipe is intended to give you extra pork for dinner later in the week. If you'd rather not make the extra pork, simply use one pork tenderloin (instead of two), and halve the marinade; the rest of the recipe will work for four servings. The soy sauce and fish sauce in the marinade amplify the meatiness of the pork, while the brown sugar and maple syrup offer sweet notes to balance while also helping the pork brown quickly in the grill pan as the sugars caramelizes on the ridges.

Orange marmalade is the surprising hero in this easy weeknight dinner. The fruit spread already has a lot going for it as the basis of a sauce—it’s thick, it’s sweet, and it’s pleasingly bitter. Add apple cider vinegar for tang and adobo sauce from a can of smoky chipotle chiles, and you have a delicious concoction that’s destined to go into regular rotation. The sweet-tart-smoky flavor goes perfectly with pork tenderloin (and the accompanying roasted sweet potatoes), but it would also complement pork chops, roasted chicken thighs, or lamb chops.

The bold relish, what Southerners call chowchow, offers a colorful, tangy contrast to the pork.