Budget-friendly pork tenderloin is bathed in a soy ginger marinade made with just 6 ingredients before being cooked on the grill for a fast and easy dinner any night of the week.
Pork Tenderloin Stays Super Tender and Moist When Grilled
Pork tenderloin is a weeknight wonder I find myself reaching for again and again. It’s lean, ultra tender, and cooks lightning fast, especially when grilled.
This Asian pork tenderloin recipe starts with a simple marinade made from honey, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and a few fresh aromatics. It’s slightly sweet, savory, and spicy, and the pork only needs 1 hour in the marinade to soak up all that flavor.
Instead of searing the pork in a cast iron pan, I (read: my husband) busted out our gas grill, cranked the burners up to high, and grilled the pork in 15 minutes flat. Cooking pork tenderloin this way creates a golden, caramelized exterior while keeping the inside moist and juicy.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Scrape those grill grates clean so nothing sticks. I’ll admit, I sometimes skip this step (much to my husband’s dismay, because you can bet the family grill master never shirks his duties!). Dirty grill grates with caked-on char from last night’s dinner cause scorching, sticking, and can give your pork a weird flavor.
Pork tenderloin is best grilled fast, over high heat. This is not a cut of meat you want to cook low and slow. It’s super lean, so grilling it over high heat in about 15 minutes works best.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pork tenderloin — This is a very lean, thin cut of pork that weighs about 1.5 pounds. Pork tenderloin is typically sold in packages of two, and you’ll be using both tenderloins for this recipe (you need around 3 pounds of tenderloin in total).
- Soy sauce — Is the base of the Asian-style marinade. It gives the pork so much flavor and also helps tenderize it even further.
- Honey — Balances out the salty soy sauce and punchy ginger.
- Ginger + garlic — Since the marinade is so simple, you really want to use fresh aromatics for the best flavor.
- Sesame oil — I prefer using regular sesame oil for a milder nutty flavor, but you can use toasted sesame oil for a richer flavor too.
- Red pepper flakes — Just ¼ teaspoon adds flavor but not much spice.
- Sesame seeds — I love garnishing the pork with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for texture.
Heidi’s Tip: For an extra boost of Asian flavor, make a batch of Asian chimichurri sauce to spoon over the sliced pork.
How to Make Asian-Style Pork Tenderloin on the Grill
- Mix the marinade. Since there’s honey in the marinade, I prefer whisking it together in a bowl before transferring to a zip-top bag to ensure everything is combined evenly.
- Marinate for 1 hour. As its name suggests, pork tenderloin is already very tender, but I like to rest it in the marinade for about an hour so it soaks up all of those Asian flavors for a more flavorful bite.
- Grill over direct heat. You’ll want to turn the pork tenderloin often as it grills for more even cooking.
- While the pork rests, boil the marinade. Since the marinade came into contact with the raw pork, it needs to be cooked for at least 3 minutes to kill any harmful bacteria. Once that’s done, you can slice the pork and drizzle the marinade over top.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Asian Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger , grated or minced
- 3 garlic cloves , pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 ¾ – 3 pound pork tenderloin
- 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the marinade, add to the pork, and pop in the fridge. In a medium bowl, whisk ⅓ cup honey, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 inch piece fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Transfer the marinade to a gallon-size sealable freezer bag, then add a 2 ¾ – 3 pound pork tenderloin. Press out all of the air and seal the bag tightly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour (up to overnight).
- Grill the pork tenderloin. Prepare the grill for direct cooking at high heat (450°F). Brush the cooking grates clean. Drain the pork, reserving the marinade. Place the pork on hot grill rack and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning often, until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Loosely tent the pork with foil, then rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat the reserved marinade, slice, and serve. Boil the reserved marinade in a small saucepan until thickened, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. To serve, cut the pork into ½-inch slices, drizzle with the sauce, and garnish with 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds.Serve with sesame soba noodles or white rice, and either Asian broccolini or sautéed spinach with garlic.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
This cut of pork is best grilled quickly over direct high heat (450ºF). It will take about 15 – 20 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 145ºF, then it needs to rest for about 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
Nope! Despite their similar names, they’re two totally different cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is best cooked quickly at a high temperature, whereas a larger pork loin is best for braising low and slow in the oven. Don’t substitute one for the other!
What to Serve With This Pork Tenderloin
More Asian-Inspired Pork Recipes
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