A great tasting pork tenderloin sandwich without all fat and mess of frying. A healthier version of that great Iowa comfort food just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.
Editor's Note: Originally Published March 8, 2014. Updated with expanded discussion and updated photos.
My first memory of the tenderloin sandwich was at the local A & W drive-up (not a drive-thru) restaurant in the early 1960s. They were huge, crunchy, and a wonderful greasy deep-fried treat. Please notice, you don't need to say "pork tenderloin," but just "tenderloin" is sufficient for those "in the know."
This is Iowa comfort food although I will give a shout out to Indiana since they worship the same simple sandwich.
The local newspapers and pork organizations will have yearly roundups or "awards" of the best pork tenderloin sandwiches. And these are highly prized awards that the restaurants will use for bragging rights.
My Rating
This is a double five. For me a nice solid lower 5. My wife (who will almost never rate) gave a strong five after she ate two sandwiches with the second being a "double".
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Oven-Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
After the success of my oven-fried chicken recipe, my wife suggested this variation. I didn't know she was a fan of Iowa comfort foods.
This is my Crispy Oven Fried Chicken meets my Iowa Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with some great taste in an easy recipe to make and scale to your needs.
The deep-fried version is much fattier, and that is part of the taste, but this version gives some of that taste too. But deep-fried is a big mess to make at home.
The Meat for Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
You would think it is pork tenderloin, but you are wrong. It is almost always pork loin (think boneless pork chop here).
Most of these are made with pork loin that is mechanically tenderized. In most grocery stores in Iowa (I'm thinking of you Hy-Vee) and some other states, the tenderized pork loin is common specifically for this sandwich. Many times sold already breaded.
But, I suggest using pork tenderloin which is more "tender", tastier and my preferred meat here. Since the meat is smaller in diameter, I butterfly slices and flatten them.
Remember, a pork tenderloin is not a pork loin.
The Spicing
The spicing is a bit bland. OK very bland but that is the norm for these. Feel free to go wild with the spicing since this can handle it.
The End Point and Serving
Lastly, the "done endpoint". I have been known to be attached at the hip to my thermometer. Not here. The meat is done long before you have the right browning. It stays moist in the breading, so all is well but go by crispiness and color, not temp on this one.
Serving is on a soft white bread bun usually with only lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.
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Iowa Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
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Preheat oven to 350 convection or 375 conventional.
Trim a pork tenderloin of any visible fat and the silverskin. Cut the tenderloin into four approximately equal pieces by weight. Next “butterfly” the pieces. Do this by cutting 3/4 of the way through and fold it back to double the size. On the thinner end which would be longer do two cuts one-third on opposite sides of the meat.
Next cover with plastic wrap or place in a zip lock bag and pound to about 1/2 inch thick or thinner if you want.
Place 4 tablespoons butter on a large baking tray and place in the oven for a few minutes to melt the butter.
Set up two pans. In the first, combine one egg and 1/4 cup milk. Whip well. In the second pan, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, one tablespoon seasoning salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Start with coating the meat with the egg wash. Shake to remove excess.
Coat well in the flour mixture and shake off excess.
Place on the tray with the melted butter.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot.
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Oven Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt - Lowery's or similar
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 convection or 375 conventional.
- Trim a pork tenderloin of any visible fat and the silverskin. Cut the tenderloin into four approximately equal pieces by weight. Next “butterfly” the pieces. Do this by cutting 3/4 of the way through and fold it back to double the size. On the thinner end which would be longer do two cuts one-third on opposite sides of the meat.
- Next cover with plastic wrap or place in a zip lock bag and pound to about 1/2 inch thick or thinner if you want.
- Place 4 tablespoons butter on a large baking tray and place in oven for a few minutes to melt the butter.
- Set up two pans. In the first, combine one egg and 1/4 cup milk. Whip well. In the second pan, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon seasoning salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Start with coating the meat with the egg wash. Shake to remove excess.
- Coat well in the flour mixture and shake off excess. Place on the tray with the melted butter.
- Place in oven for 20 minutes. Flip and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Get the thickness of the tenderloin down to at most 1/2 inch, but thinner is ok.
- You can use tenderized pork loin for this.
- This is bland, so add spices if you want.
- Leftovers should be good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
Check Out Other Great Recipes
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
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published March 8, 2014
Vivian Sullivan
I used this as a main course instead of sandwiches.. I was thinking schnitzel. This was really good. I made it Gluten free by using brown rice flour and gluten free bread crumbs along with the seasoning I did season the pork with Hog Waller before I dipped in corn starch, then egg, then seasoned crumb/ flour mixure. I baked it the same but broiled on low for a couple of minutes per side at the end.. my husband and I both really liked them. Plus I used both tenderloins in the package so I have leftovers!! Love that!
Kris Hodges
I'm planning to make these sandwiches but wondered if I can freeze 2 of them with the breading already on them but uncooked.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kris,
You need the breading to set up well and it should work.
