Baked Pork Tenderloin

Sliced seasoned pork tenderloin served with mashed potatoes and green beans on a plate.

Pork tenderloin coated in a homemade brown sugar and spice rub, topped with butter, and baked until tender. A flavorful main dish that's easy to prepare for family dinners.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Servings: servings

Calories: 267kcal

Author: Madison Wetherill

Ingredients

2 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder optional
¼ cup unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º F and spray a 9x13 pan.
Mix together dry rub spices (1 tablespoon paprika,1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder in a small bowl.
Pat dry the 2 lbs. pork tenderloin with paper towels, then generously season the tenderloins in the dry rub.
Place the seasoned pork tenderloins in the prepared pan and dot the top with the ¼ cup unsalted butter.
Bake uncovered at 400℉ for 25-28 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145ºF. The smaller piece of tenderloin may cook more quickly so you may need to pull that one from the oven sooner.

Notes

If anyone is spice-sensitive, skip the chipotle powder entirely, and feel free to reduce the black pepper too. But if your family likes a little kick, those two ingredients are absolutely worth keeping.
The number one trick with pork tenderloin is to not overcook it. Pull it from the oven when the internal temperature is at 145 degrees F. so it stays juicy. The thinner ends might get slightly hotter, but that's okay - just check the thickest part.
Cooking two tenderloins? Check each one separately, since they may be different sizes and one could finish cooking before the other. Remove each tenderloin as soon as it's done.

Nutrition