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This 30-minute honey mustard pork tenderloin recipe has juicy pork medallions smothered in a savory-sweet honey Dijon sauce! It uses pantry ingredients for an easy meal.
Try my Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, this Easy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken, or Honey Mustard Salmon next.
Why you’ll love it
Pork tenderloin definitely is high on the list of underrated proteins. It’s affordable and lean, and it goes with a variety of sauces. This pork tenderloin with honey mustard sauce will be a welcome change to your weeknight rotation! It’s quick and so simple to make.
The savory quality is amped up even more with a touch of garlic powder to balance the sweetness in the silky sauce. Everyday ingredients combine in this easy pork tenderloin recipe, so you probably have most of them on hand and only need to pick up the meat!
What you’ll need
- Pork tenderloin – aka the other white meat! It’s very comparable to chicken in terms of nutrition. Keep in mind it is not the same as pork loin.
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, it’ll infuse flavor right into the medallions
- Honey – for that classic sweet quality
- Mustard – I prefer Dijon because the sharpness counters the honey for the ideal flavor
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce and for more depth of flavor
- Cornstarch – to thicken it up
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
Helpful tips
- Pork is safe to eat when 145F and a little pink inside. This is due to changes in farming practices. No more chewy, overcooked, and dry pork here!
- Depending on how good of a sear you get on your pork, your sauce may be a bit darker or lighter in color than pictured.
How to make honey mustard pork tenderloin
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Trim and cut the pork into rounds. Season them with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. In a prep bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Pan sear the meat in the oil and butter until golden on both sides.
Add the sauce into the skillet, and continue cooking until the pork reaches 145F internally and the sauce thickens up. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed, and top with chopped fresh parsley if using.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here’s my favorite cast iron skillet.
- Cut the medallions with a sharp chef’s knife on this cutting board.
- I use this whisk to mix up the sauce effortlessly, and an instant read thermometer ensures you’ll never under or overcook pork.
Substitutions and variations
- You could sub the Dijon for another variety of mustard, but keep in mind that its sharpness cuts some of the sweetness from the honey, and it may end up too sweet overall.
- Try adding a splash of cream in to give the sauce an even more luxurious quality!
What to serve with this pork tenderloin
- My Garlic Mashed Potatoes are always a great pairing, and this Stick of Butter Rice would be tasty as well.
- Green beans, Asparagus, or Roasted Cauliflower are other options.
- For a light salad, try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat so that the pork doesn’t dry out.
- I don’t love freezing leftovers as the pork and sauce can change texture a bit, but it should be ok for this recipe for up to 3 months.
If you made this easy honey mustard pork recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Or tag me on Instagram with your S&L creations.
Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard see note
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Chopped parsley optional, to taste
Instructions
- Trim any fat and silver skin off the pork tenderloin and then cut into 3/4" thick medallions. Season them with the garlic powder and salt & pepper.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together (honey, Dijon, chicken broth, cornstarch).
- Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pork (you may need to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan) and cook for about 3 minutes/side until golden.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for another 1-3 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Sprinkle parsley over top if using and season with extra salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- You can swap the Dijon mustard with another variety of mustard, but keep in mind the sharpness of the Dijon does offset some of the sweetness of the honey, and some mustards may make the dish super sweet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Natasha – would it be possible to do this in a slow cooker (and if so, what would I need to do differently)?
Hi Jan! Honestly, that completely changes the recipe and I wouldn’t feel confident guessing. I do have a tested slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe here: https://bit.ly/3ymFpzZ
Soooooo gooood!!! I cant not belive how easy ans tastey this is.
Thankl you!!
You’re very welcome, Tonya! 😀
Can you bake this in the oven?
Hi! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I recommend making it as suggested and then you could possibly experiment from there. I have a tested baked pork tenderloin recipe here you may enjoy: https://bit.ly/3XDOOwV
FABULOUS! It came out super delicious! Served with fresh green beans from my garden, home grown potatoes, and homemade sourdough bread! You are wonderful Natasha!
Thank you, Luke!! 😀
I’ve made this a few times, strictly following Natasha’s instructions. It has come out so well every time. I usually make N’s cream cheese mashed potatoes to go along with. I’ve never been very good at cooking pork, as I was taught by my mother, and she way overcooked it. I know I’m not alone in that. I’m sure they were just trying not to kill us, right? I now just use pork recipes from this blog and cook exactly per the instructions, and they turn out so delicious and juicy!!
I love that!!! I’m so happy you’re now enjoying pork, Lorena! 😀
This was so yummy!! I added thawed frozen peas to the sauce. My hu
sband is a huge fan of Dijon so it was perfect!
Thank you!
You are very welcome!
Just tried this recipe tonight but used chicken instead and it was incredible. We loved the sauce and we complemented the mashed potatoes and asparagus!
I’m thrilled you loved the sauce! Thanks for your review, Stephanie!