Smoked Pork Tenderloin is a summertime must-have recipe! You will not believe how juicy, flavorful and tender it is! Serve with some Smoked Corn on the Cob or even some Smoked Pineapple for a fun summer dinner.
The Best Smoked Pork Tenderloin
We are so excited to FINALLY bring this recipe to life on TWS! You know we loooove all of our smoked recipes (more are on their way!) and this one is just beyond amazing! Cannot wait for you to try it. Serve with Smoked Asparagus and Smoked Potatoes for a delicious meal!
We tested this on a Traeger pellet smoker but any smoker will work! You can even make this on a charcoal or gas grill with a smoking box!
Easy Pork Brine – feel free to try this pork brine beforehand if you want!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Juicy: even though pork tenderloin is such a lean cut of pork, this slow smoked recipe results in a juicy and tender piece of pork!
- Flavor: between the dry rub and marinade and smoke …. this pork tenderloin is SO GOOD!
- Smoked: who doesn’t love a good smoked recipe! Perfect for summer!
What is Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin: pork tenderloin is the muscle that runs underneath the backbone of a pig.
- Pork Tenderloin vs. 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 roast almost. Here is a great article about the difference between the two and here is a nice visual of the different cuts of pork!
How Long to Smoke Pork Tenderloin
It takes approximately an hour and a half to two hours to smoke a pork tenderloin at 225 degrees F, but the exact time will depend upon whether you have hot spots on your smoker, temperature, humidity and wind – among other things. The best way to determine if your pork tenderloin is done is to use an internal meat thermometer or probe and remove the pork from the grill when it reaches 140-145 degrees F and then let it rest 5 minutes.
Do You Wrap Pork Tenderloin in Foil When Smoking
No. You do not wrap pork tenderloin in foil when smoking because the foil would prevent the pork tenderloin from taking on that delicious smokey flavor. The foil would essentially act as a block to all the smoked and you would just be treating your smoker like an oven at that point!
What Temp is Smoked Pork Tenderloin Done
Pork tenderloin is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F at it’s thickest point. We recommend using an internal meat thermometer or probe to track the 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.
- Why let it rest: letting it rest allows it to continue cooking and so all the juices can redistribute and then when you do cut into it it will be flavorful and juicy.
Smoked Pork Tenderloin Side Dishes
How to Smoke a Pork Tenderloin
Pat the pork tenderloin dry with a clean paper towel.
Make your dry rub and place tenderloin in a large bowl or container – rub all over your pork tenderloin. (Note: at this point you COULD wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator overnight if you wanted).
After you let the tenderloin sit in the dry rub for a bit place it on the smoker (left side is usually the hottest so I recommend going there).
Let rest after smoking!
Slice with a sharp chef’s knife and enjoy!
Can You use Pork Tenderloin for Pulled Pork
Yes, you can use pork tenderloin for pulled pork BUT you are going to want to continue cooking it quite a bit longer, otherwise the meat will be too tough to shred. That being said, because pork tenderloin is such a lean cut of meat the end result might be dry and not super flavorful.
If you are looking to make pulled pork I would suggest this Smoked Pork Shoulder recipe. A pork shoulder has a significantly higher fat content and the fat allows the pork shoulder to self-baste itself during the cooking process so it doesn’t dry out and super flavorful at the end.
Just look at that smoke ring!
Can I substitute Pork Loin for Pork Tenderloin
No. Pork Loin and Pork tenderloin are different cuts of meat and pork loin is actually much thicker than a pork tenderloin (more like a roast) so the cooking time will be off if you tried to use the same recipe for both. If you want to smoke a pork loin check out this recipe!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- *Keep it Simple: you can simply season your pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and then smoke it per the instructions above. Alternatively you can do either the marinade OR the dry rub – you do not have to do both. The smoking instructions remain the same.
- Smoking Time: there are a lot of variables that go into calculating smoking time including how hot your smoker runs, whether you have hot spots, wind, temperature and humidity. The most sure way of determining when a smoked meat will be done is using an internal meat thermometer or probe. The cooking time I put down is approximate – smoke pork tenderloin until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Whole30/Paleo: if you are wanting to make this recipe Whole30/Paleo then you can just smoke the pork tenderloin with salt/pepper, just the pork rub or you can do the dry rub + marinade but just check your ingredients on the ketchup and use coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce!
