Simple Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

This simple honey mustard pork tenderloin has been one of my go to’s when preparing a pork tenderloin.  The marinade is so easy to whip up and the final product is so mouthwatering delicious. Whether it is made on the grill, like we will show here, or seared in a cast iron pan and finished off in the oven, this is a sure fire winner for dinner any night of the week. 

Easy Dinners are My Saving Grace

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times already, easy dinners are the way to go on a busy weeknight.  We all have tons of stuff going on and dinner is the last thing you want to think about. Especially because any time you ask for input from the family on what they want they tell you they don’t know, but are quick to complain when you choose for them.  It is inevitable that one of my kids will not like part or all of the dinner I have made, even if two weeks before they claimed it was their new favorite dish.  So frustrating…

One of my biggest pet peeves is coming up with dinners on the fly with a family that doesn’t want to dole out suggestions and only complaints.  That is why I plan our dinners out for the week on a big white board in our kitchen.  I typically rotate through some family favorites like tacos and spaghetti, but occasionally I will get a wild hair to purchase a different cut of meat to add into the mix. By preplanning and putting it in their view, they know what to expect and I get less complaint from them which equals less stress for me.

Pork – The Other White Meat

To be honest, pork is not a staple at our dinner table.  Breakfast yes, but dinner nope. We haven’t started raising pigs yet, so we typically stick with chicken, beef, and venison when it is dinner time. Pork is one that makes an appearance about once a month, if even, unless it is in sausage form (we do eat a lot of brats and sausages).  I am not really sure why other than the above mentioned reason that we don’t raise them and I sometimes forget about it.  We love pork, especially a cubed pork or pork tenderloin. It just doesn’t make the cut all that often for our dinner plates.  But when it does, we enjoy the heck out of it.  Even the kids don’t complain…. Usually. 

Simple Honey Mustard Pork Loin

This honey mustard pork tenderloin is so juicy and delicious, just writing about it is making my mouth water. The slight tang of the mustard mixed with the sweet honey is a perfect juxtaposition that will have your taste buds dancing.  I love to serve it up beside some mashed potatoes and green beans or you can turn it into a picnic type affair and serve with potato salad and slaw. It is so so good the next day sliced onto a biscuit with and egg and cheese.  So many things you can do!

The other thing I love about this recipe is that the marinade is only 3 ingredients!  How easy is that! You could use it on chicken as well and that would also be delicious. Now let’s get started on this simple and delicious honey mustard pork tenderloin.

The Marinade

Like I said above, only 3 ingredients go into this marinade.  When using simple marinades you want to make sure you are using good quality ingredient as that will make or break the marinade.  You will need 3 table spoons of honey for 2 tenderloins.  Local honey is the best option here, but if you don’t have it no worries.  As you can see, I used a regular ol’ off brand for this go round.  The honey flavor definitely does not carry through like it does when you have good fresh local honey, but the recipe still turned out good. 

Next is spicy brown mustard.  We are a Gulden’s kind of family, but whatever your families favorite is will be what you use here.  I recommend sticking with spicy brown however, regular yellow mustard has a little more acid and to me throws off the balance.  You will need equal parts mustard to honey. 

Lastly is chili powder.  I add in a tablespoon, but you can add a little more or less if you like.  If you are a spicy kind of family, a little cayenne would kick things up a notch. That’s it! Mix it all  together and you have a marinade!

The Tenderloin

You will need a package of Pork tenderloins.  Most of the time it will come in a pack of two around a pound and a half or so.  Make sure you use tenderloin and not pork loin.  Those are different cuts of meat and will have a different texture profile.  Although I am sure this marinade would be delicious on either. 

Salt your tenderloins on both sides evenly and then spoon on your marinade making sure to cover the entire surface of the meat.  Once done you will let it sit for at least an hour.  I usually let it sit overnight or all day so all I have to do is come home and pop it on the grill. 

Cooking Method

You can pan fry this pork tenderloin and it will turn out wonderfully, however I prefer it on the grill.  Little charred bits will form where the flames touch the honey and it makes for a divine bite. I grill mine at 400 degrees for about 8  minutes per side  until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees (about 16 to 18 minutes total).  Remove and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. 

Dress It Up and Enjoy

Once your meat has rested slice on the bias to serve.  Save those pan juices that may have escaped during its resting time and pour those right over the top.  You can even make a little more of your marinade to drizzle over top or use as a side dipper to elevate that honey mustard flavor.  

What is your favorite easy weeknight dinner? Let us know below in the comments! For more easy weeknight dinners check out these Five Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners! You can also follow us on Instagram for more dinner ideas.

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