Our juicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin is a summer grilling must-have! So tender and delicious, you need this on your weekly menu plan! Serve with any of your favorite side dish recipes for the perfect easy weeknight meal.
The Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin
This is going to be your new favorite pork tenderloin recipe! You know we are always grilling up something yummy over here at The Wooden Skillet and we are so excited to FINALLY bring you a pork tenderloin recipe! And it was worth the wait! This easy recipe is packed with so much flavor that the whole family will love. A healthy grilled pork tenderloin is always on the menu at our house. Once you try this pork loin, it will be on regular rotation at your house too!
Do you also have an electric smoker at home? If so, you also have to try our amazing smoked pork tenderloin!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Grilling Season: who doesn’t love grilling season! Seriously, grilled meals are a go-to in our house. We grill it all – the protein, the veggie, and the potato!
- Flavor: pork tenderloin isn’t naturally super flavorful so we are using both a marinade and dry rub to spice things up! That being said, feel free to use just use salt and pepper if you want to keep things simple.
- Easy: Grilling seems intimidating sometimes, but it is really super easy!
What You Will Need
- pork tenderloin – pick-up this lean cut of meat from your local grocery store and make sure it is a tenderloin that is not already seasoned, if you plan to use the rub or marinade in the recipe card.
- pork dry rub – we love the super easy homemade dry rub included below, but use what you love!
- pork tenderloin marinade – there are also instructions for a homemade pork marinade below that will keep your pork nice and tender, plus great flavor.
What Is Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin: pork tenderloin is the muscle that runs underneath the backbone of a pig. One of our favorite cuts of meat!
- Pork Loin: The pork loin, on the other hand, is the piece of meat that runs along both sides the backbone and is bigger and looks more like a pork roast. Here is a great article about the difference between the two and here is a nice visual of the different cuts of pork!
How To Grill Pork Tenderloin
The first step to grilling pork tenderloin is simply to remove the fresh pork tenderloin from the packaging.
Pat it dry with a clean paper towel.
How To Season Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is very low in fat, which means it does not have a lot of flavor built into it. By using dry rubs and marinades you can really amp up the flavor and juiciness of your grilled pork tenderloin!
- Pork Tenderloin Dry Rub: we love this pork tenderloin dry rub and have included it in the recipe card below!
- Pork Tenderloin Marinade: this marinade would be good on pretty much anything!
- Salt & Pepper: option to keep it simple with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
If you are using the dry rub, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and rub over the pork tenderloin getting in every nook and cranny!
If you also plan to use the marinaded, whisk the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and make sure the pork tenderloin is fully coated – we love using Stasher Bags when marinating.
Remove from the resealable plastic bag and preheat the grill to a medium high heat(clean grates and bring up to temp). Be sure to reserve the marinade for basting during the grilling process.
Place the marinated pork tenderloin directly on the hot grill grates and grill over direct heat, rotating as you go.
How Long Does It Take To Grill Pork Tenderloin
Approximately 25 minutes to grill a pork tenderloin on medium-high heat, but the ultimate time will depend on exact grill temp and thickness of pork tenderloin.
- 2 pork tenderloins: whether you are cooking one pork tenderloin or two on the grill, the total time will be the same!
- Should Pork Tenderloin be Cooked Fast or Slow: this grilled pork tenderloin recipe is fast and high which works great with pork tenderloin since the fat content is low, but a smoked pork tenderloin is more slow an low and it also turns out great!
Remove from grill and let pork rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes on a plate or cutting board.
How To Know When Pork Tenderloin Is Done
This lean meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F at it’s thickest point. We recommend using an instant-read thermometer to know the precise temperature.
- Is it okay for pork tenderloin to be a little pink: Yes, as long as the final internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, it is fine if there is little pink in the middle.
- Can you overcook pork tenderloin: Definitely! Since there is little fat content in a pork tenderloin (which would otherwise help keep it moist) make sure you are taking it off of the smoker when it reaches 140-145 degrees F internally. It will continue to raise a few degrees as it rests.
What To Serve With Pork Tenderloin
There are so many great side dish options to serve alongside this perfect pork tenderloin. Since the grill is already going, we love to cook the whole meal on there for easy clean-up. Therefore, our favorite sides are Grilled Potato Wedges, Sweet Corn, Grilled Asparagus, or Grilled Broccolini. And if you are looking for a few side that are off the grill, try our Deviled Egg Potato Salad or Spinach Strawberry Salad.
Recipe FAQs
Simply follow the instructions below BUT only season with salt and pepper and then grill as instructed. Once the pork tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of about 135-140 degrees F brush on barbecue sauce – close the grill and let it finish cooking. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes. That’s it!
Absolutely! Just preheat the charcoal grill, as you always would, and follow the grilling instructions. It might be a little bit harder to hold a consistent heat compared to a gas grill, but the flavor is so good!
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Smoked Pork Shoulder
Smoked Turkey Breast
How To Smoke Baby Back Ribs
Smoked Baked Beans
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe (dry rub + marinade)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
The most delicious and juicy grilled pork tenderloin recipe! Options to use BOTH a dry rub + marinade (or keep it simple with just salt and pepper)!
Ingredients
Pork Tenderloin:
(2) 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloins
Dry Rub:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Marinade:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Instructions
- Dry Rub: Place pork tenderloin on a plate and pat dry. Combine the Dry Rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub all over pork tenderloin, ensuring you get into every nook and cranny. If you have extra dry rub simply save for another use.
- Marinade: Combine the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl; whisk to combine. Place pork tenderloin in a glass container or a gallon-sized silicone bag. Pour marinade over top and coat the pork tenderloin all over. Pressing out as much air as possible, seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (You can also prep this ahead of time and marinate overnight in the refrigerator).
- Grill: Ensure grill grates are clean and bring grill to medium-high heat (350-450 degrees F). Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade (put it in a little bowl) to be used to baste the pork tenderloin as it grills.
- Direct Heat: Place pork tenderloin on grill over direct heat. Close the lid and let the pork tenderloin sear for 3 minutes.
- Rotate: Open the grill and turn the pork tenderloin 90 degrees and then brush the seared side with a little marinade. Close the lid and let it sear for another 3-4 minutes. Then open and turn it 90 degrees again and brush with the marinade. Continue to do this every 3-4 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees F at the thickest point (use a meat thermometer).
- Indirect Heat: If the marinade browns too much you can turn down the heat a bit or move the pork tenderloin so it is on the outside edge of the fire.
- Rest: Once the internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees F, remove the pork tenderloin from the grill and place on a plate. Let meat rest until the internal temp rises to 145 degrees F, at least 5 minutes.
- Serve: Slice and serve – we love to enjoy with this grilled broccoli and grilled corn in the husk!
Notes
- Marinades: feel free to switch up your marinade if you want – there are tons of store-bought versions out there!
- Dry Rub: feel free to mix up what dry rub you use, we love using about 1/4 cup white, yellow or red miso for a Miso-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin!
- Storage: leftover pork can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Nutrition Info: includes the dry rub and marinade, so this will vary depending on how much you use and if you use both or just one.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 802.9 mg
- Fat: 9.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.3 g
- Protein: 19.3 g
- Cholesterol: 55.3 mg
Anna says
This was delicious! We made it for the first time tonight and everyone loved it. We will certainly be making it again soon!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Anna!