Rosemary Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Marinade Recipe
This sweet and savory marinated pork tenderloin gets its luscious flavors from balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Marinate for 4 hours and roast it in the oven or cook it on the grill, for a perfectly moist and incredibly delicious main course the whole family will love! This flavorful pork recipe turns an easy meal into a special occasion.
If you love these flavors but want something that does not require a marinade, try my Grilled Pork Tenderloin made with a sweet and savory wet rub.
I must admit that I love the convenience of picking up a pre-marinated pork tenderloin for a quick dinner and many of them are good. But the problem is that you have no control over the amount of sugar or salt that is added to the marinade to make it so tasty or to preserve it. This flavorful marinade is quick and easy to make, there is no added sugar, and you control the amount of salt that you put in it. Best of all, this is one of the tastiest marinades for pork that you will every have. I promise!
This simple pork marinade is excellent on pork chops, pork loin roast and other cuts of pork as well.
My homemade Shake and Bake Pork Chops is another recipe that is so easy to make at home that you don’t need the store bought version.
For a restaurant quality dinner in about 30 minutes, try my Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops with rosemary and white wine sauce.
Simple Ingredients Make a Juicy Pork Tenderloin
A few big flavor ingredients make up the marinade:
- Balsamic vinegar – use a good quality balsamic vinegar because it is the main ingredient in the marinade and will impart the most flavor.
- Rosemary – use fresh rosemary to get the most intense flavor and fragrance.
- Garlic– 4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped
- Dijon mustard – Dijon adds another layer of flavor that pairs so beautifully with pork.
- Olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make the Best Pork Tenderloin Marinade
- Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl.
- Place the pork tenderloin in a glass dish or a large plastic bag and pour the marinade over the pork. Refrigerate the pork in the marinade.
How Long Do I Need to Marinate the Pork Tenderloin?
For best results you should plan to marinate the tenderloin for at least 4 hours, but I love the deep flavors of an overnight soak in the rosemary, balsamic, garlic and mustard! If you have extra time, definitely let it sit overnight.
How to Cook the Marinated Pork Tenderloin
I am sharing my oven roasting method for preparing marinated pork tenderloin, but you can just as easily make this on the grill.
Oven Roasting Cooking Method
For cooking it in the oven, simply place the pork in a oven safe baking dish and roast it at 375F degrees for 20 minutes per pound.
I like to marinate the pork in the dish that I am going to cook it in to save on clean up. Just make sure it is not a metal dish.
Grilling the Marinated Pork Tenderloin
If you want to make this on the grill, remove the pork from the dish and place it directly over medium-high heat. Grill for about 8 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches between 145F and 160F degrees.
Serving suggestions:
How Much Pork Tenderloin Do I Need?
A pork tenderloin usually weighs between 1 – 2 lbs. The rule of thumb when serving meat as the main course, is that you need about ½ lb. (8 ounces) of meat per person. So one tenderloin may be enough for 2-4 people depending on the size. You can buy pork tenderloins from your local grocery store or you can order it from meat shipping companies.
What to Pair with Marinated Pork Tenderloin?
As for what side dish to pair with this easy recipe, there are many options. Rice, risotto, and pasta are all good options. My Italian Scalloped Potatoes or Rosemary Sweet Potatoes are two excellent potato recipes that complement the flavors in the rosemary balsamic marinade. Any number of vegetable dishes also pair well. I love to serve simple roasted asparagus or green beans, especially because they can cook in the oven with the pork.
How to Use the Remaining Marinade
The savory marinade that is left in the pan along with drippings from the pork, make a wonderful sauce. Simply pour it into a serving bowl, skim off the excess fat and pass it with your meal for drizzling over the pork. Another option is to reserve half of the marinade in a small bowl, to make a reduction to serve over the pork. Simply heat the reserved marinade over medium heat until it is reduced and slightly thickened.
Cooking Pork FAQ’s
Because everyone’s oven cooks a little differently, cooking time can vary from one oven to another. The best way to get the juiciest pork, is to cook it to your desired internal temperature. The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145–160F degrees. At 145F degrees it will be medium rare, so it will still have some pink, but it is perfectly safe to eat. If you like your meat more on the well done side cook it to 160F degrees. Remember that the perfect pork tenderloin is cooked to your desired doneness.
Oven Safe – This type of thermometer is inserted in your food and remains in there during the cooking process. It should be inserted 2- 2 ½ “deep in the thickest part of the food. This does not work well with thinner cuts of meat or food.
Dial Instant Read – Similar to the oven safe thermometer this one should also be inserted 2 -2 ½” deep in the thickest part of the meat. It should remain in the roast about 20 seconds to capture an accurate reading.
Digital Instant Read– This is my go-to food thermometer. The heat sensing mechanism is in the tip of the thermometer. Place the thermometer at least ½” deep in the thickest part of the food. It will take about 10 seconds for it to display an accurate temperature.
I highly recommend removing the meat from the oven at 140F degrees and allowing it to rest for 10 minutes. The roast will continue to cook during the resting period and will have reached at least 145F degrees. This will also allow the juices to be evenly distributed throughout the roast, resulting in a perfectly moist cut of meat.
Other Marinated Recipes To Try
Marinated Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breast
More Delicious Main Course Recipes
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Marinade 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!
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Rosemary Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Marinade
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Ingredients
- 2 lb Pork tenderloin
- ⅓ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 3 tbs Olive Oil
- 1 tbs Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbs Rosemary fresh, finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp Salt kosher
- ½ tsp Black Pepper ground
Instructions
Marinade
- Place the pork tenderloin in a glass baking dish.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- Pour over the pork. Turn the pork in the marinade to completely coat it. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Roasting
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator.
- Set the oven to 375°.
- When the oven has preheated, place the pork in the oven to cook uncovered. The pork will need to cook for about 20 minutes per pound. The pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 – 160°.
So easy to make and very delicious
Super moist and delicious.
Great flavor!
Made this for dinner tonight. Took a little longer to cook in my oven, but I also like my pork to be closer to well done. This was very moist and flavorful. And, the best part – my kids loved it!
Just one more example of Enza’s WONDERFUL and easy recipes! Thank you, Enza, keep them coming!
Thank you Angela! I love to hear from you and I am so glad that you enjoy my recipes!