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This Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin recipe is the perfect weeknight meal. Prep the night before in a delicious marinade and grill the next day. The tenderloin is tender, juicy and super flavorful. The natural sweetness comes from orange juice while the savoriness comes from a mixture of soy and balsamic vinegar. Add a little ginger for a touch of freshness and this is pork tenderloin is one to beat.
For more delicious grilled pork dinners try my Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin or try to really impress your guests, make this Braided Pork Loin. Don’t forget about the Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin. It’s a show-stopper! This Grilled Apple Cider Pork Roast is full of warm and cozy winter flavors.
Table of Contents
Ingredients needed for a Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin
- Pork tenderloin: the perfect size and cut for a family dinner night.
- Mustard: I used a horseradish mustard for the binder. Adds tanginess and sharpness to the pork
- Orange juice: adds sweetness and acidity to the marinade.
- Soy sauce: perfect umami and savory notes to balance the sweetness of the orange juice.
- Balsamic vinegar: adds tanginess to the marinade.
- Ginger paste: adds a burst of freshness.
- Seasoning: an all purpose seasoning adds salt and pepper and balances all the marinade flavors.
- Maple Syrup: adds a rich sweetness to the pork.
How to make the BEST Sweet and Savory Marinade
This Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin recipe is easy and simple to make. The key step is the marinade. You don’t need a lot to make a flavorful impact!
In a large bowl, add orange juice, maple syrup, equal parts soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, ginger paste, horseradish mustard and Dad’s All Purpose seasoning. Whisk the ingredients together making sure everything is mixed in.
Pour about a quarter of the marinade into a separate cup. You will need it later.
Next, place the pork tenderloins inside the bowl and submerge it into the marinade. For best results, marinate the pork overnight. If you are planing on grilling the marinated pork tenderloin the same day, keep it in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
How to grill the BEST Pork Tenderloin
Grilled pork tenderloin is such a great protein to cook in the summer. It can absorb amazing flavors, large enough to feed a crowd for dinner and it’s economical.
To grill the best Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin, start by preheating the grill to a medium to high heat and set for dual zone grilling.
How to create dual heat zone on different grills
Dual heat zones are created differently depending on the type of grill you have.
- Gas grill: Turn the burners on one half of the grill. For indirect heat, place food on the opposite end.
- Charcoal grill: position the heated charcoal to one half of the round bowl. For indirect heat, place the food on the opposite end.
- Komodo style grill: use a plate setter that will deflect direct heat from the food on the grates.
Start by placing the marinated pork on the direct heat side first. We want to sear all sides of the tenderloin and create a delicious and beautiful crust. This should take about 2 minutes per side over high heat.
Once the pork is seared all around, move it to the indirect heat side of the grill. This will allow it to fully cook through. Close the grill and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees.
Recipe Tip
When using a charcoal grill, place the lid over the grill with the vents directly above the pork. This will allow the hot air to circulate and exit over the pork cooking the pork evenly throughout.
Remember that marinade we saved earlier? Now’s the time to use it. Start brushing the tenderloins with the reserved marinade. Brush, flip and brush again. Continue this process until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees and pull it from the grill.
Now I know some of you will say that pork needs to be cooked to 145 degrees, and that is correct. HOWEVER, when we rest the pork in the next step, the internal temperature will increase to 145 making it perfectly safe to eat AND keeping in super juicy.
Don’t forget to rest the pork!
The golden rule to perfectly tender and juicy meat of any kind is cooking to the right temperature and then resting the meat for 5-10 minutes. Some people are so eager to eat the meat right away, because it’s still warm, that they miss a crucial step – the resting phase.
Resting protein not only slows down the cooking process and brings the final temperature of the meat to a safe range, but allows the juices within the meat to redistribute through making every bite juicy.
BUT before you rest the grilled pork, once they are off the grill, brush some marinade one last time over the tenderloin.
Hope you enjoy this grilled Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin recipe as much as we do!
Frequently Asked Questions:
The best way to avoid dry meat or know if any protein is ready is to check the internal temperature. Pork especially! Remove the pork chops at 140 internal degrees and rest for 10 minutes for the perfect tender and juicy meat.
All my recipes can be replicated in the oven, stove top or gas grill. You do not need a big green egg or weber grill to replicate any of my recipes.
Delicious Grilled Pork Recipes:
If you tried this Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 Pork tenderloins
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 cup Orange juice
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Soy sauce
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Ginger paste
- 2 tbsp Horseradish mustard
- 1 tbsp All purpose seasoning
Instructions
- Pour 1/2 cup of the marinade into another container and set aside for later.
- Place the pork tenderloins into the marinade and store it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or ideally overnight.
- Preheat the charcoal grill to a medium to high heat and set for dual zone grilling.
- Start by placing the marinated pork tenderloins on the direct heat side, directly over the charcoal, to sear. Flip and rotate every 1-2 minutes until the pork develops a beautiful golden brown crust.
- Move the tenderloins to the indirect heat side of the grill, cover, and continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees.
- Take the reserved marinade from earlier and start basting the pork. Continue basting and flipping until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
- Remove the grilled pork tenderloins from the grill and let them rest 5-10 minutes.
- Brush more of the sweet and savory marinade on the grilled pork while it rests. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use pork chops in this recipe in place of tenderloin.
- Use dijon mustard in place of horseradish if you can’t find any in the store.
- Don’t have maple syrup, no problem. Use honey or brown sugar.
- When using a charcoal grill, place the lid over the grill with the vents directly above the pork. This will allow the hot air to circulate and exit over the pork cooking the pork evenly throughout.
My favorite summer pork tenderloin recipe! I hope you like it as much as I do.