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closeup of a plate with baked pork tenderloin slices
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4.96 from 257 votes

Easy Baked Pork Tenderloin

This baked pork tenderloin recipe is perfectly juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. No searing is required, so it's fast and has minimal prep! It's ready in just over 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked pork tenderloin recipe, roasted pork tenderloin recipe
Servings: 6
Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 2 pork tenderloins about 1 pound each
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1/4 cup butter cut into pats
  • Chopped parsley optional, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.
  • Prep the tenderloins by cutting off any excess fat and the silver skin (the tough part that may cover some of each tenderloin). Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towel.
  • Add the spice rub ingredients (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper) to a small bowl and stir together. Coat the tenderloins all over with the spice rub.
  • Add the pork tenderloins to a 9x13 (or similar size) baking dish and place the butter pats on top.
  • Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 145F. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing it into medallions so it remains juicy.
  • Pour the pan juices over the pork (they're also great over a side dish like mashed potatoes) and sprinkle with chopped parley if desired.

Notes

  • Serves 6-8 depending on portion size. Halve all ingredients if you want to make one (one pound) pork tenderloin.
  • This recipe is NOT for pork loin, which is a different, tougher cut of meat and will need to be cooked for longer.
  • Pork that's 145F in the thickest part is safe to eat. Farming practices have changed over the years, and it's no longer recommended to overcook pork. This recipe, by the time it's finished resting, yields pork that is slightly more cooked than the 145F but may still have some pink in the middle (this is totally safe!). Use an instant read meat thermometer so you never over or undercook meat again.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg