Name: Baked Pork Tenderloin With Mesquite Rub
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 pork tenderloin; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp smoked paprika (if you do not have smoked paprika you can use chipotle powder, ancho chili powder ); 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; a few swirls of black pepper

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This baked pork tenderloin with a mesquite rub is a delicious pork tenderloin recipe that is big on flavor and easy to make.

A piece of pork tenderloin on a cutting board with a knife.

In our house, this baked pork tenderloin is king! It is one of those meals that everyone can agree is one of their favorites. When this is at our dinner table it is quiet because everyone is busy enjoying the food.

In our house, quietness at the dinner table is a sure sign the meal is delicious and I know you will love it too. These pork chops are:

Juicy: This pork tenderloin is coated with a delicious mesquite spice blend and then baked in the oven until juicy and tender.
Quick: This recipe is ready in about 30 minutes including searing and baking in the oven.
Flavorful: The mesquite seasoning is loaded with so much flavor. Pork and mesquite are the perfect match.

What You Will Need

Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin: This recipe is for one pork tenderloin. You can easily double the recipe if you want to make more than one.

Before roasting pork tenderloin, you want to make sure you first remove most of the fat and what is called the silver skin. The fat looks just like fat so it is easy to recognize.

The silver skin on pork tenderloin is not really silver but it has a bit of a shiny hue and almost resembles a thin smooth sheet of fat. It is actually connective tissue and very tough so you want to make sure to carefully cut that part off.

Pork Tenderloin Seasoning

My absolute favorite seasoning for pork of any kind is my mesquite seasoning recipe.

Smoked paprika. If you do not have smoked paprika, you can use ancho chile powder.
Sweet paprika.
Garlic powder.
Light brown sugar.
Onion powder.
Salt.
Pepper.

A knife is slicing a piece of pork tenderloin.

How to Make Mesquite Baked Pork Tenderloin

pork tenderloin rub — 1. Coat pork in mesquite rub.

searing pork tenderloin — 1. Coat pork in mesquite rub.

Coat with seasoning: The first thing you want to do when making this roast pork tenderloin is to coat the entire pork tenderloin in the mesquite seasoning. Make sure to shake off any excess seasoning that does not stick to the pork.
Sear pork tenderloin: Then you are going to start to sear it in olive oil over medium-high heat. The searing part of this recipe only takes a few minutes. It is important to make sure the meat is sealed before going into the oven so it does not dry out.

searing pork tenderloin on both sides — 3. Make sure to sear all sides of the pork.

pork tenderloin ready to go in the oven — 3. Make sure to sear all sides of the pork.

Bake: Once the pork tenderloin is completely seared on all sides, just place it onto a lined baking sheet and it is ready to go in the 400-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Rest: Once the tenderloin is done cooking, remove it from the pan onto a plate and tent it will aluminum foil to rest. I like to let the pork tenderloin rest for about 5 minutes.
Slice: After this, you are ready to slice it into ¼ inch slices, and do not forget to pour the juices from the pan over the pork before serving it 🙂

How to know when baked pork tenderloin is done?

The pork tenderloin will only need about 20-25 minutes in the oven. It will need to rest for about 5 minutes after cooking and it will continue to cook with carry-over cooking. Carryover cooking is when the meat continues to cook from the leftover heat that is still present in the meat after it comes out of the oven.

The best way to know if pork tenderloin is done is to use an oven thermometer.

You want to make sure the pork tenderloin is at a temperature of about 145 degrees before serving.

Storing And Leftovers

If you have leftovers, you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure you allow the pork to come to almost room temperature before storing.

To reheat the pork, I like to wrap it in some aluminum foil then place it in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Sealing the pork in aluminum foil helps keep the pork moist while reheating.

More Pork Recipes

If you love this easy baled pork tenderloin recipe, you may also like these:

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5 from 7 votes

Baked Pork Tenderloin With Mesquite Rub

This baked pork tenderloin with a mesquite rub is a delicious pork tenderloin recipe that is big on flavor and easy to make.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Resting Time5

Total Time35

Servings: pork tenderloin

Author: Melissa Oleary

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin
2 tablespoon olive oil

Mesquite Seasoning

3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika if you do not have smoked paprika you can use chipotle powder, ancho chili powder
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
a few swirls of black pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Add all of the spices for the seasoning to a small bowl and mix well.
3 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, a few swirls of black pepper
Trim pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.
1 pork tenderloin
Place pork tenderloin on to a plate and sprinkle seasoning all over the meat.
Rub the seasoning all over the meat making sure to coat all sides.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil.
2 tablespoon olive oil
Add the pork to the skillet and sear for about 1 minute per side.
Place pork on to a baking sheet. I like to line my baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches about 135-140 degrees (see notes in post for why this is)
Remove pork from the oven and place on to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
Allow the pork tenderloin to rest for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, test the pork and make sure the internal temperature is 145 degrees or that the juices run clear when cut.
When ready, slice in about ¼ inch slices.
Pour any remaining pan juices over the sliced tenderloin.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Baked Pork Tenderloin with Mesquite Rub