Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin
This honey garlic pork tenderloin recipe is as simple as it gets! It’s a quick weeknight dinner with juicy pork and a sweet and savory sauce that’s made with pantry ingredients.
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions (or to taste)
- Trim any fat and silver skin off the pork tenderloin and then cut into 3/4" thick rounds. Season with salt & pepper.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together (honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, cornstarch).
- Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pork (you may need to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan) and cook for about 3 minutes/side until golden.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and then pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for another 1-3 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce thickens up too much, stir in a splash of water.
- Take the pan off the burner, then sprinkle chopped scallions over top prior to serving.
Why you’ll love it
Pork tenderloin is inexpensive and lean, making it an excellent protein whenever you want a change from chicken. Nutrition-wise, it’s almost exactly the same as chicken. It’s also easy to prep and cook, especially when paired with a simple Asian-inspired honey garlic sauce!
Honey and garlic are a classic combo that just works. The hint of sweetness makes this easy pork tenderloin a kid-friendly recipe, but it’s perfectly balanced with savory flavors of garlic and soy sauce! That means everyone in your family will enjoy the irresistible sauce.
What you’ll need
Soy sauce – we’re using low sodium. It adds another savory dimension.
Pro tip
Pork tenderloin is done when it reaches 145F and has a little pink remaining in the middle. It’s totally safe to eat and stays tender that way! Pork isn’t meant to be chewy and dry. Use an instant read thermometer.
How to make honey garlic pork tenderloin
Prep the tenderloin, and cut it into rounds. In a bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients until combined. Pan sear the pork in a skillet with the oil and butter until golden on both sides.
Pour in the sauce ingredients, and cook until the pork reaches 145F internally and the sauce has thickened up further. Add a splash of water if it’s too thick. Garnish with the scallions.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
Mince garlic with very little effort using a garlic press. It’s even easy to clean. Store the rest of the garlic in a cute garlic saver.
I like using a cast iron skillet to get a good sear on the meat.
These angled measuring cups make it easy to measure out liquid ingredients.
Substitutions and variations
This recipe has quite a sweet sauce! If you need to, cut the honey down by a tablespoon and/or squeeze some lemon juice over top prior to serving.
Try adding in some minced or grated ginger and/or crushed red pepper flakes if you want it to have a little zing.
Try my Honey Garlic Pork Chops instead, or if you are craving chicken, make my Honey Garlic Chicken.
What to serve with honey garlic pork tenderloin
I like rice (especially jasmine rice) to spoon the sauce over. My Easy Fried Rice is fantastic too. Your favorite noodles work too like ramen or Udon.
Even some Mashed Potatoes would be great!
Steam some green beans or broccolini to round out the meal.
Leftovers and storage
Store any leftover for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
Reheat slowly over a low heat so as not to overcook the meat.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but keep in mind that the pork may dry out a bit and the sauce may change texture.
