This Whole30 pork tenderloin is a quick and simple meal for busy weeknights. With a tasty mustard glaze and paired with sweet potatoes and onions, it's cooked all in one pan for easy cleanup. Whole30 and paleo friendly.
One pan meals are where it's at for me. They're so simple, and they make clean up so easy.
There's nothing worse than making a meal and then staring down an entire sink full of dishes after making it, am I right?
This Whole30 pork tenderloin with mustard glaze is the perfect one pan meal.
I like to use a cast iron skillet like this one to get a good sear on the meat. And then, when it's time, you can just put the whole thing the oven - no more pans necessary!
Before you sear the pork, I recommend making the mustard glaze. Once it's in the pan things can start moving pretty quickly, and you want to go ahead and have it on hand when you need it.
Now, let's dive in!
How to cook pork tenderloin
With a cut of meat like a pork tenderloin, you want to sear the outside first. This helps seal all the juices into the piece of meat, so they don't escape while cooking. The end result is a much more tender, flavorful meat.
To do this, heat your skillet over medium high heat, and turn on the fan over your stove if you have one, as it might get a little smoky for a minute!
Put about a tablespoon of your fat of choice into the pan and melt it - you can use bacon grease, avocado oil, or something else that can stand up to high heat temperatures (ghee and coconut oil are two other good options for this!)
Put the tenderloin into the pan. It will pop and sizzle, that's ok. Give it a minute or two on one side, then flip it.
Turn it evenly - use tongs if you need to in order to sear the ends too. The idea is to create a "seal" that won't let all the delicious flavor and juices to escape!
How to use only one pan
The beauty of a cast iron skillet is that it can go both ON the oven and IN the oven.
We're going to put that skillet straight into the oven!
Now that you've got the tenderloin seared, add the chopped sweet potatoes and red onions to the pan. Surround it fully, packing them in around the edges.
If sweet potato and red onion aren't your thing, that's ok - feel free to get creative! Use whatever you have on hand. I recommend a starchier vegetable (potato, carrot, turnip, etc) and a softer one like the onion.
I would not recommend vegetables with a high water content for this recipe - things like zuchinni, squash, etc will leave behind a lot of water when cooked and you might find that everything is a bit soggy when you take it out.
Stick to the harder veggies that can take the heat and roasting.
Now, one more step! Take the glaze you made ahead of time and brush all over the pork. Give it a good coating, but reserve some of the glaze - we're going to use it again later.
What goes in mustard glaze
The mustard glaze is simple and flavorful. A combination of mustard, spices, oil, vinegar, and honey make for the perfect flavor.
If you're on Whole30, simply omit the honey. Everything else in this Whole30 pork tenderloin recipe is Whole30!
And, if you're still looking for that honey mustard flavor, you can follow this recipe for a Whole30 compliant honey mustard.
How to serve this Whole30 pork tenderloin
Pork tenderlioin is just that, when cooked correctly - tender!
It shines all on its own and doesn't need a lot of fancying up.
Slice the tenderloin crosswise, or what's called 'against the grain.' Plate up with the roasted veggies from in the pan - they will be super tender and flavorful - and a side salad.
Just before serving, take the reserved mustard glaze and drizzle it over the tenderloin for an extra punch of flavor!
Recipe
Baked Whole30 Pork Tenderloin
This mustard pork tenderloin is a quick and simple meal for busy weeknights. Paired with sweet potatoes and onions, and cooked all in one pan!
Ingredients
Pork Tenderloin
- 2 teaspoons pork lard or bacon grease
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1 red onion
- s & p
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons sherry or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Chop the sweet potatoes and onion into large chunks and place in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the pork fat; toss to coat.
- Place 1 teaspoon of the lard or grease in a cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat on the stove.
- Salt and pepper the tenderloin and sear in the skillet just long enough to form a nice brown crust on the outside. (Approximately 2-3 minutes per side.)
- Remove pan from heat and brush the tenderloin with about two thirds of the mustard glaze.
- Place the potato and onion chunks around the tenderloin.
- Put the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, baste with remaining sauce, and return to the oven for 10 minutes more, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 160°.
- Allow to rest 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
*For Whole30, omit the honey from the sauce, or use the alternate honey mustard recipe provided for a Whole30 compliant version!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 11gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 41g
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Dan
How many grams of carbs in this dish?
Jessica
Hi Dan - The nutritional calculator at the bottom of the recipe is showing 11g per serving. Those calculations are done automatically, so if you need 100% accuracy I always recommend double checking and doing the calculations yourself. Hope that helps!
Marianne | Basil & Bubbly
YUM! I love pork and mustard. And if that's what happens when you wipe your counters, you are WELCOME to come over and handle mine. My floors could use a touchup lol 😉