Elevate your grilling game with juicy, tender pork tenderloin cooked to perfection on a gas or any grill. This never-fail recipe utilizes direct heat for fast, beginner-friendly results, eliminating the need for juggling zones. With tips on seasoning, temperature, and timing, you’ll get perfect results every time.
🐖Ingredients
Pork tenderloin
Seasoning—salt and pepper or other seasoning
Optional seasonings—BBQ dry rub, BBQ sauce, seasoning salt, glaze, marinade
Optional brine—water, salt, sugar
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Featured Comment by Mark:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Great recipe, easy to follow directions. Taste fantastic"
Pork tenderloin is near-perfect for smaller households. It’s lean, healthy, just the right size, and easy to scale up for company. Whether you season simply with salt and pepper or use your favorite, it still turns out juicy and flavorful every time.
Because it’s so lean, pork tenderloin can be easily overcooked. Keep it simple with this direct-heat method: no need to set up zones or juggle burners. Just steady, even heat and smart timing for fast, reliable results.
o👨🍳How to Cook a Pork Tenderloin on a Gas Grill—Step-by-Step
1. Trim the tenderloin of any excess fat and the silver skin.
2. Optional brine, if desired. Wash off before proceeding.
3. Pat dry and season to your taste. Place on a clean, oiled, and preheated grill at 450°F to 500°F.
4. Close the lid and rotate ⅓ every 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145 °—about 25 minutes.
👍THE BIGGEST PRO TIP: Pork tenderloins are not round, flat, or square; they are a triangle, so there are three sides. Each "flip" is one-third of a rotation.
5. Tent lightly with aluminum foil for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat cells, resulting in more tender and moist meat.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
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⏲️How long to grill pork tenderloin on gas grill
It takes approximately 25 minutes to grill a 1½-pound pork tenderloin to an internal temperature of 145°F (medium-rare) at a grill surface temperature of 450°F. Smaller 1¼-pound tenderloins will cook about 5 to 8 minutes faster, while 1¾-pound tenderloins will take 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Approximate grill times for a 1½-pound pork tenderloin at 450°F for different doneness levels
Rare (less than 145°)—Not recommended due to USDA safety recommendations.
Medium-Rare (145°-150°) will take about 22-27 minutes. Highly recommend, but still some pink.
Medium (150°-155°) will take about 27-30 minutes. My wife's choice.
Medium-well (155°-160°) will take approximately 29 to 32 minutes—an OK choice if you're certain.
Well Done(160°+)—Not recommended due to dryness and texture.
Times are provided to help with planning, but never cook by time; always cook to a final internal temperature. The meat will rise 2° to 4° after removal from the grill.
🥣Seasoning/Marinades
Just coarse salt and black pepper are enough. I suggest All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2, with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Try pork rubs like BBQ Dry Rub or Southwest Chipotle Seasoning/Dry Rub. But any seasoning or herb mix will generally work well.
For a special occasion, try a marinade, such as Balsamic Pork Tenderloin or Alton Browns Chipotle Lime Pork Tenderloin. Add a glaze with Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin. Or for the best BBQ you will ever eat, with my Memphis BBQ Pork Tenderloin.
🤔 Troubleshooting and getting it right every time
Almost all issues you will encounter are related to the grill surface temperature, which can be accurately measured with a grill surface thermometer. OR not using an instant-read thermometer to determine the correct endpoint.
While I suggest a gas grill for its convenience and control, other grills, such as charcoal, will be fine if you can effectively control the temperature. For more discussion about temperature, see my Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
Excessive char: Flip more frequently and decrease the grill temperature.
Flare-ups: Avoid those areas and trim the fat more effectively next time.
Undercooked center: Reduce the grill temperature to achieve more even cooking, allowing the center to cook thoroughly without overcooking the surface.
The pork tenderloin is dry: First, do not overcook. Cook to 145° use an instant read thermometer to get it right every time. The second cause is dehydration from prolonged freezing. The solution is to buy fresh. If it was frozen, thawing it and then doing a brine before cooking will help, but not completely resolve the problem.
🍽️Serving grilled pork tenderloin
Fluid is forced out of the cells during cooking. Always allow the meat to rest off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the juices to reabsorb for the juiciest results. Then cut across the grain to serve.
- We frequently serve with BBQ sauce.
