Perfect Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe

 This is an easy and perfect grilled pork tenderloin recipe to enjoy with mixed vegetables for a simple weeknight grilled dinner.

I don’t know about you but I’m trying to soak up every ounce of sunshine that might be left of summer as we kick off September and head into an uncertain season of Fall. And that means grilling as much as we can as well! Like most people, my favorite reason for grilling is little mess and clean-up. I love the unique flavor only grilling brings as well.

One dinner that my family loves (and so do I because of its simplicity!) is this grilled pork tenderloin dinner. You can’t beat a dinner that requires three simple ingredients, minutes to prep, and that’s healthy to boot. For years I have roasted my pork tenderloin, but I recently started making them this way, and we all much prefer it. It’s almost foolproof too.

 

Why This Will Become A Summer Family Favorite

• Healthy – A nice lean cut of meat served with seasonal veggies? What’s not to love about this healthy dinner (that your family will love too.). Plus you can customize to what vegetables you have on hand as well.
• Three Ingredients – Ok four, if you count veggies. But only three ingredients is all you need for the pork prep.
• Five minutes To Prep – Just a few minutes and you’re ready to throw this on the grill.
• Make Ahead – Go ahead and prep the pork, cut up your veggies and pop this in your fridge. It’s ready to be grilled when you’re ready later in the day.

Choosing Your Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin usually comes vacuum packed in 2 small to medium pieces, weighing about 3-3.5 lbs total. Sometimes though, especially if you purchase from a warehouse store like Costco, they will come in 1 large piece.

The cooking times noted here though are for 2 smaller pieces, so please adjust accordingly if you are using 1 large 3-4 lb pork tenderloin. I would suggest adding at least 10-15 minutes of cooking time for a larger single piece of pork.

Also note that the 2 pieces are often a bit uneven; you can tell in the first picture above that one piece is larger than the other. If this is the case, they will have different cooking times. You may will need to monitor the cooking times on the smaller one, and most likely pull it off at least 5 minutes sooner than the larger piece.

What Temperature Do I Need To Cook Pork Tenderloin To?

You don’t want under-cooked pork, so make sure you get the pork to at least 135F-140F, to get to it’s recommended safe cooking temp of 145F, and then cover it and let it rest.

I have found when I grill the pork all the way to 145, it ends up drying out, so I like pulling it off early, and letting it come to temperature off the grill. This produces a much juicier piece of pork.

Ingredients For This Easy Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe

You really couldn’t get easier as far as the ingredients going into this pork dish. Of course you can always customize this pork tenderloin recipe to suit your own needs and what is in your pantry and fridge.

Here is what I used:

• One 3-lb pork tenderloin – My pork tenderloin came in two pieces. If yours is one piece, then adjust the cooking times.
• Olive Oil – You can use another oil, but I love the flavor of olive oil. I simply rub each pork tenderloin with the oil. This helps the dry rub stick and makes for less sticking to the grill, since pork is very low in fat content.
• Dry Rub – You can use your favorite dry seasonings or premade dry rub that is well suited for pork. We used Trader Joe’s BBQ Dry Rub with coffee and garlic, but I often just do a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and a bit of cayenne.
• Vegetables – Ok, yes this a 4th ingredient but you can always cut up some veggies (add a little dry rub to them too!) and grill them as well for a complete dinner.

How To Make This Grilled Pork Tenderloin Dinner

To kick off this easy grilled pork dinner brush olive oil all over the pork tenderloins, then season with your favorite dry rub and about 2 tsp each salt and pepper, if your dry rub doesn’t have much salt.

Then if you are going to be grilling some veggies alongside (and I totally think you should) go ahead and chop those up. Toss them with a little oil and seasoning as well. I love grilling my veggies in a slotted grill pan as seen in the picture below. You can pick one up via Amazon. This round pan with handle is the one I have, but this basket also looks great!

And then it’s time to grill!

Go ahead and place pork on an outdoor or indoor grill at medium high heat, close the lid and allow to grill on one side for about 10-12 minutes.

Flip the pork over and grill for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 135 degrees.

Letting The Pork Rest

This part is KEY to a juicy pork tenderloin. Let your pork rest! If you cut into the meat right away, all those juices will just leak right out and you will be left with a dry tenderloin. Resting allows the meat fibers—which contract when hot—to relax and reabsorb juices they’ve squeezed out. If cut too soon, the roast will release these juices onto your cutting board, resulting in a drier piece of meat. Resting also allows the internal temp to rise a bit, without receiving direct heat that may dry it out.

So I like to take my pork off once it’s reached 135F, and then cover with tinfoil and let it rest for 10 minutes. This will let the juices redistribute, and you get one juicy, delicious pork tenderloin to enjoy.

Once your pork is well rested, simply cut it on a slight diagonal, and serve alongside your favorite veggies and some rice pilaf or a baked potato. My family also loves eating their pork with some apple sauce, or a unique white sauce that my mother in law is famous for. One day I’ll share that recipe, as it’s a really unique sauce made with vinegar and sour cream that I’ve never encountered anywhere else.

More Delicious Pork Recipes

• Garlic Parmesan Crusted Baked Pork Chops
• Easiest Pulled Pork, Ever
• Braised Asian Pork Recipe
• Easy Slow Cooker Posole With Pork

TOOLS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

• Grill
• Vegetable Grilling Pan
• Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub

LET’S CONNECT!

Follow along with me on Instagram! And if you make this recipe be sure to tag me @howe.we.live so I can see! I love seeing what you’re making!