Pork Tenderloin With Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce creates a dinner entrée with holiday flair. Try pork tenderloin with cranberry sauce and let the oven do most of the work!

This pork tenderloin recipe may look elegant and impressive, but it is pretty easy to make, to be honest. It only requires a few minutes of time and preparation, so your oven does most of the work.

The lean and healthy pork tenderloin is seared and roasted until tender and juicy. Then it’s topped with festive and savory rosemary-infused cranberries with tender onions and red wine.

I made this dish with leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. It’s a great way to reinvent leftovers during the holiday season. Your guests will think you slaved in the kitchen all day making this holiday dinner.

Let me show you how easy it is to make pork tenderloin with cranberry sauce!

What’s the Difference Between a Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin?

Pork loin and the tenderloin have similar names, and both come from the loin section from a pig, but they are two different cuts of meat.

• Pork Loin: A wide flat cut of meat from along the pig’s back, between the shoulders and the ham.
  The main difference between a pork loin and tenderloin is that a pork loin can be either boneless or bone-in.
• Pork Tenderloin: A long, narrow, boneless cut of meat within the same area as the pork loin. The tenderloin runs next to the backbone and is surrounded on three sides by the pork loin. This cut is a very lean cut with very little fat.

Watch How To Make It

Ingredients Needed To Make This Recipe

A detailed list of ingredients is provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Pork Tenderloin:  For this recipe, I used two 1-pound tenderloins. Tenderloins usually come two to a pack, and we always like leftovers. This recipe can easily be divided in half if you want to cook one tenderloin.
• Seasoning: Keep the seasoning simple and only season the pork with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
• Oil: Extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter to sear the meat and saute the onions.
• Onion: I use sweet onion for this pork dish because I love how they taste with the cranberries. Use whatever type of onion you have readily available in your pantry.
• Wine: Any dry red wine will work. Use any red wine that you would serve with this dish. As Justin Wilson once said, “Never cook with a wine that you won’t drink.”
• Chicken Stock: Can use chicken stock or broth. I prefer the low-sodium variety so I can control the sodium.
• Rosemary: We have fresh rosemary available all year round. If you don’t have any, use 1 ½ teaspoons of dried rosemary instead.
• Cranberry Sauce: The best is leftover, but you could use canned if making this without leftovers. (Reserve the remaining canned cranberry sauce to make cranberry bbq sauce!)

How To Make Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce

Prep the Tenderloins for Cooking

1. Rinse the tenderloins under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels – I know the experts do not recommend this, but the liquid in the package is kind of slimy and gross.
2. Use a sharp knife to remove any silverskin. If you look closely, you may see a shiny white sheen over certain areas of the meat. If you leave this connective tissue on, it can cause the meat to be tough and chewy, so it’s best to remove it before cooking. 
3. Generously season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper to taste.

Sear the Pork

1. Preheat a large, heavy oven-proof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle a drop or two of water onto the pan to test the heat. You know when the skillet is ready when the water sizzles and jumps around — heat one tablespoon of the oil in the skillet. 
2. Add the meat to the skillet. Be careful. The hot oil may spatter!
3. Once the meat is in the skillet, do not move it. Let the meat sear for about 3 minutes or until the meat is brown and releases from the skillet. Flip it over and sear the other side for about 3 minutes. Then roll it over on each side to brown all the way around. The meat will be brown on all sides, but the inside is still raw.

Roast the Pork In the Oven

1. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers between 145 and 150 degrees F, about 30 to 45 minutes. 

Resting

1. Remove the tenderloins from the oven and place them on a carving board. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes, tented with foil. 

Meanwhile, prepare the cranberry sauce.

Make the Cranberry Sauce

1. In a clean skillet, heat the remaining tablespoons of oil and butter over medium heat. 
2. Add the onion and cook until translucent; about 3-5 minutes. 
3. Pour in the wine and chicken stock. 
4. Stir in the rosemary and cranberry sauce. 
5. Simmer the sauce until it reduces by half; about 10-15 minutes. The sauce will become thicker the more it simmers. (Just warm through if not using wine.)

Serving

1. Transfer the rested pork to a platter. 
2. Pour over the cranberry sauce. 
3. Slice and serve warm with the remaining wine used to make the sauce. 

Tips For Making This Recipe

• When shopping for pork tenderloin, make sure you get all-natural meat that has not been plumped or preseasoned. Anything besides natural pork will have too much sodium in it. We always shy away from those.
• Make sure to allow the meat to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
• For a thinner sauce, add more chicken stock to the sauce or add a little of the stock at a time for a thicker sauce.
• Alternatively, slice the pork before pouring the sauce over it.

FAQ’s

Is pork tenderloin healthy? 

Yes! Pork tenderloin is a very healthy cut of meat that is low in fat and high in protein. This cut of a pig is just as lean as a skinless chicken breast. “The other white meat”

Does pork tenderloin get tender?

Absolutely! There are two reasons why pork is tough:

1. Not Trimming the Meat: remove any silverskin. If you look closely, you may see a shiny white sheen over certain areas of the meat. If you leave this connective tissue on, it can cause the meat to be tough and chewy, so it’s best to remove it before cooking. 
2. Overcooking: Overcooking pork causes it to become tough. Tenderloin is best cooked at high heat for a short time or slow-cooked for a long time. There is no in-between. 

When is pork tenderloin done?

When the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer registers between 145 and 150 degrees F . Typically about 30 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees F. – We don’t particularly care for pork with an internal temp below 150 degrees.

Can I Leave the Wine Out?

Yes, absolutely. Most of the color for the sauce comes from cranberries. There’s nothing wrong with leaving the wine out. You can also reduce the simmer time.

What Goes With Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

• EASY SWISS CHARD
• QUICK COLLARD GREENS
• PARMESAN SMASHED POTATOES
• STEAKHOUSE BAKED POTATOES
• POTATOES AU GRATIN
• OVEN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Pork tenderloin with cranberry sauce is such a delicious and easy dinner. Please let us know how this pork recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback keeps us going, and we are always interested to hear what you think about our recipes.