When it comes to amazing pork recipes, it’s hard to top a perfectly grilled pork tenderloin. The key to keeping pork tender and juicy is to serve it at 145 degrees F, which, when grilled, results in amazing char-grilled flavor.
Pork tenderloin may be the king of pork cuts. It’s a super tender lean cut that takes well to so many flavors. We love oven roasted pork tenderloin and smoked pork tenderloin. But most of all, we love it grilled over charcoal. For this juicy grilled pork tenderloin recipe, we skip any complicated marinades and simply rub the pork in a Dijon mustard soy sauce blend and grill over a 2-zone fire.
We start out with a quick sear over direct heat for this pork recipe then finishing it to a masterfully cooked 140 degrees F before the pork rests and is sliced and served. It’s such a simple dish, but one that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
For the Pork Tenderloin:
- Lime
- Dijon mustard
- Soy sauce
- Pork tenderloins
- Toasted coriander seeds
- Kosher salt
How to Grill Pork Tenderloin
Prep the grill
- Build a 2 zone fire for indirect heat by adding lit charcoal to one side of the grill.
- Add the grill grate, clean and oil.
- Cover the charcoal grill and allow it to preheat to 350 – 400 degrees F, adjusting air vents as needed.
Prep the pork
- Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Trim the pork of silver skin by using a sharp knife to slide just below the silverskin and gently pulling up and along the silverskin to slice it over cleanly.
- In a small bowl, mix to combine the lime juice, mustard, and soy sauce.
- Rub the mixture over the pork on all sides.
- Then season the meat with the coriander and salt.
Grill the pork tenderloin
- When the grill is hot, sear the pork on the hot side of the grill, rotating as needed to form a crust on all sides. About 4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the pork to the cooler side of the grill grates, and cover the grill for incredible smoky flavor.
- Allow the pork tenderloin to finish cooking on the grill until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F with a digital meat thermomter about 10 more minutes.
Rest and Serve
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent it loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. As the pork rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise to 145F.
- Thinly slice the pork crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Serve with desired toppings, sauce, or glazes on top and more on the side for those who want it.
Girl Carnivore Expert Tips
For a gas grill
Preheat your gas grill over high heat, then turn off 2 of the 3 burners to create indirect heat. Follow the recipe as written, cooking the pork until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
What to serve with grilled pork tenderloin
We love pork tenderloin served with a homemade mostarda, a condiment made of candied fruit in a mustard syrup. It’s also amazing with homemade chimichurri or red chimichurri, Alabama white sauce, or homemade keto bbq sauce.
For side dishes, try smoked baked potatoes, smoked mac and cheese, grilled vegetables, steakhouse creamed spinach, or smoked mushrooms. Fresh green beans or creamy mashed potatoes are always a great choice too. Grilled watermelon is also always a hit, when in season.
Leftovers and Reheating
Store leftover pork in an airtight container or wrapped in foil for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Reheat in an oven preheated to 325F, tightly wrapped in foil until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes. Only reheat what you need to avoid drying out the whole tenderloin.
Recipe FAQs
The key to juicy pork is not over cooking it. Use a quality digital meat thermometer to make sure the internal temp of the pork doesn’t exceed 145 degrees F. Beacuse it’s a very lean cut, if it’s over cooked, it will dry out quickly.
According to the USDA and National Pork Board, pork is safe to consume at 145F, which may have alight pink center.
For this recipe, start by searing the tenderloins over the hot side of the grill, which should be around 400 degrees F. Then finish on the cooler side, with the lid closed, which acts like an oven.
Pork tenderloin cooks quickly. Each one weighs only about one pound, much smaller than a pork loin roast. Figure on 20 to 25 minutes total for this entire recipe before resting the meat.
More Pork tenderloin recipes
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Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Mostarda Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pork Tenderloin:
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 lbs pork tenderloins about 1 pound each
Instructions
Prep the grill
- Build a 2 zone fire for indirect heat by adding lit charcoal to one side of the grill.
- Add the grill grate, clean and oil.
- Cover the grill and allow it to preheat to 350 – 400 degrees F, adjusting air vents as needed.
Prep the pork
- Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Trim the pork of silverskin.
- In a small bowl, mix to combine the lime juice, mustard, and soy sauce.
- Rub the mixture over the pork on all sides.
- Then season the meat with the coriander and salt.
Grill the pork tenderloin
- When the grill is hot, sear the pork on the hot side of the grill, rotating as needed to form a crust on all sides. About 4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the pork to the cooler side of the grill, and cover the grill.
- Allow the pork tenderloin to finish cooking on the grill until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F with a digital meat thermomter about 10 more minutes.
Rest and Serve
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent it loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. As the pork rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise to 145F.
- Thinly slice the pork crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Serve with desired toppings, sauce, or glazes on top and more on the side for those who want it.
Notes
For Gas Grills
Preheat the gas grill to 400 degrees F. Then turn off 2 of the 3 burners. Grill the pork tenderloin as directed above, searing over high heat, then transferring the pork to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking to an internal temp of 140 degrees F. Allow the tenderloin to rest before slicing it into thin strips and serving. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Michael Symon’s Playing With Fire. Copyright © 2018 by Michael Symon.Nutrition
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