So, make them up with the breading being sure to have them very dry with a paper towel before the egg wash. After breading, let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes then freeze between layers of wax paper. It should work.
I would put them in the oven froze since the meat should still cook well being so thin. Be sure to get to 165 due to the egg in the coating.
That is my suggestion. If you test it, please report back, I would love to know.
Dan
Kris Hodges
Thanks for your feed back, Dr. Dan, I froze the extras with the breading and stuck them in a freezer container with wax paper between them. I will let you know how they turn out after I cook them. I just wanted to say these were delicious. I used one of those tenderloins that is already marinated in the package. I used Mesquite so it had plenty of spicing on it already which I think is the way to make these more flavorful. I was skeptical at first but will definitely repeat next time. Thanks so much for a really good recipe that steps outside the norm here in the South.
Kris
Well, Dr. Dan, just wanted to let you know that I cooked the frozen cutlets and they worked great! Tasted every bit as good as the original.
Linda
I'm in love with my air fryer. Do you think this would work in an air fryer. I'm in Knightdale, NC. There used to be an old family owned place called Bar-B-Que Lodge, that made the most amazing tenderloin sandwiches. Alas, they have retired and closed. Can't tell you how many times my husband and I have driven by the old place wishing we could get one of their sandwiches. They deep fried it (obviously...it's the South) and served it on plain toasted white bread (and I'm a wheat bread lover). Had tremendous flavor...all from the spicing they used, which I believe was only salt and pepper.
Love your blog and have used many of your recipes. When I have a big party to cook for I turn to you first and then multiply ingredients. Thank you sooo much.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog. Glad you have been enjoying it.
Part to the "feature" of this recipe is getting some oil (butter in this case) into the taste. For me, that needs to be there. Not as much as deep frying but still some. Just the taste I was going for, call it Iowa 1960s.
I just don't see that working well in an air-fryer.
Let me know if you try it but it does work great in the oven.
Dan
Susan Halverson
What timing for this recipe! I am making breaded pork tenderloin as one of the entrees for my father's 90th birthday. I have never oven fried it before and have been experimenting with two failures. Will the meat still stick to the pan causing the breading to fall off even when baking in butter? Can non-stick foil or parchment paper be lined into the pan and then melt the butter?? Just trying to avoid a catastrophe for 35 guests! Also, would prefer to use fine breadcrumbs rather than Panko. They still should brown and crisp up nicely...right? I have researched this for hours and your site is the best method thus far, but just worried about sticking to the pan! Any advice would be appreciated!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Susan,
Welcome to the blog.
First rule. NEVER do a new recipe for an important event. So you need to test your plan.
Let's first talk about the coating coming off you meat. The meat must be DRY to start. This recipe uses an egg wash then coating of flour/breadcrumbs/seasoning. I have never had the coating come off but during the flip, always use a fork to stab the edge. Never grab with something. The egg with the flour will basically make glue. If you want it to stick better, let it set for about 5 minutes on a cutting board before putting it in the butter and cooking.
You can also do a triple dip coating. Dry, flour (with some spices if you want), egg wash second, final coating with flour, breadcrumbs and spices. Then wait 5 minutes before starting to cook.
Now the pan. I just use a sheet pan with the melted butter. It is a fair amount of butter. You could use parchment paper but probably not needed. The non-stick foil should be fine also. But I have never had it stick and I have done this recipe quit a few times.
Plain bread crumbs should be fine but I like the texture of the Panko. Like most pork tenderloin sandwiches, they are bland so you might want to add some more spicing.
Again, test, test, and test more.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Lynn Graham Corbett
I love pork tenderloin sandwiches and like mine with just lots of pickles. Can't wait to try this recipe tomorrow. Used to get them at home in Indiana but not so much in Texas. So hungry...yum!
Racheal
I am from Missouri. Tenderloins are definitely a staple at my house. But I dont think of the PT sandwich as comfort food. For me, put a slice of bread, Tenderloin, top with mashed potatoes and gravy. Nice hot comfort food! Pairs well with a side salad. I normally just cook mine in a cast iron on top of the stove with some butter. I'd be willing to bet the taste and texture come out the same. Great idea with the oven...less to worry about with the kids.
DrDan
Hi Racheal,
Welcome to the blog.
I haven't done a stovetop cooking of PTs since this recipe. It is reliable and easy. You will find the main difference is tenderloin vs. loin. I prefer the tenderloin myself. But you can use the traditional pork loin if you want. (Hit up HyVee for that).
Have a great holiday and thanks for the note.
Dan
Sharon Hedge
Oh my...you must've created this recipe with me in mind, Dan! Am making for supper tonight. I have turned my hubby into a T-sandwich lover (he's from Arkansas and never even tasted one until he married me, poor fella)! I'm serving mine topped with mayo, onions, frilly leaf lettuce and thin slices of tomato. Worth saving my Weight Watchers points for! Hey, thx SO much for posting this oven-fried, healthier version!