With this simple honey garlic Dijon pork tenderloin marinade, you’ve got a healthy, make-ahead meal for any busy weeknight. Best of all, the easy dinner only requires 10 minutes of prep before leaving it to marinate in the fridge. Finish the meat on the grill or in the oven!
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If you love pork tenderloin as much as we do, be sure to try this honey dijon roasted pork tenderloin, a Dutch oven pork tenderloin with gravy, this Crock Pot pork tenderloin, pork tenderloin with apples, and this grilled pork tenderloin, too!
How to Make Pork Tenderloin Marinade | 1-Minute Video
Pork tenderloin can be bland. This marinade makes it sing. My husband isn’t crazy about pork but really loved this. What a hit!
– Susan
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. You can’t beat the ease of a simple pork tenderloin marinade, which comes together in about 5 minutes and creates the most flavorful, tender, and juicy meat.
- Healthy. Pork tenderloin is a great alternative lean protein to chicken breasts. It offers numerous health benefits, is an excellent source of protein, thiamin, vitamin B6, phosphorous, and niacin, as well as a good source of potassium, riboflavin, and zinc. It’s relatively low in calories, yet stays tender and juicy — especially when marinated.
- Versatile. I’ve included directions for grilling and roasting the marinated pork tenderloin, but you can also use the same easy marinade for pork loin, pork chops, and chicken.
The Difference Between Pork Tenderloin and Pork Loin
Pork tenderloin, a smaller cut that generally weighs about 1 pound, does not come from the same part of the animal as the larger pork loin. Since pork tenderloin is naturally lean and tender, it does well when cooked quickly at high temperatures. By contrast, pork loin lends itself well to slower roasting or grilling techniques. For more details about these two different cuts of meat, check out this article.
Today, we’re focused only on the pork tenderloin! This recipe calls for a single tenderloin; however, you can certainly add a second tenderloin to the marinade. This is also a great pork loin marinade; however, the cooking directions for that cut of meat are different.
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for the best marinade for pork tenderloin. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Honey: adds a nice sweetness to the marinade, while the sugars also help to create a nice char on the outside of the meat.
- Dijon mustard: works as an emulsifier to bring the marinade ingredients together, and adds a nice “zippy” flavor to the sauce.
- Soy sauce: salty, umami flavor that’s essential for this delicious pork. I typically use a reduced-sodium variety.
- Garlic, salt, and pepper: more flavor! If you don’t have fresh garlic you can substitute with about ¾ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Rosemary and thyme: I prefer fresh herbs when available, but you can also substitute with dried herbs when necessary.
Directions
You can season a pork tenderloin with a spice rub, or give the meat plenty of flavor from a quick marinade. The best pork tenderloin marinade recipe will tenderize the meat, add flavor, and caramelize the outside. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the marinade.
- Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Marinate the pork in half of the marinade in a large Ziploc freezer bag or dish, reserving the other half of the marinade for later. Ziploc bags are great for marinating because they don’t take up much space in your fridge. Marinate the pork for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the flavors to soak into the meat, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Yes, it’s possible to marinate the tenderloin for too long, since the enzymes in the meat start to break down and the cooked pork can have a mushy texture.
- Grill or bake the marinated meat. The tenderloin is ready to come off the grill or out of the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145°F. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests. Anywhere between 140°F and 160°F is fine; however cooking it more towards medium (145°F) will produce juicier pork. At this stage, the pork will have a slight touch of pink in the center.
- Tent the tenderloin with aluminum foil and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving with the reserved marinade. This allows the juices to redistribute.
Serving Suggestions
The perfect dish for busy weeknights, entertaining guests, or cozy Sunday dinners! Serve the flavorful pork tenderloin with delicious side dishes like a house salad with candied pecans or a green salad with honey mustard dressing, tomato cucumber onion salad, 3-ingredient buttermilk mashed potatoes, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, Charleston red rice, Southern-style green beans, succotash, Southern squash casserole, or okra and tomatoes.
I made this recipe last night for dinner. My husband, who is rather picky, loved it. He commented all evening that this was the best roast pork he had ever eaten and I agree. It was fantastic.
– Dianne
Preparation and Storage
- Prep ahead! The tenderloin can be trimmed and marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Remove from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking so that the meat has time to come to room temperature. You can also put the pork in the marinade and freeze for up to 3 months before cooking. Thaw frozen pork in the fridge overnight before cooking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Sliced tenderloin is delicious on sandwiches the next day.
- To reheat pork tenderloin: Place the pork on a sheet pan and warm in a 325 degrees F oven just until heated through (about 10-15 minutes). Be careful not to overheat, or the tenderloin will become dry. You can also reheat individual portions of pork in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy by adding crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha hot sauce to the marinade.
