In this post I’ll show you how to cook pork tenderloin for weeknight dinners. This is a succulent, juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside easy recipe you can do at home.

Pork tenderloin is a lean cut of meat and a perfect pairing with almost any side dish. It’s also a tender cut of meat that when combined with this simple chef secret, packs in the flavor.

Here’s where you start…

How to cook pork tenderloin: Salt your meat at least an hour before cooking

This is a secret of many restaurant chefs. Salting the meat an hour before hand helps you get the pork crispy outside, juicy inside, and the best flavor. This is due to osmosis which pulls some meat juices out and then reabsorbs its juices along with some of the salts, which gives the meat a delicious flavor.

Salting in advance also aids in cooking by preventing the meat from drying out.

If you only provide 10 minutes or so to salt the meat before cooking, it’s not long enough for osmosis to occur. You might as well just salt your meat right before cooking (which apparently is a big debate in the culinary world).

Experts say, either salt the pork a full hour before you start cooking or right before you start cooking if you don’t have the time for osmosis.

How to cook pork tenderloin: Allow resting time post cornstarch dredge

You’ll see below the recipe calls for a cornstarch dredge, which just means to generously coat the tenderloin with the cornstarch mixture.

Once it’s well coated, you’ll let the meat rest for an additional 10 minutes. While this resting time isn’t absolutely necessary, you will most likely get a crispier outside. Something to note, we have cooked this dish without cornstarch resting time and it tasted really good, however, it was a little soggy on the outside.

A perfect pork tenderloin has a flavorful crisp on the outside, while being juicy and tender on the inside. By following the two recommendations above, you should get just that.

Suggested side: Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

We use sumac in the dredge, it’s delicious. It’s got a fresh zesty flavor and pairs well with lemon. We love it on popcorn, hummus, or to season our chicken, fish, or pork dishes.

Brown all sides in a carbon steel or cast iron pan.

Place in oven on a baking sheet with a rack to allow air to circulate – this helps give a crispy outer layer to the meat.

What temp should I cook pork tenderloin?

Internal temperature should be 145 degrees at the thickest part.

How many minutes per pound do you cook a pork tenderloin?

This varies greatly for your oven, the meat width, the weather, etc. You should have an instant read thermometer and watch closely your first time. I recommend taking the temperature right before you put the meat in the oven, then measure at 10 minutes so you have an idea of how fast the temperature is rising.

How do I cook a pork tenderloin so it’s not dry?

Using the mini brine (salting 1 hour before cooking) method mentioned above makes a huge difference. Allowing osmosis to occur is a key method many restaurant chefs use for the best flavor and juiciness. Additionally, using a cornstarch dredge + resting time will create the best result for an outer crust.