This delicious Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin is perfect for a fancy dinner party, but it’s quick enough for a simple weeknight dinner too! It’s always a hit when I serve it, with a perfect balance of sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy flavors!
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Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin is always a huge hit in my household!
You really can’t beat juicy pork that’s tender and has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
It’s so versatile, you can serve this pork with rice, potatoes, or even buttered noodles, and any kind of vegetable, too.
With just 15 minutes of prep time, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights and feeds the entire family in less than an hour!
Try my Sweet and Sour Pork, Smothered Pork Chops, Baked Pork Chops, and this Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe.
Ingredients Needed:
- Pork: you will need two 1-pound pork tenderloins, trimmed, for this recipe, which will make about 8 servings.
- Pork Seasoning: use a combination of seasoned salt and garlic powder to season the pork before adding the balsamic glaze.
- Balsamic Vinegar: for the base of the balsamic sauce, giving a bright and tangy depth of flavor.
- Honey: sweet honey pairs well with the balsamic vinegar to balance out the flavors.
- Broth: a low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth works best for this recipe and allows you to better control the salt content.
- Ketchup: adds some sweetness and a mild tomato flavor to the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: use packed brown sugar to make the glaze sweeter and encourage it to caramelize slightly in the oven.
- Worcestershire Sauce: adds an unbeatable umami flavor to the glaze that balances the sweetness well.
- Cornstarch: to thicken the sauce.
- Garlic: fresh garlic that you mince yourself will give you a superior flavor here.
- Seasoning: use salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to enhance the flavors of the glaze and add a spicy kick!
How to Make Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
- Prepare the pork: Trim the pork tenderloins, then season and place them in the baking dish.
- Make balsamic mixture: Whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, broth, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes.
- Pour glaze over pork: Pour the glaze over and around the tenderloin in the baking dish.
- Bake: Bake the pork, then let it rest before serving.
Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Recipe FAQs
I’d recommend allowing ¼-⅓ pounds of meat per person. This recipe makes 8 servings using two 1-pound tenderloins. This may depend a little on how many sides you have and if you are serving children as well, so bear that in mind when cooking for a crowd.
Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 4-6 months. I’d recommend putting a piece of parchment paper between each tenderloin slice if you do not want them sticking together. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm either in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven until heated through.
Tips and Notes
- Meat thermometer. Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to check if your meat is thoroughly cooked and good for consumption.
- Good-quality ingredients. I’d recommend always using good-quality ingredients, to achieve the best flavor and nutritional value.
Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Variations
- Change up the protein. The balsamic sauce tastes amazing with pork, but you could try different cuts of pork like pork chops, pork steaks, or pork roasts. You could also try other meats, like turkey, chicken, or ham. The cook time will vary depending on the cut of meat used.
- Cook it differently. Check out my Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin, Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Rub, and Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Glaze to see how you can cook your pork tenderloin in different ways!
Serving Suggestions
This tender pork goes perfectly with a variety of side dishes to make a complete meal.
Try some Instant Pot Jasmine Rice on the side with this Spinach Apple Salad, some Roasted Vegetables, Green Beans with Bacon, Honey Glazed Carrots, or my Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes and Carrots.
We love to have some bread on the side, too, try my Mom’s Homemade Buns, Homemade Crescent Rolls, or my classic Garlic Bread!
For more side dish recipes that work well with pork, check out my 25 Easy Sides for Pork Chops!
More Delicious Pork Recipes To Try
Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (1 lb each trimmed)
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Trim the pork tenderloins, rub them with seasoning salt and garlic powder, and place them in the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, broth, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, corn starch, garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes.
- Pour over and around the tenderloin in the baking dish.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing it into pork medallions for serving.
Notes
- Pork tenderloin: this method and sauce would work well with a variety of meats but I have not tested them all. If you want to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments!
- Balsamic vinegar: obviously the balsamic is central to this recipe and I do not recommend replacing it with another vinegar.
- Brown sugar and honey: the honey is also central to this recipe, but you can use all brown sugar or all honey here as well. You could also try swapping one with maple syrup.
- Ketchup: I know, I know. But ketchup adds acidity, sweetness, spicy and flavor in one convenient package!
- Red pepper flakes: the red pepper flakes add spice but don’t make it spicy, I promise!
- Store: Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
- Freeze: Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 4-6 months. I’d recommend putting a piece of parchment paper between each tenderloin slice to prevent them from sticking together. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm either in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven until heated through.
Nutrition Information
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Will Paul says
Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Doreen Detmer says
What would you serve with this? I am serving it over noodles. Any other side???
The Recipe Rebel says
It’s so versatile, you can serve this pork with rice, potatoes, or even buttered noodles, and any kind of vegetable, too.
James S. says
Steamed rice, or masshed red potatoes would go well as well as a garden salad or green beans. Enjoy!
Martha Mizzi says
This was delicious! I made it for supper ton& really enjoyed it.Thankyou
Vivian says
Going to make this on the weekend. I have never purchased seasoned salt, what can I use instead since your recipe indicates to use 2 teaspoons.
Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Vivian! There are lots of homemade versions online that you could use or just skip it. Enjoy!
Marcia says
I was wondering if you could use a crockpot? Would you need more liquid? Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Marcia! Yes you could, it’s going to be similar to the method in this recipe for slow cooker pork tenderloin with glaze: https://www.thereciperebel.com/slow-cooker-pork-tenderloin-honey-balsamic-glaze-recipe/ Hope this helps!
P J Keenum says
How would you cook this in an Instant Pot?