- Use other fresh herbs, such as parsley, oregano, or basil.
- Add some toasted sesame oil, cilantro, or fresh lime juice to really highlight the soy sauce and give the marinade some Asian flare.
- Enjoy this simple marinade on chicken or pork chops, too.
- Pork Loin Marinade: use this same marinade for a pork loin, but follow these cooking instructions.
Expert Tips
- A single pork tenderloin is typically just 1 lb. of meat, making it an appropriate amount of food for 2-4 people (depending on the size of your appetite). If you’re feeding a larger family of 4-5, add a second tenderloin to the marinade. You should have enough marinade for both pieces of meat.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your tenderloin is cooked perfectly every single time. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pork, as well as the temperature of your grill.
- Garnish the cooked meat with fresh lemons, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or chopped fresh herbs for a bright, flavorful finishing touch.
Made this last night and it was so amazing! We basted the pork while grilling with the marinade and it formed such a sweet savory bark on it! We make a lot of pork tenderloin and this was a welcome addition to our recipes. Thank you!
– Meghan
More Pork Tenderloin Recipes to Try
Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin
40 minutes mins
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (4 Ingredients)
40 minutes mins
Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe
1 hour hr 28 minutes mins
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
Honey Garlic Dijon Pork Tenderloin Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb.)
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or substitute with tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free option)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced (can substitute with about ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (can substitute with about ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
PREPARE THE MARINADE
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.
MARINATE THE PORK
- Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place pork in a large zip-top plastic bag. Pour half of the marinade over the pork and toss to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pork in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Rotate the pork occasionally so that the marinade touches all sides. Set aside the remaining ½ of the marinade in a separate bowl, cover, and refrigerate for later.
GRILL THE PORK (PREFERRED METHOD)
- Remove pork from the marinade and allow to come to room temperature while you heat the grill. Discard bag with the marinade.
- Heat the grill to medium heat. Place pork on the grill and cover. Cook for about 12-15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 140°F – 145°F. Allow pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved marinade.
ALTERNATE OVEN METHOD
- Remove pork from the marinade and place in a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Discard bag with the marinade. Allow pork to come to room temperature while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove cover, brush with reserved marinade, and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes (or until a crispy crust forms on top), and pork reaches an internal temperature of 140°F – 145°F. Remove from oven and allow pork to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved marinade.
Notes
- A single pork tenderloin is typically just 1 lb. of meat, making it an appropriate amount of food for 2-4 people (depending on the size of your appetite). If you’re feeding a larger family of 4-5, add a second tenderloin to the marinade. You should have enough marinade for both pieces of meat.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your tenderloin is cooked perfectly every single time. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pork, as well as the temperature of your grill.
- Tent the tenderloin with aluminum foil and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute.
- Enjoy this simple marinade on chicken or pork chops, too.
- Garnish the cooked meat with fresh lemons, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or chopped fresh herbs for a bright, flavorful finishing touch.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in March, 2017. It was updated in May, 2024.
Hi Blair, we do not care for rosemary, if I leave it out, will it make a big difference? Also, I always leave mine in oven longer, I worry it will not be cooked enough to be safe. Help!
Hi, Kathy! You can definitely leave out the rosemary — it will still be delicious. 🙂
Do you have a meat thermometer? That’s really the best way to tell if the pork is cooked to a safe temperature. You want it at about 140 degrees, and it will continue to cook a bit more as it rests on the counter for 10 minutes. The actual amount of time necessary to reach the desired doneness depends on many different factors, including your individual oven, the temperature of your meat when it goes in the oven, and the size of the tenderloin that you’re using. The time that I have given is just a good starting point or ballpark, but definitely check your meat to make sure that it’s cooked to your liking…it might take longer. 🙂
Enjoy!
I am sure this recipe is good. I make something similar. I press 2-3 cloves of garlic inside the pork. I top the tenderloin with Dijon mustard, Beef Bovril and then top with some pepper and dried rosemary. It is very good. I serve with roasted potatoes and vegetables. I will certainly try your version.
Diane – Ottawa Ontario Canada
Hi, Diane! Your recipe sounds amazing, too! Love the idea of tucking the garlic inside the pork. I need to give it a try! Thanks so much for sharing your delicious idea. 🙂
Hi! Do you think I could substitute the honey with agave instead??
Hi, Mikaela! Yes, I think the agave should work fine as a substitute. I haven’t tried it myself, though, so let me know if you give it a shot! 🙂
Just grilled mine…. yummy!!! Will definitely use this marinade again and again and again !!!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Debi!
This marinade was awesome! I used more soy sauce, added a little sesame oil, and added a little parsley too. We also slice the pork tenderloin into 1.5″ medallions for grilling. If you do that, the pork cooks evenly, more quickly, and has more surface area for soaking up flavor. I can’t wait to make this again. This marinade is definitely a keeper!
