Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin bathed in a wonderful combination of spices. A super easy dinner, spice rubbed pork tenderloin is easy enough for a weeknight meal, and impressive enough for entertaining. Learn how to oven roast the perfect pork tenderloin.
Pork tenderloin is such an easy cut of meat to roast, or even grill for that matter. And for this oven roasted pork tenderloin recipe, I’m using some of my favorite spices.
Spice Rub for Pork Tenderloin
And spices that you more than likely have in your pantry.
Smoked Paprika tops that list. Once I learned of it’s beautiful smoky deep flavor years ago in a cooking class, I simply cannot get enough. If you don’t have any in your pantry, I highly suggest picking some up.
And it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that we like oven roasted anything around here. It certainly brings out the best in so many dishes.
Oven roasted vegetables and savory potatoes = wow. It’s one of my favorite recipes on my site. Along with oven roasted tri-tip, or even oven roasted salmon.
And I have my trusty cast iron skillet to thank for the success of those recipes. It’s such a workhorse in the oven.
Right now I’m trying to act as if it’s not snowing outside. April 16 finds me dreaming of planting petunias and relaxing on the back patio with some sort of tropical grilled shrimp appetizer.
However, snow in April isn’t uncommon in Colorado, so for now I’ll stick to comfort food. And a nice piece of pork tenderloin sounds perfect for this evening. Especially with a rub of savory flavorful spices.
Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Roasted pork tenderloin is so good, and for so many reasons.
- One, it tends to be pretty dang easy. Just make sure not to skip the instructions about heating the cast iron skillet first. That important step will help give the meat a quick sear and hold those juices in.
- It’s pretty hard to mess up. Unless you forget to set the timer. The oven will be kind to even a tender cut like tenderloin, as long as you don’t over cook it. And it will be totally yummy.
- And since there’s just the two of us, we have delicious leftovers. Either by just reheating the original roast, or even by turning it into sandwiches.
- Pork tenderloin is great for an easy dinner, and impressive enough to serve dinner guests.
Which brings me to this easy spice rubbed pork recipe.
If you’re in the mood for an easy “feel special” dinner of meat and vegetables, and you’re looking to shake up the chicken or pork chop routine… pork tenderloin is the answer. It’s one of our favorite weeknight meals.
Preparation is minimal, just season well, and pop it into the oven while you prepare your side dishes. A big beautiful salad comes to mind.
What is the pork tenderloin?
The tenderloin comes from the loin of the the pig and it’s one of the most tender cuts of meat on the animal. It’s tender because it doesn’t get much, if any, exercise.
That means it’s routinely a bit more expensive than other cuts that require a longer cook time. A pork tenderloin can be cooked quickly with no brining or long braise to keep it nice and tender.
How to purchase a pork tenderloin
Your grocery store offers individually packaged pork tenderloin. They’re small and usually weigh a pound, or a pound and a half. So you may find tenderloins packaged in pairs. I happen to like the latter option because leftovers keep beautifully. Plus you can freeze cooked pork tenderloin for later.
If you don’t own baker’s twine, also known as cooking or kitchen twine, pick some up next time you’re at the store. I like to tie the two pork tenderloins together for a more impressive presentation. It looks much better than two skinny tenderloins. Trim the ends of the tenderloins just a bit for a more squared up tidy appearance.
You can also find pork tenderloins that are pre-seasoned. I don’t prefer that option as homemade spice rubs are so easy to prepare. And healthier.
How to: Method for perfect oven roasted pork tenderloin
I love this method for oven roasting pork tenderloin. Thanks to Culinary School for this one. Let’s take a look.
- Ten to fifteen minutes before you plan on cooking your tenderloin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place your cast iron skillet on the rack to preheat along with the oven.
- In the meantime rub the spices into the meat and using twine tie the two tenderloins together. Use scissors to cut the extra lengths of twine from the ties.
- Using heavy oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Swirl in some olive oil, and place the tenderloin in the hot pan.
- Return to oven and cook for ten minutes. Then carefully turn the tenderloin over and cook for an additional ten minutes. Or until a meat thermometer registers 140 or 145 degrees.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and place the tenderloin on a cutting board Cover with foil and let it rest for ten minutes. Then slice crosswise and serve.
Spice Rubbed Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin Recipe
I hope you give this oven roasted pork tenderloin recipe a try, and if you do please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a message about your experience with the recipe.
And if you’re looking for a great pork recipe for entertaining, take a look at this Roast Rack of Pork. It’s a show stopper and an easy recipe to make. And don’t miss my Pork Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes.
More Pork Tenderloin Recipes
- The Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Coriander Crusted Pork Tenderloin
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin – Two Ways
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Spice Rubbed Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins about 2 pounds total. Ends trimmed and tied together with twine
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Set a cast iron skillet in the oven and let it heat as the oven heats.
- In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika with the cumin, garlic powder, oregano and cinnamon. Rub the pork lightly with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture all over the pork and gently rub it into the meat. Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and swirl in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Place the tenderloins in the cast iron skillet. You may have to bend them a bit to fit.
- Roast the tenderloins for about 20-25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers registers 140 – 145°.
- Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the tenderloins ½ inch thick and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin … Its Whats for Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Pork tenderloin is SO versatile, isn’t it? And SO good! Love the spice rub you’re using — this is perfect comfort food. Thanks!
Yum. Sounds like oven roasting the tenderloin is pretty easy and it sure looks great! I can’t wait to make this recipe.
We are big fans of pork tenderloin but don’t think we have any right now. Your spice package sounds very good and I like the idea of tying them together – will try that next time I grill some, assuming I can get them. We had early summer weather a few weeks ago but are now back to early spring with night temps in the 30’s.