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Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Herbs

A toast to the roast.

This easy roasted pork tenderloin recipe makes a juicy, flavorful centerpiece pork loin encrusted with herbs. 

platter of sliced pork tenderloin with applesauce and salad

Meet This Easy Roast Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Roasted pork tenderloin is not, shall we say, a groundbreaking dinner. But it is timeless: What would have been right as the centerpiece dish to a 1950s dinner party looks just as good day.

And tastes just as good, too.

After all, there is a reason why some dishes become dated, and others become classic. This juicy, herb-roasted pork tenderloin may not be trendy, but it does deserve a place in anyone’s recipe collection for its ease, juicy flavor fragrant with sage and rosemary, and crowd-pleasing comfort.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin brined and sprinkled with herbs

Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin: Recipe Notes

Roasted pork tenderloin may sound a little fancy, but pork loin is incredibly easy to bake. It’s important to cook the pork correctly, though, to make sure you have juicy, flavorful meat. Here are my best tips.

Here, I have called for two one-pound (or so) pork tenderloins. Be sure to brine the meat at least a day in advance, if possible. And if you would like a nice, brown crust on the tenderloin, sear it in a hot, oiled pan for about a minute on each side first. Then transfer the tenderloin to the sheet pan and bake.

Roast Pork Tenderloin on sheet pan with herbs carrots and onion

How to Make Roast Pork Tenderloin Juicy and Flavorful

To make your roasted pork tenderloin juicy and flavorful, I recommend dry brining the meat, uncovered in the fridge, for up to two days in advance. Brining allows the salt to penetrate all the way through the meat. Brining adds flavor throughout, and tenderizes the pork loin.

How Long Does Pork Tenderloin Take to Cook?

Unlike other roasted meat dinners such as turkey or roast chicken, which may take upward of two hours to cook, pork tenderloin normally takes around 30 minutes to cook.

Pork tenderloin may take even less time to cook if you sear the outside of the meat first, giving it a head start.

Classic, Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin Recipe for winter dinner ideas

How (and Why) to Sear the Pork Tenderloin First

The roasted pork tenderloin bakes in a 375 degree F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. This temperature will give you a nice, evenly roasted meat, but is not hot enough to brown the outside of the tenderloin.

Searing the pork on the outside gives the meat a nice, brown crust. This adds flavor and texture, and also helps lock in juiciness.

To sear this pork tenderloin, heat a hot, oiled pan and cook over medium-high heat for about a minute or two on each side, until brown. Then, transfer the meat to a sheet pan and roast.

The brown crust adds color and flavor, but is not strictly necessary — especially if you don’t feel like creating another dish to wash!

What Is the Cooking Temperature for Pork?

Like steak, pork doneness can be a very personal thing. While the government says that pork should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, I find that the meat will be a little overdone and dry at this temperature.

Instead, I bake pork tenderloin to 138 degrees F at its thickest point, and then let it rest, loosely covered with foil. The carry-over heating will raise it to about 140 degrees. The pork loin will still retain a good amount of juiciness, and be cooked through without being dry.

pork tenderloin sliced on platter with carrots

If you love this roasted pork tenderloin recipe, you may also enjoy:

Classic, Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin Recipe with herbs

Juicy Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Herbs

Juicy, flavorful roasted pork tenderloin dinner, brined and herb-seasoned for maximum flavor.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Brining Time1 day
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keywords:: easy, pork, pork loin recipes, pork tenderloin, roast pork tenderloin, roasted pork tenderloin recipe
Servings: 6 to 8 people
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Ingredients 

  • 2 1-pound pork tenderloins
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 20 turns fresh-cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons each fresh rosemary and sage, roughly chopped
  • 8 or so young, fresh thyme stems
  • 1 medium onion peeled and sliced
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled, trimmed, and halved lengthwise, then halved again into long wedges

Instructions

  • Using a very sharp knife, remove excess fat from the tenderloins, and slice off the silver skin. The silver skin is the length of silver-white connective tissue (you can't miss it) on the underside of the tenderloin. Discard.
  • Drizzle the meat with two tablespoons of olive oil. Coat the tenderloins evenly with the salt and pepper on all sides.
    Place the tenderloins on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment. Sprinkle the meat evenly with the fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage. If one end of the tenderloins are smaller than the other, tuck the tail under so that the entire thing has a more uniform thickness.
    TIP: If you can't spare the space for a half-sheet pan in your fridge, just put the meat on a dish and transfer it to the sheet pan before cooking.
  • Let brine, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least one day, or overnight. This allows the salt to seep well into the meat.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Remove the pork tenderloins from the refrigerator. If searing the pork, heat a large skillet lightly coated with oil and sear over medium-high heat for a minute or two on each side, until brown.
    Arrange the pork tenderloins on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Toss the sliced carrots and onions with one tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the onion and carrots around the pork tenderloin.
  • Roast, uncovered, for around 25 to 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 138°F at the thickest part of the meat. The meat will be juicy and just a little pink.
    TIP: If you sear the meat, you will probably be closer to 25 minutes of cooking time, not 30.
    (Note: The F.D.A. officially recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145°F.)
  • Let rest, covered loosely with foil, for five to ten minutes. Slice the meat using a serrated knife. Arrange the vegetables on a platter with the pork, and serve with the pan juices.

10 comments

  • Marie Taylor

    5 stars
    I didn’t have any fresh herbs and was not going out in the snow to get them, so used dry instead. Brined the loin as well. The final meal was absolutely delicious.

    • Unpeeled

      Fantastic! So glad to hear this. And I’m glad you found a good winter weather workaround with the snow!

  • I’m always afraid that the brining with the salt will make it taste too salty. Can I use less salt.

    • Unpeeled

      Of course! You can definitely use less. The longer it brines, the more the salt has a chance to really permeate throughout, giving the meat an even flavor.

  • 5 stars
    Juicy!!! Exclamation points because I have had so many bland, dry pork dinners and this actually was flavorful and tasted so good. Thank you!

  • 5 stars
    Loved this! So easy to prepare and very flavorful. The presentation with the halved carrots/onions was beautiful. This is my new go-to recipe for pork tenderloin. Thank you!

  • Molly Clayton

    5 stars
    The payoff in terms of flavor compared to the quick prep time is outstanding. It’s absolutely delicious anyway, but given how quickly and easily it comes together makes it even better. This is the best tasting pork loin recipe out there.

    • Unpeeled

      🙂 Thanks, Molly! So glad you liked it. One of my favorites.

  • 5 stars
    very good herbs and like that it is.a one-pan meal.

  • 5 stars
    This is really good!! I definitely think it’s important to brine it in advance like you said. Flavorful throughout. Thanks.

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