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
Fresh garlic upsets my hubby’s stomach, so I always sub garlic powder. Wondering if the garlic in tubes in the produce department would work without hurting hub’s tummy? (P.S. If you haven’t tried the tubes of herbs and spices…they are FABULOUS! We LOVE the ginger and also basil. Ours are in the produce and are by Gourmet Garden.)
I LOVE those! 🙂 I’m not sure if the garlic in those tubes would upset his stomach or not, but they’re great!
Love the Honey Pot!
Target sucks me in every time… 🙂
I am making this tonight for our family and also for a family with a new baby. It shows how much trust I have in your recipes!
The PRESSURE!! (On me, not on you…) 🙂
I don’t have a stove top to oven skillet…..would this work searing then putting in the oven in a regular roasting pan? thanks 🙂
You could definitely do that, it’s just more dishes to wash. 🙂
you need to look around for a cast iron dutch oven….so many uses, but one of the best for stovetop to oven cooking!
I love all the pork recipes here in OBB, and this one is sure to be a hit!Thanks for sharing Kate!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the nutritional information!! Please continue to include the info as often as possible. I love all of your recipes because they are flavorful, beautiful to serve, and my “style” of cooking!
Saw this in Cooking Light as well and made it a few weeks ago. SO good! Definitely a recipe I’ll hold onto. Hope everyone else enjoys it too. Thanks for all the great posts Kate, love your blog. Will be trying the Veggie-Packed Minestrone Soup this weekend, can’t wait.
I’ve been a faithful reader of your blog for years…and have never commented. But that is now in the past! This was the perfect recipe for me today…I have all of the ingredients and I’m trying it for dinner tonight. Thanks for inspiring many meals for my family the past few years!
it looks delicious! can I ask you what you paired it with? It looks good, and finding the right sides to serve with a meat dish is always hard for me! Thanks.
Our Sam’s Club sells this AMAZING Asian salad in the produce department near the other salads. It has cabbage, cilantro, green onions, and celery in the mix and then it has a little packet of almonds and wontons and a sweet-ish soy-ginger dressing. That’s my favorite thing to serve it with! 🙂
When I made this we served it with corn on the cob and roasted potatoes.
This sounds delicious! Is a pork tenderloin the same thing as a pork roast? The one they sell at my costco is about 6 feet long (ok, maybe more like 2) and I think they call it a pork loin. Is that the same thing just not cut up or is it a different part of the pig? If it’s different, can I assume the recipe will work the same way if I just cook it a little longer?
Also, SO funny about your dog!
The tenderloin is the leanest, smallest cut of the pork loin roast. I am 99% sure they sell tenderloins at Costco, just ask someone behind the meat counter so you don’t wind up with a lot more than you actually need! 🙂
Yes, they do sell the pork tenderloins at Costco (at least they do at mine).