Say goodbye to dry and tasteless pork! This Dijon Pork Tenderloin Marinade makes for ultra succulent and flavorful roast pork!
This recipe was originally published May 23, 2019. It was updated with new photos, blog post information, and recipe refinements on March 22, 2021.
Rich, juicy, savory, and herbal pork that is ready for a weeknight dinner as much as it is for a dressed up holiday meal? That's this Dijon Pork Tenderloin Marinade.
You may need to plan ahead on this recipe, but the active cooking time on this recipe is low: just whisk up the marinade, turn the pork in it, marinate for 2-24, and then give the pork a quick bake!
In our house, pork tenderloin is always adored but often forgotten. Every time we make it, it's cherished and disappears quickly. When it comes time to meal plan for the week, though, it almost never makes the list.
I don't know if this is because I think of it mainly as a holiday dish or somewhere along the line got the impression that it's an expensive cut of meat.
I do know, however, that this Citrus Pork Tenderloin recipe will be changing all of that for us. It's going to be showing up on our menu a lot more often now.
Aside from the flavor and how delicate the meat is, I realized that -- contrary to my previous notions -- the meat is pretty well priced for how lean and healthy of a cut it is.
Also, though the recipe calls for a marinade, it only takes 5 minutes to whip it up. Toss the pork in it before leaving for work in the morning and after a quick 30-35 minute bake in the evening, it's ready to go: producing the accomplishment of a holiday-worthy weeknight meal, making any weekday better.
Here at Mae's Menu, we have a variety of readers: those who are more experienced in the kitchen and want to zip straight through to the recipe and those who want to learn more about the dish, potential substitutions, and more.
To skip straight to the recipe, just click "Jump to Recipe" at the top left of this post. To browse the post quickly, just click the headings in the table of contents below.
Table of contents
This Dijon Pork Tenderloin Marinade is...
- Healthy
- Easy
- Tender
- Flavorful
- Family-friendly
- Great for both holiday meals and weeknight dinners!
This simple pork tenderloin recipe is one you'll want to keep in your back pocket. It's perfect for almost any occasion!
Recipe ingredients:
- Pork tenderloin
- Dijon mustard
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Dried rosemary
- Salt & black pepper
- White wine vinegar
Recipe substitutions:
- Mustard - stone-ground mustard can replace the Dijon mustard in a pinch
- Sweetener - you can easily substitute honey for the maple syrup
- Rosemary - fresh chopped rosemary can replace the dried herb, just triple the amount
- Vinegar - white balsamic vinegar can be substituted for the white wine vinegar
How do you make this recipe?
- Combine and whisk together the pork marinade ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Add the pork to the bowl and turn to cover. Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate for 2-24 hours.
- Preheat the oven and spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Place the pork in the baking dish. Pour the excess marinade over the pork.
- Roast the pork until cooked through (or, for about 35 minutes).
- Let the pork rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
- Slice the pork and drizzle with extra sauce to serve.
Recipe pro-tips:
- Marinating time - marinate the pork for 2 hours up to 24 hours. The longer you marinate within that time frame, the better, though you don't want to exceed it as the pork will over marinate in the acidic solution.
- Other ways to marinate - marinate the pork in a large resealable bag, if you please. Just place it in the bag, pour the marinade over, and seal shut before marinating in the refrigerator.
- Increasing recipe size - this recipe is easy to double or triple. Just multiple all the ingredients by the desired amount and follow the recipe directions as listed, using more baking pans and adding on extra cooking time in 2-3 minute intervals, if needed.
- Roasting the pork uncovered - there's no need to cover the pork while roasting, as we want the moisture to escape so the top of the pork can caramelize.
- Tent the pork with foil while resting to maintain heat if you are concerned about the pork cooling off or if you want extra time to rest the pork while your other dinner dishes finish up!
What should I serve with pork tenderloin?
There are so many possibilities. If I make this on a regular weeknight, I love it with...
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Blistered green beans
- Air fryer smashed potatoes
- Easy dinner rolls
For a holiday dinner, however, I'd serve it with...
- Healthy mashed potatoes
- Balsamic roasted beets
- Orange Salad
- Carrot souffle
- Air fryer Brussels sprouts
- Corn souffle
How do you keep pork loin from drying out?
This is a common problem because pork tenderloin is so naturally lean! There are two main ways to keep pork tenderloin from drying out, however
- don't overcook the tenderloin
- marinate it in a marinade that will tenderize it and keep it juicy
The vinegar and orange juice in this marinade keep the tenderloin tender, so just keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat to keep from overcooking it!
What temperature do you cook pork tenderloin to?
Cook the tenderloin to an internal temperature of 145 degrees at the thickest part of the cut. After this, let it rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature before carving. This helps all the juices in the meat re-distribute, staying in the pork, not ending up on your plate!
Other pork recipes you'll love:
Looking for another way to enjoy pork? Check out my good friend, Norine's, Slow Cooker Cuban Pork. It's so flavorful, easy to make, and perfect as leftovers!
Get all my new recipes as they drop! Sign up to receive new recipes each week.
If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5-stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps me out, too!
Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!
Citrus Dijon Pork Tenderloin
Dijon Pork Tenderloin Marinade makes for a succulent & juicy pork tenderloin that's special enough for holiday meals but simple enough for weeknight dinners.
Marinate the pork for at least 2 hours, but no longer than 24.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1-1.25 lb pork tenderloin
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil through black pepper in a large bowl or measuring cup and whisk well until combined.
- Place pork in the marinade and turn it to cover. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pork to marinate for 2 to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 1 ½ or 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and pour the pork and marinade into the dish.
- Bake the pork for 30-35 minutes, or until the inside has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees in the thickest part.
- Remove pork from the oven and let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Slice, drizzle the hot marinade over the pork, and serve!
Notes
- Leftovers will store covered in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Fresh or refrigerated orange juice both work for this recipe.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Use an extra roasting pan for more than 2 tenderloins and add additional roasting time in 2-3 minute intervals, if needed.
- You can also marinate the pork in a resealable bag: just place the pork in the bag, pour the marinade over and zip up before refrigerating.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 229Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 93mgSodium 289mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 33g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dietitians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Please share your recipe comments and feedback. It helps us create better content and helps other readers find what they're looking for.