Oven roasted pork tenderloin gets all dressed up with an easy maple balsamic glaze. Lean, delicious, quick to make and impressive enough to serve to guests!

Oven roasted pork tenderloin is a favorite any time of the year, but autumn always seems to re-spark our love for this lean, quick-cooking cut of meat. It pairs well with fall sides dishes, such as mashed sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts slaw and can works just as well for entertaining as it does for weeknight meals.

The beauty of an easy pork tenderloin recipe like this one (or our family favorite maple Dijon recipe) is that it can be roasted while you’re prepping the side dishes. Give the herb-crusted pork a quick sear in an oven-proof skillet, then pop the whole thing into the oven, brushing it with a luscious balsamic-maple glaze.

Easy, lean and rich in flavor! We love recipes that have tons of flavor, but are also low in saturated fat. The best of both worlds.

What you need for this oven roasted pork tenderloin recipe:

These are the main ingredients for this recipe:

• PORK TENDERLOIN: This recipe calls for a 1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin. If using one that is smaller or larger, adjust the cooking time and the amounts used for the rub ingredients.
• ROSEMARY: Use dried rosemary. If using whole rosemary needles, crush them before adding to the rub mixture. Alternatively, you can purchase crushed rosemary (I always have this on hand for roasted potatoes).
• GARLIC POWDER: Find garlic powder in the spice aisle of any grocery store.
• OLIVE OIL: You don’t need a fancy olive oil for the wet spice rub mixture.
• MAPLE SYRUP: Pure maple syrup (not the corn syrup, fake stuff) makes all the difference!
• BALSAMIC VINEGAR: Use a good quality balsamic vinegar for the best flavor.
• SOY SAUCE: If gluten free, substitute soy sauce with tamari.
• CORNSTARCH: Cornstarch is used to thicken the glaze. Flour can be used in place of cornstarch if gluten isn’t a concern.

See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.

How to make oven roasted pork tenderloin:

PREHEAT THE OVEN: Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

PREP THE PORK: Start by trimming the any fat from the pork. Then, using a sharp knife, remove the silver skin, which is the shiny, white connective tissue usually found on one section of the tenderloin. It becomes tough and chewy when cooked, so it’s best to remove it. Pat the pork dry with paper towel.

SEASON THE PORK: In a small bowl, stir together the seasoning blend – salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder – with olive oil. Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the surface of the tenderloin.

MAKE THE GLAZE: Prepare  the glaze in a small saucepan by whisking together the maple syrup, water, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Simmer it over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the glaze starts to thicken. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.

SEAR THE PORK: Seared pork tenderloin produces the juiciest meat by locking in the juices before roasting the meat. Use a large nonstick, oven proof skillet. If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, not to worry. If using a stainless steel skillet, add extra olive oil in the pan so that the pork doesn’t stick. A cast iron skillet is a great option, too, and will produce a nice crust on the pork.

Heat the skillet to medium-high and sear the pork tenderloin on all sides, about 5 minutes total.

BAKE AND GLAZE: Transfer the skillet (with the pork, of course!) to the oven and roast until done. About halfway through the cooking time, brush the tenderloin using about 2 tablespoons of the glaze.

REST AND SLICE: Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes before slicing so that the juices don’t run out all over the board when slicing. The goal is to allow those juices to absorb  into the meat to produce tender and juicy pork!

SERVE: Slice the pork. Serve it up with the remaining luscious glaze!

How long to cook pork tenderloin in oven at 400:

The cooking time will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of the pork tenderloin and your oven. The USDA recommends cooking pork tenderloin until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the pork to take the reading.

At 400 degrees F, the pork takes approximately 15 minutes to cook (plus 5 minutes of searing time on the stovetop ahead of roasting). Remember to let the pork rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing for the juiciest meat.

What to do with leftover pork tenderloin:

So many options! Here are a few of our “go to” ideas for using up the leftovers:

Cut up the pork and toss it into a spinach salad. If you have leftover glaze, thin it with some olive oil or water for an easy dressing. Alternatively, use a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Use the pork in soft tacos with some queso fresco and a jicama slaw.

Make a batch of my vegan Instant Pot vegetarian chili or butternut squash stew and offer the diced pork to the die-hard meat lovers in the family to stir into the soup/stew.

Make this chicken naan pizza, subbing the pork for the chicken.

This post was originally published on September 17, 2021. Updated on December 1, 2022.

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