Honey garlic pork tenderloin is juicy, tender, and bursting with incredible flavor. Quick and easy on your grill but also simple in the oven. Get a company-worthy pork tenderloin with these easy step-by-step photo instructions.
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😊Why you will love this recipe
- Great honey garlic glaze that is easy to use with only three ingredients.
- Simple on the grill but can easily be done in the oven.
- The perfect size for "cooking for two" or smaller households but easy to scale up to a party.
- The whole family will love the tasty dinner.
- Super tender, but you can brine it if you want
👨🍳How to cook honey garlic pork tenderloin
- Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°, which is medium to medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil grates well.
- Mix honey, soy sauce, and garlic powder.
- Trim pork tenderloin of any silverskin and membrane.
- Brush the honey glaze on the tenderloin.
- Place over direct heat on the grill. Grill for five minutes, rotate one-third, then brush the exposed sides with more honey mixture. Repeat this twice more.
- Continue to grill and rotate every 5 minutes until an internal temperature of about 145° or your taste is usually 25-30 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
👨🍳Oven instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° convection or 400° conventional.
- Prepare an oven-safe pan (grill pan with ridges preferred) with a coat of PAM cooking spray.
- Prepare the tenderloin and the glaze the same as the grill instructions.
- Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, brushing with the glaze twice during baking—at about the 8 and 16-minute marks.
- Remove when the tenderloin reaches your desired internal temperature—about 25 minutes. The temp will rise a few degrees after removal.
- Oven baked times will otherwise be similar to the grill times. Smaller tenderloins may cook faster, and thick tenderloins will take longer to cook.
⏲️How long to grill
The recommended medium rare internal temp of 145° will take about 25 minutes. Approximate times are for a 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin and a 450° grill surface temperature. The grilling time for a 2-pound pork tenderloin will usually be about 30 minutes.
| Cooked Pork Level | Internal Temperature | Approx. Grilling Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | less than 145° | Not recommended |
| Medium-Rare | 145°-150° | 22-27 minutes |
| Medium | 150°-155° | 27-30 minutes |
| Medium-Well | 155°-160° | 29+ minutes |
| Well Done | 160°+ | Not recommended |
Times are provided to help with planning but never cook by time; always cook to a final internal temperature.
🐖Pork Tenderloin
The tenderloin refers to the psoas muscle along the lower back. The psoas is generally the most tender cut since it is not used for movement. The psoas is the chicken tenders in the chicken or beef tenderloin (filet mignon) in cattle.
I always think of a pork tenderloin as having three sides since they are almost triangular in shape. So a "flip" is just a third of a turn, not 180 degrees.
But please note that pork lion is different and must be cooked differently. Pork loins will weigh 5 pounds or so. Most pork tenderloins are about 1 ½ pounds. Please do not confuse the two.
Should You Brine?
You can if you want, but tenderloin is not nearly as needly of brine as pork chops or pork loin.
If you decide to brine, I suggest 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons salt for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Be sure to rinse well when done and pat dry. Also, be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce if you brine.
♨️The Grill
The grill surface temperature needs to be about 450°. You can not cook this on high heat. It doesn't work well for thicker meat, and especially with the honey, you will burn the outside before the inside is cooked.
Please see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for details about grill surface temperatures.
Can I use charcoal? Yep, but you need to create a cooler zone for the tenderloin. And remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature.
❓FAQs
No, a pork loin is much bigger and will cook differently. If you want to use the glaze on pork loin, pork chops, or country-style boneless ribs, that will be fine but use the cooking instructions for those cuts.
The sweet taste will go well with rice or potato side dishes. Roasted or grilled vegetables will also be an excellent addition.
Store refrigerated for 3 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze for 3 months.
To serve, cut up refrigerated leftovers for a tossed salad. Or reheat in the oven or microwave. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
📖Pork Tenderloin Recipes
How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin on a Gas Grill
Alton Browns Chipotle Lime Pork Tenderloin
The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin - Memphis Style
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°. Clean and oil well.
Mix honey, soy sauce, and garlic powder.
Trim pork tenderloin of any silverskin and membrane.
Brush the honey glaze on the tenderloin.
Place over direct heat on the grill. Grill for five minutes, rotate one-third, then brush the exposed sides with more honey mixture. Repeat this twice more. Then continue to grill and rotate every 5 minutes until an internal temperature of 145° to 150°. A total cooking time of about 22-27 minutes. Be sure to cook to the final internal temperature and not by time.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Recipe
Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin on a Grill (or Oven)
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin
Honey Glaze
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of about 450°. Clean and oil well.Note: Additional instructions for oven baking are in the recipe notes below.
- Mix two tablespoons of honey, one tablespoon soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Trim pork tenderloin of any silverskin and membrane.
- Brush the honey glaze on the tenderloin.
- Place over direct heat on the grill. Grill for five minutes, rotate one-third, then brush the exposed sides with more honey mixture. Repeat this twice more. Then continue to grill and rotate every 5 minutes until an internal temperature of 145° to 150°. A total cooking time of about 22-27 minutes. Be sure to cook to the final internal temperature and not by time.
- Continue to grill and rotate every 5 minutes until an internal temperature of about 145° or your taste. A total cooking time of 25-30 minutes usually. Be sure to cook to the final internal temperature and not by time.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Brine if you want. If you decide to brine, I suggest 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Rinse well and pat dry. Use low sodium soy sauce if you brine.
- Think of a pork tenderloin as having three sides since they are almost triangular in shape. So a "flip" is a ⅓ rotation.
- Be sure you understand grill surface temperature, or you will burn the outside of the pork before the middle is done. A grill surface thermometer is highly recommended.
- NOT BY TIME ALONE. You are cooking to a final internal temperature. There are variables of the weight and thickness of the tenderloin, the tenderloin starting temperature, and your grill.
Additional Oven Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° convection or 400° conventional.
- Prepare an oven-safe pan (grill pan with ridges preferred) with a coat of PAM cooking spray.
- Prepare the tenderloin and the glaze the same as the grill instructions.
- Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes brushing with the glaze twice during baking—at about the 8 and the 16-minute marks.
- Remove when the tenderloin reaches your desired internal temperature—about 25 minutes. The temp will rise a few degrees after removal.
- Oven baked times will otherwise be similar to the grill times. Smaller tenderloins may cook faster, and thick tenderloins will take longer to cook.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's note: Originally published June 20, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Eric Tivers
I’ve never made a pork tenderloin before this, and this has literally become one of my favorite things to make. I’ve made it 4 times now in the last 2 months. It’s so good. I usually make more of the sauce.