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This creamy balsamic pork tenderloin recipe is a comforting meal that’s ready in 25 minutes! Tender pork is coated in an irresistible balsamic portobello mushroom sauce.
For something without mushrooms, try my Creamy Pork Tenderloin Medallions or Creamy Brandy Apple Pork Tenderloin instead.
Why you’ll love it
If you’ve never cooked with balsamic vinegar before, it creates a bit of magic in sauces! It actually mellows out and gently sweetens in the sauce. This easy pork tenderloin recipe was originally posted in 2016, and it’s one of my favorite ways to cook pork.
The melt-in-your mouth, juicy pork tenderloin medallions are smothered with a rich and creamy sauce that’s overflowing with portobello mushrooms. It’s simple, uses only a handful of everyday ingredients, and is a fantastic way to dress up pork for a cozy weeknight meal.
What you’ll need
- Pork tenderloin – this cut of meat is extra lean and cooks fast. Note that it cannot be swapped with pork loin.
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, it infuses flavor right into the meat
- Flour – for dredging and getting a nice crust
- Butter and olive oil – for pan frying and getting that great sear
- Portobello mushrooms – I use baby bellas
- Chicken broth – the savory base of the sauce
- Balsamic vinegar – the star of the sauce. It mellows out and gives that sweeter, caramelized signature taste!
- Italian seasoning – it’s a blend of delicious dried herbs in a single jar
- Heavy cream – to add a touch of luxuriousness
Helpful tips
- A pork tenderloin that’s a bit more or a bit less than a pound in weight will be just fine for this recipe. Just be sure not to buy a pork loin.
- Overcooked shoe leather pork is no fun, so don’t cook it for much longer than it needs. Pink pork is perfectly safe to eat (mind you, your pork isn’t likely to be pink using my suggested cooking times below). Use an instant read meat thermometer if you’re unsure (pork is safe at 145F).
How to make balsamic pork tenderloin
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the pork into medallions. Season them with salt & pepper and the garlic powder, then dredge in flour. Heat up the oil and half the butter in a skillet. Sear the pork, then transfer to a plate. Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms.
Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the broth, vinegar, and Italian seasoning, letting it bubble for a couple of minutes. Pour in the cream, and return the pork to the pan. Let it simmer until the meat is cooked through. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the cast iron skillet I used for this recipe.
- A sharp chef’s knife is a must-have for any home cook.
- This is my favorite cutting board that I used for slicing the mushrooms.
Substitutions and variations
- Add a few cloves of garlic when sautéing the mushrooms if you want it extra garlicky.
- For an elegant touch, you could replace the chicken broth with dry white wine or half the broth (1/4 cup) with brandy.
- I strongly recommend not substituting the cream for something lower fat. The vinegar could curdle it, and the sauce will end up thinner.
- It’s just fine to change up the variety of mushrooms for another kind.
What to serve with creamy pork tenderloin
- The creamy balsamic sauce is perfect with Mashed Potatoes. Rice or egg noodles also go well, as do Green Beans or Easy Roasted Cauliflower.
- For a salad pairing, try spring mix with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing. You could also go all out and make a Caesar Salad and some Garlic Bread.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat until warmed through, slowly so that it doesn’t overcook.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one.
If you made this pork tenderloin in a creamy balsamic sauce, leave a star rating and review below! Ask any questions you may have. You can also find me on Instagram.
Creamy Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- Salt & pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces portobello mushrooms sliced (I used baby bellas)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut the pork into 1" medallions. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and the garlic powder on both sides and coat each piece in flour.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork to the skillet once it's hot and cook for 3-4 minutes/side, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Let it bubble for 2 minutes.
- Add in the cream and return the pork to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes or until it thickens up a bit and the pork is fully cooked. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- You can replace half or all of the chicken broth with dry white wine if desired.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on June 22, 2016. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Served this over farro and with green beans for dinner and it was delicious. I added fresh parsley instead of the Italian seasoning which worked well. My husband loved it. I think it would work well with chicken also…I’ll be trying that out one day and will definitely be making this recipe again! So easy and delicious!
So happy to hear it, Alyssa!
I made this tonight but used boneless pork chops (cut in half width-wise). Next time I’d definitely like to try the pork tenderloin. What I like about this is that the balsamic vinegar is not over powering (as some might think), the mushrooms end up being infused with that delicious balsamic flavor and the creamy mushroom sauce is so good. We served it with steamed rice and asparagus . Highly recommmend. It was fast and easy!
I’m so happy you liked the flavor!!
This was delicious! I served it over wilted spinach the first night, and did leftovers over a quickly smashed baked potato….soooo yummy both ways 🙂 I will definitely make this again!
So happy to hear that, Tracy!! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
That was excellent! My whole family enjoyed it. I will serve the leftovers over egg noodles tomorrow. The recipe proportions were perfect. Easy clean up. Thanks Natasha!
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know, George!
I will definitely make this again. It was delicious
So happy to hear it, Jacci!
Good recipe! I wanted something new to do with Pork tenderloin tonight and was not disappointed. Substitutions I had to make: half and half for the cream–worked out fine. Used about 1/2 tsp. oregano due to finicky eater in my home, used Baby Bella mushrooms because I didn’t have the portabella. Turned out great and since we like gravy so much in our house, the saucier sauce was good for us. I served with Basmati rice and leafy green salad with vinaigrette (sweetened) and it was a great meal! Looking forward to the leftovers. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes:)!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Suzanne! And I’m glad the substitution worked.
Love this Natasha! It looks so good!!
Thanks Debs!!!
How absolutely gorgeous is this dish! I shouldn’t have opened this post before dinner…I so wish I could eat this now!
Aw thank you ????
YUM is all I can say! That balsamic portobello sauce sounds wonderful. I love anything over mashed potatoes, so this is right up my alley!
Thanks so much, Keri! I hope you try it 🙂
Everything in this post looks good – both as far as technical host switching and the recipe! 🙂
I like the idea of balsamic with pork, never had that before but it sounds good, so I will be trying this!
Thanks Kate, let me know if you make it 🙂 Haha I’m glad things aren’t displaying wonky for you. It’s been an interesting week… that’s for sure.
Can you substitute 1/2 and1/2 for heavy cream?
You could try, but the sauce may not thicken as well. You may need to cook it for a little longer (be careful not to overcook the pork).