Pan Roasted Herbed Pork Tenderloin by Kristin of Yellow Bliss Road for I Heart Nap Time
Delicious herbs are rubbed into the meat to make this pork tenderloin so delicious and flavorful. It’s pan roasted, first on the stove, then in the oven to create a beautifully seared outside, and a tender and juicy inside. This would be a perfect main dish for Christmas Dinner!
I can’t believe that it’s the beginning of December. Even as I type those words, I’m thinking they can’t be true! Even though I’ve been my home has been fully decked out for Christmas now for a few weeks, I still have a hard time accepting that 2014 is nearly over.
If you’re not one to want to roast a whole turkey or serve a huge ham for Christmas (or Christmas Eve) dinner, try this recipe for roasted pork tenderloin. It would be a perfect star for your meal! If you’re looking for side dishes, I’ve got a list of 35 Side Dishes for Christmas Dinner that I’m sharing over at Yellow Bliss Road today.
This dish looks beautiful yet it’s quite easy to make. It’s truly one of my absolute favorite meals to make, and it’s easy enough for a weeknight family dinner, and fancy enough for company. I’ll give you a quick step by step, then you can download or print the full recipe at the end of the post.
Start by trimming the meat. Pork Tenderloin is naturally a very low-fat meat, so there isn’t much to trim. But there is a thin, silvery looking skin that you want to find and trim off, because it tends to get a bit tough when it cooks. Then sprinkle on and rub in some garlic powder, onion powder and poultry seasoning. (I know it says “poultry” but trust me on this one!).
Next heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a couple pats of butter or tablespoons of olive oil. Cast iron isn’t a must, but it definitely gives the best sear. If you don’t have cast iron, stainless steel would be my next choice. Just be sure to use an oven-safe skillet.
Sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side – so six minutes total. The oven should be preheating at this time to 425 degrees.
Once you have a nice sear on all three sides, it’s time to stick that baby in the oven. Add about a half cup of chicken broth (helps to keep it from drying out) and place in the oven for 18 minutes. I’ve got this down to a science in my own oven, but you might have to play around with the times in yours.
After the 18 minutes is up, remove the pan from the oven and tent with foil to give the meat time to rest; about 5-10 minutes. (Tenting is just lightly covering with foil, in essence, making a “tent” shape with the foil so the steam can escape).
Cut the meat into 1/2 inch medallions, and serve on a pretty platter.
We have family coming to visit the day after Christmas, and this will be the dish I serve – I can’t wait! What is on the table for your Christmas dinner?
Pan Roasted Herbed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork tenderloins about 2 pounds
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
Instructions
- Trim silvery skin from pork. Mix seasonings together in a small dish, then rub into the meat.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet. Sear tenderloin for two minutes per side, then slide the skillet into the oven.
- Roast for 18 minutes, then remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch thick medallions.
- Serve immediately.
We usually do something unorthodox for Christmas like tacos or chili but I’m rethinking that for this year because this looks so good!
Ohhhh this looks so juicy and tender! Thanks for the recipe!
My husband usually buys the tenderloin packs that have the seasoning in them. However, this recipe looks simple and easy enough that I think he can use this instead. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipe!
I’m wondering how we print this recipe? I need to be able to print this, so I can add it to our recipe notebook that he uses to follow recipes when he cooks.
Would a cast iron grill pan work for this recipe and your 1 hour roasted chicken? I have one I need to use more! Both recipes look great, thanks.
Hi Jane! If you’re super-careful with the grill pan (getting it in and out of the oven without burning yourself!), it would definitely work! :)