Glazed Pork Tenderloin
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This glazed pork tenderloin is marinated, sear-roasted, and served with a rich mustard-sherry sauce for a simple yet elegant meal.
Adapted from cookbook author and food columnist Marian Burros’ 5-star recipe—first featured in The New York Times in 1989—this easy glazed pork tenderloin is perfect for both weeknight dinners and special occasions. The marinade, a simple blend of mustard, brown sugar, rosemary, and sherry, infuses the tenderloin with a savory-sweet flavor while doubling as the base for a rich sauce.
Serve it alongside mashed sweet potatoes and French green beans for an effortlessly elegant meal.
“I made this for Christmas Eve dinner and doubled the recipe. It’s Christmas Day and my family is still talking about last night’s meal.”
What You’ll Need To make glazed Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin: Lean, tender, and perfect for marinating and roasting, tenderloins cook quickly but require care to avoid drying out. Each loin weighs about 1 pound, so you’ll need 2 of them.
- Marinade Ingredients: A flavorful mix of light brown sugar, grainy Dijon mustard, dry sherry, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, and vegetable oil. Together, they create a savory-sweet marinade while also helping the pork develop a beautifully browned crust.
- Unsalted Butter: Finishes the sauce, creating a smooth, velvety texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, sherry, and rosemary.
Step 2: Marinate the pork. Place the tenderloins in a dish, season with salt, and coat with one-third of the mixture. Marinate for 1 hour or overnight. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the sauce base.
Pro tip: The pork will be flavorful and delicious after marinating for just an hour, but don’t skip the overnight option if you have the time—the longer the pork sits, the deeper the flavor.
Step 3: Sear and roast. Heat the oil in a large cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add both tenderloins. Sear on all sides until nicely browned, then transfer to a preheated 350°F oven and cook until the pork registers about 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes.
Pro tip: Make sure the skillet and oil are fully up to temperature before adding the pork. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the meat will steam instead of sear and you won’t get that deep, caramelized crust. A drop of water should evaporate almost instantly when the pan is ready.
Step 4: Start the sauce. Meanwhile, pour the remaining marinade into a small skillet and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
Step 5: Finish the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and, stirring constantly, incorporate the butter one piece at a time. This technique is known as “mounting.” Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Pro tip: Adding the butter off the heat is key here. If the pan is too hot, the butter will break and turn greasy instead of giving you that silky, glossy sauce.
Step 6: Let the pork rest. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes, then slice.
Pro tip: Slice on a slight diagonal for the most attractive presentation; it exposes more of the interior and makes for a prettier platter.
Step 7: Serve. Arrange the sliced tenderloin on a platter and drizzle with a bit of the sauce, passing the rest at the table.
Video Tutorial
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Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (1¾ to 2 lb/794 to 900 g) total
- ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- ½ cup grainy Dijon mustard, such as Maille Rich Country Dijon Mustard Blend or Grey Poupon Country Dijon
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for cooking
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
Instructions
- Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, sherry, and rosemary.
- Place the tenderloins in a baking dish or bowl. Season all over with 1¼ teaspoons salt and pour about one-third of the marinade over top. Turn the tenderloins a few times to coat evenly with the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight (the longer, the better). Cover the remaining marinade and refrigerate until ready to use (it will form the base of the sauce).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat (see note below if you don't have one of these pans). Add both tenderloins and sear on all sides until nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes (don't move the tenderloins around between turns; they will brown better if left alone). Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the pork registers about 140°F (60°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes. (To check for doneness without a thermometer, make a slit in the thickest part of the loin; the meat should be mostly white with a slight hint of pale pink, and the juices should run mostly clear.)
- Remove the skillet from the oven and immediately place an oven mitt or dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it is hot (it is easy to forget and burn yourself!). Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into ¼- to ½-in (6 to 12-mm) slices.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining marinade into a small skillet and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and, stirring constantly, incorporate the butter one piece at a time. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Arrange the sliced tenderloin on a platter and drizzle with a bit of the sauce; pass the remaining sauce at the table.
Notes
- If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, transfer the pork to a foil-lined sheet pan after searing. (The foil is just for easy cleanup.) You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
- The nutritional information includes all of the ingredients for the marinade, so one serving is likely significantly lower in calories and fat than the numbers below.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I love all your recipes – you are one of my “go to” blogs! I marinate the pork tenderloins in ziplock bags and then freeze to bring on our Cape Cod beach vacation. We grill the pork & warm up the glaze on the stove – delicious! And easy!
Wonderful. This is my go to for an easy entertainment meal. I paired it with the sweet potatoes, summer salad and strawberry cake!
Jenn, This dish is delicious! Thank you! My family loved it! It was easy and not expensive! I used white wine as the grocery store did not have sherry. I got the pork on sale so it was a win-win! Thank you!
I knew I wanted to make this in the slow cooker, for ease, I was a bit worried about the amount of sugar, as I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so I halved it. The family loved the taste, but thought it really sweet, so I could probably really reduce the sugar to much less, but the underlying flavour was really tasty. It worked really well in the slow cooker. Thanks again fif a great recipe 👍 😋
I make marinated seared tenderloins finished in the oven all of the time. I’m on a quest for THE perfect recipe. Wow, this one is right up there and is the best we’ve had so far! I love mustard, but not when it’s too spicy or overpowering. I was surprised at the quantity of 1/2 cup (I used Dijon), but it was well-balanced with the brown sugar and sherry. The sauce is buttery gorgeous. Slow cooker sweet potatoes and steamed green beans were a perfect complement. My husband and I loved it, and we think that it is restaurant worthy! Thanks, Jean!
Very tasty! I’ve had this recipe on file to try for awhile now.
The pork was wonderfully tender. Folks that cook it to 160 F don’t know what they’re missing. 145 F meets food safety concerns.
I paired the pork with a recipe on food.com for sheet pan potatoes and shallots w/balsamic vinegar/EVOO/rosemary baked at 350 F. I love cast iron for searing meat. However it heats unevenly on a stovetop. I often preheat cast iron skillets in the oven to address this . This side was perfect for this, as the potato/shallot dish took an hour to roast, giving me plenty of time to heat the skillet and prepare the tenderloins.
Hi Jenn,
First, thank you for this site! I’ve made and loved many of your recipes. I’m planning to try this pork tenderloin recipe for company, and I was wondering two things: could I substitute the regular Maille Dijon for the grainy? And do you think I could cut the sugar back some and add some a bit near the end of cooking if it seems to be missing? Just a personal preference for less-sweet things.
Yes and yes (and so glad you like the recipes) – hope you enjoy this one as well!
I don’t like mustard. Is there anything I can use as a substitute?
Hi Cindy, mustard plays a pretty big role in this marinade, so if you don’t like it, I think you’d be better off using a different recipe/marinade. Sorry!
Hi Jenn – How long can I marinade without ruining.the tenderloin?
Hi Danneen, I’d limit it to 2 days.
I might have missed it somehow but the pork should be marinated in the refrigerator, right? “Turn the tenderloins a few times to coat evenly with the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight (the longer, the better). ” It might be a good idea to be specific, especially for beginners.
Hi Tory, Yes, the pork should be marinated in the refrigerator. Sorry if that wasn’t clear – I’ll begin to add that to recipes that require marinating. Hope you enjoy the dish!