BBQ pork tenderloin is outstanding and is the best grill pork tenderloin—period. Moist, tender, and the most wonderful sweet-spicy taste of Memphis BBQ.
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Introduction
This is the most common recipe people will claim as their all-time favorite from my site. It had a special spot on my site for years as "My One Must Try Recipe." And I called it the best meal I had ever grilled at the time and it probably still is. It really is that good.
I'm claiming a dream sequence for this one. I only had a few hours of sleep the night before; I lay down for a few minutes with dinner on my mind. I had a pork tenderloin in the refrigerator for dinner but no plans. I should do another one for my grilled pork tenderloin series, but I had done no research.
So, what to do with that tenderloin? I really would like more of my Memphis BBQ sauce, but on what? Just grill the thing and dump sauce on it?
But out of my drowsiness came the memory of wanting to try dry rub Memphis ribs sometime. I have seen them over and over on the various cooking show. Well, my half-awake self-decided to use the rib rub on the tenderloin. I obviously have my best ideas when I'm not really with it.
🐖Pork Tenderloin
Start with well-trimmed pork tenderloin. You need to get th,e silverskin and any other membranes off so the brine and the dry rub can do their thing.
The tenderloin refers to the psoas muscle along the lower back. It is chicken tenders in the chicken or beef tenderloin (filet mignon) in cattle. The psoas is generally most tender cut since it is not used for movement. Please be sure you have a pork tenderloin and not a pork loin.
🧂The Brine
Brine for a few hours to make that already moist and tender meat cut with a fork. I'm suggesting a very simple brine of salt and some brown sugar. We will pick up most of the flavors in the rub.
The brine is optional but will increase the tenderness some and prevent drying on the grill. If you use the brine, make the rub without the salt.
🥣The Rub
Memphis BBQ is sweet and spicy. Very similar to Kansas City or St. Louis BBQ. But my favorite is Memphis.
I like to add the dry rub for a few hours and allow it to penetrate, and flavor the meat. Then I suggest adding a bit more just before cooking.
You can vary the rub for your taste if you want, but I highly recommend the rub as written. Also, I generally make up 2-3 times as much as I need for later use. It will last for up to 6 months sealed airtight and preferably in a dark place.
There is a range for the cayenne pepper. I suggest most people will prefer the lower end of the range. Skip if you want, but Memphis BBQ usually has a touch of mild heat in all that great spice.
♨️The Grill
Almost any gas grill will do. We want a grill surface temperature of 450° to a maximum of 500°. For most grills, that is a little over half power.
For help on grill surface temperature, please see my A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
Let the tenderloin rest at room temp for 30 minutes before grilling. This allows you to get to the correct internal temperature easier without overcooking the spicy crust.
Charcoal should be fine. Just don't crank up the heat all the way and watch the temperature.
Of course, preheat, clean and brush with vegetable oil to prevent sticking due to the sugar in the rub.
🖊️ Tips
Pork tenderloin is not round, flat, nor even square — it is a triangle, so there are three sides. Whether cooking on a grill or in a pan, cook three sides and don't force it into a shape that is not natural.
There are some things you can skip in this technique, but each of them contributes to the outstanding final results. You will decrease results a tiny bit with each omission. The possible omissions are the brine, the rub waiting time, and the rest at room temperature before grilling.
📖Related Recipes
How to Grill a Pork Tenderloin on a Gas Grill
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with a simple brine. 4 cups cold water, 4 tablespoons table salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix well in a one-gallon food storage bag.
Trim pork tenderloin of any silver skin, lose fat and membranes.
Add the tenderloin to the brine and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
Mix the Memphis dry rub: 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt - only add if not brining.
When the tenderloin is done brining, rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. This will remove the brine salt from the surface.
Place on a piece of plastic wrap about 6 inches longer than the tenderloin. Rub all sides of the tenderloin well with the rub reserving about ¼ of the rub for later.
Roll the tenderloin tightly in the plastic wrap, seal the ends and refrigerate for 1 -2 hours. Longer is OK.
Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and rub with the remainder of the rub on all sides and allow to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Preheat grill. You want a surface temp 450°- 500°. That is medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill well. This last step is important, or it will stick.
Grill for 5-6 minutes per side and then decrease the heat a little and continue to flip about every 5-6 minutes until internal temp of 150°. About 25 minutes in total. Remember that a pork tenderloin has three sides.
Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with Memphis BBQ sauce.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin – Memphis Style
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 4 tablespoons table salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt - only add if not brining
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start with a simple brine. 4 cups cold water, 4 tablespoons table salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix well in an one-gallon food storage bag.
- Trim a pork tenderloin of any silver skin, loose fat and membranes. Add the tenderloin to the brine and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
- Mix the Memphis dry rub: 2 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt - only add if not brining.
- When the tenderloin is done brining, rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. This will remove the brine salt from the surface.
- Place on a piece of plastic wrap about 6 inches longer than the tenderloin. Rub all sides of the tenderloin well with the rub reserving about ¼ of the rub for later.
- Roll the tenderloin tightly in the plastic wrap, seal the ends and refrigerate for 1 -2 hours. Longer is OK.
- Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and rub with the remainder of the rub on all sides and allow to rest at room temp for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat grill. You want a surface temp of 450°-500°. That is medium high on most grills. Clean and oil the grill well. This last step is important or it will stick.
