This easy mustard pork tenderloin bakes in 30 minutes with 5 simple ingredients. Sweet, tangy, juicy, and perfect for quick weeknight dinners!
The Pork Tenderloin Recipe for Busy Weeknights
Sometimes you need a healthy dinner that comes together with minimal effort, doesn’t require marinating time, and doesn’t use a grill. This brown sugar and mustard pork tenderloin is cooked in the oven without searing — making it the answer to your prayers!
If you feel like you’re stuck in a chicken “rut” for dinner each night, then pork is a great alternative. With a similar mild taste and texture, it’s an easy way to keep the kiddos happy while mixing up the same old routine. If you’ve got a tenderloin stashed away in your freezer, then you can probably skip a trip to the grocery store (hooray!). This easy recipe uses kitchen staples and is such an easy way to prepare a delicious, healthy meal at the last minute.
Absolutely FANTASTIC! This is the best pork I have ever had or made. Easy, juicy, a few ingredients & delicious. Served it with sides of salt potatoes “upstate NY Summer produce”, steamed broccoli & tomato/onion/basil salad. Thank you for an awesome recipe. Love, love your recipes.
– Ferryal
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Pork Tenderloin: This cut is lean, tender, and quick-cooking. Be sure not to confuse it with pork loin, which is larger and takes longer to cook. Each pork tenderloin is approximately 1 lb. and serves 2-3 people, so you might need to double the ingredients if you’re feeding a larger family.
- Yellow Mustard: Classic yellow mustard gives the glaze its signature tangy flavor. You can substitute with Dijon or spicy brown mustard if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps caramelize the glaze for a golden crust. Light or dark brown sugar both work well.
- Line the Baking Sheet: Use foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Use an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer: Pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Avoid overcooking to keep it juicy. The pork will continue to cook and rise in temperature as it rests, so if you check it and it’s close to 145°F, pull it out and let it finish on the counter.
How to Bake Mustard Pork Tenderloin
- In a small bowl, stir together the mustard glaze by combining the brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. It will look thick at first, but the sugar will dissolve in the mustard as you keep stirring.
- Pat the pork dry and place it on a parchment or foil-lined sheet pan. If using foil, give it a spritz with nonstick cooking spray before adding the pork (to prevent sticking).
- Rub or brush the mustard glaze all over the pork.
- Transfer the pan to a 425°F oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, about 20-25 minutes. Baking it at this high temperature gives the outside of the pork a nice crispy texture (as the sugars in the sauce caramelize), while the inside stays perfectly juicy! After removing it from the oven, tent the pork with foil and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This helps the juices redistribute and brings the internal temp up slightly (carryover cooking).
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning the meat
- Dash of ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning the meat
- 1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet (or a baking dish) with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. If using foil, give it a spritz with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Season the meat with a little bit of salt and pepper. Place the pork on the prepared baking sheet.
- Rub or brush the brown sugar mixture all over the pork.
- Bake the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the pork from oven, tent with foil, and allow the meat to rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Serve the mustard pork tenderloin with roasted butternut squash soup, creamy baked mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives, crispy seasoned roasted potatoes, or au gratin potatoes; Arkansas green beans, southern style green beans, steamed broccoli, broccoli cheese rice casserole, or sauteed asparagus with garlic and lemon; a simple side salad with buttermilk dressing or honey mustard dressing, cucumber tomato onion salad, or coleslaw; 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits or dinner rolls. Then, add a pear crisp for dessert.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Prep Ahead: You can baste the pork with the sauce in advance and keep the pork covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to pop it in the oven. This is a great option if you’re entertaining guests.
- How to Store: Cool leftovers, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- How to Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
- How to Reheat: Gently reheat the sliced pork in the microwave or in a 300°F oven until warmed through.
Recipe Variations
- Swap yellow mustard for Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard for a slightly sharper, more zesty flavor.
- Add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder to the rub for extra seasoning. Herbs are also a nice addition to the dish. You can mix about 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh herbs or a pinch of dried herbs into the glaze before baking, or sprinkle fresh herbs on top after roasting for a bright, aromatic finish. Good options include rosemary, thyme, tarragon, parsley, sage, and oregano.
- Stir in a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for a bit more tang.
- Brush the pork with a little honey or maple syrup before baking for extra sweetness.
- For an even crispier, charred exterior, place the pork under the broiler for the final 1-2 minutes. Don’t use parchment paper, though! Line the pan with foil if you plan to try this.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Flavor was slightly sweet and mustard tanginess was balanced by the brown sugar. We both loved it!
– Anita
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Originally published in December, 2017, this post was updated in August, 2025.
They are tenderloins but may be 2 per package. All together it’s about 4 pounds. I wanna try this recipe tomorrow for family. Not sure how long to bake them and should I put the glaze on for the whole duration?
Oh, yes!! I bet it’s two tenderloins per package. That’s often how they’re sold. Assuming it’s two tenderloins that are about 1 – 1.25 lbs. total, you can just follow the recipe exactly as written. If you’re cooking 4 in the oven at the same time, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the total cooking time (but it really shouldn’t be a huge difference). Enjoy!
