Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

ByCheryl Avrich Updated on
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A rich, bold-flavored balsamic maple sauce is the crowning glory of this succulent glazed pork tenderloin. Simple and mouth-watering.

Since pork tenderloin is a bland, lean meat, it needs to be boosted with robust flavors. The glaze, made with balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, whole-grain mustard and garlic, fits the bill really well.

sliced pork tenderloin with snow peas and roasted veggies on plate with sauce

The glaze only takes a couple minutes to prepare. I use the same glaze on our Canadian Maple Cedar Plank Salmon, an easy salmon recipe that always gets rave reviews, mostly because of the glaze (and yes, the mild smoky flavor too).

A good quality balsamic vinegar can make a difference so get the best you can. 

To make the pork tenderloin even more flavorful, moist and tender, brine it before grilling. Brining, of course, would add 2-3 hours to the timing, but I highly recommend it if you have the time. 

This simple recipe is an easy dinner with great flavor. You won’t go wrong with it.

Tailor To Your Taste

  • Cooking method: Instead of grilling, you can roast the pork tenderloin in the oven. Instruction are in the recipe notes. The most important tip is not to overcook the meat to the point where it becomes dry. 
  • Doneness: Cook to a temperature of 140F/60C (the meat will rise to 145F/62.8C upon resting) for slightly pink. If you like it with little to no pink in the middle, cook it to 145F/62.8C before you rest the meat with tented foil. There is nothing to worry about pink pork. The temperature is FDA- approved. 
  • Glaze: Use a different glaze or sauce. Two good ones are fresh herb sauce (5 min) or the glaze recipe from sous vide pork loin with raspberry balsamic sauce. Both these sauces should be added after grilling the pork tenderloin. 

How to make glazed pork tenderloin

(The steps here use a grill. See oven method in recipe notes)

raw seasoned pork tenderloin on plate
Trim silver skin off pork tenderloin if needed. Rub with olive oil and season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried rosemary or thyme.
pork tenderloin glaze in measuring cup
Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl or cup. Microwave 45-60 seconds to thicken.
pork tenderloin on grill
Grill tenderloin on medium-high heat for a total of 10-13 minutes (depending on thickness) or until pork tenderloin internal temperature reaches 140F/60C (temp will rise more with resting). Brush pork with the glaze as you turn the meat. Use a meat thermometer or probe to check temperature. 
glazed pork tenderloin with asparagus on cutting board
Transfer pork to cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil.
sliced pork tenderloin with glaze on cutting board p2
Slice and serve with remaining glaze/sauce.

Shortcuts

Make Ahead 

  • Make the glaze a day or two ahead.
  • Or, make the entire dish ahead, refrigerate and serve it cold or at room temperature. If you like, you can reheat the remaining sauce to drizzle over the meat before serving.

What to serve with pork tenderloin

My favorite side dishes with this pork are Chunky Apple Sauce, Green Beans with Panko crumbs, Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots, Roasted Bok Choy and Broccoli, Roasted Baby Cauliflower, Root Vegetable Mash, Curried Rice with Raisins, Spicy Ramen Noodles or Grilled Hasselback Sweet Potatoes.

More grilled pork recipes

And check out our full list of delicious pork recipes – sous vide, skillet, oven baked and instant pot.

Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!

sliced pork tenderloin with snow peas and roasted veggies on plate with sauce
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4.89 from 36 votes

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

A rich, bold-flavored balsamic maple sauce is the crowning glory of this succulent glazed pork tenderloin. Simple and mouth-watering.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
rest time10 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 3
Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds (567kg) pork tenderloin (1 tenderloin)
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • kosher salt, black pepper and dried rosemary (or thyme) to taste

Glaze

  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)
  • 2 tablespoon good Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon whole grain (old fashioned) mustard (or substitute Dijon mustard)
  • 1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (about 1 clove)
  • optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for heat
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • PREPARE TENDERLOIN: If necessary, remove any silver skin left on the tenderloin (stringy white silvery connective tissue) with a small sharp knife. To prepare for grilling, rub with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary (or thyme if you prefer). Note 1 to brine
  • HEAT GRILL to medium high – about 400F/204C.
  • PREPARE GLAZE: In a microwavable small bowl or measuring cup, add all glaze ingredients and stir. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir again.
  • GRILL TENDERLOIN: (see Note 2 to roast instead). Grill tenderloin about 4-5 minutes, turn, then baste with glaze mixture. Cook several more minutes, then turn and baste the other side with glaze. You will use about 1/2 the glaze. Cook for about 8-13 minutes in total or until instant read thermometer indicates 140F/60C for medium with a little pink center (or 145F/62.8C for little to no pink). Both temps will rise by 5 degrees with resting. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let meat rest for 10 minutes.
  • SLICE AND SERVE: Transfer pork to a cutting board and slice pork, drizzle with remaining glaze, (that has been warmed in microwave), and serve with apple sauce or your favorite sides.

Recipe Notes

  1. To brine the pork tenderloin (optional): If desired and if you have time, brine the tenderloin for 2-4 hours before preparing for grilling. Although pork tenderloin is a tender cut of meat, brining adds a lot of flavor. To brine, submerge tenderloin in a bowl or resealable plastic bag filled with 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, a clove of garlic and some herbs – mixed together. Place in fridge. 
  2. To roast tenderloin of pork (instead of grill); Heat oven to 450F/232C. Coat with half the glaze then roast for 15-20 minutes or until pork registers 140F/60C with a meat thermometer. Remove from oven. Tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes, slice and serve with extra sauce. Temp will rise by 5 degrees. For little to no pink, roast to 145F/62.8C.
  3. Make ahead: The glaze can be made a day or two ahead. Or, the entire dish can be made ahead, refrigerated and served cold or at room temperature. If you like, you can reheat the remaining sauce to drizzle over the meat before serving.
Nutrition facts are estimates.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 814mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!

This glazed pork tenderloin recipe, originally published in 2017, has been updated with new information and pictures. 

4.89 from 36 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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9 Comments

  3. 5 stars
    My husband & I thought the glaze was great. I have only made pork tenderloin a few times and this recipe is the best one. I will make this one again. Thank you for posting the recipe.

    Reply