- Grill for 5-6 minutes per side and then decrease heat a little and continue to flip about every 5-6 minutes until internal temp of 145°-150°. About 25 minutes total. Let
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Be sure you have a pork tenderloin and not a pork loin.
- 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- I like to make more rub and save for later. Store airtight in a dark area for up to 6 months.
- You can skip the brine, the time with the rub, and the rest to room temperature but all these things add something to the final results.
- Dry rubs and the sauce you use should complement each other. I suggest my Memphis sauce or another sweeter sauce like a Kansas City or St. Louis sauce. Not a Carolina vinegar-based sauce.
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)
Editor note: This is a republishing of one of the best recipes on this site. It is a bit more work but not hard and so worth the extra work. Originally published May 2, 2010, and then redone with new pictures May 2, 2013. It was in need of a rewrite and re-editing of pictures. Now updated again with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Nancy says
I want to make the Memphis bbq pork tenderloin tomorrow but it’s snowing where I live. Do you think I can cook it in the oven instead? If so any advice?
Thank you!
Nancy
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Nancy,
Welcome to the blog.
I grill in the snow but I have a large natural gas grill 3 feet from the kitchen door.
So, on to the oven for you. Start with the oven at 400° convection or 425° conventional. And then just bake to your desired internal temperature, no flipping or rotation is needed. It will vary a bit by thickness and temp you want but usually about 25-30 minutes. You may not have the browning you want—just turn the broiler on until the color is good.
Enjoy your pork.
Dan
Nancy says
I followed the Memphis bbq pork tenderloin directions exactly. Simply delicious! Thank you Dan.
Marcia Newsome says
This recipe is the best! But, where can I find recipe for the sauce. I made it a year or so ago and there was a link with the tenderloin recipe. Everyone loved the tenderloin but really LOVED the sauce!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Marcia,
Welcome to the blog.
The sauce is https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/memphis-barbecue-sauce/
The link is there but it got moved during a rewrite. It is now under https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/my-best-grilled-pork-tenderloin-memphis/#related-recipes
I love that sauce.
Dan
Cindy D. says
This was amazing. Prepared last night. It was raining so I cooked on top of the stove in my grill pan. Made the recipe just as it was written. Except, did not add any BBQ sauce at the table. Served with a tossed salad and the Crispy Parmesan Baked Potatoes from this site. A match made in heaven!!!
Bobby says
I have tried this recipe with Two tenderloins and it was phenomenal. I now am doing ten for family gathering. Can you brine the night before and take them out and do the rub the next morning?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Bobby,
Welcome to the blog. Glad you are enjoying on of my favorites.
Yes, you can pre brine most meats. Go ahead and brine as normal and rinse off the extra salt when done. Then you either wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Or you could go ahead and apply the rub before sealing and let it go overnight. I have not done that with pork tenderloin but we do it all the time with pork butt.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Carol says
Hi Dr. Dan,
I’ve made this recipe numerous times: always a hit, both for Chicken and pork tenderloin. I’m totally converted to brining. So darned easy. Question regarding the brine: would it matter what type of brown sugar should we use, light, dark, or either? Thanks again Dr. Dan.
DrDan says
Hi Carol,
Welcome to the blog... or at least commenting.
I do still love this recipe.
About the brown sugar, brown sugar is regular sugar with molasses added. More for the dark. So there is a bit more taste with the dark. I tend to like dark for meat recipes and light for baking projects but there is not much difference and I frequently just use what I happen to have on hand at the time.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Carol H. says
Hi Dr. Dan,
First and most important - this brine recipe is one of my very best "saves" on my Pinterest boards. I have used it several times since discovering, and it's a real keeper. Kudos and many thanks. Now a question, that relates to the recipe rub and that I've wondered many times in other recipes. Paprika - when your (plus another recipes) call for Paprika - should I use Hungarian Sweet or Spanish Smoked. It's rarely specified. I have both and am not certain which to use when. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks for your expertise and passion.
Carol H.
DrDan says
Hi Carol,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of my personal favorites and for several years it had a special place in the sidebar with the title of "My One Must Try Recipe".
On to the Paprika. It is really a personal taste thing. I think I may have one or two recipes that I specify Spanish Smoked but I personally like Hungarian Sweet better almost everywhere including this recipe. I only buy Sweet and although I have some Smoked in the pantry, I believe it is now so old, I wouldn't use it.
But if you like that smoked taste then use it.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Andrew B says
Fantastic Pork Recipe! 5/5 and make sure you make the MEMPHIS BBQ SAUCE!
Connie Ingold says
I live in NY City and don't have a barbeque. Can I cook this in the oven? And at what temperature? Thank you.
DrDan says
Yes, but not sure it would be nearly as good.
So if I had to do this in an oven, follow all instructions up to the grilling including resting at room temperature. I would preheat an oven at 450 conventional with a grill pan in the oven preheating also. A light coat of vegetable oil on the grill pan. Then start "grilling" on that like an outside grill with the rotation of the tenderloin and when it calls for decreased temp, go to 375 until desired internal temperature.
I would not even try without a grill pan.
That should work but I never do grill pans, my grill is 3 feet from my back door and grill pans on glass stovetops can break the glass which is what I use. I gave my grill pan away so nobody would use it,
Let me know if you try and the results.
Dan
Eshika Roy says
I literally started having hunger pangs halfway through the post. It looks amazing and I bet it also tastes delicious too. It is the perfect dish to cook up in this season. I can’t wait to try it . Looking forward to reading more delectable recipes in the upcoming posts.