Easy Baked Pork Tenderloin

• servings: 6 to 8 servings
• active time: Prep: 10 minutes
• total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pork tenderloins about 1 pound each

• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

• 1 teaspoon of chili powder

• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper or to taste

• 1/4 cup of butter cut into squares

• Chopped parsley optional, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.

2. Prep the tenderloins by cutting off any excess fat and the silver skin (the tough part that may cover some of each tenderloin). Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towel.

3. Add the spice rub ingredients (brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper) to a small bowl and stir together. Coat the tenderloins all over with the spice rub.

4. Add the pork tenderloins to a 9×13 (or similar size) baking dish and place the butter pats on top.

5. Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 145F. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing it into medallions, so it remains juicy.

6. Pour the pan juices over the pork (they're also great over a side dish like mashed potatoes) and sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

• Serves 6-8 depending on portion size. Halve all the ingredients if you want to make one (one pound) pork tenderloin.

• This recipe is NOT for pork loin, which is a different, tougher cut of meat and will need to be cooked for longer.

• Pork that’s 145F in the thickest part is safe to eat. Farming practices have changed over the years, and it’s no longer recommended to overcook pork. This recipe, by the time it’s finished resting, yields pork that is slightly more cooked than the 145F but may still have some pink in the middle (this is totally safe!).

Nutrition

• Calories: 270
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 119 mg
• Sodium: 534 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 5 g