⭐️ Why This Instant Pot Recipe Works
The Instant Pot locks in moisture and flavor, keeping the pork juicy and delicious.
The entire cooking process is done in one-pot! Use the sauté function to brown the pork, set the pot to manual high pressure to cook it, and finally make the sauce/gravy in the same pot!
- Pork tenderloin is a very lean, boneless cut of meat that’s best cook quickly at high temperature.
✔️ What’s in this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe?
This flavorful Instant Pot pork tenderloin is made with about 2.5 to 3 pounds of pork tenderloin seasoned with a savory spice rub that include garlic powder, paprika and Italian herbs. The rub that doesn’t contain any granulated or brown sugar. The light sauce or gravy is made with the juice and seasonings that are collected at the bottom of the pot during cooking time.
CHEF’S TIP: A pork tenderloin is not the same as a pork loin roast.
✔️ Ingredients and Substitutions
Be sure to check the printable recipe card below for the complete ingredient’s list and their exact quantities.
- For the Dry Rub: Garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. You can substitute the Italian seasoning with 1 teaspoon of cumin if you prefer a bit of a Tex-Mex vibe.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the pork. I used olive oil but you can use other neutral flavored oils such as avocado oil.
- Chicken Stock: You can use regular or low-sodium broth to deglaze the pot. You can also use white wine if preferred.
- Pork Tenderloin: Pork tenderloin is a boneless and very lean cut of meat, especially if compared to other cuts like pork shoulder aka pork butt. At the grocery store, pork tenderloin is sold in packages containing 2 tenderloins.
- Corn Starch: Mixed with water to make a slurry, cornstarch is used as a thickener for the sauce/gravy.
✔️ How to Make This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe
For detailed instructions, temperatures and timing, please check the recipe card below.
- Place the tenderloins in a tray or baking dish and pat them dry with paper towels. This will help with browning.
- Combine the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spices onto the pork.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and heat the oil. Sear the pork on both sides. Turn off the sauté feature.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the stock and scraping the bottom of the instant pot with a wooden spoon.
- Place the trivet on the pot (optional) and place the pork on top.
- Close and seal the pot. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is done, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes then, release the remaining pressure.
- Check the pork for doneness with a meat thermometer. Be sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
- Transfer the meat to a platter or cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil and allow to rest.
- While the pork rests, make the sauce/gravy. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl
- Set the pressure cooker to sauté and add the slurry, stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Slice the pork crosswise into medallions, serve with the sauce.
Depending on the length of your pork tenderloin, you can cut it to fit the pot or coiling them to fit as needed
🔪 Pork Tenderloin Tips for Success
- Resist Temptation: 5 minutes may seem like not enough time to cook pork tenderloin but it is! Resist the temptation to cook it longer. Check the recipe card below for weight and time of cooking.
- Pork’s Perfect Temperature: The internal temperature should be between 140º – 145º F. when checked with an instant read thermometer. If the internal temperature is 140ºF, while the meat rests, the carryover cooking will bring the temperature up about 5-8 degrees. If the internal temperature is lower than 140ºF, close and lock the lid and allow the pork to continue to cook in the residual heat for 3-4 additional minutes.
- Thickener: Never add cornstarch without creating a slurry to prevent clumps from forming.
Flavor: When deglazing, make sure to scrape the pot with a wooden spoon to remove the browned bits stuck at the bottom. You will add tons of flavor to the gravy and will also prevent the pot from giving you a burn warning.
🔎 Frequently Asked Questions
🔎 At What Temperature is Pork Tenderloin Done?
Perfectly cooked pork tenderloin should reach an internal temperature of 145º F when checked with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.
🔎 How Long to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot?
In this recipe we cook a 2 to 2.5 pounds tenderloin for 5 minutes on High and do a natural release for 10 minutes. The size and weight of tenderloins can vary. For 2.5 to 3.5 pounds add an additional minute.
🔎 Why is my Pork Tough in the Instant Pot?
Pork gets tough when overcooked. The internal temperature should reach 145ºF for perfectly moist pork. You can remove the pork from the Instant pot when the internal temperature reaches 140ºF then, allow it to rest tented with foil. During resting time, the meat juices will redistribute and the temperature will rise about 5º to 8º.
🔎 Does Pork Tenderloin Gets Softer (more tender) The Longer it Cooks?
No. Unlike other cuts like pork shoulder, pork butt or pernil, a tenderloin roast doesn’t get tender the longer it cooks. On the contrary, because the tenderloin is so lean, the meat dries up and gets tough the longer it cooks.
