This pork tenderloin mustard marinade yields wonderfully juicy and delicious roasted pork. It’s easily made with apple cider, Dijon mustard, dried thyme and apricot preserves. A delicious apple cider pan sauce is included in this recipe as well!
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Why make this recipe?
This marinade is a simple and delicious way to add the classic combination of sweet, tart, herb and fruit flavors to a pork tenderloin with just a few common ingredients.
What’s in the marinade?
Ingredient notes:
- Apple cider adds a wonderful apple flavor and a bit of acidity to this marinade without any of the harshness that vinegar would add. And since tenderloin is already nice and tender, it doesn’t need an aggressive acid for tenderizing like other cuts of meats do.
- Apricot preserves are the secret ingredient in this marinade and they really make all the difference! I did a side-by-side taste test with and without the preserves and it was the preserves that gave the roasted pork a well-rounded flavor with the perfect sweetness and fruitiness. Please don’t be tempted to skip them. :)
How to make and use the marinade:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Marinate the meat:
Step 1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2. Cut a pork tenderloin into four equal-sized pieces. (If the tenderloin has a thin, tapered end, fold that end over on itself so the whole piece has approximately the same thickness.)
Step 3. Add the meat to a resealable plastic bag, pour the marinade over it, close the bag and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours.
Step 4. Take the meat out of the marinade and lightly dab off excess marinade with paper towels.
Cook the meat:
Step 5. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan, then lightly sear the meat on all sides.
Step 6. Transfer the pan with the meat into the oven and roast, uncovered, until fully cooked.
Make the pan sauce:
Step 7. Cook minced onion in the pan with the drippings.
Step 8. Pour in apple cider and reduce, then stir in thyme, Dijon mustard and butter and cook until thickened.
How to serve the roasted pork:
Serve the roasted pork with the pan sauce, biscuits or mashed potatoes, and a vegetable side dish, such as these apple cider green beans.
More delicious marinade recipes:
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Full Printable Recipe
Pork Tenderloin Mustard Marinade
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- knife and cutting board or cutting mat
- resealable plastic bag
- rubber spatula
- paper towels
- kitchen tongs
- cast iron pan
- meat thermometer (recommended)
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 2 teaspoons mild olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
For the pork:
- 1 pork tenderloin (1 – 1 ½ pounds)
- 1 ½ tablespoons mild olive oil
For the pan sauce:
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- ½ cup apple cider
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt to taste
Instructions
For the marinade:
- Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl. (If there are any large chunks of fruit in the preserves, mash them up a bit with a fork.)
For the pork:
- Take a look at the tenderloin and if it has a thin and tapered end, fold that end onto itself to make it about the same thickness all the way across. Now cut the tenderloin into 4 equal-sized pieces.
- Add the 4 pieces to a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag, close it, then transfer to the fridge and marinate for 4 to 6 hours.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Take the meat out of the marinade and dab off excess marinade using paper towels.
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan until shimmering. Add the tenderloin pieces and lightly sear on all sides until lightly browned.
- Transfer the pan, uncovered, to the oven and cook the meat until it has reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees F.* (15 – 20 minutes; flip the pieces over after 8 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the meat to a plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let the pork rest for 8 minutes.
For the pan sauce:
- While the pork is resting, set the pan with the drippings back on the stovetop.
- Add the minced onion and heat, stirring continuously, until the all the pan drippings are sopped up (about 1 minute).
- Pour in the apple cider and cook until reduced by about half (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in thyme, Dijon mustard and butter and cook until thickened a bit.
- Season to taste with salt.
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