We’re sharing our 3 favorite pork tenderloin marinades with you today! These marinades will ensure flavorful, delicious pork tenderloin every single time.
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Pork Loin Marinade
- Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin Marinades
- How to Make a Pork Tenderloin Marinade Recipe
- How to Cook Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin Video
- Tips for Perfection
- Pork Tenderloin Marinade Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Marinades
- 3 Pork Tenderloin Marinades – Balsamic, Sesame Ginger, and Maple Dijon Recipe
This recipe is…
Pork tenderloin has always been a go-to dinner in my house. It cooks up quickly, is delicious (when cooked to perfection!), makes for great leftovers, and feels just fancy enough to get me out of the weeknight dinner rut. Too often, pork gets the reputation of dry and flavorless, but that’s not the case when you use one of these 3 absolutely delicious marinades!
Pork Loin Marinade
Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat – but what exactly does that mean? In addition to being a low-fat choice of protein, it is also very low on flavor. If you want a flavorful pork tenderloin, you’re going to have to add in the flavor yourself. The good news is that since it is so mild, pork tenderloin takes on flavor easily – you just have to give it a little time.
What are the best pork tenderloin marinades?
When it comes to marinating your pork tenderloin, you can really use anything! Personally, we like a wet marinade because it is easy to throw together and really gets into the pork. A combination of salt, sweet, and acidity to make the pork even more tender is ideal. Here are our three favorites:
- Sesame Ginger. This marinade is great if you want to give your pork tenderloin a bit of Asian flare! For this marinade, we whisk together coconut aminos (or soy sauce), fresh ginger, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. It’s the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and tangy, with just a hint of spice.
- Balsamic Rosemary. Balsamic pork tenderloin is a classic. This marinade is slightly sweet, tangy, and filled with fresh rosemary flavor. For this one, we combine balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary, dijon mustard, garlic powder, and salt.
- Maple Dijon. This marinade is pretty much a universal crowd-pleaser, great for picky kids (or husbands)! In this marinade, we simply combine dijon mustard with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, dried thyme, and salt.
Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin Marinades
Balsamic and Rosemary Marinade
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Maple Dijon Marinade
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Sesame and Ginger Marinade
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
How to Make a Pork Tenderloin Marinade Recipe
It’s really simple! All you’ll need to do is whisk together your marinade ingredients and then pour the marinade over top of your pork tenderloin! You can let the pork tenderloin marinade in a lidded bowl, a large Ziplock bag, or a reusable bag!
How long do you marinate pork tenderloin for?
If you’re in a rush, we recommend giving your pork tenderloin at least 30 minutes to marinate, and you can help speed up the process by poking a few holes in it with a fork. If you’ve got extra time though, 4-24 hours is ideal to make sure it really takes on the flavor!
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin
Now that your pork is marinated, it’s ready to be cooked! While you can absolutely grill pork tenderloin, our favorite way to cook it is in the oven because it’s an accessible cooking method year-round and results in some seriously juicy, flavorful pork!
- Sear it in a Cast-Iron Pan – When cooking your pork tenderloin in the oven, you’ll first want to sear it in a cast-iron pan.
- Bake It (allowing the internal temperature to reach 145 degrees F)
- Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving it.
(Here’s our full breakdown on this fail-proof cooking method: Perfect Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin). In addition to a flavorful marinade, following these three simple steps will ensure perfect pork tenderloin every single time! For more in-depth instructions, see our guide to cooking pork tenderloin in the oven.
Pork Tenderloin Video
Tips for Perfection
Here are a few simple tips to ensure the juiciest, most flavorful pork tenderloin!
- Let Your Pork Marinate – we recommend letting your pork tenderloin marinate for 4-24 hours. This ensures that the pork really takes on the flavor of the marinade!
- Use a Thermometer – my #1 tip for cooking pork tenderloin in the oven is to buy a meat thermometer! Even better, if you can buy an in-oven thermometer that will beep as soon as the pork reaches the desired temperature (145°F).
- Let the Pork Rest – you’ll want to let your finished pork tenderloin rest for 8-10 minutes before serving. If you skip this step and cut into it immediately, the juices will run out of it and you’ll be left with dry pork.
Pork Tenderloin Marinade Frequently Asked Questions
We always opt for searing our pork tenderloin and then baking it! Searing it locks in flavor and moisture, and then baking it for just 15-20 minutes gets it perfectly cooked (but not dried out!).
