We’ve taken lean, tender pork and elevated it to new heights by wrapping it in smoky bacon and slow-smoking it to perfection. The result? A juicy, flavor-packed tenderloin that’s sure to steal the show at any meal. The best part? This showstopper is surprisingly simple to prepare.
This Smoked Pork Tenderloin Makes a Show-Stopping Dinner
This is a smoked pork tenderloin recipe to knock it out of the park. It’s quick and simple to make (only 5 ingredients). But also a show stopper loaded with sweet heat and classic bbq flavor. It’s the best way to put this tender cut of meat on the table. It’s perfect for a barrel smoker, kettle grill, or right over the firepit using a grill grate, or even in a pellet smoker. For nights when you really want to grill for dinner instead of an oven roasted pork tenderloin.
The trick to the temp is getting the grill hot enough to gently infuse flavor without burning the bacon and leaving the meat inside raw. Low and slow is key here.
Pork tenderloin vs pork loin?
Pork tenderloin and pork loin are in words alone pretty easy to get mixed up. And if I were cruising through the meat department just trying to get home, it would be easy to think a pork loin was a tenderloin. Why split hairs, right?
Except, pork loin and pork tenderloin arenโt the same cuts of meat at all. Think of it just like a prime rib and a beef tenderloin. Both are incredibly full of flavor, both very very different.
The loin is a large cut that is often sold as a roast (bone-in or boneless) or broken into other cuts.
The tenderloin is a small lean cut of meat, boneless, that is incredibly tender due to how minimally the muscle is used. Pork tenderloin can be found in most markets, coming in at about 1 to 1.5 pounds sold individually or in double packs.
The easy trick to telling them apart (making sure youโre buying exactly what you need) one is a big roast, the other isnโt. Go for the little one.
Smoked Pork Tenderloin Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin – see notes about pork tenderloin vs pork loin below, serving size and more .
- Salt – PK is low on salt, so we round it out with regular kosher salt
- GirlsCanGrill PK Pork Rub – or your favorite BBQ spice mixture
- Head Country BBQ Sauce – we went with apple habanero for this one to add a kick to balance out the sugar in the PK spice rub.
- Bacon – use regular bacon here. A thick cut can take too long to cook and never crisp up and thin bacon won’t hold up.
- Toothpicks – Essential, or the bacon can roll off as you flip the tenderloin while itโs in the grill. Alternatively, kitchen twine works to hold the bacon on, but I find toothpicks easy for this one.
How to buy a pork tenderloin
A serving of pork is 3oz per person. A pork tenderloin usually comes in at around a pound to a pound and a half.
Assume that one pork tenderloin can feed 2 to 3 people. Generally, Iโm guessing you know whoโs gunna eat more or less. Grab an extra tenderloin if needed, the leftovers are amazing!
Pork tenderloin is sold in individual packs or sometimes as a 2 pack. It can be hard to tell because they are vacuum-packed. If the weight is more towards 2 – 2.5 pounds, itโs a two-pack.
Pork tenderloin also comes pre-seasoned by some companies, and where those are fantastic on busy nights. But, for this recipe, you want to make sure youโre buying an unseasoned one.
How to Make the Perfect Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Build a 2 zone fire in your grill for indirect cooking. Set your grill for a temp of 225 to 250.
2. Start by trimming your pork tenderloin (truth, for years I didn’t know you needed to trim these). There’s a membrane, a thin silver skin that you want to remove. Use a sharp knife to peel it off. Also, take this time to trim the pork evenly. Often one side is bigger than the other, for even cooking, I trim them equally.
3. Arrange the strips of bacon on a clean work surface in rows, barely overlapping one another, to form a 10 – 12″ long rectangle. Just long enough to cover the meat edge to edge once rolled.
4. Next, place the tenderloin in the center of the bacon and season with salt and PK pork rub, rolling the tenderloin back and forth to coat each size.
5. Then, brush with a thin coating of the Head Country bbq sauce.
6. Wrap the bacon slices securely around the pork, staring with the thin edge of bacon strip, covered by the thicker end. I do this at an angle, almost weaving that bacon to help it stay on as the bacon cooks
7. Secure the bacon with toothpicks or kitchen twine.
8. Then, place the bacon-wrapped tenderloin on the cooler side of the grill (the indirect heat zone).
9. Grill, rotating every 30 or so minutes to help the bacon cook evenly until the internal temperature reaches 140F. With a grill set to 225 to 250F, a pork tenderloin will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to cook. Cooking time will vary from grill to grill.
10. After 1 hour, baste with barbecue sauce, flip the tenderloin with tongs and baste the other side. Flip as needed to make sure the bacon is cooking evenly.
11. Finally, about 10 minutes before the tenderloin is done, baste all sides with a final coating of bbq sauce and adjust the grill to increase the temperature.
12. At the end, if the bacon isn’t crispy enough, place the meat on the hotter side of the grill, and sear it to your liking.
Smoked Pork Tenderloin Recipe Tips
- Even Cooking: For the best results, ensure your pork tenderloin is at room temperature before wrapping it in bacon and smoking. This helps in cooking the pork more evenly.
- Secure the Bacon: Use toothpicks to securely fasten the bacon around the pork tenderloin. This prevents the bacon from unraveling during the smoking process.
- Monitor the Temperature: Always use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the pork. For pork tenderloin, the ideal temperature is 145ยฐF, but remember that it will continue to cook slightly once removed from the smoker, so we remove ours from the grill at 140ยฐF.
