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4.80 from 5 votes

Juicy Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Juicyapricot glazed pork tenderloin, seared until golden, and then roasted in the oven. This delicious pork recipe uses just a few ingredients and is ready in about 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Resting time5 minutes
Course: Beef, Pork and Lamb
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • 1 oven-proof skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 pork tenderloin about 1 lb/ 500 g
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
  • teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder Note 1

Apricot glaze:

  • ¼ cup apricot preserves 75 g
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.

Pork tenderloin:

  • Cut the long tenderloin in half. Remove any fat.
    1 pork tenderloin / 450 - 500 g
  • Remove silverskin: Place the blade of a small, narrow, sharp knife under the silver skin and cut a little piece of skin that you can hold on to. Holding this piece with one hand, run the knife under the skin, working at an angle. Carefully remove the silver skin without cutting away the meat underneath it. The skin should come away in a long strip.
  • Season meat: Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper, and paprika, and rub it all over.
    ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder

Apricot glaze:

  • Place all the required ingredients in a small pan and stir well. Bring to a boil, and simmer on medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat.
    ¼ cup apricot preserves / 75 g + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar + ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper + ½ teaspoon dried thyme + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook:

  • Sear the pork: Heat an oven-proof skillet on high heat (Note 2). Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the meat on all sides for about 5 minutes using tongs to turn the pieces in the pan.
    1 tablespoon olive oil½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
  • Brush meat with the apricot glaze.
  • Roast: Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast for about 10 minutes or until the right internal temperature is reached (Note 3). My pork tenderloin pieces weighed 9 oz/ 250 g each. If your pieces are thicker increase the roasting time until the right internal temperature is reached. The pan-searing time remains the same.
  • Rest meat: Cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  1. Paprika: Use good-quality sweet paprika powder; cheap ones only taste of dust. You can also season the meat with other spices or a seasoning mixture you like. 
  2. A cast-iron skillet would be perfect; it is oven-proof, so you will only need one pan.
  3. Internal temperature: According to USDA, pork is considered safe to eat when it has an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit/ 63 degrees Celsius. Use a digital meat thermometer to check (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
  • Medium-rare (quite pink): 145 degrees Fahrenheit/ 63 degrees Celsius.
  • Medium (slightly pink): 155 degrees Fahrenheit/ 68 degrees Celsius.
  • Well-done (no pink): 160 degrees Fahrenheit/ 70 degrees Celsius.

Nutrition

Serving: 125g/ 4.5 oz | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 2mg