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This sheet pan pork tenderloin is an entire dinner that bakes on one tray! Seasoned pork, crispy potatoes, and tender roasted zucchini come together for an easy and healthy meal with just 10 minutes of prep.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Dinner
- The Difference Between Pork Tenderloin and Pork Loin
- The Best Cooking Method for Pork Tenderloin so it’s Not Dry
- Ingredients
- How to Make Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin
- How to Know When Pork Tenderloin is Done
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Zucchini Recipe
If you love the convenience of sheet pan meals as much as we do, be sure to try this sheet pan shrimp and potatoes with vegetables, this bbq sheet pan chicken and veggies, a tray of sheet pan sausage and potatoes, these sheet pan chicken fajitas, and this sheet pan maple-glazed salmon, too!
Why You’ll Love this Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Dinner
- Easy. This is essentially a twist on my favorite dump-and-bake method of cooking, since it doesn’t require any fussy prep time. Just toss the ingredients on the tray and pop it in the oven! No searing, browning, or sauteing necessary.
- One Pan. We all appreciate meals that cook on one tray, which means fewer dishes to wash at the end.
- Healthy. This dinner is made with lean meat for a big protein boost, as well as fresh, easy-to-find, nutrient-rich potatoes and vegetables.
- Affordable. Since you don’t need too many ingredients, this is a budget-friendly way to get a lot of meat, potatoes, and veggies on the table. In fact, you probably have the oil and all of the spices in your pantry right now.
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 pig 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!
The Best Cooking Method for Pork Tenderloin so it’s Not Dry
As mentioned above, pork tenderloin is naturally lean and tender, so it does best when cooked fast at a higher temperature. Here, you’ll roast the meat at 425°F, which creates a great sear on the outside of the meat, while keeping the inside moist and tender. If you cook pork tenderloin slowly at a lower temperature, it has a tendency to dry out or become tough.
By contrast, larger cuts with a lot of fat and connective tissue (like a pork shoulder or pork butt) lend themselves well to the low and slow cooking process, as the longer cooking time helps break down the tough muscle fibers and connective tissue to create a juicy, tender piece of meat.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pork tenderloin sheet pan dinner. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Pork tenderloin: smaller than many other cuts of pork, the tenderloin generally weighs about 1 pound. This is not cut from the same part of the animal as the larger pork loin. You’ll need two 1-lb. tenderloins for this recipe.
- Baby Yukon gold potatoes: use baby red potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes so that you don’t have to peel them. This ensures quick prep and tender, crispy potatoes by the end.
- Olive oil: helps prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pan, helps everything brown and crisp in the oven, and helps transfer flavor onto the ingredients.
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder: savory, earthy flavors for the meat and veggies.
- Zucchini or yellow summer squash: use either of these, or a combination of both. No need to peel them! They cook quickly, so they get added to the pan towards the end.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.
How to Make Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin
This easy sheet pan pork tenderloin and potatoes is a flavorful, family-friendly, one-tray meal! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Season and roast the pork and potatoes for 15 minutes.
- Add the zucchini to the tray and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the pork is done, the potatoes are crisp and fork tender, and the zucchini is soft.
- Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to Know When Pork Tenderloin is Done
Total cooking time will vary depending on the size, thickness, and temperature of your pork when it goes into the oven. As a result, I always recommend using a meat thermometer to know when your pork is done. The tenderloin is ready to come out of the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 140-150°F. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests, and you want to make sure that you don’t overcook the meat (because it can become dry).
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! Always rest the meat for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serving Suggestions
Since this healthy sheet pan pork tenderloin is an entire good-for-you meal on one tray, there’s really no need to add extra sides. That said, if you’d like to round out the supper with a little something more, here are some good options:
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Sour Cream Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Corn Sticks, Honey Cornbread, Broccoli Cornbread, or Cornbread Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Cathead Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Easy Drop Biscuits, or Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Duke’s Homemade Mac and Cheese, Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, No-Boil Overnight Mac and Cheese, Shells and Cheese, or Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread {No Knead, No Yeast!} or No-Knead Honey Beer Bread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread or Easy Baguette
- Rice Pilaf or Charleston Red Rice
- Corn Salad, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Fried Corn
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cranberry Muffins or Mom’s Cranberry Orange Bread
- Kale Apple Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing, Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Southern Caesar Salad, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or Classic Caesar Salad
- Homemade Applesauce, Southern Fried Apples, or Baked Apple Slices with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Storage: 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!
- How to Reheat: Place the pork, potatoes, and veggies on a sheet pan and warm in a 325°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 in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of olive oil, use melted butter to coat the pork and veggies.
- Swap out the herbs and seasonings for those that you like best. For instance, instead of Italian seasoning, season the pork with Lawry’s seasoned salt, a bbq rub, cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to make it spicy, or a combination of chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder for a different flavor profile. You might also like to try our favorite all-purpose House seasoning blend, or herbs that go well with pork, such as thyme and rosemary, or even parsley, chives, basil, or oregano. Get creative!
- Don’t care for some of the veggies? No problem! Use just about any vegetables that your family enjoys. For instance, try broccoli, green beans, carrots, asparagus, sliced bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, sliced mushrooms, butternut squash, cauliflower, or use sweet potatoes or red potatoes instead of the gold potatoes.
- To feed a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half. The roasting instructions remain the same.
Tips for the Best Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- Use an extra-large rimmed baking sheet (or two separate smaller baking sheets) so that you have plenty of space for all of your ingredients to spread out. This helps the potatoes and veggies cook faster, brown, and crisp in the oven.
- If time allows, let the pork sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting. This will help the meat cook evenly.
- For even more flavor, marinate the pork in Italian dressing for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before adding it to the pan. Pat it dry before roasting. You can also purchase garlic and herb marinated pork tenderloin to use in this recipe.
- The total cooking time may vary, depending on the size, thickness, and temperature of your pork when it goes in the oven. As a result, use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork reaches the desired level of doneness.
- Let the pork rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This will give the juices a chance to redistribute so that your meat is as juicy as possible.
More Easy Pork Tenderloin Recipes to Try
Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin
45 minutes mins
Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin
1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin with Gravy
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb. each)
- 1 (24 ounce) package baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or other herbs; fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line an extra large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place pork in the center of the sheet pan. Arrange potatoes on one side of the pork. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over both the pork and the potatoes. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to taste.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Stir the potatoes. Add the zucchini to the empty side of the pan. Drizzle the zucchini with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Return the pan to the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the pork registers 145°F, about 15 more minutes. Let the pork rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.
Notes
- Use an extra-large rimmed baking sheet (or two separate smaller baking sheets) so that you have plenty of space for all of your ingredients to spread out. This helps the potatoes and veggies cook faster, brown, and crisp in the oven.
- If time allows, let the pork sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting. This will help the meat cook evenly.
- For even more flavor, marinate the pork in Italian dressing for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before adding it to the pan. Pat it dry before roasting. You can also purchase garlic and herb marinated pork tenderloin to use in this recipe.
- The total cooking time may vary, depending on the size, thickness, and temperature of your pork when it goes in the oven. As a result, use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork reaches the desired level of doneness.
- Let the pork rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This will give the juices a chance to redistribute so that your meat is as juicy as possible.
All your 10 minute meals looks delicious and healthy, so thank you for showing us your meal plan and receipes
Thanks, Nichele! I hope that you enjoy the recipes!