Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin with Gravy

Tender and juicy, this Dutch oven pork tenderloin bakes alongside potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and herbs. A quick apple cider pan gravy adds the perfect finishing touch to the one-pot meal!

If you love pork tenderloin as much as we do, be sure to try this honey garlic dijon pork tenderloin marinade, this easy oven roasted pork tenderloin, and this mustard and brown sugar baked pork tenderloin, too!

Frequently Asked Questions

• What cooking method is best for pork tenderloin? Since the tenderloin is a naturally very lean and tender cut of meat, it does best when cooked quickly. That’s why you’ll sear it on the stovetop, and then finish it off in the Dutch oven for just 20-25 minutes. It doesn’t need a low-and-slow cooking method like other tougher cuts of pork.
• Is it better to cook the tenderloin fast or slow? Cooking tenderloin fast is best, which helps to prevent the small piece of meat from becoming overdone and dry. Unlike bigger roasts and pork shoulders, the tenderloin doesn’t need a longer, slower cooking time because it doesn’t have the collagen and tough connective fibers to break down.
• Should the pot be covered or uncovered? Using the Dutch oven gives you the best of both worlds: you’ll leave the pot uncovered while you sear the pork, and then cover the pot to trap the heat and moisture while it’s in the oven.
• Do I sear the pork first? Yes! Browning the meat on the stovetop before finishing it in the oven adds color and a flavorful crust to the outside of the meat. The browned caramelized bits left in the bottom of the pan (called “fond”) also give the vegetables and gravy incredible flavor. Don’t skip this important step!

The Best Dutch Oven to Use for Pork Tenderloin

We rounded up the best Dutch ovens you can buy, including 3 (yes, 3!) that I personally own and love. It was difficult to choose my favorite, but the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven (5.5 quarts) earned the top spot. You can buy it on Amazon for $311.50 or at Walmart for $359.95. That said, the Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch oven was a close second that’s just a little bit larger (7.5 quarts). It’s available on Amazon for $459.95. Here I’ve shown the 6.75-quart Le Creuset round wide Dutch oven, which is especially nice for this dish because the wide surface area accommodates the long pork tenderloins better than smaller models.

Serving Suggestions

The Dutch oven pork tenderloin with carrots and potatoes gives you an entire meal in a single pot. If you’d like to add something else to the table, pair the meat and veggies with any of these side dishes:

• Southern Cornbread, Cast Iron Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Sweet and Fluffy Cornbread with Corn, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks
• Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
• Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits
• Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
• Corn Salad, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Fried Corn
• 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
• Wedge Salad, Kale Apple Salad with Bacon, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mandarin Orange Salad, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
• Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
• Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens with Bacon
• Perfect Oven-Roasted Asparagus
• Broccoli and Cheese
• Okra and Tomatoes
• Fried Cabbage with Apples and Onion, Braised Red Cabbage, or Roasted Cabbage

Recipe Variations

• Substitute white wine, apple juice, or additional chicken broth for the apple cider.
• Use a larger pork loin roast instead of two small tenderloins.
• Season the meat with your favorite herbs and spices. Other good options include parsley, oregano, chives, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder.

Expert Tips

• Use a wide Dutch oven (if possible) with a capacity of about 6-8 quarts so that it comfortably holds all of the vegetables and meat.
• Use sweet apple cider — not apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have access to apple cider, then apple juice, white wine, or additional chicken broth are all fine substitutes.
• The total cooking time will vary depending on a number of factors, including the thickness of your tenderloin and the temperature of the meat when it goes into the oven. As a result, an instant read thermometer is the best way to know when your pork is perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 140-145˚F. Remember that the temperature will continue to rise as much as 10˚F while it rests, so you can take the meat out of the oven a little bit early to ensure that it doesn’t become overdone.
• According to the National Pork Board, it’s perfectly safe to consume medium pork (that’s cooked to about 145°F). At this stage, the pork will have a slight touch of pink in the center and will be at its juiciest!
• Let the meat rest before slicing and serving. You can do this while the vegetables finish in the oven. Resting the pork allows the juices to redistribute, rather than just running onto the cutting board.

More Dutch Oven Pork Recipes

Dutch Oven Pork Roast with Gravy

2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Dutch Oven Pork Chops

35 minutes mins

Dutch Oven Pork Stew

2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Pork tenderloin bakes in one pot with carrots, potatoes, and onions. It's all finished with a quick apple cider pan gravy!

Rate RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 – 1 ¼ lbs. each)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1 ½ lbs. baby Yukon gold or red potatoes, quartered (or halved if they’re very small)
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large ribs celery, cut into ½-inch crescents
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
• 1 bay leaf

Optional Gravy

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1–1 ½ cups of juices/drippings from the pot

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with salt and pepper.
  
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Sear the pork on all sides (about 4-6 minutes per side), just until a nice golden-brown color develops and the meat releases easily from the pan. You don’t need to cook the pork all of the way through since it will finish in the oven. Remove to a plate.
  
• Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (loosening all of the browned bits from the bottom). Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Place the pork on top of the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, apple cider, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Cover and bake in the 350°F oven until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pork to a plate; tent with foil.
  
• Increase the oven temperature to 400°F, return the pot to the oven, and continue roasting the vegetables for about 15 more minutes, or until they’re fork-tender. Slice the pork and serve with the vegetables.
  

Optional Gravy

• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Place the sliced pork on top and tent with foil to keep warm. Strain the juices and drippings from the pot. Wipe out the pot and use it to make the gravy. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat until bubbly. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. While continually whisking, gradually add the reserved strained juices until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Continue whisking while the gravy bubbles and cooks for 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
  
• Spoon or pour the gravy over the pork and vegetables.
  

Notes

• Use a wide Dutch oven (if possible) with a capacity of about 6-8 quarts so that it comfortably holds all of the vegetables and meat.
• Use sweet apple cider — not apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have access to apple cider, then apple juice, white wine, or additional chicken broth are all fine substitutes.
• The total cooking time will vary depending on a number of factors, including the thickness of your tenderloin and the temperature of the meat when it goes into the oven. As a result, an instant read thermometer is the best way to know when your pork is perfectly cooked. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 140-145˚F. Remember that the temperature will continue to rise as much as 10˚F while it rests, so you can take the meat out of the oven a little bit early to ensure that it doesn’t become overdone.
• According to the National Pork Board, it’s perfectly safe to consume medium pork (that’s cooked to about 145°F). At this stage, the pork will have a slight touch of pink in the center and will be at its juiciest!
• Let the meat rest before slicing and serving. You can do this while the vegetables finish in the oven. Resting the pork allows the juices to redistribute, rather than just running onto the cutting board.

Keyword: dutch oven pork tenderloin, dutch oven pork tenderloin with gravy, pork tenderloin dutch oven

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Blair Lonergan

Don’t Forget to Share a Pic of What You Made!

Tag me on Instagram at @theseasonedmom