Brown Sugar & Garlic Pork Tenderloin
If you’re searching for an incredibly easy and quick way to whip up dinner, look no further than this Brown Sugar & Garlic Pork Tenderloin! Ready in less than an hour with only 6 ingredients, it doesn’t get much easier than this.
I don’t know about your house, but weeknight dinners can be a struggle in ours! Between wrangling our boys, managing our multiple businesses and trying to keep our house from being a total disaster, some nights it’s really tough to ALSO make a healthy meal. That’s why when I find an easy and fast recipe I love, it tends to go into rotation!
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What’s So Great about a Pork Dry Rub Recipe
This Brown Sugar & Garlic Pork Tenderloin is not only simple and easy, but it’s ready in less than an hour (including prep time). With three little guys on the move, I’m really limited with how long I can actually spend on dinner unless I want to look up to a huge mess of crackers smushed into the carpet and the baby chewing on matchbox cars.
Confession: I actually had no clue how to make pork tenderloin the first few times I tried! I bought it simply because it was on sale, and cutting our food budget was the biggest goal.
If you’ve heard me write about “clearance meat” before, this is the kind of thing I’m talking about. Our local grocery store essentially clearances out meat once a week that is approaching it’s sell-by date, and they drastically cut prices.
With those kinds of savings, I knew I had to learn how to create different kinds of meals and not stick to the same meats over the over. Enter this Brown Sugar & Garlic Pork Tenderloin recipe.
I experimented with a lot of options and quickly realized that pork can be tricky and dry out quickly with the wrong recipe. That’s one of the things I love about this pork recipe: it’s simple and easy to follow, turns out great every time and is ready quickly!
I also like how the pork cooks in the dish with the veggies, making clean up a lot easier too. You can experiment with what vegetables you want to use, but I like using potatoes, carrots, onions and zucchini or yellow squash.
Ingredients Needed for this Pork Tenderloin Rub Recipe
The beauty of this recipe is that it requires only a few ingredients to create a delicious dish:
- Pork tenderloin
- Minced garlic cloves
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Carrots
- Potatoes (regular potatoes or sweet potatoes are both great)
- Yellow onion
- Zucchini and/or yellow squash
- Olive Oil
- Salt and black pepper
You’ll also need an oven-safe pan or rimmed baking sheet.
You can scroll to the end of this post for the full recipe card with all of the measurements.
Cooking pork tenderloin doesn’t have to be difficult! The best way to cook pork tenderloin in the oven without searing is by using a good dry rub. This dry rub recipe was designed to be simple, and use the items many families have on hand usually. Feel free to experiment and add what you like!
You can also play around with the spices on the veggies. I kept them pretty tame with this brown sugar rub, but if you want some bigger flavors, try Mediterranean seasoning or Creole seasoning. Don’t skimp on the spices! The right seasoning will help result in a flavorful pork tenderloin with minimal effort.
A good dry rub makes a huge difference for pork, including pork chops, pork shoulder and pork roast. Here are some other seasonings and dry ingredients that are great with pork tenderloin as a spice rub:
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Smoked paprika
When you find a combination you like, create your own homemade pork seasoning! Mix the dry ingredients for the seasoning blend in mason jar or empty spice jar and store in a cool dry place until the next time you need it.
Don’t forget to label it “homemade pork seasoning” before you put it into your spice cabinet!
How to Make Brown Sugar and Garlic Pork Tenderloin in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Toss the sliced veggies with olive oil, and then spread in the bottom of a 9×13 backing dish. Season well with salt and pepper and spread to make an opening for the pork to lay in.
Gently dry the pork with a clean paper towel. Lightly season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp vegetable oil with the brown sugar and garlic, and rub all over pork loin. Add the pork to the baking dish.
Placed the baking dish in the preheated oven. Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers at 150 degrees internal temperature in the center of the roast and the tenderloin is golden brown on the outside.
Cooking times may vary depending on your oven and the size of your pork tenderloin, so be sure to use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the meat for the perfect pork tenderloin.
Remove the pork from the baking dish hot pan and place on a cutting board to allow it to rest. Keep it warm by covering it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Allow the veggies to cook for another 5-10 minutes as the pork rests. This allows the veggies enough time to finish without overcooking the pork, which is super important to ensure you have a juicy pork tenderloin and not a dry one.
Remove the veggies from the oven, slice the pork and serve! This pork roast is tender and juicy and doesn’t require any barbecue sauce, but it tastes great with it too.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Simple and Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Biscuits and Gravy Casserole Recipe
Pro Tip: Don’t add too much oil when making the pork tenderloin glaze. You want it to still look rough and chunky when applying. If you make it too oily the glaze won’t caramelize properly. If you don’t have (or like) vegetable oil, feel free to sub olive oil or canola oil.
Use an instant-read thermometer like this to check the temperature of the meat.
For best results, be sure to let the meat rest before slicing.
The cooked veggies make the perfect side dishes for this meal, but pork tenderloin also goes great with brussels sprouts or green beans.
Pork is a fantastic option for meal planning, especially if you’re trying to save money, and this recipe is great for busy weeknight dinners. My family has used leftover pork tenderloin for pork sandwiches, pork tacos and chopped up with eggs in a breakfast wrap!
Brown Sugar and Garlic Pork Tenderloin
If you’re searching for an incredibly easy and quick way to whip up dinner, look no further than this Brown Sugar & Garlic Pork Tenderloin! Ready in less than an hour with only 6 ingredients, it doesn’t get much easier than this.
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into thick slices
- 2 zucchini or yellow squash, peeled, quartered and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup olive oil, for vegetables
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss the sliced veggies with olive oil, and then spread in the bottom of a 9×13 backing dish. Season well with salt and pepper and spread to make an opening for the pork to lay in.
- Lightly season the pork with salt and pepper. Mix 1 tbsp vegetable oil with the brown sugar and garlic, and rub all over pork loin. Add the pork to the baking dish.
- Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers at 150 degrees in the center of the roast.
- Remove the pork from the baking dish and place on a cutting board to allow it to rest. Keep it warm by covering it with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Allow the veggies to cook for another 5-10 minutes as the pork rests (this allows the veggies enough time to finish without overcooking the pork, which is super important).
- Remove the veggies from the oven, slice the pork and serve!
Notes
Don’t add too much oil when making the pork tenderloin glaze. You want it to still look rough and chunky when applying. If you make it too oily the glaze won’t caramelize properly. If you don’t have (or like) vegetable oil, feel free to sub olive oil or canola oil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Amount Per Serving:Calories: 675Total Fat: 23gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 303mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 12gSugar: 22gProtein: 55g
Give this easy Brown Sugar & Garlic Pork Tenderloin a try tonight. I hope you and your family love this pork rub recipe!
