Name: Easy Honey Dijon Pork Tenderloin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lb pork tenderloin; 4 T Dijon mustard (or yellow mustard); 2 tsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp dried thyme; 2 tsp garlic powder; 3-4 T olive oil or avocado oil; fresh ground salt and pepper; 1/2 C chicken broth or white wine; 6-8 T honey; 2 T dijon mustard (maybe add more if you do the chicken broth option?); 2 T lemon juice

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Seared and oven-baked, this pork tenderloin is easy to pull together in a pinch. It is moist with a delicious flavor that will make it your family’s new favorite go-to weeknight main course.

Pork loin sliced in an iron skillet with honey dijon sauce drizzled over the top.

I started testing this tenderloin recipe when I didn’t have time to marinate it like I normally do in the Citrus & Rosemary recipe. I didn’t expect it to be so flavorful and delicious, without marinating ahead of time! It just had to become one of my weeknight rotation recipes. Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat. In our house, we eat a lot of chicken and try to limit red meat. Pork is a great protein alternative!

Easy Dijon Pork Tenderloin Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need one approximately 1.5-2 lb pork tenderloin. (My store packages pork tenderloin in sets of two.) To season this pork, you will also need 6 T Dijon mustard (or regular yellow mustard), 2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2-4 T olive or avocado oil, fresh ground pepper, and salt.

For the Dijon sauce, you will need 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine, 6-8 T honey, 2 T Dijon mustard, and 2 T lemon juice.

Needed kitchen tools: This recipe is very convenient to use one pan, so if you have an iron skillet or a dutch oven which are both cooktop and oven safe, its a huge win. Also, a meat thermometer is useful to make sure you do not over or under cook this pork tenderloin.

How to Make this Honey Dijon Pork Tenderloin

First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Rinse and pat the pork dry. Then, brush the pork tenderloin with 4 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard, leaving the remaining 2 T for the sauce.

pork brushed with dijon mustard.

Next, sprinkle the garlic powder, thyme, and paprika, coating the pork. Then lastly, freshly grind salt and pepper on all sides of the pork.

Pork coated with mustard and seasoning, starting to sear in the iron skillet.

Heat olive or avocado oil in an iron skillet or Dutch oven pan over medium-high heat. Sear each side of the pork for 3 – 4 minutes.

Searing the pork on all sides in the iron skillet.

Now, move the skillet or Dutch oven to the oven and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature gets to 145°. (The tenderloin will be too dry if it goes beyond this temperature.). Remove the meat from the oven when it reaches 145°. Then place the tenderloins on a cutting board to rest, and return the pan to the stove.

On medium-low – deglaze the skillet with chicken broth or wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the broth or wine reduce. Add honey, dijon, lemon juice, and whisk until smooth and thickened.

Slice the tenderloin into 1/2 – 3/4 inch slices and place back into the pan with the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the pork and serve.

2 pork loins sliced in the iron skillet, with sauce drizzled over

Easy Pork Tenderloin Tips and Suggestions

If you are looking for an iron skillet, check this one out on Amazon: Cast Iron Skillet
In a pinch, you can use regular yellow mustard in place of the Dijon.
Serve this main course with a side of stove-top potatoes, simple roasted broccoli, and/or roasted Brussels sprouts.
For fall, try adding a Harvest Salad to this main course.