Gone are the times when good food required spending hours in the kitchen! My easy Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Apples has a hearty, old-fashioned flavor that cooks up on the stove in a jiffy.
It's the kind of satisfying meal that the whole family will look forward to after a long day.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- Sweet apples and savory onions are the perfect pairing for juicy pork tenderloin—and it all cooks in one skillet.
- This easy meal is quick enough for busy weeknights, especially during fall and winter!
- Season the pork and let it rest for a half hour (or overnight) for the most flavorful tenderloin ever.
The mouthwatering pan-sauce that helps cook this pork is tangy and a touch sweet, made with brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and bourbon—or apple juice.
Whether you've got a bushel of fresh-picked apples to use up or you just grabbed some from the store, this savory dinner hits the spot every time!
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Can't find Honeycrisp apples? Gala, Pink Lady, or Fuji apples are similar enough to work just fine in this recipe.
- Instead of a pork tenderloin, you can replicate this recipe with pork chops. Depending on the size, they'll likely need less time to cook.
- If you don't have bourbon on hand, use apple juice or apple cider for the marinade/sauce.
- Sage and herbs de Provence pair deliciously with the flavor of pork and apples. You could use rosemary and thyme instead if you prefer.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Place sugar, mustard, herbes de provence, and bourbon in a small bowl.
Stir the sauce together until smooth and sugar has dissolved.
Core and slice the apples. Slice the onions.
Coat the pork with the sauce. Sear it, add the apples/onions, cover, and cook.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
Be sure to let your pan and oil heat up enough so that the pork browns without sticking. The oil will look shimmery and thin when it's hot.
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
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🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
Let the pork tenderloin, apples, and onions cool down a little before portioning it into an airtight container—and don't forget to save all the yummy sauce!
In the refrigerator, leftovers will keep for three to four days. In the freezer, it'll last for about three months, though the apples may be softer after thawing.
Reheat leftover pork tenderloin covered on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of extra apple juice. You can also heat it up again in the microwave in 30-second bursts until hot.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Like steak, pork needs to rest before you can cut into it. Giving the meat about 10 minutes of resting time keeps it nice and juicy.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Feel free to leave the skin on the apples. It keeps prep quick, and Honeycrisps have a softer peel, anyway.
- Don't slice the onions too thinly. They'll shrink up as they simmer with the apples. Too small, and you might lose 'em altogether.
- If your skillet doesn't have a lid, try placing a large, heavy sheet pan overtop. If that doesn't seal in the steam, use a double layer of foil.
- Transfer the pork from the skillet to a cutting board to prevent it from overcooking while it rests. Cast iron stays hot for a while.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Pork tenderloin is a long, round, lean cut of meat. It tastes best cooked at a high temperature, like we do in this recipe. Pork loin is a flatter, fattier cut of pork and usually tastes better slow-cooked.
Since pork tenderloin with apples and onions cooks quickly already, there's not much prep you can do too far in advance. Cutting up apples more than a few hours early will cause them to start to turn brown.
However, I do recommend seasoning the pork ahead of time. So, you can factor that into your cooking time or season it and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
An instant-read thermometer is my kitchen BFF. Stick the probe into the middle of the meat—don't go all the way through, or you'll temp the pan instead of the meat! You're good at 145 degrees F.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Slice the apples on the thin side so they cook more quickly.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- Sweet and spicy Coca Cola Glazed Pork Loin is a vintage recipe that comes out super tender, juicy, and lip-smackin' good.
- Let the
slow cooker do all the work. Nestled in a sticky and sweet glaze, Crock Pot Honey Garlic Pork Chops only take ten minutes of prep! - Cheesy, juicy, and chock-full of sweet caramelized onions, French Onion Pork Chops are a unique twist on a classic dinner recipe.
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
Pair the sweetness of the apples with Baked Sweet Potatoes on the side. Great with a healthy pat of butter, these are easy to make in the air fryer, microwave, or oven.
Sop up that delicious pan sauce with easy, 30-Minute Dinner Rolls. They're so warm and fluffy and go with just about any meal. (PS—rolls are a great way to bulk up a meal for cheap!)
Made with just three main ingredients, Pumpkin Spice Cake is the easiest sheet cake you'll ever whip up. It's moist, fragrant, and perfectly flavored with your favorite fall spices.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
Wondering how to stretch leftovers into another meal? Transform the extra into these fun meals.
Make pork sliders on biscuits, Hawaiian rolls, or sandwich buns. Add some sliced Swiss cheese, and use the apple and onion sauce as topping!
Whip up a hearty apple and pork stew. I recommend roughly chopping the pork/apples/onions and adding beef broth, potatoes, and more herbs, salt, and pepper to taste.
You can even use the pork to make leftover pork fried rice. Just chop it into smaller pieces. (Leave the apples and onions out of this one, and use them as a topping for baked brie instead.)
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
Pork, apples, onions... when I smell these aromas and taste these flavors I know it's Fall!
This easy recipe is one of my favorites because there's not much prep time and hardly any cleanup. Win-win, I get to spend more time with my family!
Or Netflix - depends on the day.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Apples
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sage, or herbes de provence
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1-½ pounds honeycrisp apples, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Season pork with salt and pepper.
- Let stand for 30 minutes if possible - or wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. You can skip this step but it does make the meat more flavorful.
- Stir together brown sugar, dijon mustard, herbes de provence, and bourbon. Rub mixture all over pork.
- Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and brown the pork on all sides.
- Add apples and onion and cover. Turn heat to low.
- Cook until apples are tender and pork is done, stirring the apples and onions occasionally. This will take about 15 minutes. Current practice is for the pork to be a little pink in the center - 145F with an instant-read thermometer. This will ensure it's tender and juicy.
- Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme.
Notes
- Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- If your skillet doesn't have a lid, try placing a large, heavy sheet pan overtop. If that doesn't seal in the steam, use a double layer of foil.
- Transfer the pork from the skillet to a cutting board to prevent it from overcooking while it rests. Cast iron stays hot for a while.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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