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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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Natasha, I just made this dish. It was awesome! I have made many of your recipes and have never been disappointed. You are the best!
Two questions: How do you stay so slim? (😅)
And how can I save your recipes without maxing out myGmail storage? Haha.
Hi!! I’m so glad you liked it and other recipes. 😀 Re: staying slim, I am definitely carrying a few extra pounds due to cooking being my job, but I also typically work out at least 5 days a week, and moderation and portion control are important when it comes to decadent dishes. Most of the time I eat really simple healthy foods like I’ll air fry some salmon and eat it on a bed of spinach. Balance lol. For your second question, you could print the recipes off old-school, or you see the heart button and the word “save” near the top of the recipe card? You can sign up for a Grow account and it’ll save all the recipes you want from my site, and if you see other recipes on other sites that also use that Grow feature, it’ll save those too, all in one place. 🙂
Obsessed with your recipes and this one did not disappoint! Thank you. You have significantly changed my comfort level and sparked joy for both my husband and I in the kitchen.
Thank you so much!! 🙂 Your comment made my day.
Another delicious recipe! Made this for New Year’s Eve and everyone loved it. I made it with mashed potatoes. As always, amazing and I know I can always look here for a yummy recipe.
Aww that’s great to hear! 🙂 I’m so please it worked out. Happy new year!
Fabulous!!!! My husband and I both really enjoyed this recipe. Very flavorful and satisfying and is now one of our favorites. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes. You are one of my favorite recipe bloggers!!!
Aww thanks so much, Gail!! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Hello! Is there a way to substitute chicken instead of pork?
Hi Lisa! We actually have a standalone creamy chicken marsala recipe: https://bit.ly/39li9Cs
It’s also linked near the beginning of this post. Enjoy!
This recipe is so good! It’s a quick fixer with a lot flavor! My ultra picky husband loves it! It’s now in my permanent rotation file. Thank you so much for sharing it!
That’s awesome!! So happy you guys like it, Lisa.
This was simple, quick and delicious. I used pork tenderloin and it was ver tender. I also used sweet Marsala.
Excellent! Thank you 🙂 Thrilled you enjoyed it, Maggie!
This officially goes into my family rotations (with three children) and that says a lot! Everyone loved it. I used half and half and still so rich!
Fantastic!! 😀
What type of marsala?
I recommend using either semi-secco (semi-sweet) or secco (dry) marsala for this recipe. I just go to the liquor store and buy whatever they have in stock. I just updated the post based on your question.
Delicious! I have never been disappointed by a recipe from Salt & Lavender and this is no exception. So tasty!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for commenting, Chrystal! XO