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This pork marsala recipe has melt-in-your-mouth pork tenderloin medallions coated in a creamy mushroom marsala sauce. It’s quick and easy to make in about half an hour!
You may also like my Easy Marsala Sauce, this Easy Chicken Marsala, or Chicken Marsala Pasta.
Why you’ll love it
This pork with a marsala sauce is a simple recipe that feels upscale. Marsala wine makes the sauce shine! It’s a readily available fortified wine (like port is), and it infuses the cream sauce with rich and deep flavor that really complements the pork tenderloin and mushrooms.
Since this is a 30-minute meal, it’s ideal for making any weeknight a little more special without a whole lot of effort. I just love pork tenderloin. It’s tender (obviously), lean (so we can have oodles of that yummy sauce), and cooks fast!
What you’ll need
- Pork tenderloin – we’re cutting up pork tenderloin (not pork loin!) into medallions
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, it seasons the pork directly
- Flour – to get a great crust on the meat and help thicken the sauce
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Mushrooms – we’re using cremini, which are sometimes labelled as baby bellas
- Garlic – for more savory flavor
- Marsala – use a dry or semi-sweet variety of this wine. I do not recommend using cooking wine.
- Heavy cream – to tie the sauce together in a luxurious way
Pro tip
Be sure to buy tenderloin and not pork loin! They’re two different cuts of meat, and the latter takes longer to cook. They aren’t interchangeable.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I love my cooking tongs to quickly turn the pork, and mincing garlic is super easy with one squeeze of a garlic press.
- Pork is safe to eat at 145F (use an instant read meat thermometer to test it), and it’s ok if it’s a bit pink in the middle because farming practices have changed since the old days where pork needed to be more fully cooked. Tenderloin cooks fast, so with this recipe it’s easy to overdo it if you’re not careful.
- This is the cast iron skillet I use.
How to make pork marsala
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the pork into medallions, and season with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. Dredge in flour. Add the oil and a third of the butter to a skillet. Cook the pork until golden on both sides, then transfer to a plate. Add the rest of the butter and the mushrooms to the pan.
Sauté the mushrooms until all the water has cooked off and they get a great sear. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, then pour in the marsala. Let it reduce for a few minutes. Add in the cream, and return the pork to the skillet. Simmer until the meat is cooked (not overcooked!), then season generously with salt & pepper.
Can I make this recipe with pork chops?
- Yes! If you’ve got 3/4-1″ thick pork chops, brown them for 4-5 minutes/side and then take them out of the pan and make the sauce as indicated.
- You can then add them back for the last step and they should cook through (pork is safe to eat at 145F — it’s fine if it’s still pink in the middle).
- Depending on how thick the pork chops are, you may need to adjust cooking time a bit.
Substitutions and variations
- If you want to substitute the cream for something else (milk or half-and-half), there’s a chance the sauce will curdle because we’re cooking it at a fairly high heat, and the sauce will not thicken as well. I always like to put a little disclaimer so readers know.
- You can make this without cream. I’d probably bump the marsala up to 1 cup (or add 1/4 cup chicken broth instead of the cream) and then let it reduce for a bit longer. Just don’t overcook the pork.
What to serve with pork tenderloin marsala
- Want to make this dish extra decadent? Grate some parmesan cheese on top!
- Try pasta, my Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Easy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, or rice.
- Pair it with an elegant side salad like my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Store for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat, taking care to not overcook the pork.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftover pork marsala due to the dairy.
If you made this pork marsala recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Tag me on Instagram if you made any of my recipes.
Easy Creamy Pork Marsala
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin cut into medallions
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 cup marsala wine
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut the pork into slices that are about 0.75"-1" thick. Season with the garlic powder and salt & pepper, and then coat each piece in flour.
- Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pork and cook it for 3 minutes/side or until lightly golden. Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their water and get a nice sear.
- Stir in the garlic, then add the marsala. Let the sauce bubble for 2-3 minutes (it'll reduce).
- Stir in the cream and add the pork back into the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes (you may need to reduce the heat a bit if it's furiously boiling) or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Be careful not to overcook the pork. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- I recommend using either semi-secco (semi-sweet) or secco (dry) marsala for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My family really enjoyed this recipe. I swapped Taylor port wine for the marsala wine because my husband isn’t a huge fan of the taste of marsala wine, and the recipe still worked beautifully. Even my finicky 8 year old daughter loved it! Now that’s a win in my book!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Marie! 😀 Thanks for your review!
This was excellent. Used baby Bella mushrooms as that was all I had on hand. Going on rotation.
Yay!! Thanks, Maria!
This turned out as advertised. Extremely good. I did replace the garlic clove with a couple of Shallots (because I had them on hand). I love mushrooms and will add more the next time I cook this.
Thank you, James!!
This recipe is SUPERB! I’d give it 10 stars if I could. I have never been a big fan of pork, but this recipe not only makes it taste good…it’s one of my all time favorites! And I’ve been cooking for over 50 years! Thank you so much for sharing it.🥰
Aww thank you so much!! You’re very welcome, Lisa. I appreciate your review!