An all in one dinner with tender and juicy pork tenderloin combined with potatoes and carrots. Cooked on a sheet pan or in a shallow dish, your easy dinner is done in well under one hour. Think of it as comfort food for the lazy cook.
Introduction and My Rating
Pork tenderloins are a great meat for smaller households and if you need more, just double it up. Add some veggies, and you have a complete meal all in one dish.
There are lots of one dish/sheet pan recipes out there. Recipes like this do tend to over-cook the meat, but a tenderloin can take it in style. Pork tenderloin is an ideal meat to use. It is forgiving since it stays tender with almost anything you do to it.
I have no inspiration recipe for this recipe. I read many but mostly just imagined what we wanted to have and just did it.
We like things roasted potatoes and carrots, and my wife was asking for pork tenderloin since I hadn't done one for a while, but you can use other vegetables if you want.
My Rating
A high 4 to lower 5. So a very nice everyday recipe.
🐖Pork Tenderloin
Many commenters on this blog over the years seem to get pork loin and pork tenderloin confused.
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.
A pork tenderloin usually weighs about 1 to 1 ½ pounds. A very large one could push towards 2 pounds, so if it is bigger, it is not a tenderloin. Be sure you are right since using a pork loin like this would have very poor results.
Be sure to use pork tenderloin and not a pork loin.
How Long to Cook the Pork Tenderloin?
The first thing to be aware of with this recipe is that the tenderloin will be "over-cooked" to some people. If you want your tenderloin 140 or 145 (pink), it won't be that. This is what my wife likes to call "done." She wants no pink.
But since it is the tenderloin, it is still moist and fork-tender. If you want a lower temperature, take the meat out 5-8 minutes early when it reaches the desired internal temperature and tent it lightly with foil while the veggies finish cooking.
But without the searing, the tenderloin's color will be a bit pale, and the potatoes, although done, will not have that nice browning I love. So a few minutes under the broiler at the end to get to the desired color is recommended.
🥕The Vegetables
The cooking time for vegetables will vary some by the type of vegetable.
Root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots, will take longer. About 30 minutes for 1-inch chunks of potatoes and 25 minutes for thinner carrots.
Note that a done potato has an internal temperature of at least 190°, but 200°-210° is much better.
Softer vegetables like broccoli, peppers, zucchini, bell peppers, and yellow squash will take about 15 minutes.
If you want to use other veggies, check roasting times at How to Roast Any Vegetable - The Kitchen.
✔️Tips
You can speed up the prep. Buy very small potatoes, use "baby carrots," use crushed garlic or garlic powder and onion powder. But it only takes a few minutes more prep to get things right.
The smaller potatoes are great, but those "baby carrots" are really cut out of large "woody" carrots. They have some tastes, but I'm not a big fan. But they do cook fairly well.
The Pan
I used a large baking dish, but a smaller sheet pan would be fine. If you double this recipe, use a large sheet pan.
Storage
Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and can make "freezer meals" that should be good for 3-4 months.
📖Sheet Pan Recipes
Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts with Carrots and Potatoes
🖼️Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
Trim a pork tenderloin of fat and silverskin.
Peel and cut 3 medium carrots into ½ inch medallions. Clean and cut 1 pound of red potatoes into about 1 inch pieces. Roughly chop one half of a medium onion.
Add all the veggies to a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Add the trimmed tenderloin to the bag. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 2-4 cloves of crushed garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Seal bag and mix well.
Prep a large baking dish or smaller sheet pan with a spray of PAM. Dump the tenderloin and veggies and spread evenly.
Bake until tenderloin is 150°-160° per your taste, and potatoes are tender. About 30-35 minutes. In the last few minutes, turn on the broiler and get the color you want. Your cooking time may be a bit longer depending on the tenderloin's size, the veggies, and your oven.
You can use the broiler for a minute or two if you want more browning at the end. Allow the tenderloin to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
Do you want more recipes from 101 Cooking for Two? Sign up for the newsletter and get all posts delivered straight to your inbox!
📖 Recipe
One Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
- ½ medium onion - or one small
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 pound small potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2-4 cloves crushed garlic - 2 for most people. 4 for my wife.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
- Trim a pork tenderloin of fat and silverskin.
- Peel and cut 3 medium carrots into ½ inch medallions. Clean and cut 1 pound of red potatoes into about 1 inch pieces. Roughly chop one half of a medium onion.
- Add all the veggies to a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Add the trimmed tenderloin to the bag. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 2-4 cloves of crushed garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Seal bag and mix well.
- Prep a large baking dish or smaller sheet pan with a spray of PAM. Dump the tenderloin and veggies and spread evenly.
- Bake until tenderloin is 150°-160° per your taste and potatoes are tender. About 30-35 minutes. The last few minutes, turn on the broiler and get the color you want. Your cooking time may be a bit longer depending on tenderloin size, the veggies, and your oven.
- Allow the tenderloin to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Trim the pork tenderloin well and get the silverskin off if possible.
- Use a shallow baking dish or a sheet pan.
- Easy to double on a full ½ sheet pan.
- Use baby carrots and small potatoes to save time.
- You need to use thin skin potatoes cut into about 1-inch chunks or smaller. If you are using russets, please peel first.
- The pork is "overcooked" by some standards (not in our house). If you want some pink in your pork then remove the pork when 145° and tent while veggies finish.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen as "freezer meals" for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Editor's Note: Originally Published December 17, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Carol
Just made this tonight-also used rosemary along with the other ingredients. Mixed both
Sarah
My potatoes and carrots dont seem to get soft even after 30 minutes, am i doing something wrong
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Sarah,
Welcome to the blog.
