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A lightning fast recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights, this easy, breezy grilled pork tenderloin is marinated in honey, lime, and smoky chipotle pepper. The sweet and spicy marinade does most of the work for you; when you get home, it cooks up in less time than it takes to pre-heat the grill. Take that, Wednesday night!
The reason I love pork tenderloin is because it’s tender and lean, but it’s anything but mean.
Make an extra one and you’ll have lunch the next day, maybe served over a Tex-Mex style chopped salad with black beans, corn, and romaine lettuce, or between some crusty bread with stuffed with roasted veggies and a dollop of chipotle mayo.
What is Pork Tenderloin?
A tenderloin is the small muscle that runs along the backbone of the pig. It’s a delicious, lean, and easy to prepare boneless cut. Each tenderloin usually weighs about a pound, so cooking this cut is about as consistent and easy as it gets.
Is Pork Tenderloin the same cut as pork loin?
It’s definitely not the same cut. While pork tenderloin is thin and small, and benefits from being cooked quickly over high heat, a pork loin, also known as pork roast, is a large, thick cut that’s wide enough that you can cut steak-like pieces from it. Pork loin should be cooked over moderate heat on the grill or slow roasted in the oven.
What temperature do you cook Pork Tenderloin?
If you ask the National Pork Board, they recommend cooking pork to an internal temperature between 145° F (medium rare) and 160° F. (medium). A tenderloin benefits from being followed by at least a 3 minute rest.
Can you eat Grilled Pork Tenderloin medium?
Absolutely, you can even safely eat pork tenderloin medium rare.
Do you use direct or indirect heat to grill Pork Tenderloin?
Because this cut is small and lean, it cooks best using direct hot heat.
Is Grilled Pork Tenderloin quick to cook?
All marinating time aside, you can cook this recipe in about 15 minutes on the grill. That makes it an amazing weeknight dinner! Marinate in the morning or the night before, and you’re on your way to a lovely dinner.
What is the 765 method for Grilled Pork Tenderloin?
A lot of people love the 7-6-5 method because it’s a foolproof way of cooking pork tenderloin on a gas grill, and it uses an easy to remember number formula. If pork tenderloin is the only thing you’re cooking the grill, it may work for you, but you have to turn the grill off for part of the time to finish cooking the tenderloin. Here’s how:
- Place the tenderloin on a preheated, hot grill and close the lid for 7 minutes.
- Turn the pork over, close the lid, and continue to cook for 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat on the grill, keep the lid closed, and let the pork cook for 5 minutes.
What can I use instead of chipotle in adobo?
I recommend using sriracha sauce, and some dried chipotle powder or chili powder in place of chipotle in adobo.
What do I do with the leftover chipotle in adobo?
Well, you could always make another pork tenderloin for the weekend! Or mix it into mayonnaise for a spicy chipotle mayo to serve with the pork… or better yet, on a BLT!
Can you make Grilled Pork Tenderloin in the oven?
Pork tenderloin is very easy to prepare in an oven. Here’s how:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.
- Arrange the pork tenderloin on a foil lined sheet tray for easy clean up, and place it on the center rack.
- Roast the pork for 15 minutes, then turn the pork over and roast another 10-15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 145 degrees.
- Cover the tenderloin with foil, loosely, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
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Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin trimmed of fat and silverskin
- 1 lime zest finely grated
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder. Cover and shake to combine.
- Place half the marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until serving time. Pour remaining half marinade into a 1-gallon zipper-top plastic bag. Add chipotle pepper and mash to combine.
- To plastic bag, add pork tenderloin bag and seal, removing as much air as possible. Place in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time.
- Remove the tenderloin from the bag and rest at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.
To cook on a charcoal grill:
- Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of the grate. Discard the bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
- Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
To cook on a gas grill:
- Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Clean and oil grate. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of the grate. Discard the bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
- Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Pork tenderloin is one of my faves, this recipe just reaffirmed my love for it! Cooking it is already tricky so I appreciated how clear the directions were.
Glad you loved it!