Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Glaze
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This pork tenderloin recipe with a sweet mustard glaze is an easy, elegant way to turn any night into a special occasion—weeknight dinners included!
Adapted from cookbook author and food columnist Marian Burros’ 5-star mustard-glazed pork tenderloin—first featured in The New York Times in 1989—this marinated and sear-roasted dish is perfect for both fancy 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 Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Glaze
- Pork Tenderloins: 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.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness that balances the tangy mustard and rich sherry.
- Grainy Dijon Mustard: Delivers bold flavor and texture in both the marinade and sauce.
- Dry Sherry: A fortified wine with a rich, nutty flavor that adds depth to the dish.
- Fresh Rosemary: Provides earthy, aromatic notes that complement the pork.
- Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning the pork and enhancing the flavors of the marinade and sauce.
- Vegetable Oil: Used to sear the tenderloins to a golden-brown crust.
- Unsalted Butter: Finishes the sauce, creating a smooth, velvety texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, mustard, sherry, and rosemary.
Place the tenderloins in a dish, season with salt, and coat with one-third of the marinade. Marinate for 1 hour or overnight. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the sauce base.
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 the skillet to a preheated 350°F-oven and cook until the pork registers about 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes.
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. This technique is known as “mounting.”
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.
Arrange the sliced tenderloin on a platter and drizzle with a bit of the sauce; pass the remaining sauce at the table.
Video Tutorial
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Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Glaze
This easy pork tenderloin recipe combines savory-sweet flavors and a rich sauce—perfect for both weeknight meals and entertaining.
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (1¾ to 2 lbs 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 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 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-inch 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.
- Note: 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.
- Note: 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
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 336
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Sodium: 438 mg
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
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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My family loved this so much. Perfect and so flavorful! 5 adults and 2 kids devoured all of it. Served with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans
The best pork tenderloin I’ve ever made and eaten. Aside from using Shaoxing wine instead of dry sherry, I followed the recipe to the letter. Paired with your mashed sweet potatoes, this meal was a huge hit. Thanks again Jenn (and Marion B.) for making me look so good in the kitchen.
I have several pork tenderloin recipes that I love, but I come back to this one time and time again. It is simple, super flavorful, and pretty much idiot proof. I would love to see your take on pork chops, which is a regular request in our house. Maybe something with apricot and curry, or some fresh herbs. Keep the flavor coming!
Hi Jenn! Tory here. I just made a big mistake and I’m hoping there is a way I can salvage my dinner. Instead of dividing the marinade I put the tenderloin into the bowl with ALL the marinade. Can I bring it to a boil, as per the recipe, and then go ahead with the sauce, just increasing it? Will it be safe to do it that way? Thanks and I know you probably won’t be able to answer for tonight but I’m bound to make the same mistake again in the not too distant future.
I’ve made this several times and we love it! I was just too distracted today, I guess.
Hi Tory, I’ve done that sort of thing plenty of times! Yes, you can boil the marinade for 5 minutes to remove bacteria and then use it as the sauce. It sounds like you may increase the sauce amounts, but if you don’t, you may need to add a little water to thin the sauce as it will reduce.
This pork tenderloin recipe was delicious! The method of cooking was easy and the marinade and sauce were so yummy. As usual with your recipes, this is one I’ll be making over and over again. Thank you!
I didn’t have sherry so I used dry white wine – I don’t know what sherry might have added but this dish was absolutely delicious. The whole family liked it, even our one very picky child. I marinated the pork as instructed and then when I made the sauce I served it in a gravy bowl so the kids could decide whether to eat it. Everyone did, and loved it, except for Miss Picky who ate it plain and announced that it was very good and I should make it again. And we weren’t the only ones who liked it … our Goldendoodle jumped up and took an entire half of one of the tenderloins and ran away with it! She got pretty far before Dad caught up with her. Next time I’ll put the pork further away from the edge of the counter, because this is going in the regular rotation!
LOL – glad this was a hit, even with the dog!!
I am a seasoned home cook and have made a lot of your recipes. They are all fantastic, but this truly is one of the best things I have ever made in my life. Thank you Jenn for such a fantastic recipe!!!!!! I made it with the mashed sweet potatoes as you suggested and they both were restaurant quality.
I cut the recipe in half for the 2 of us. Only change I made was that I used Marsala instead of sherry. It came out perfect and was delicious and oh so tender!
This recipe is a keeper for sure.
HELP. I ordered two tenderloins………when I unwrapped them each one has a long slit that I assume would be for stuffing. Will this still cook up as would a whole tenderloin without the slit????
Hi Dorothy, I would just tie them with kitchen twine, which you can get at most supermarkets, in a few places to hold them together and it should be just fine.
Hi Jenn,
I made this recipe last week and everyone loved it! We had almost an entire tenderloin left, and a Christmas crowd arriving. I thin-sliced a cabbage, cut half a large onion into thin wedges, and sautéed both in butter and oil. Meanwhile, I cooked a package of egg noodles, chopped the remaining tenderloin, prepared and heated another batch of the sauce, and chopped some leftover rotisserie chicken (Can you see where this is going?😉) Combined it all, and heated it together for a few moments before serving. Everyone loved it, and I felt so resourceful! Thank you for this delicious recipe, that’s also so versatile!