There are several reasons that are possible.
1) your oven runs a bit cool. You would need to check it with an oven thermometer (about $10) and than compensate. It is less likely if you other baking seems to go alright.
2) "Crowding the pan" This is where the components are very close or piled up. Then use a bigger pan or less potatoes and carrots.
3) Potatoes and carrots are cut too big. The cook this quickly since they are relatively small. So cut them smaller.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Joan Clipp
I just put this in the oven. Looking forward to a great meal, thanks Dr. Dan! But I m really writing about the adorable frolicking dog pics. Our Corgi/Chihuahua mix looks so much like your dog, except our Roo's tail is less fluffy. Sorry to go off topic, but do you know the breed(s) of your pup? Thanks!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Joan,
Welcome to the blog.
Hope enjoy the tenderloin.
Molly and Lilly are English Golden Retrievers. They are sisters and are the most mellow dogs ever.
Give Roo a pet for us.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Tor Hembre
Hi again Dan
I made this last Friday, and today wifey said : Can you do the tenderloin like last week again?
It was so easy, and really good. I used the herb infused rosemary blend olive oil and kept everything in the bag for around 30 mins. Not sure how much of a difference it made , but we loved it !!
Took the meat out at 143F , rested for 5 mins, perfect !! 5 stars from me :-)
DrDan
Hi Tor,
Thanks again for the note and rating. This is one of this easy recipes that just works. The flavored olive oil is always a good move. I do those things in private sometimes. But if I publish a recipe using rosemary infused olive oil then 90% of the readers can't adapt. So for published recipes, I just do things straight.
DrDan
Tor Hembre
Hi Dan
I want to try this recipe for my wife and I. I am not sure how much difference it will make, but can I use regular salt instead of kosher salt. How will that work, and how much should I use?
Looking so forward to try this one :-)
Thank you, Tor
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Tor,
Welcome to the blog.
All us bloggy people use kosher salt but the table salt will be fine, You just need to adjust is a bit. Here is the conversion and you can always find it under the FAQ area in the menu.
__________________
1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
If a recipe called for Kosher or coarse salt, it is using Diamond Crystal as a reference. I usually buy Diamond Crystal but Morton is more common.
_________________
Hope that helps. If you need anything else, let me know.
Dan
Karen Duffy
I'm curious about the comment(s) about cooked carrots and cooked red onions. A "board certified pediatrician" is telling people they will die from eating cooked carrots and/or cooked red onion? It's a joke, I assume.
DrDan
Hi Karen,
Welcome to the blog.
Yep, just a joke agreeing the kids believe they would die if force to eat carrots. The mother substituted red onions.
Dan
Kathy
This looks amazing. Can’t wait to make it. I was just wondering, how do your think sauerkraut would be also? Maybe not in with everything in bag, but separately?
Thank you.
DrDan
Hi Kathy,
Welcome to the blog.
I think I'm the wrong person to ask about sauerkraut.I have never been a fan and have never used it in a recipe.
I know you cook sauerkraut but I don't know how heat tolerant it is. I suspect it would be fine.
Sorry, I'm not more help.
Dan
Eileen Webb
This is an excellent receipe! I am making this again tonight for dinner.
DrDan
Hi Eileen,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoy the recipe.
Dan
Thomas Taricco
I swapped out the onion with pieces of fennel and added chunks of fresh apple. Just waiting for it all to get done, then, it will be time to dive in.
Tom T
DrDan
Hi Tom,
Welcome to the blog.
Those changes should work well. The cooking times are about the same.
Thanks for the ideas and note.
Dan
Gina
I'm about to prepare this. How much time for marinating? Do you put the marinade in with the pork to rest? Thanks :)
DrDan
Hi Gina,
Welcome to the blog. You caught me online.
There is no "marinating". I use the bag just to coat everything evenly. Then just dump in the baking dish or on a sheet pan and bake. If you want, you could do 30 minutes of the pork in the oil and seasoning then add the veggies to coat them and bake.
Hope that helps.
Happy New Years.
Dan
Dan
Sabrina turner
It was delicious
Andrea Oaks
thnk u soo much for sharing ur recipe!! i jus got done putting in oven an it alredy smells amazing!! this is now pinned as my top recipe for pork loin!! : )- ill hav to let u kno on how the taste went for me n my hubby yayyy thnx happy cooking!! xo, DollBaby
Nicci
Have made this twice now and my family loves it. Was nervous about cooking a pork tenderloin but you put my worries to ease. Thank You!
Laurie
This was easy and delicious. I used red onion chunks because cooked carrots don't make the menu here. (Studies have shown that everyone who eats cooked carrots has eventually died. Logic supplied by my children. :( )
DrDan
As a board certified pediatrician, they are correct about the carrots but the same is true of the red onions.
Dan
Cindy
Making for dinner tonight! Will be easy and delicious! Thanks!
DrDan
Hi Cindy,
First, sorry for the delayed reply.
Hope it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Judy Uhl
This will be perfect for New Years day! Merry Christmas Dr. Dan and Family!
DrDan
Hi Judy,
I think this is a very nice dinner for very little work and it is easy to double on a large sheet pan for company.
Thanks for the note and happy holidays
Dan
anne
Nice Dan !
Thank you