Easy Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Honey Mustard Rub
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Grilled pork tenderloin makes creating a flavorful meal fast and easy! The simple garlic honey mustard rub adds amazing flavor to a tender, juicy cut of meat. Since there is no need for a long marinade, you can make an impressive dinner any night of the week.
Just because a dish is quick and easy to make doesn’t mean it won’t be full of flavor! I have made this recipe many times and even my pickiest eaters love it! It has become one of my husband’s favorite pork recipes.
If you are like me, weeknight dinners have to be fast and easy, especially in the summer when I don’t want to spend all day cooking. Recipes like this or my Dry Rubbed Grilled Chicken Legs and Chicken Limone are perfect for simple weeknight meals or weekend entertaining.
Pork Tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat, so we eat a lot of it! It is naturally tender, juicy, and easy to prepare. It is also relatively inexpensive so it is a great alternative to beef tenderloin when entertaining guests.
What You Will Love About This Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- It is ready fast! There is no need to marinate for hours. Whisk the rub ingredients together, slather it on the tenderloin and you are ready to grill. The wet rub provides incredible flavor in a short time. I like to let it sit on the pork while I heat the grill. Even though the gas grill is ready faster than a charcoal grill, there is still plenty of time for the rub to flavor the meat.
- This recipe works every time! Use an instant-read meat thermometer to cook the meat to the perfect temperature and you will have tender juicy results every time!
- It is made with simple ingredients. There are no special ingredients needed. All the ingredients are pantry staples you probably already have at home so no need to run to the grocery store.
- It is easy! This is as simple a recipe as you can find, but it delivers great flavor and everyone loves it!
Now let me show you how easy this is to make!
Ingredients Needed for this Simple Recipe
Pork Tenderloin: Pork tenderloin is a long tender cut of meat that comes from a part of the pig’s backbone that is not heavily used. Since the muscle gets little use it is an inherently tender cut of pork. Pork tenderloin should not be confused with pork loin. Pork loin is a much larger cut of meat from the pig’s back that gets much more exercise, making it lean but tougher. While pork tenderloin is well suited for quick cooking methods the pork loin requires slower cooking at low temperatures to achieve tender results.
Rosemary: Fresh rosemary adds a fragrant and floral flavor that works really well with pork. Feel free to add other fresh herbs you have on hand.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic will provide the best flavor to the rub. I know that using the precut garlic in the jar makes things easy, but I prefer the freshly cut garlic in this recipe.
Honey: The honey adds sweetness and creates a delicious crust when it meets the hot grill grates.
Dijon Mustard: The intense flavor of the mustard works really well with the sweetness of the honey!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The oil does provide some flavor so this is a good time to use a better quality oil.
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
How to Make Perfectly Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Whisk the wet rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place the tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag or on a large plate. Pour the rub over the pork and massage it so you coat the meat completely and set it aside while you prepare a gas or charcoal grill.
- Place the pork directly on the grates of a grill set to medium-high heat. Cook the tenderloin for about 7 minutes per side with the lid closed. The total cooking time will depend on the thickness of the pork tenderloin. It is done when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145 degrees F. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the meat at its thickest point.
- Move it to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil, and let the pork rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing it.
Top Cooking Tips
- Use fresh ingredients in this rub. The last thing you want is an ingredient that is not doing its part to create the best flavor! Fresh is always best!
- If the tenderloin still has its silverskin, remove it before adding the rub. The silverskin is tough and will make this delicious meat hard to chew.
- Let the pork tenderloin come to room temperature before cooking it. This helps the meat cook more evenly. If the tenderloin is cold when you put it on the grill the outside will cook much faster than the center. This means the outside will be overcooked by the time the center reaches its final cooking temperature.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer. The key to juicy, tender meat every single time is to cook it to the right temperature. Even tender cuts will be dry if you overcook them. According to the USDA, Pork is safe to eat when cooked to 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest before slicing.
- Follow this temperature guide to cook the tenderloin to your desired doneness:
| Doneness | Internal Temperature |
| Medium Rare | 145° – 150°F |
| Medium | 150°-155°F |
| Medium Well | 155°-160°F |
| Well Done | 160°F |
- Make sure you allow the meat to rest before cutting it. This is an important step because allows the juices time to distribute evenly so that they don’t all spill out when you cut into it.
Storage Recommendations
Leftovers in an airtight container can be stored in your refrigerator for 3-4 days or the freezer for up to 2 months.
FAQ
Pork tenderloin cooks quickly on a grill set between medium and medium-high heat (375 – 400 degrees F). You can cook it over direct heat or indirect heat and get good results with both methods. The key is to cook it to the right temperature regardless of how you cook it. If you want to cook it over direct heat, place the pork on the grill and turn it every 5-7 minutes until it has reached your desired temperature.
If you want to cook it over indirect heat, the first thing you will need to do is, set the grill up for this cooking method. Heat the whole grill to medium-high heat. Then if you are using a charcoal grill, move the coals to one side. On a gas grill, turn off the gas to one side of the grill. Start by placing the tenderloin on the grill over direct heat and cook it for 2-3 minutes per side to create some grill marks, then move it to the indirect heat side of the grill and finish cooking it over the lower temperature until it has reached your desired doneness.
Silverskin is a shiny silver connective tissue that runs along the back of the pork tenderloin. It is tough and fibrous so you will definitely want to remove it.
To remove the silverskin, slide a sharp knife between the silverskin and the meat and slowly slide your knife along the silver skin until you have removed it. Try not to cut too deep into the meat. This guide with step-by-step instructions from Ontario Pork will help you.
More Pork Recipes You Will Love
Pork is one of our favorite proteins. It is a tasty, lean cut of meat, and prepared correctly, it is delicious! You already know I love pork tenderloin and my Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin is a recipe my husband requests often. As a bonus, the marinade makes an amazing sauce to serve with the meat.
If you love quick pork chop recipes you will want to try my Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops and my copycat Shake and Bake Pork Chops. Both are delicious and easy to make!
My Best Recipes For the Grill
It doesn’t really matter what time of year it is, grilling is always a delicious way to prepare food! Some of my most popular grill recipes are my Grilled Shrimp in a citrusy honey garlic marinade and my dad’s Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Chops.
If you are looking for something a little different, try my cheesy Stuffed Grilled Chicken Breasts or savory Lamb Burgers! Both are big hits at our house and I am sure they will be at yours too!
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Grilled Pork Tenderloin or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Easy Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Garlic Honey Mustard Rub
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb Pork Tenderloin
- 2 tbsp Rosemary fresh, minced
- 1½ tbsp Garlic fresh, minced
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1½ tsp Kosher Salt Diamond, 1 tbsp Morton
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the pork tenderloin in a large plastic bag or in a rimmed dish. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, pour over the pork and massage it coating the meat entirely. Set aside while you prepare the grill.
- Heat a grill to medium-high. Place the pork directly on the grates and cook for 15 minutes. Turn it about halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the pork to a plate when the internal temperature reaches 135℉. Tent it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing and serving it.
Great flavor and extremely moist.
This is a wonderful pork recipe. There won’t be any leftovers!