A simple roasted pork tenderloin is great for a quick weeknight dinner, but when you want to take things up a notch, give this Cider-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions a try. It’s perfect for these cozy fall nights, and makes a great dinner party dish if you’re looking to get a lot of the cooking done in advance.
I love to pair pork with both sweet and savory ingredients, and here I do that by brushing the pork with a tangy cider glaze before it goes into the oven. Made with apple cider, mustard and brown sugar, its almost like an apple-scented honey mustard sauce that coats both the pork and the apples and onions that roast alongside it.
The other key here, and the key to almost any pork tenderloin recipe, is the marinade. This one has ginger, garlic, mustard, and rosemary, along with plenty of olive oil. ..and a spoonful of brown sugar to keep the sweet and savory theme going. The marinade not only flavors the pork, but makes for incredibly tender meat.
This recipe has a few steps, but none of them are difficult, and you can get a head start on things by making the cider glaze while the pork marinates. You might just need to thin it with a splash of cider or water before using, as it will thicken considerably as it cools.
Cider-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins, 1 to 1¼ pounds each
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the marinade:
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the glaze:
- 1 cup fresh apple cider
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Trim the pork to remove any silver-skin and fat and place in a shallow container or a gallon Ziplock bag.
- Make the marinade: In a large glass measuring cup, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, rosemary, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper, and whisk until thickened. Pour the marinade over the pork tenderloins, cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (and up to 24).
- In the meantime, make the glaze: in a medium saucepan, combine the cider and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup. Off the heat, whisk in the salt and Dijon mustard, then add the butter and stir until melted. Set aside to cool. (Glaze can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Before using, bring to room temperature and thin with a splash of water or cider if the glaze is too thick to pour.)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and allow the pork to sit at room temperature. Place the apples, onions and rosemary sprig in a large rectangular baking dish, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and some black pepper and toss well. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the onions are lightly browned and tender. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, pat the tenderloins dry with a paper towel, wiping away any excess marinade. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add one of the tenderloins and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining tenderloin.
- Place the tenderloins in the pan with the apples and onions and brush them all over with the glaze. Roast for 15 minutes, then gently toss the apples and onions. Roast for 5 to 7 more minutes, until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloins reads 140 degrees.
- Set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes, then slice the pork into ½-thick slices and serve on top of the apples and onions.
Really fantastic dish. Yes it was a few steps but making the glaze ahead of time really helped. I second what others say and doubled the amount of apples, onions and glaze.
This was delicious, perfect for a cold winter nights. Hubby was glad that pork was still moist. The pork did not dry out. Its a keeper.
A lot of steps in this and in the end the best part was the apples & onions. Wont make this again.
This is an excellent meal except for one glaring issue – not enough onion or apple! I have been requested to make the dish again but double the sides. Unfortunately, I had to use regular mustard as we were out of dijon, but it still tasted wonderful and we shall do this again.
Can I make this with just one tenderloin without any changes? We are only 2 people and like extra sauce too.
I made this for Christmas dinner. It was a huge hit. Delicious! I will definitely make it again.
Really good recipe. Made this for dinner party last night. Increased recipe by 1/2 for 8 diners. Prepared the onions and apples, browned the tenderloins, and then let the combined tenderloins and apples/onions rest until about 30 minutes out from planned mealtime. Tenderloins needed about 18 minutes at 400 degrees to bring the internal temp up to 140. By doing the basic prep work in advance, I could be with our guests instead of being in the kitchen, so not only was this delicious ( have already been asked for the recipe), it also didn’t require a lot of last minute work, other than carving the tenderloins.
This was delicious! The glaze gets this closer to restaurant quality. Double it imho. If pork loins are hard seared, then I’d go on the lowest roast time, possibly 2-3 minutes less the total roast time with a proper rest. I subbed pears for the apples because that’s what I had on hand. It’s a very beige meal so I added herbs and pomegranate arils for garnish.
This dish got rave reviews from my family!! The flavors are really amazing together and it was easy to prepare. I did most of the prep earlier in the day, and it made it very doable for a weeknight. Loving your cookbook, too. The pumpkin buckle was the most perfect fall treat ever!
I absolutely love this recipe! I made it for my daughter after the birth of her daughter. They liked it so much that she bought me your cookbook. So far I’ve made 3 recipes and they are wonderful! I am so impressed. I feel like I can make any of the recipes and serve them to guests without having to try them ahead of time. Thank you!
Loved this recipe! We enjoyed this recently, one weekday evening and while there were some steps, we found the pace to be really enjoyable and well thought out. I am always reluctant to pick up fresh apple cider as we just never end up using the entire container and it always goes to waste. I had an extra apple in the fridge and juiced/pureed that instead and I think it worked well as a substitute. Served with mashed potatoes and a nice, dry Riesling. Would absolutely make again.
Hi! I am a homebound disabled senior, I live alone, and I have been cooking since I was 3 years-old. I am a gourmet cook, but am not always able to cook. This recipe looks absolutely delicious, and I want to give it a try! I will not be able to eat all of this at one time, and I am wondering if you have any storage recommendations. I didn’t see any in your comments.
Also, do you send out emails to people with recipes, because I would love that! I didn’t see anywhere to sign up for emails and I would love to read more of your scrumptious recipes!
Thank you so very much! I look forward to hearing from you!
Delicious marinade, perfect balance between yellow onion and honeycrisp apple, and the cider glaze made this pork tenderloin dish over the top fantastic!
Delicious….had some time and felt like it was the perfect fall dinner.
Loved this recipe! There are a lot of steps though – so I would save for a weekend. But it’s very easy and delish!
Loved it!
Paul it says it serves 4 to 6 people
How many does this serve?
Hi Paul! So sorry the serving size wasn’t showing on the recipe yesterday. It serves 4 to 6!