If you’re looking to shake up your dinner routine, this Honey-Orange Pork Tenderloin, adapted from Cooking Light, is a total winner! It’s quick and easy, with the perfect mix of sweet and savory flavors. The tenderloin gets a beautiful golden sear before roasting to juicy perfection. The simple glaze of orange marmalade, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and garlic turns into the most delicious, sticky sauce. It’s fancy enough to serve guests but easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner, making it a really great addition to menu.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Pork tenderloin – (Not to be confused with pork loin.) Pork tenderloin is a lean, tender cut of meat that comes from the muscle along the backbone. It’s often sold in a two pack. Just be sure to grab a plain version, since it’s frequently pre-seasoned or marinated in the packaging! Although this recipe calls for a tenderloin that weighs about a pound, it would really work for any pork tenderloin. Just keep an eye on the temperature and adjust the baking time as needed.
- Orange marmalade – If you haven’t used orange marmalade, it’s a citrus-based preserve made with both orange juice and orange peel. You’ll find it near the other jams and jellies at your grocery store.
- Apple cider vinegar – As always, use a quality brand that includes the mother, like Bragg’s.
- Soy sauce – Regular or reduced sodium is fine.
- Minced garlic – Fresh is always best in my book!
- Honey
- Vegetable or olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
How to Make Honey-Orange Pork Tenderloin
- Start by whisking together the sweet glaze while your oven preheats. This simple glaze is just orange marmalade, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and honey. Reserve a couple of tablespoons for topping later.
- Season the tenderloin and give it a quick sear in a hot pan.
- Once the pork is well seared on all sides, pour about half of the remaining glaze over the top and transfer everything to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, then pull the pan out, flip the tenderloin, cover with the remaining sauce (except the two tablespoons you set aside) and place the pan back in the oven.
- Cook the tenderloin for another 10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 155°F. The sauce will thicken and caramelize as it roasts.
- When it’s done cooking, allow the tenderloin to rest for a few minutes to let juices redistribute, then top with the reserved glaze, slice, and enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- This recipe is written for use with a pan that can go from stovetop to oven. It’s smart to place a hot pad or towel over the handle of the pan after removing from the oven. You would be amazed how easy it is to forget that the handle is hot and get burned!
- If you don’t have a skillet that can go from stovetop to oven, simply transfer the pork to a baking dish or sheet pan covered in foil before adding the glaze and moving to the oven.
- Serve with a side salad or veggie. The sauce here is delicious over hot white rice as well!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
This pork is best cooked fresh. You can certainly mix your glaze up ahead of time, though!
Can I use anything other than orange marmalade in the glaze?
Apricot or peach preserves would be good options if you can’t find orange marmalade.
Can I make this gluten free?
Yep, just replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos or another gluten free soy sauce alternative.
Can I use pork loin instead of tenderloin?
You can, just be aware that the texture is not as tender and it will take longer to cook. It would still be delicious with the glaze, though!
Honey-Orange Pork Tenderloin
A sweet and tangy glaze makes this quick pork tenderloin a delicious addition to your dinner menu.
Servings 4-ounce servings
Equipment
- Stovetop to oven safe skillet See notes if you don't have a skillet that can go from stovetop to oven.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 1 pound pork tenderloin (larger or smaller will still work)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the marmalade, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and honey. Reserve 2 tablespoons and set the sauce aside.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the tenderloin and cook for 1-2 minutes or until a golden brown crust starts to form. Flip the tenderloin over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the entire tenderloin is golden brown. Remove from heat.
- Pour about 1/2 of the sauce over the pork. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and flip the tenderloin over. Add the remaining sauce (not the reserved 2 tablespoons) and place the pan back into the oven.
- Cook for another 10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 155℉. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Drizzle with reserved sauce and cut into 1/2″ slices. Serve immediately with a salad or vegetables.
Notes
- Store leftover pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- This recipe is written for use with a pan that can go from stovetop to oven. It’s smart to place a hot pad or towel over the handle of the pan after removing from the oven. You would be amazed how easy it is to forget that the handle is hot and get burned!
- If you don’t have a skillet that can go from stovetop to oven, simply transfer the pork to a baking dish or sheet pan covered in foil before adding the glaze and moving to the oven.
- Serve with a side salad or veggie. The sauce here is delicious over hot white rice as well!
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces pork, Calories: 231kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 574mg, Potassium: 487mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 15IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 231kcal
Cost: $8
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Questions & Reviews
I made this the other night. I used strawberry jam because I didn’t have the marmalade and it was still really good. I made both of the tenderloins from the package so we would have leftovers and there was plenty sauce. Thanks for sharing such an easy and tasty recipe.
I`m making this tonight! I can’t wait:-)
This was DELICIOUS!!! I substituted red wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar (that’s what I had in the pantry). I also had to cook mine a little longer to get up to 155 degrees (no biggie!). The orange marmalade is fantastic in this dish. Will DEFINITELY make this again!!! Thanks for a new recipe!
You. Are. Awesome. That is all.
KATE – what type of pan did you use to sear your pork in this recipe? It doesn’t look like a cast iron or non-stick pan – what’sit?
It’s a stainless steel pan. They can be a pain to clean, but they’re great for searing meats. 🙂
Do I have to use Kosher salt?
Also your pork looks a little pink – I thought pork had be cooked until white?
Can you tell I dont cook often….hahah
You don’t HAVE to, but it’s super cheap and adds a nice clean flavor and helps the outside get a good crust. And pork should actually be a bit pink, even when it’s fully cooked. Tenderloins are super lean, so they really dry out if they’re overcooked. The USDA says 145 degrees is safe for pork tenderloin, but that’s a little too pink for my taste. If you cook it to 150-155 and then let it stand for 10 minutes, it will be juicy and maintain the natural pink color, but it won’t have a noticeably pink spot (like, say, rare or medium steak). It would be more like a medium-well steak. I promise, you don’t want a well-done tenderloin. Pork shoulder, definitely, but a well-done tenderloin would be like swallowing cotton balls. 🙂
Thanks Kate!
What I meant to ask…haha… was do I need Kosher instead of table salt – whats the difference? would table salt work too?
Kosher salt is coarser, so it has more volume. Just use half the amount of table salt.
I want to second the person who thanked you for including the nutritional information. After 5 kids and 4 decades I can no longer blithely eat whatever I like. I have to pay attention to calorie information. This makes it so much easier to know whether a recipe is something that I can fit into my meal plan for the day or if it is something that essentially IS my meal plan for day.
Could I use a regular loin for this recipe if I knew how to adjust the baking time or do you think it would not be flavorful enough?
If you want to use a regular loin, I’d slice it into 1″ pork chops and seat it and cook it on each side with the glaze for 5-7 minutes per side. Does that make sense?
This is exciting, I love pork tenderloin too. Can’t wait to try!
I love pork tenderloin! You might be interested in knowing that the temperature pork is to be cooked to has been lowered by the USDA. The new guidelines say to cook pork tenderloin to 145 degrees. It will be a little pink but very juicy and tender. I think that cooking any longer dries it out. Can’t wait to try the new recipe.