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
The Best BBQ Pork Tenderloin – Memphis Style
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
- 4 cups water
- 4 tablespoons table salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 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.
JimboHD2005 says
Over the years you see a lot of "the best ever" but I can honestly say this IS the best pork tenderloin recipe I've ever tried. Amazing flavor and turned out very juicy. That BBQ sauce was a perfect complement to the pork. Sweet, little spice and savory I could eat the sauce without anything! Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to try this again camping this summer or tailgating. Nice to have something other than burgers, hot dogs and sausage and this is just what I needed in my recipe rotation!
DrDan says
Thanks Jim,
I try not to use the term "best" lightly unless I can defend it. This is a worthy pork tenderloin. This recipe is frequently brought up by experienced grillers as their personal favorite recipe and used for special meals.
I love the sauce also. I usually say it could make cardboard taste good.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Stephen Romero says
Thus is one of the best pork tenderloin recipes. Great crust with great flavor and very moist. 10 out if 10!
Brian says
This was great! I've always brined turkeys for Thanksgiving before going on the grill, never once thought of brining the Pork Tenderloin. Instead of water, I used Apple Cider (after all, nothing like pork chops and apple sauce!).....and it turned out great. They key was the grilling tips you provided....you were spot on with the med-high heat, and then I reduced it down to medium after 10 minutes total (5 on each side). Additionally I added a Pineapple salsa and it is definitely going to be back in our family dinner rotation! So glad I found this one.
Hazel says
Made this today for family bbq. Absolutely delicious and everyone agreed the best bbq pork tenderloin ever. I followed your recipe exactly and served with the Memphis bbq sauce on the side. The sauce was a bit too spicy for the young grandchildren.
Many thanks for a great recipe - will be making this again!
DrDan says
Thanks so much for the note and rating.
DrDan
S-Dub says
Trying this recipe today. Never brined before so I'm excited to see the results. That crust on it looks amazing! Will report back with results.
S-Dub says
Awesome recipe! The rub is fantastic! I made the BBQ sauce and it's good but not even necessary. I could not believe the tenderness of the meat. I chose to cook on indirect heat at 325 on my Weber charcoal grill with applewood chips then sear at the end on direct heat.
Carmen Jimenez says
Thanks for the AWESOME recipe-- this was fantastic!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Ben Schafer says
I just made this for my family and they absolutely loved it. Best tenderloin I have ever made or had.
I did however cook two loins over indirect heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes and the last 10 minutes over direct heat until a little crispy On the outside. 10 out of 10.
David McLane says
I quadrupled your brine and rub ingredients and did the entire loin in one piece, and the finished product off the grill was the best pork I have ever done. Moist and OMG delicious! Everyone who tried it gave rave reviews! Thanks again :-)
DrDan says
Hi Dave, Thanks for the report. The brine helps a lot and I do love this spicing.
DrDan
David McLane says
I have a beautiful pork loin that I want to try this on, but after seeing the pictures of the pork loin on your site, and the brine and rub quantities, I need to modify the quantities for my loin, as it is 11 1/2 lbs and 2 feet long. Any suggestions?
DrDan says
Hi David, thanks for the question.
I would not do a pork lion like this. It would be dry and tough. I use loin for pork chops and usually brine (I have a couple of posts with that) or I braise in liquid and shred for BBQ or Mexican. I believe you can also do a pork roast with it but I have not... it's on the to do list.
If you really want to try something like this recipe with the loin, I would cut into 1 1/2 inch slices, brine then rub. But I think the tenderloin is a better idea.
DrDan
mari says
I love this recipe and my husband loves it !!! I for sure like to brine and its more tender and juicy.
Will this recipe work on pork loin chops?
DrDan says
Thanks for the comment.
The loin chop would have good taste but I wouldn't think the tenderness would be there. Loin is just not tenderloin...
DrDan
karen says
So I started to make this recipe and put on the grill and I ran out of propane. I had people coming over for supper what was I to do.? i called on my George Foreman grill and he came to the rescue. This recipe turns out so fricken awesome . Thanks for the great recipe!!!!!
Debbie says
Hi there,
I'm looking forward to trying this and your Memphis BBQ sauce for a group of family and friends next weekend. Just wonder if the dry rub could be put together in advance or if that leads to weird reactions between the spices?
Thanks!
DrDan says
I make up a large batch for the summer. Sorry for the delayed answer... Dead computer.
Dan
Kim says
I don't usually review recipes; however, this is the absolute best pork loin I have ever had or fixed!!!!! My husband & children couldn't stop eating. My daughter has asked I fix it for her birthday dinner. I was planning to have leftover for lunch the following day......... but there isn't enough!!!!!! You must try this one!!!!! My hat is off to you for sharing such a great recipe!!!!
DrDan says
Thanks. It is one of my favorites. A little more work but worth it for a special meal.
DrDan
Ryan says
Excellent! Best tenderloin recipe to date, definitely a keeper!
DrDan says
Thanks Ryan, you can tell it is my favorite tenderloin recipe
DrDan
Brannon says
Veey good recipe. Excellent.
DrDan says
Thanks it remains in my top five.
DrDan
Chris says
That is a good sounding recipe for tenderloin. I like to brine mine when I have the chance but I don't always have the time.
Susan Ferguson says
How many pounds is this? Is this a small fillet?
DrDan says
Hi Susan,
It is a pork tenderloin which usually run about 1 1/2 pounds. They are frequently sold as a two pack. Many people get confused with a pork loin which are much bigger (5 pound range if I remember right) and a totally different cut of pork. Do this with a loin and it would be terrible.
DrDan
CD says
I"m actually doing this with a loin as we speak! But for the smoker. Its my usual way of making it and it turns out wonderful.
I've done the tenderloin on the bbq and love it too.