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This easy creamy brandy apple pork tenderloin recipe has a rich apple and brandy cream sauce and tender pork! It has very few ingredients yet tastes restaurant quality.
Try my Easy Pork Chops and Apples or Apple Slaw Recipe next if you’ve got apples to use up.
Why you’ll love it
Pork tenderloin medallions are smothered in a comforting creamy sauce in this pork with apples recipe. Apples and pork go so well together since they bring out the natural sweetness of the meat! This simple 35-minute dish is a weeknight treat.
Every fall, I look forward to making this brandy pork recipe since it’s the perfect seasonal meal. The creamy sauce is super easy to make, and it’s so elegant with sweet and smooth undertones from the brandy. Juicy bites of apple top it all off.
Do you taste the alcohol?
- Nope! If you’ve never cooked with brandy, it mellows out in the apple cream sauce and gives a hint of sweetness, complexity, and depth of flavor that sort of tastes caramelized. The alcohol cooks off, so you don’t get the strong taste.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Apple – I use Granny Smith, which is a great cooking apple since it’s a little bit tart to add overall balance
- Onion – my go-to is Vidalia onions
- Pork – we’re using pork tenderloin. Note that this is not the same as pork loin. They’re two totally different cuts of meat and not interchangeable.
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, this infuses savory goodness into the pork
- Brandy – use your favorite brand
- Heavy cream – it really enhances the sauce and makes it silky, mellowing the brandy
Pro tip
Don’t rush through the step of browning the apple and onions. The light browning imparts tons of flavor in this dish!
How to make brandy pork tenderloin
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat up the oil in a skillet, and cook the onions and apples until softened and lightly browned, transferring to a plate when done. Cut the pork into medallions, and season them with salt & pepper and garlic powder. Cook the pork for a minute/side, then transfer to the plate.
Increase the heat, then add the brandy. Let it reduce by half, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Pour in the cream, and return the pork, onions, and apples. Simmer until the pork is fully cooked (145F) and the sauce has thickened. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- An instant read meat thermometer ensures pork is that perfect 145F (a little pink in the middle is totally fine!) and not overcooked.
- Using a sharp chef’s knife makes the chopping go smoothly.
- This is the 10.25″ cast iron skillet I use for this one.
- A good melamine cooking spoon won’t scratch your cookware.
Substitutions and variations
- I wouldn’t recommend substituting the cream for something with a lower fat content. The sauce won’t be as velvety or tasty, and we can’t predict the results (e.g., it may curdle).
- Thyme would be a great addition to this dish, or feel free to add whatever fresh herbs you’ve got from the garden to use up!
- We’ve only tested with Granny Smith, but you could experiment with a different variety of apple.
What to serve with this pork recipe
- The sauce is fabulous with a big pile of Garlic Mashed Potatoes or a Baked Potato. Rice works great too, or try my Garlic Buttered Noodles.
- For veggies, broccoli or Roasted Green Beans are my favorite. I also enjoy Brussels Sprouts or Easy Roasted Cauliflower or Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
- I like this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad for a salad pairing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this pork and apples in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat slowly and over a low heat in a saucepan so that the meat doesn’t dry out.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
If you made this pork with apples and brandy, please leave a star rating and review below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you made any of my recipes.
Creamy Brandy Apple Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled & chopped
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned (about 12-15 minutes).
- Meanwhile, trim any fat from the pork tenderloin and then cut it into 1/2" medallions. Season the pork with the garlic powder and some salt & pepper.
- Once the apples and onions are cooked, transfer them to a plate.
- If the pan is looking really dry, add another small splash of olive oil. Add the pork to the pan and cook on each side for about a minute, then transfer it to the same plate as the apples and onions.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the brandy to the skillet. Let it bubble until reduced by half (about 1-2 minutes), scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the cream, then add the pork, apples, and onions back into the pan.
- Cook for another five minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit (reduce the heat as needed so it's bubbling but not boiling furiously).
- Season with extra salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on October 23, 2015. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Next time I will use a Granny Smith apple. I used what I had and it wasn’t enough apple taste. Other than that it was amazing! Hubs enemy liked it! Will def make again!!
Excellent!
Im a good cook, this recipe has no taste of apples (much more needed and maybe some sugar).
Slight taste of brandy despite doubling the amount.
Looks good on paper but fails in the pan.
Wouldn’t bother again without major adjustment
Strange.
This was so good and you do not taste the Brandy. The flavors were perfect for the pork tenderloin. 1the directions were easy to follow and the pork was done perfectly. Saving this to make again, because I still have some Brandy to use! So why not!
Thank you, Carol!