Juicy Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce is so crave-worthy that you’ll be making it a regular meal through end of summer! It's crusted with an easy dry rub of brown sugar, salt, and other spices, and topped with a flavorful, herbaceous sauce!
Pork tenderloin is one of the easiest meats to cook (and so satisfying!). No need to make a marinade for this recipe. The dry spice rub, along with the herbaceous Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce, is all you'll need for a fantastic oven-baked pork tenderloin that takes just 30 minutes!
Just a dry rub of sugar, salt, and other spices creates a crisp crust on the outside, while being incredibly juicy and tender on the inside! Now you're just 15 minutes away from a beautiful, juicy Pork Tenderloin dish!
Here's what you'll need for the dry rub:
A dry rub flavors the tenderloins and keeps it moist while creating a crisp crust on the outside. You probably have all of these ingredients in your pantry! Here's what you'll need:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
How to make oven-baked pork tenderloin:
I seared my tenderloins first in a cast iron pan, then threw the pan into a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Oven-baked pork tenderloins should cook from anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes depending on their thickness (and your oven), but aim for an internal temperature between 140°F and 145°F in the thickest part of the tenderloin to ensure it’s fully cooked. Perfection!
This simple Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce is big on flavor! It brings such brightness and flavor to the pork tenderloin, and it's SO easy to prepare!
Ingredients for the cilantro mint basil sauce:
Simply throw all of these ingredients into a small food processor or blender and purée until smooth. That's it! No, really, that's it!
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
- Juice from ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Look at that beautiful, vibrant Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce! This sauce truly kicks this pork tenderloin dish up several notches. You'll want this herbaceous sauce on everything!
Tips & Tricks
- When preparing the pork tenderloins, you should remove the silver skin — a connective tissue that doesn’t break down during cooking. Use a sharp knife to get underneath it.
- Make sure to pat the tenderloins dry with a paper towel before coating with the spice rub.
- If you'd rather grill the pork tenderloins, go right ahead! Just make sure to check the temperature (140 to 145 degrees) for doneness. I've also used a stove-top grill pan to cook these.
- Letting the pork tenderloin rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing prevents the juices from spilling out!
- You can refrigerate the Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce for up to 3 weeks, or freeze and defrost when ready to use.
- This sauce would also be great on chicken, beef, or fish! So multi-purpose!
Want more recipes like this?
If you liked this Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce recipe, you’re going to want these recipes:
- Chinese Five Spice Pork Tenderloin
- Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin Skewers
- Easy Leftover Pork Soup
- Gluten-Free Pulled Pork Ramen Bowls
- Grilled Beef with Green Curry Sauce
Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce
Juicy Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce is so crave-worthy that you’ll be making it a regular meal through end of summer! It's crusted with an easy dry rub of brown sugar, salt, and other spices, seared and oven-baked, then topped with a flavorful, herbaceous sauce!
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (1 to 1 ½ pounds), silver skin removed
For the spice rub:
- ¼ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the cilantro mint basil sauce:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, thick stems removed
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- Juice from ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Pat the pork tenderloins with paper towels to remove any moisture. Thoroughly rub the pork with the spice rub on all sides. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine cilantro, mint, basil, garlic, jalapeño pepper, lime juice, and water in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until fully blended, scraping down the mixture if necessary.
- Drizzle in the olive oil and purée until smooth. Season with the salt and pepper, pulsing a few times. Taste for seasoning.
- When ready to cook the pork, let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet or oven-proof pan on high until slightly smoking. Add the pork tenderloins to the pan and sear both sides, about 3 minutes each side.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until an internal temperature reads 140 to 145 degrees. Let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Place sliced pork on a platter and drizzle with the Cilantro Mint Basil Sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Notes
- When preparing the pork tenderloins, you should remove the silver skin — a connective tissue that doesn’t break down during cooking. Use a sharp knife to get underneath it.
- Make sure to pat the tenderloins dry with a paper towel before coating with the spice rub.
- If you'd rather grill the pork tenderloins, go right ahead! Just make sure to check the temperature (140 to 145 degrees) for doneness. I've also used a stove-top grill pan to cook these.
- Letting the pork tenderloin rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing prevents the juices from spilling out!
- You can refrigerate the herb sauce for up to 3 weeks, or freeze and defrost when ready to use.
- This sauce would also be great on chicken, beef, or fish!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove top / Oven
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 372
- Sugar: 12.8 g
- Sodium: 484.8 mg
- Fat: 17.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
- Protein: 36.7 g
- Cholesterol: 110.6 mg
Mika Kinney says
Long story short, this recipe is delicious! We basically botched the actual recipe and it was no way a true representation of what this recipe is meant to be but it was still delicious thanks to that tasty brown sugar rub and flavor packed sauce. So, if anything convinces you to try this recipe, it should be that even if you don't have fresh cilantro, you accidentally cook two pork tenderloins connected together only to realize there are two (not 1) 20 minutes into the cooking time, don't let anything rest at all because you are hangry, and almost set the smoke alarms off because you heated the pan too hot, this recipe will still taste delicious! Looking forward to making it again!
Asian Caucasian says
Hi Mika! This is hysterical! 😂 Glad to hear that even with all the missteps, you made a tasty dish! Everything is always editable and able to be adapted. Hope you'll try some of my other recipes as well!
Ale Wat says
Made the cilantro sauce, amazing flavor and easy to make. Great with everything, I put it on pizza, served it with plantain chips. Thanks for this recipe.
Asian Caucasian says
Great idea, Ale! Love how you adapted this versatile sauce! Snap a pic next time and I'll post it on my Insta feed!😍
Sherri Carlyle says
Yum! This would be perfect for my Memorial Day picnic! Wow does that pork look good!
Asian Caucasian says
Thanks, Sherri! I was so happy with this recipe, and my family raved! The cilantro mint basil sauce is great on everything! Enjoy!