- Vegetables: Grilled Mixed Vegetables, Grilled corn, Grilled Asparagus.
- Potatoes: Grilled Little Potatoes, Grilled French Fries
- Salad: Fresh garden salad, Fresh Spinach Salad with Bacon, Caprese Pasta Salad, Macaroni Salad.
- Dessert: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glazed Grilled Pineapple, Fresh Strawberry Pie.
❄️Leftovers
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for 3 months.
Reheated gently in a microwave on medium. Try sliced cold leftovers to top a green salad.
❓FAQs
.Work a finger or a butter knife under it and work it off. A sharp knife may be needed if there are a few tougher spots.
The pork is done when the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 145° in the thickest part. According to the USDA, that is the minimum safe internal temperature with a 3-minute rest after cooking.
You must check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer or a meat thermometer.
Brine is generally not needed because it is already very tender and moist. However, it will also add more moisture and tenderness, making it a good idea if you have a previously frozen pork tenderloin.
A good pork brine is 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per cup of water. You can fancy up your brine with sugar or brown sugar. Use about the same amount of sugar as salt. You can add garlic or other things for flavor.
Refrigerate the tenderloin during the brining process, rinse it with running water, and pat it dry at the end. If you brine, do not add additional salt for seasoning.
An hour or two is enough time for a pork tenderloin.
It is not necessary. I have cooked many using this direct grilling method over the last 40 years. Direct grilling gives faster results with less fuss, producing great char and juicy, tender meats with great flavor.
A pork loin is not a tenderloin; they are different cuts of meat and require different cooking methods. If you're unsure, the size will indicate the answer. The tenderloin typically weighs between 1 and 1½ pounds. A huge one could weigh up to 2 pounds. If you think you have a four-pound tenderloin, you are mistaken.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Grill Pork Tenderloin (Juicy, Tender, and Easy)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin - about 1½ pounds
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste - or seasoning of choice
Optional Brine
- 4 cups water
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Trim the tenderloin of any excess fat and the silver skin.
- Optional Brine: Start with 4 cups of water with 4 tablespoons salt in a food-storage plastic bag. Add 2-4 tablespoons of sugar if you want. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. When done with the brine, remove it from the brine and rinse under running water. Do not use seasoning with salt if you brined.
- Pat dry and season to your taste. Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of 450° to 500°—medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil grate well.
- Place over direct heat, closing the lid. Rotate ⅓ every 5 minutes until done to your liking, about 25 minutes for 145°.
- Remove from the grill a few degrees less than your desired final temperature. Tent lightly for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Remember it is triangular meat, not round. So a flip is ⅓ of a rotation.
- Brine if you wish, but the results are still excellent without it.
- Cook over medium to medium-high heat. Use a grill surface thermometer to achieve a temperature of 450° to 500°.
- Season as desired, but refrain from adding more salt if you have already brined.
- Multiple seasoning suggestions are in the recipe post.
- The final internal temperature of 145°-150° is nicely done.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Publisher note: Originally Published May 21, 2017. I have re-used pictures from other posts. This is a total update of a guide I published the first year of the blog that greatly needed a rewrite.
Sharon says
Grilled pork tenderloin recipe reads great. My only question is about the grill itself. Do you ever give alternate instructions for using a grill such as the George Foreman or any other indoor covered grill? Being alone, that is what I use and never can find alternates. Love your recipe site and the 'chubby' puppies at the end of each e-mail. They must like your cooking too.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sharon,
Welcome to the blog.
Cooking in a Foreman type grill gets a little tough with thicker meat like a pork tenderloin. You are probable better served with a pan sear and then oven baked to final temp. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/pan-seared-oven-roasted-pork-tenderloin/ or cutting across grain to make pork medalions like https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/easy-grilled-pork-tenderloin-medallions/. Thinner recipes like my grilled chicken breast sandwiches or pork tenderloin sandwiches will also work.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Jan says
Can this be made in the oven? If so, what temp & time?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jan,
This is more of a grilling technique method. For oven baking, the most popular recipe is https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/pan-seared-oven-roasted-pork-tenderloin/ which uses the brief sear then baking. Or as a sheet pan meal with veggies https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/one-pan-roasted-pork-tenderloin-with-potatoes-and-carrots/
Dan