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Tiff! Thanks for those tips about grilling the medallions. Sounds delish! 🙂
Hi, I was going to cut a pork loin into thick chops and grill. Have you done that with this marinade?
Hi, Kathryn! No, I haven’t tried that with this marinade, but I’m sure it will be delicious!
Very nice recipe, we live in a marina and had a lot of people stopping by our boat asking what smelled so delicious.
I did substitute the soy with Worcestershire sauce, added some garlic salt with parsley flakes ,onion powder and about a tablespoon of light brown sugar then grilled both 1lb tenderloins for 15 minutes and rented them with aluminum foil for 10 minutes, they had a wonderful crusty exterior that was amazing!!!!
One question,what blend of honey do you use, I’m sure there’s not a huge difference but I use orange blossom honey.
Very nice recipe, we live in a marina and had a lot of people stopping by our boat asking what smelled so delicious.
I did substitute the soy with Worcestershire sauce, added some garlic salt with parsley flakes ,onion powder and about a tablespoon of light brown sugar then grilled both 1lb tenderloins for 15 minutes and tented them with aluminum foil for 10 minutes, they had a wonderful crusty exterior that was amazing!!!!
One question,what blend of honey do you use, I’m sure there’s not a huge difference but I use orange blossom honey.
Thanks, Paul! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe (and that your neighbors enjoyed the aroma)! 🙂
I use a variety of different honey, depending on what’s in my cabinet at the time. I’ve definitely used orange blossom honey, but I have also used local honey that I pick up at the farmer’s market or even just basic store-bought clover honey.
Thanks, Paul! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe (and that your neighbors enjoyed the aroma)!
I have used a variety of different honeys, depending on what’s in my pantry at the time. Sometimes it’s orange blossom, sometimes it’s something local from the market, and other times it’s just basic store-bought clover honey. 🙂
So good!! Made it last night after, let it marinade for 48 hrs… Incredible, perfectly cooked off the bbq.
I found this recipe after looking for something fast for some very thinly pre-sliced pork. I had only an hour to let it marinade and the flavor was incredible! I pan fried them and they were delicious. Even my two little boys gobbled it up and asked for seconds. Thank you!!
That’s wonderful, Elizabeth! I’m so glad that your kids approved, too! 🙂
Hi, Keisha! I’ve never prepared this exact recipe in the slow cooker, but if you would like to try it in the Crock Pot, I find that cooking a pork tenderloin on LOW for 6-8 hours works well. Here’s another pork tenderloin recipe for the slow cooker: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/slow-cooker-carnitas/
I made this recipe last night for dinner. My husband, who is rather picky, loved it. He commented all evening that this was the best roast pork he had ever eaten and I agree. It was fantastic.
Yay! Thanks, Dianne!
Totally unnecessary comment. Recipe is delicious!
Thank you, Frank!
This looks so good! I don’t have Rosemary or thyme. Has anyone made this with Italian seasoning?
Hi, Kristy! I have not tried it with that seasoning, but I imagine it would work fine! You can basically mix it up and use any of your favorite seasonings!
I havent tried this, have the pork marinating now for dinner tomorrow. Too cold up north for a grill, so I plan on using the oven. If I wanted to get the char on the outside, could I put it on the stove in a grill plan after I take the foil off?
Also, has anyone tried heating the marinade to serve on the side. I love extra flavor but a cold marinade does not sound inviting.
Thanks, Donna
Hey, Donna! If I want a char on the outside of meat, I usually stick it under the broiler for the final few minutes. Hope that helps!
Just tried this recipe and it turned out perfectly! We baked the pork. Thank you!
I am vegetarian, but my husband asked me to find a marinade for the pork loin I got for his bbq and I came across this recipe..
It went down really well with both people that are the pork! I was told the flavours were ‘awesome’…..so thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Made this on the grill and it was perfect! Its nice to have a recipe that works in the oven as well. We loved it!
Thanks, Lynn!
What a great recipe – not sure how I missed it in the past. I used this for a 3# boneless pork loin (much more cost effective) and marinated it for 6 hours. Slow roasted on the Webber for about 2 hours to just over medium. I heated the remaining marinade to serve as a sauce drizzle – sliced the roast thin – SO GOOD! The only thing i will add next time is a little jalapeno. Thanks for the recipe!
PS; I used raw unfiltered honey that had a slight sugar feel to it.
Your meal sounds delicious, Dennis! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the pork!
Delicious! I marinated a 2lb tenderloin without doubling the recipe and it was perfect on the grill! So glad to find your website. Just followed you on Instagram!
That’s awesome! Welcome, Susan, and thanks for the kind words. I hope that you find plenty of new recipe ideas on my site! 🙂