Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
You can pull together a juicy, delicious bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin in the oven or on the grill with just 4 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep! The combination of brown sugar, mustard, and smoky bacon makes this sweet-and-savory dinner a total crowd-pleaser!
Table of Contents
- How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin | 1-Minute Video
- The Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin
- Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin in Bacon
- How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Tips for Making Delicious Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- 4 Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin | 1-Minute Video
Pork tenderloin is a staple in so many kitchens because it’s an affordable, lean cut of meat that offers a nice alternative to chicken. Since pork tenderloin cooks quickly, this particular cut is ideal for family-friendly, busy weeknight dinners. Wrap it in bacon, and you’ve got a simple and delicious meal!
The Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin
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!
Is it better to cook pork tenderloin fast or slow?
As mentioned above, pork tenderloin is naturally lean and tender, so it does best when cooked fast at a higher temperature. 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.
Is it better to cook pork tenderloin covered or uncovered?
In this case, it’s best to cook the pork tenderloin uncovered so that the bacon on the outside can get crispy. You don’t have to worry about the tenderloin drying out if it’s uncovered, since the drippings from the bacon add so much moisture and flavor to the meat.
Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin in Bacon
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking 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 is a tender cut of meat that generally weighs about 1 pound. This is not cut from the same part of the animal as the larger pork loin. Trim off any obvious silver skin before cooking.
- Bacon: use regular bacon (not thick-cut) so that it gets nice and crispy by the time the tenderloin is cooked through. The bacon adds smoked flavor to the pork, while also helping to keep the meat moist.
- Brown sugar: adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance the salty, smoky bacon and add great depth of flavor.
- Yellow mustard: for a tangy acidic note. Use Dijon mustard if you prefer.
Plus kosher salt and ground black pepper, too!
How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
For convenience, I like to prepare this simple pork tenderloin recipe in the oven; however, we’ve also included directions for a grilled bacon wrapped pork tenderloin in the recipe card below. Pick whichever option works best for you!
Here’s the quick overview:
- Stir together the mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Baste the tenderloin with some of the mustard mixture (reserving the rest in a separate bowl for later).
- Wrap the pork in the strips of bacon. Tuck the end of each bacon slice under the pork.
- Bake or grill until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, basting with pan juices towards the end. If the bacon isn’t crispy enough for your liking, broil for a minute or two.
- Let it rest for at least 5 minutes, and then use a sharp knife to slice it into little bacon wrapped pork tenderloin medallions. Serve with the reserved mustard sauce for sweet, salty, and smoky perfection!
Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe FAQs
What temperature do I cook pork tenderloin in the oven?
The pork goes into a 400-degree F (or 204-degree C) oven. This ensures that the pork cooks through in the same time that the bacon gets nice and crispy on the outside — without burning!
How long should I cook pork tenderloin in the oven?
An average 1-lb. pork tenderloin will require about 30 minutes in the oven. You’ll want to pull it out after 20 minutes to baste it with some of those delicious pan drippings, though! Then pop it back in the oven until it’s done.
I prefer to use my meat thermometer to make sure that the pork is perfectly cooked. You want the meat to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Some larger tenderloins may require a bit more time in the oven, so just keep an eye on it.
How do I cook bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin on the grill?
First, you’ll need to use kitchen string to secure the bacon around the tenderloin. Otherwise, the bacon will fall off when you go to put it on the grill.
The bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin will require about 35-45 minutes over medium-high heat on the grill, depending on the size of your tenderloin. Again, a thermometer is the best way to gauge when your meat is done.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for a great side dish to pair with your bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin? Try one of these:
- Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or Classic Caesar Salad
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Bacon and Chives, Angel Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Bread or One-Bowl Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (No Yeast, No Knead) or Honey Beer Bread
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- A loaf of crusty Dutch Oven Bread, No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread, or French Baguette
- Charleston Red Rice or Rice Pilaf
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, No-Boil Overnight Mac and Cheese, Shells and Cheese, or Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Southern Macaroni Salad, Classic Pasta Salad or Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Southern Collard Greens
- Baked Potato Wedges, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Skin On Mashed Red Potatoes, or Easy Potato Salad
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, Southern-Style Green Beans or Roasted Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Creamed Peas
- Hoppin’ John
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Preparation and Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 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 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 of pork in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Tips for Making Delicious Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- If you’re serving a family of 4 (or larger), I suggest doubling the recipe and baking two tenderloins side-by-side on the baking sheet. One 1-lb. tenderloin will probably not be enough for a hungry family.
- Allow the pork to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This will help the meat cook evenly.
- Don’t forget to set aside some of your mustard sauce for serving. You don’t want to contaminate the whole bowl of sauce when you baste the raw meat, so be sure to pull out about 3 tablespoons into a small dish and keep the rest for later.