- Left Side: if you are using a Traeger Pellet Grill/Smoker the heat comes in through the left side – that is where I recommend placing your pork tenderloin for best results (and quickest cooking times).
- Pork not coming up to temp: if, for some reason, your pork tenderloin just isn’t coming up to temp towards the end of cooking time, feel free to increase the smoker temperature to 250 for the last 10-15 minutes and it should start to move again.
- Don’t over-cook: the key to having a juicy pork tenderloin is to not overcook it. So watch that internal temperature closely and don’t go over 145 degrees F.
- Let rest: let your pork tenderloin rest for 5 minutes for best results!
Other Smoked Recipes You Might Like
Smoked Pork Shoulder
Smoked BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Smoked Ham
Smoked Turkey
Made this 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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Smoked Pork Tenderloin Recipe (+ dry rub)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Smoked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Smoked Pork Tenderloin Recipe (dry rub) – a juicy and delicious smoked pork tenderloin recipe you are going to love! Dry rub included!
Ingredients
Pork Tenderloin:
- (2) 1lb 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
Instructions
Dry Rub
- Pat pork tenderloin dry with a clean paper towel.
- Combine dry rub ingredients and rub all over the pork tenderloin ensuring you get into every nook and cranny. If you have extra dry rub simply reserve for a later use.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or as little as 30 minutes.
Smoked Pork Tenderloin:
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Place pork tenderloin on the smoker and close the smoker.
- Smoke for 1 hour and 30 minutes – 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Rotate the pork tenderloin 3-4 times throughout the smoking process.
- Remove from smoker and let rest 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Slice with a sharp knife and serve.
- We love serving it with this Smoked Asparagus!
Notes
- *Keep it Simple: you can simply season your pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and then smoke it per the instructions above. The smoking instructions remain the same.
- BBQ Sauce: if you want to add bbq sauce simply crank up that smoker temp to 400 or more at the end of the cooking time (when your tenderloin is about 10 degrees below the targeted internal temp) – brush on your favorite bbq sauce (we love our homemade version) and let it sit in the hot smoker for about 5-7 minutes or until it becomes tacky.
- Smoking Time: there are a lot of variables that go into calculating smoking time including how hot your smoker runs, whether you have hot spots, wind, temperature and humidity. The most sure way of determining when a smoked meat will be done is using an internal meat thermometer or probe. The cooking time I put down is approximate – smoke pork tenderloin until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Whole30/Paleo: if you are wanting to make this recipe Whole30/Paleo then you can just smoke the pork tenderloin with salt/pepper, just the pork rub or you can do the dry rub + marinade but just check your ingredients on the ketchup and use coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce!
- Left Side: if you are using a Traeger Pellet Grill/Smoker the heat comes in through the left side – that is where I recommend placing your pork tenderloin for best results (and quickest cooking times).
- Pork not coming up to temp: if, for some reason, your pork tenderloin just isn’t coming up to temp towards the end of cooking time, feel free to increase the smoker temperature to 250 for the last 10-15 minutes and it should start to move again.
- Don’t over-cook: the key to having a juicy pork tenderloin is to not overcook it. So watch that internal temperature closely and don’t go over 145 degrees F.
- Let rest: let your pork tenderloin rest for 5 minutes for best results!
- Wood Chips: we love using apple, hickory or cherry wood – but you really can’t go wrong.
- Other ways to cook pork tenderloin: we also love this Grilled Pork Tenderloin recipe!
Kristen says
We made this last night. This was hands-down the best pork loin recipe I have ever made. I decided to make it late in the day, so we only had the pork marinading for about 45 min, but you would have thought it marinaded all night long.
We don’t have a smoker, so instead, we used our grill. We placed the pork on the grill away from the coals (indirect heat) and covered it (left the vent cracked a tiny bit open). I turned them after 30 minutes and then again after another 30 minutes. Then I put them over the direct heat for 3-4 min on each side for a good sear. Waited until the meat thermometer read 145 degrees and then pulled them off.
I let them rest for about 5-10 min and then sliced them. They were SO JUICY and tender. The dry rub gave the meat a great flavor and the marinade added some tang and earthy flavors. This was SO GOOD! We served it with broccolini and roasted baby yukon gold potatoes. I’ll be making it on repeat this summer. It would go great with grilled corn on the cob too.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kristen! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!