Perfectly cooked in a garlicky butter sauce, this garlic butter pork tenderloin is going to have you reaching for seconds. Simple enough for a quick weeknight dinner but looks fancy enough for a holiday dinner.
It’s hard to go wrong with garlic butter so you’re definitely not going to regret making this. If you buy your meat in bulk and want another recipe to make with pork tenderloins, try my Balsamic Roast Pork Tenderloin Recipe. Or if you’re in the mood for a different cut of pork, try my Slow Cooker Carnitas, Pork Chops and Apples , Easy Oven Pork Chop Recipe, and Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops.
This garlic butter pork tenderloin is the perfect easy dinner. It is one of my go-to dinners because it’s something that everyone can enjoy as it can be difficult to accommodate different diets during holiday dinners. This delicious pork tenderloin is keto, low-carb, and gluten-free! It can also be Whole30 friendly and paleo with a slight modification as well.
I love cooking pork tenderloin as it’s a hearty cut of meat that’s high in protein. For this garlic butter pork tenderloin recipe, all you have to do is quickly sear the pork on each side before popping it into the oven. It’s really that simple!
How to Make This Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter — softened and unsalted
- Fresh herbs — parsley and thyme
- Garlic — minced
- Onion powder
- Olive oil
Instructions
Prep the Oven and Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat pork dry with paper towels and then season all sides of the tenderloin with salt and black pepper. Set aside until ready to sear.
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, parsley, thyme, garlic and onion powder. Set aside.
Sear the Meat
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat before adding the pork to the skillet and sear for 2-3 minutes each side.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and then using a fork or spoon, spread the garlic butter mixture over the top of the pork.
Bake the Pork Tenderloin and Serve
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- Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice pork into 1-inch thick slices and serve.
Recipe Variations
- For Paleo and Whole 30 replace the butter for ghee.
- If you do not have fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried herbs. 1 tbsp fresh = 1 tsp dried.
- Don’t have pork tenderloin and only have pork loins? This can be made with pork loin as well! You’ll have to increase the cook time in the oven by at least 10 minutes as pork loins are a thicker cut of meat than the tenderloin. Check the internal temperature to ensure doneness.
Tips and Notes
- When you sear your pork, make sure you don’t move it around too much on your cast iron. By not moving it, it allows your pork to get that beautiful golden brown sear.
- Patting the pork dry helps give the pork tenderloin a golden crust as well. If the pork is wet going into the pan, it can steam instead of sear.
- Make sure you use unsalted butter for this recipe to avoid the pork tenderloin from being too salty.
- Did you forget to soften your butter? Microwave a glass cup of water, pour out the water, place the butter into the hot cup for a few minutes, and cover. The heat from the glass should help soften your butter.
- I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your pork. Pork tenderloin is cooked once it has reached the internal temperature of 145F/63C.
- I recommend using a cast iron skillet to make this garlic butter pork tenderloin as it can be transferred from stove top to the oven safely.
Side Dishes to Serve with This Pork Tenderloin
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe
- Roasted Asparagus
- Arugula Blackberry Salad
- Sweet Potato Arugula Salad Recipe
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Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus additional for topping
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme remove leaves from the stem
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat pork dry with paper towels.
- Season all sides of the tenderloin with salt and black pepper. Set aside
- In a small bowl add butter, parsley, thyme, garlic and onion powder. Mix well to combine all the ingredients together. Set aside.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the pork to the skillet and sear for 2-3 minutes each side. This part is important to give the pork a brown crust.
- Remove skillet from the heat. Using a fork or spoon, spread the garlic butter mixture over the top of the pork.
- Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice pork into 1-inch thick slices and serve.
Tips
- Make sure you pat the pork dry before adding it to the skillet so you get a nice sear.
- Avoid moving the tenderloin too much as you sear. It needs time to build up a crust.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork has reached 145F/63C.
- To store: Store leftover pork tenderloin in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Ideally, you don’t slice them all so they don’t dry out.
- To reheat: Reheat the pork in the microwave until warmed throughout.
- To freeze: You can freeze cooked tenderloin in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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