- Line your baking sheet or baking dish with foil for quick clean-up!
- When wrapping the bacon around the pork, make sure to overlap each slice of bacon slightly. This ensures full coverage! You also want to tuck the ends of the bacon under the pork so that everything stays in place.
- If cooking the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin on the grill, be sure to use kitchen string to tie the bacon onto the tenderloin.
- 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.
This 4-ingredient bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with brown sugar is a moist, flavorful, sweet, and savory entrée. And since this is incredibly easy to prepare, it is just as good for a weeknight meal as it is for a special holiday!
More Popular Pork Tenderloin Recipes to Try
Honey Dijon Roasted Pork Tenderloin
45 minutes mins
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Spice Rub
48 minutes mins
Baked Pork Tenderloin with Maple Mustard Glaze
30 minutes mins
4 Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound total)
- 8-10 strips bacon (approximately 8-10 ounces)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Spray a large baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray (line with aluminum foil first for easy clean-up if desired).
- Pat pork dry with paper towels and place in prepared dish.
- In a small bowl, make a sauce by combining mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir, stir, stir until the sugar basically dissolves into the mustard.
- Set aside 3 tablespoons of sauce to use right away. Leave the remaining sauce in the bowl, cover, and set aside to serve with pork later.
- Baste about 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce onto the pork.
- Wrap bacon around the pork, slightly overlapping each slice and tucking the ends under the tenderloin.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked to about 135°F. Remove from oven and baste with pan juices.
- Return pork to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until done (about 145°F or 63°C). Keep an eye on your pork because cooking times may vary. I have had slightly larger tenderloins that take a bit more time to cook through.
- Tent with foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved mustard sauce on the side or baste with the reserved sauce just before slicing.
Video
Notes
- If you’re serving a family of 4 (or larger), I suggest doubling the recipe and baking two tenderloins side-by-side on the baking sheet. One 1-lb. tenderloin will probably not be enough for a hungry family.
- Allow the pork to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This will help the meat cook evenly.
- Don’t forget to set aside some of your mustard sauce for serving. You don’t want to contaminate the whole bowl of sauce when you baste the raw meat, so be sure to pull out about 3 tablespoons into a small dish and keep the rest for later.
- Line your baking sheet or baking dish with foil for quick clean-up!
- When wrapping the bacon around the pork, make sure to overlap each slice of bacon slightly. This ensures full coverage! You also want to tuck the ends of the bacon under the pork so that everything stays in place.
- If cooking the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin on the grill, be sure to use kitchen string to tie the bacon onto the tenderloin.
- 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.
- For the Grill: tie the bacon around the tenderloin with kitchen twine or string. Grill over medium-high heat for 35-45 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December, 2012. The photos were updated in June, 2023.
This was so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe read, except I precooked my thick cut bacon for 15 minutes before wrapping it around the pork. There are seven of us, including five picky kids. For the two who don’t like mustard I made a second tenderloin with just sugar. Everyone loved it.
This was so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe read, except I precooked my thick cut bacon for 15 minutes before wrapping it around the pork. There are seven of us, including five picky kids. For the two who don’t like mustard I made a second tenderloin with just sugar. Everyone loved it.
Thank you, Judy!! I’m so glad to hear that your family enjoyed it!
Wow! This is delicious. Four of us tried it and it was a big hit!
I made it just as you suggested and it came out perfect. I am not the beat of cooks, so having another dish I can add to my short list of “great dishes,” is really helpful. Thank you!
Wonderful! I’m so glad that it worked well for you, Samantha. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know!
I substituted honey for the brown sugar. 6 TBS mustard, 3 TBS honey, 1 TBS chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper for the sauce. Used 2 1-1.5 lb tenderloins, 6 slices of bacon around each tenderloin. Cooked as directed, it is a forever recipe. Thank you very much!!!
Perfect! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back here and let me know, Toni-Marie! So glad that it was a hit!
Delicious! I always cut up sweet potatoes or eregular potatoes and green onions and place in the bottom of the rimmed baking sheet. I put the two tenderloins on a raised cookie rack and place on top of potatoes. The bacon fat drips down and makes the potatoes yummy!
Thanks, Tracy! I love that idea — everything is better with the drippings! 🙂
This was an easy recipe that is so delicious!
I will definitely be using this again. Thank you!
So glad that you enjoyed it, Nancy! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note!
Hi Blair,
I have made several of your dishes and all were outstanding!! Looking forward to making this bacon tenderloin recipe tonight. Thanks so much for making supper so much fun and tasty every night!!
That’s so good to hear, Denise. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a note. It totally made my day! 🙂
Thanks also for reminding me about this delicious recipe. I’m adding it to our meal plan for the week ahead. Hope you enjoy!