This was amazing and SO easy!! I also made two tenderloins, enough for leftovers. I have two teenagers, one that is picky, and they both went back for seconds!!
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note, Michelle!
I found your recipe and cooked it tonight I had a small pork tenderloin and followed your recipe except I used Splenda Brown Sugar. My husband and absolutely loved it. So simple yet so good. I will definitely make it again. So happy I found you!
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad that it worked for you!
I have pork and would love to make this recipe. What is the sauce in the pictures?
1tbsn of mustard and brown sugar doesn’t seem it will create a sauce like that for serving…?
Hi, Christine! The sauce is just the mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper mixture shown in the recipe. Just make more if you want to have extra for serving. So keeping the proportions the same, you would stir together equal parts mustard and brown sugar, plus the salt and pepper. Hope that helps!
Absolutely awesome!! It has restaurants quality.
My husband is not a pork tenderloin lover.
He said yuck before dinner but he devoured it and loved the sauce.
Thanks so much for your recipe. No more bacon wrapped tenderloin for me!
Yay! I’m so glad that even your husband enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for this!! Rare is the recipe that both of my sons like, and even rarer something that the grownups like too, but this was a slam dunk! Super easy and took no time at all. Good tip on using the meat thermometer. Thank you for making the first Monday of the New Year a winner for us!
Yay! So glad that your boys approved too, Moira! That’s always an issue for me, too — finding something that all of my boys will eat. 🙂 Happy New Year!
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. I LOVE it! I doubled the mustard-brown sugar combo and injected the pork loin (cutbto be about 1 lb) and it carried the flavor into the pork loin. I also roasted some potatoes in the same pan and glazed them with the mustard and brown sugar, too!! I highly recommend trying the recipe!!
Sounds amazing, Laura! I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing your tips, too. 🙂
Try to inject it as well as rubbing the outside. That helped capture the flavor for me.
This was my first time making pork tenderloin. Your recipe was easy to execute and tasty! I loved how basic yet flavorful the ingredients were. I added a sprinkle of smoked paprika and tarragon on top of mine and served it with a drizzle of honey mustard sauce I made with the brown sugar, mustard, smudge of blood orange juice and unrefined coconut oil. My husband loved this dish!!! I was even more pleased when I read how nutrient rich tenderloin is. A win win!
Thank you! I’m so glad that you and your husband both enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Flavor was slightly sweet and mustard tanginess was balanced by the brown sugar. We both loved it!
Thanks, Anita! I’m so glad that it was a hit! 🙂
Cooking this now and it smells great! I just realized my thermometer battery is dead so I’m hoping 25 mins will be a safe cook time. I tripled the sauce, using yellow mustard and whole grain Dijon together, and added minced garlic. I am serving with roasted potatoes, corn, peas, and salad.
Hope you enjoyed the meal, Ashley! 🙂
Great recipe! Our pork loin turned out very moist and tasty! Thank you
That’s awesome! Thanks, Jazsmine!
I really don’t enjoy cooking and I’m not a great cook, but I was very surprised how easy this was, and it turned out perfect. My family loved it!
That’s so good to hear! Thanks, Kathy!
This is hands down the best pork tenderloin I’ve ever tasted!! I did not have brown sugar, but I had molasses, so I used regular white sugar combined with molasses. It’s sooo good! Thanks for this simple, quick, budget friendly yummy yum yum recipe!
Thank you, Deidre! I’m so glad that you were able to make it work with the ingredients that you had in your kitchen. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
Thank you! I was skeptical about the yellow mustard, but this was lovely.
Thank you, Katie!
If my piece of pork is larger, do I need to increase the time as well? thanks!
Hi, Pam! Yes — you’ll likely need to increase the cooking time to account for a larger piece of meat. A meat thermometer is the easiest way to know when the pork is done. You’ll want it to reach an internal temp of 145 degrees F. Enjoy!
Thank you! My meat is currently frozen, think it should be thawed first or cook as is? As you can tell, cooking pork is not something I do often 😉 Thanks!
Hey, Pam! No problem — this is a great recipe to start with. You’ll do fine! 🙂
I would definitely thaw the pork before cooking it, though.
I fixed this with yellow mustard a few weeks ago and both my husband and I loved it. Have ‘you’ tried it with dijon mustard instead of yellow? If so, which did you like best? Thanks, Donna
Hi, Donna! I haven’t tried it with the Dijon, but I think it should work fine. The Dijon version would just be a bit more “spicy” or zesty, so it’s really a matter of personal preference. My husband and boys much prefer the yellow mustard, so that’s what I’ve always used. 🙂
If you inject it, the flavor carries better
Have you ever made this in a slow cooker?
Hi, Bridget! No, I haven’t. But I do have another slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe here, which you could probably reference for cooking time/temp (but use the mustard and brown sugar instead): https://www.theseasonedmom.com/slow-cooker-pork-tenderloin/
Let me know if you give it a shot! 🙂
Hello! Can I roast mini potatoes in the same pan? If so, any seasonings that you would recommend?
Sure! I would toss them in olive oil and then season with salt and pepper or an all-purpose seasoning blend like this one: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/all-purpose-seasoning/
Made this a bunch but subbed in spicy brown mustard instead! So good!
Thank you, Kam!