Want to add a ton of flavor to your pork tenderloin with little to no effort? Marinate it. This Pork Tenderloin Marinade is a savory mix of six simple ingredients.
All you need is yellow mustard, brown sugar, a few dry spices, and a little oil! It comes together in just five minutes and you won’t believe how much flavor it adds in just one hour! Serve this easy, make-ahead dinner with roasted potatoes and a simple house salad for a well-rounded meal the entire family will love!
If pork is on your weekly recipe rotation, bookmark this delicious Pork Chop Casserole for a fun twist on a grocery store staple!
MUSTARD-BASED MARINADE FOR THE WIN
This is an extremely versatile marinade recipe, and it can be used on roasted or grilled pork tenderloin. You can even use it for pork chops and chicken!
Not only that, but you have options when it comes to how long you can marinate it for. Bonus.
This mustard marinade will add flavor to the tenderloin in just one hour, but because it isn’t super acidic (like a lime or lemon-based marinade) you can marinate it for as long as twenty-four hours!
INGREDIENTS
- Yellow Mustard
- Brown Sugar
- Seasoning | Kosher Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder
- Oil | Avocado or Canola Oil
HOW TO MAKE PORK TENDERLOIN MARINADE
This Pork Tenderloin Marinade is so easy to make, you barely need a recipe!
- Whisk – Whisk together mustard, brown sugar, and the spices. Then, drizzle in the oil and transfer the marinade to a gallon-sized ziptop bag. Yup — that’s all there is to it! So. Easy.
- Add the Tenderloin – Add the pork tenderloin to the bag, remove as much air as possible, then, seal and briefly massage the marinade around the pork.
- Refrigerate – To avoid any cross-contamination in your refrigerator, place the bag on top of a large plate or in a rimmed pan. Refrigerate for up to twenty-four hours.
WHY MARINATE IN A ZIP TOP BAG?
A gallon-sized, ziptop bag is great for marinating meat because it allows for the marinade to come into contact with every square inch of the protein.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ONE?
If you don’t have one on hand, you can also use a bowl. You’ll want to pick a bowl that is just large enough to house the tenderloin. This way, the marinade will cover it completely and you won’t have to do a lot of turning.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU MARINATE PORK FOR?
It will only take about one hour for the pork tenderloin to pick up on the flavor of the marinade, but you can push it as far as twenty-four hours if you need to get dinner prepped well in advance.
Marinades add a great deal of flavor to meat, but they don’t actually penetrate flavor throughout the entire protein. This is by far the most common misconception about marinades. In reality, a marinade will only penetrate a few millimeters of flavor under the surface of any subject.
Typically, marinating any type of protein for too long (usually longer than 8 hours) will make the exterior of your meat mealy and soft. However, as mentioned above, in the case of this Pork Tenderloin Marinade, we aren’t working directly with a heavy-hitting acid like lime or lemon juice (e.g. in a fajita marinade) — only mustard.
Yellow mustard is certainly acidic, but it’s not that acidic, which gives us a little more leniency in the marinade time.
BEST WAY TO COOK MARINATED PORK
The easiest way to cook a marinated pork tenderloin is by roasting it in the oven, ideally at 400°F!
HOT TIP! While you are waiting on the oven to preheat, remove the marinated pork tenderloin from the refrigerator and allow it to set out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This simple step will remove the chill, and promote even cooking for a more tender, succulent pork tenderloin!
- Transfer the pork tenderloin directly from the marinade onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
- Bake it at 400°F for 28 minutes.
- For caramelized edges, turn on the broiler. Do not, I repeat, do not step away. The broiler can take food from amazing to burnt in less than a minute. Watch the pork closely and as soon as the edges of the tenderloin begin to bubble all across the surface, remove it from the oven.
SAFE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE
The safe internal temperature for pork is 145°F. The safest way to determine if it’s reached the desired temperature is by using an instant-read thermometer.
PORK DEGREES OF DONENESS
- Medium-Rare | 145-150°F
- Medium | 150-155°F
- Medium-Well | 155-160°F
- Well-Done | 160°F
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MARINATED PORK
Pork pairs well with so many different vegetables, the number of side dishes you serve with it are just about infinite! However, we’ve picked a few of our absolute faves for you to serve alongside our savory, mustard marinated pork tenderloin!
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Recipe
Brussels Sprout Salad
Veggie Bake
Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Sweet Potato Wedges Recipe
5 MORE PORK RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Pork Loin Roast
- Baked Pork Chops
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
- Pork Steaks With Onion Gravy
- Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
- 1/3 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup canola or avocado oil
- 2-3 pounds of pork tenderloin
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Combine the mustard, brown sugar, and spices in a small mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly.
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Pat the pork tenderloins dry with paper towels and place them in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Pour all of the marinade over the pork, remove as much air as possible from the bag, and seal. See note below if you don't have a ziptop bag.
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Briefly massage the marinade all over the pork and place atop a plate or small tray. Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours (8 hours max).
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Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow it to set out at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour to remove the chill. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking with nonstick aluminum foil.
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Transfer the pork directly from the marinade onto the baking sheet and bake for 28 minutes.
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Turn on the broiler and, watching closely, allow the exterior of the pork to bubble and for caramelized brown bits to form. This could take anywhere from 1-3 minutes depending on your oven, so do not step away.
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Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
You could also transfer the pork to a bowl just large enough to house it, pour over the marinade, and cover with plastic wrap.
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