- Rest Before Slicing: Allow the pork tenderloin to rest for at least 10 minutes after smoking. This helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring it is juicy and tender when sliced.
- Smoking Wood For Pork: Apple or cherry wood chips complement the pork well, offering a subtly sweet smoke that doesnโt overpower the flavor of the meat and bacon.
How to Store and Reheat Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Cool the smoked pork tenderloin completely before wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the pork tenderloin wrapped in foil and then placed in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
To reheat: To maintain the moisture and flavor, reheat the pork tenderloin in the oven. Place the pork in a baking dish, add a splash of broth or water, and cover it with foil. Reheat at 325ยฐF until it reaches the desired temperature. For a quick reheat, you can slice it and gently warm the slices in a pan over low heat with a little added moisture.
Recipe FAQs
If you really wanted to dress things up, you could make a bacon weave like I show on my bacon-wrapped bbq fatty and wrap the tenderloin in that.
This dish could be made in a cast-iron skillet on the grill, and honestly, it would make rotating it easier (toothpicks and grill grates are tricky. But, use caution because the bacon will crisp up much faster and the meat will cook faster, which could cause it to dry out. If you’re going to use a skillet, just keep a very careful eye on it.
225 – 250 degrees F. This allows a gentle flavor from the charcoal to permeate the meat while also cooking it. No wood was added to this cook as it would be too aggressive for the bacon and pork.
It will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until your meat reaches
For best results, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the meat. Pork is safe to eat at 145F but since this is wrapped in bacon, you will have no way of visually seeing if it’s done or not. An instant-read food thermometer is essential.
Pork cooked to 145 degrees F and rested can be a little pink still. That’s ok. As long as it reached 145 it is safe to eat. That’s right. Pink pork is safe at 145F!
Cooking on too hot a grill too fast will cause the meat to dry out and become tough.
Who cares? It’s a smoky bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. It could seriously be its own dish. But, since it would be weird just to sit around eating meat, try serving it with coleslaw, cast iron green beans, crazy good smoked brussels sprouts, or a creamy smoked jalapeno mac and cheese
More smoker recipes to try
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Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon Recipe
Recommended Equipment
- Smoker or grill
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork tenderloin 1 – 1.5 lbs
- 10 oz Bacon
- ยฝ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp GirlsCanGrill PK Pork Rub
- ยฝ cup Head Country BBQ sauce divided
Instructions
Prep the Grill:
- Build a 2 zone fire in your grill for indirect cooking. Prep the grill by arranging the coals on one side to create a 2-zone fire. Allow to the grill to come to and maintain 225 to 250.
Trim the pork
- Remove the pork tenderloin from the package and pat dry.1.5 lb pork tenderloin
- Trim the silverskin from the tenderloin clean up and unnecessary fat pieces.
Wrap the pork in bacon
- On a clean work surface, arrange the bacon in a single layer, with long edges barely overlapping. Make a 10 to 12โ rectangle, long enough to go long edge to long edge of your tenderloin.10 oz Bacon
- Place the tenderloin in the center of the bacon and season with salt and PK. Roll the pork tenderloin making sure to evenly coat all sides.ยฝ tsp Salt, 1 tbsp GirlsCanGrill PK Pork Rub
- Brust all sides with a thin layer of Head Country BBQ sauce.ยฝ cup Head Country BBQ sauce
- Carefully wrap the bacon slices around the tenderloin. Start with the last strip of bacon you placed down to make the rectangle.
- Grab the thin edge of back and wrap it around the pork at an angle.
- Repeat with the thicker edge overlapping the first. Layer the rest of the bacon strips on weaving them slightly over one another, tightly tucking the edges in until you reach the end.
- Secure the bacon in place with toothpicks or kitchen twine.
Smoke the Pork
- Place the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin on the cooler side of the grill and cover.
- Grill for 1 hour. Check the tenderloin and baste with barbecue sauce.ยฝ cup Head Country BBQ sauce
- Flip with grilling tongs and baste the other side.
- Continue grilling for another 1 ยฝ to 2 hours until the pork temps at 140F, checking every 30 minutes to make sure the bacon isnโt overcooking.
- In the last 10 minutes of grilling, baste with barbecue sauce one final time.ยฝ cup Head Country BBQ sauce
- If the bacon hasn’t crisped enough, increase the heat on the grill and carefully sear the bacon.
- Once the pork has temped at 140ยฐ F, and the bacon is as crisp as you would like, remove the pork tenderloin from the grill.
Rest
- Allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes and the meat to come to 145ยฐ F.
Serve
- Remove all the toothpicks before slicing and serving hot.
- Add extra barbecue on the side if you want more kick for dipping!
Video
Notes
Slice into 3/4″ to 1″ medallions. Store leftovers wrapped securely in foil in the fridge for up to 3 days.ย Reheat leftovers in the oven preheated to 325 wrapped in foil for 10 minutes.ย You can smoke this on a classic kettle grill set for 2 zone grilling, pellet grill, traditional gas grill with wood chips, over a campfire wrapped in foil, or an offset smoker. Different grills, weather, and other factors will affect cook time.ย Always use a digital instant-read meat thermometer to check temperature.ย According to the USDA, pork tenderloin should be cooked to 145ยฐ F.ย
Nutrition
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