Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin – tender, juicy oven roated pork with in a simple, flavor packed apricot-dijon glaze. Ready in just 30 minutes!
Every year I plan to be better organized, but the holidays always have a way of sneaking up on me. There are some things I can put off, but dinner isn’t one of them.
Baked Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin is not only the answer to time-starved days.
Gourmet level for the whole entertaining season simple enough for weeknights and on the table in just 30 minutes.
what’s the difference between pork tenderloin and pork loin?
First off, pork tenderloin and pork loin are not the same thing. Pork loin takes longer to cook (beyond the 30 minutes in the recipe) beyond some other differences:
Cut of meat:
- Pork tenderloin comes from the loin of the pig running from hip to shoulder.
- Pork loin comes from the back of the pig and is a wider and longer cut of meat.
Size:
- Pork tenderloin is smaller, thinner and usually weighs just 1-2 pounds.
- A pork loin can be between 3-5 pounds.
Texture/taste:
- Pork tenderloin is called just that because it’s, well . . . tender – one of the most tender cuts of pork you’ll find.
- A pork loin needs to be slow cooked for a longer period of time to be tender.
What’s in Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin?
- pork tenderloin
- salt and pepper
- butter
- olive oil
- dry white wine (Pinot Grigio used)
- fresh thyme
- chicken stock
- apricot preserves
- Dijon mustard
How to make Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin:
Separate the tenderloins, pat them dry with a paper towel then season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter then add the olive oil to a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Sear the tenderloins on all sides and ends.
Pour in the wine (Pinot Grigio used) and chicken stock into the skillet then add the thyme and bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl whisk the apricot preserves and Dijon together. Brush the glaze over the top, sides and ends of the tenderloins then continue baking another 10-15 minutes or until the meat is done.
how do I know when APRICOT glazed PORK TENDERLOIN IS done?
You’ll want to use a meat thermometer to check for the temps below:
- 145° medium rare
- 150° medium
- 155-160° well done/no pink
NOTE: The smaller of the two tenderloins will cook more quickly so monitor the temp and remove it when done then continue cooking the larger piece.
Let the pork rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.
What TO SERVE WITH APRICOT GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN:
Au Gratin Potatoes: Tender sliced potatoes blanketed in layers of creamy, white Cheddar-Smoked Gouda cheese sauce with a golden, slightly crisp top.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts: pan seared, tender brussels with crispy edges blended with bits of bacon in a sweet maple syrup glaze.
Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes: creamy, buttery mashed potatoes bursting with smoked Gouda cheese flavor.
Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese: Easy homemade mac and cheese from scratch with an optional buttery crisp breadcrumb topping.
Brown Butter Honey Glazed Carrots: roasted carrots in a simple, homemade brown butter honey glaze.
Enjoy!
If you tried this Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin or any other recipe on the blog, then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or a few stars!
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Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine Pinot Grigio used
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Separate tenderloins, pat dry with paper towels and season with salt, freshly cracked black pepper on all sides and ends.
- Melt butter and add the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and sear the tenderloin on all sides and ends.
- Pour the white wine (Pinot Grigio used), thyme and chicken stock into the skillet and bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk the apricot preserves and Dijon mustard together. Brush over the top, sides and ends of the tenderloins and continue baking another 10-15 minutes or until the tenderloins are done as you like:145° medium rare, 150° medium, 155-160° well done/no pink
- Remove from the oven, allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Love this recipie! So easy. Made for company and was a great presentation as well as great flavor. By the way, I am not a great fan of pork. If that says anything.
Hey Mary – that makes my day – thanks so much! Haha that says A LOT that you’re not a pork fan. We’re actually having my Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin today for dinner, gearing up for cooler weather dishes. Thanks for your kind words. 🙂
This looks extremely yummy. Plus…easy peasy!
Love it.
Thanks so much Bette! It really easy to make – great option for the holidays too! 😊
Can I substitute: mashed sweet potatoes for the white mashed potatoes using the Smoked Gouda cheese flavor – same with the Au Gratin potatoes using the cheese sauce ???
Hi Olga – you can absolutely substitute! What a great idea – love your creativity! Thanks for stopping by.
Love it! I cubed potatoes and cooked them along with the tenderloin. Appreciate how everything is cooked in one pan, and the sauce was great with the potatoes.
Mmmm what a great idea! I’ll bet the potatoes picked up some really good flavor too 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the recipe – thanks for taking the time to comment – Enjoy the day ~ Bernie
Awesome recipe, easy to do, delicious, meat came out well done but still moist. Used cooking sherry instead of wine,
Hi Kim – so glad you enjoyed the recipe !I actually haven’t made it in a while but love the idea of the cooking sherry swap. Thanks for the idea! ~ Bernie
I transferred the seared tenderloins to an oven proof dish and added the deglaze from the skillet. Very, very tender moist tenderloin accompanied by smashed potatoes with garlic, chives and parmigiana, along with Brussels spouts.
Hi Peter – mmmm love the sides you choose. It all sounds delicious! Thanks for making the recipe and taking the time to comment. I’m glad you enjoyed it. ~ Bernie
Just delicious!
Thank you so much Sandra! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Absolutely delicious recipe.
Thank you so much Andrea! Really glad you enjoyed the recipe. We love it too especially this time of year. ~ Bernie
I made this last night for dinner. It was so very good! I roasted carrots with the tenderloin and served it with steamed yellow squash with a side of broccoli apple salad. Great meal!
Hi Brenda – Wow that sounds like such a great meal! So glad you enjoyed the pork recipe — and I appreciate you taking the time to comment! – Bernie
This is one of my favorite recipes. So quick and easy to make. It’s delicious for a week night meal and fabulous to serve to guests.
Hi Andrea – I love hearing this — thank you! 🙂 So glad you’re enjoying it. Now that fall is coming it’ll be back in my rotation too. Thanks for taking the time to comment – enjoy the day. — Bernie
This meal is delicious and very easy to make. I make sure I keep all the ingredients on hand so I can make this scrumptious recipe often. This meal works for a quick week night dinner and is also grand enough to serve guests.
Hi Andrea – Ahhhh — just what we want, right? – easy and delicious! So glad you enjoyed the recipe – you’re absolutely spot on – weeknights OR gourmet level for company. Thank you so much!! — Bernie