The Best Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Here's how to use your Instant Pot to make moist and tender pork tenderloin.
Serves4 to 6
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Have you pressure-cooked pork tenderloin in your Instant Pot yet? It’s my new favorite method for the fail-proof cut of meat, and as soon as you try it you’ll see why. The Instant Pot lets you sear, cook, and sauce not one but two tenderloins at once, and you don’t have to worry about overcooking it. Trust me — you’ll want this smart recipe in your back pocket for feeding a crowd during the busy months ahead.
The Best Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Any Way You Like It
This recipe will walk you through the four basic steps of making pork tenderloin in your Instant Pot: seasoning, searing, pressure cooking, and making a sauce from the pan juices. Once you’ve got these steps down, you can swap out the rub below for your personal favorite blend, use wine or beer in place of broth, or even enhance the sauce with a little mustard or apple cider vinegar. In short, this recipe is infinitely adaptable.
There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when cooking pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot. The first is that you need some kind of cooking liquid in the pot during the pressure-cooking phase. You can use water, but broth, beer, or wine will flavor your pork while it cooks, and make for a delicious sauce. Secondly, keep in mind that while the pork only cooks on high pressure for one minute, the pot will take 8 to 10 minutes to come to pressure and then naturally releases for five minutes.
Once you’ve released the remaining pressure, test the pork tenderloin for doneness with a probe thermometer — you’re looking for 145ºF. If you need to, you can place the lid back on the pot to let the carryover heat cook the pork to doneness. One to two minutes does the trick for larger pork tenderloins. This recipe is so easy to make and you can make ahead and freeze it, same with lemon butter garlic pork tenderloin or pork banh mi sandwiches.
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Here's how to use your Instant Pot to make moist and tender pork tenderloin.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the dry rub:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon
dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon
onion powder
For the pork:
- 2
pork tenderloins (1 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
- 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1/2 cup
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon
cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon
water
Instructions
Place the 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and 3/4 teaspoon onion powder in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pat 2 pork tenderloins dry with paper towels and trim off any large pieces of surface fat. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over the pork tenderloins.
Heat an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot with the Sauté function. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and stir it to coat the insert. Add the tenderloins in a single layer, coiling them as needed, and cook until browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the tenderloins and brown on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more. Meanwhile, mince 2 garlic cloves. Transfer the tenderloins to a plate.
With the cooker still on Sauté, add the garlic and 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth. Scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the insert with a wooden spoon. Turn the pressure cooker off and place the tenderloins in the broth.
Lock on the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to seal. Program to cook for 1 minute under HIGH pressure. It should take 8 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure. After the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.
Open the pressure cooker and check the pork’s temperature with a probe thermometer — the ideal temperature is at least 145ºF. If needed, lock the lid back in place and continue to cook in the residual heat for 2 minutes more.
Transfer the tenderloins to a clean cutting board to rest. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Turn the pressure cooker back on to Sauté. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved, then whisk this into the cooking liquid. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cut the pork into 1/4-inch thick slices and serve with the sauce.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.