Totally! You can go one of two routes here – you can either freeze the marinade on its own or freeze the marinade and pork tenderloin together. If you decide to freeze the marinade on its own, these mason jars will work great. When you’re ready to use the marinade, just let it thaw completely (either overnight in the fridge or in a bowl of water for a quicker thaw) and then pour it over the pork and let marinate as normal. On the other hand, if you’d like to freeze the pork and marinade together, we recommend using a gallon size Ziplock bag and squeezing out as much air as possible before freezing. Be sure to label your bag with the date and contents so that your frozen pork tenderloin doesn’t become a freezer mystery! When you’re ready to cook the frozen pork tenderloin+ marinade duo, simply let it thaw completely and then cook using our perfect-every-time oven method!
More Favorite Marinades
3 Pork Tenderloin Marinades – Balsamic, Sesame Ginger, and Maple Dijon
Ingredients
Balsamic and Rosemary Marinade
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Maple Dijon Marinade
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Sesame and Ginger Marinade
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade of your choice, then set aside.
- Trim the silver skin off of the pork – the silver skin is the white, tough strip of connective tissue that runs about halfway down the pork tenderloin. Once you have removed it, season pork tenderloin with 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Note: if you are using soy sauce for the ginger-sesame marinade, omit the salt.
- Pour the marinade over the pork tenderloin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
- Remove or from the marinade and drain off any excess, then grill or bake the pork until it reaches a temperature of 145 F. For full instructions, see our oven pork tenderloin recipe.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
I loved this recipe with the Maple Dijon marinade. One question: the recipe says to pour additional marinade over the pork before putting in the oven. If you’re referring to the remaining marinade that the pork was marinating in, it’s my understanding that it’s not safe to use marinade that raw meat has been marinating in, unless you boil it first. What’s your take on this?
You’re absolutely correct! You should never put uncooked marinade over cooked meat. The directions here are consistent with that. Any suggestion of adding additional marinade to the pork is before it goes into the oven. I hope that helps!
Made the Maple Dijon marinade and prepared tenderloin as described…cast iron skillet sear then oven. Absolutely delicious!! This is going on rotation!!
We are so so happy you enjoyed it, Lacy!!
I have tried them all. They are all winners. My favorite is the Maple Dijon other family favorite is the Sesame and Ginger.
WOOHOO! That is amazing, Kathleen! We are so happy you love them!
It’s Thursday night and I’m trying to prep for a dinner on Saturday – is it too early to put the marinade on my 3 pork tenderloins (already dressed btw).
Thanks for your assistance,
M
Hi Martha! We are so sorry we missed your comment! In my opinion, it is never too early to start marinating!!! 🙂
What are the sides that will go with this dish?
You didn’t mention what temp oven should be .
Hi Raine! Find cooking instructions for pork tenderloin HERE. This recipe is just for the three marinades.
When you say drain off excess marinade, do you mean wipe it down at all? My marinade turned out a bit thick, and I am not sure if I should actually rinse it lightly or just pat it down. I have tenderloins that are quite thin and small. (I went with the Balsamic and Rosemary Marinade btw!)
Hi Jen! You don’t have to wipe down the pork or rinse it off, just letting the excess drip off is fine. Hope you enjoyed! -Team FF
Hi. Where can I find the nutritional values for recipes?
Hi Ana, for individual recipes, there is a tab at the bottom of the recipe card (before the notes, if any) labeled “nutrition information.” If there is a specific marinade in this recipe you would like the information on, please feel free to email us at support@fedandfit.com, and we would be happy to get you the information. Thank you! -Team F&F
You mention grilling the pork tenderloins but that’s as far as you go, it is summer and who feels like putting the oven on
Hi Mary! Oven-roasted is our favorite way to cook pork tenderloin, but totally understand not wanting to heat the whole house in the summer! You can definitely grill your pork tenderloin if that is your preference until it reaches an internal temperature of 145F. -Team F&F
Have made all three. Excellent recipes for tender, delicious pork.
I used the balsamic marinade and it was so delicious. We grilled the tenderloins and I did not change anything in the marinade recipe. I am adding all three of these to my ‘go to’ pork tenderloin marinades.
We are so glad to hear this! Thank you for taking the time to share with us.
I made the balsamic and rosemary marinade and the tenderloin was wonderful.
Thank you for taking the time to share with us! I am so glad you enjoyed! ~Melissa
I made the soy ginger recipe last night, and family loved it. Made extra batch of the sauce added extra honey and green onion. Reduced and poured over the tenderloin when done cooking. Served with steamed Broccoli and brown rice.
That sounds delicious, Latoya! I’m so glad your family loved the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to share with us!