🔎 Should Pork Tenderloin be Cooked Fast or Low and Slow?
Since it’s very lean, pork tenderloin doesn’t benefit from a low and slow cooking process. Cook this cut quickly and with high heat (like when pressure cooking) to enjoy a juicy, tender texture.
🔎 Is Pork Tenderloin a Cheap Cut of Meat?
Pork tenderloin isn’t exceptionally expensive, but since it’s both lean and tender, it isn’t cheap either. It tends to be fairly affordable while also yielding amazing results when cooked well.
🔎 What to Serve with Instant Pot pork Tenderloin?
Here are a few ideas for some delicious side dishes that go well with this pork dish
✔️ Make Ahead, Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
- Making Ahead: Season the pork with the rub and store it in the refrigerator, for up to 24 hours before cooking.
- Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2- 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze slices of pork in resealable freezer bags or a freezer-safe container for 2- 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 300ºF covered, or microwave in intervals until warmed.
🔎 What to Do with Leftovers?
- Slices of pork tenderloin make a deliciously fabulous sandwich like this Banh Mi Sandwich. You can also make it with provolone cheese and honey mustard on a French bread roll or with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese on a piece of baguette.
- Dice the pork tenderloin and add it to a veggie stir fry.
- Finely diced, pork tenderloin can be made into tacos or quesadillas.
- Add it to fried rice or cauliflower fried rice.
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 – 2.5 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed (2 tenderloins)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Thickener
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Place the pork tenderloins in a large tray or baking sheet. Most likely your package included two pork tenderloins (sometimes weighting up to 3 pounds and that is OK).
- Pat the pork tenderloins dry with paper towels to get a nice sear (optional but recommended).
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika, Italian seasoning and black pepper.
- Season each tenderloin generously with the spice mixture. using your hands, rub the seasoning on all sides.
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the pork and sear on both sides for about 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. When done, transfer the pork back to the large tray or baking sheet.
- Turn off the sauté setting, and deglaze the Instant pot by pouring in the chicken broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits stuck at the bottom of the pot.
- Place the trivet (pressure cooker rack) inside the pot and place the tenderloins on top of the rack coiling them to fit as needed. If you don’t have a trivet/rack, it’s fine. Simply place the meat at the bottom of the pot.
- Close the pot, lock the lid and make sure the valve is in the sealing position.. Cook on HIGH (manual) pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is done, allow the pot to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure and open the lid. With an instant-read thermometer test the pork for doneness. The internal temperature should be between 140º – 145º F. At 140ºF the carryover cooking while the meat rests, will bring up the temperature between 5-8 degrees. If lower than 140ºF close and lock the lid and allow the pork to continue to cook in the residual heat for 3-4 additional minutes.
- Transfer the pork from to a serving platter or a cutting board. Tent the pork with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Make the sauce.
- If used, carefully remove the trivet from the instant pot. In a small make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water in a small mixing bowl.
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté feature and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Allow the sauce to thickened, stirring often (about 2 minutes). Turn the sauté function off and keep the pot off/warm. The sauce will continue to thicken a bit with the residual heat.
- Slice the pork crosswise into medallions (about 1/2-inch thick) and then, add the medallions back to the Instant Pot to quickly warm up allowing the meat get coated with the sauce or serve the pork medallions pouring the sauce on top.Note: If you feel the pork is a bit too pink for your taste, transfer the sliced pork medallions to the pot, close the lid and allow the meat to warm up with the sauce for about 3 minutes.
Notes
- Spice Rub: You can add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the spice mix for extra flavor. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and replace the Italian herbs with 1 teaspoon of ground cumin to give the recipe a bit of a Tex-Mex mix.
- One size doesn’t fit all: If the tenderloins are too long to fit into the pressure cooker, cut them in half so they fit into the instant pot comfortably.
- Browning the pork: When sautéing the pork, if your Instant Pot gets too hot and starts browning things too fast, turn the sauté function off for 1-2 minutes. Then turn it back on.
- Pork Doneness: Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should be between 140º – 145º F. If the internal temperature is 140ºF, the carryover cooking while the meat rests, will bring up the temperature about 5-8 degrees. If the internal temperature is lower than 140ºF, close and lock the lid and allow the pork to continue to cook in the residual heat for 3-4 additional minutes.
- Sliced Pork Medallions: After slicing the meat, if you feel the pork is a bit too pink for your taste, transfer the sliced medallions to the pot, close the lid and allow the meat to warm up with the sauce for about 3 minutes.
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