The delicious fun of making pork recipes in the Instant Pot continues as we make the Best Damn Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin. Tender, juicy and bursting with awesome flavor, then topped with a gravy made from the very juices the pork cooks in. It’s super easy to make and the whole thing is complete and on your plate in about 25 minutes.
Pork tenderloin is an extraordinary meat that is very lean, very tender, and always makes an excellent meal. Making pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot is not only super easy, the pressure cooking makes it so succulent and delicious, it’s my preferred way to make it.
The Best Damn Pork Seasonings
One of the most popular recipes on RecipeTeacher.com is The Best Damn Instant Pot Boneless Pork Chops. In that recipe we use a very simple rub and some chicken stock with a couple of added ingredients to make terrific pork chops. For this recipe, we’ll borrow the same basic ingredients with just a couple of modifications.
Make Sure It’s Pork Tenderloin and not Pork Loin Roast
Both cuts of meat can be right next to each other at the grocery store, but be aware that they are very different cuts of meat. Make sure the package clearly says “pork tenderloin”. It will be long and narrow, usually about 1.5 to 2.5 inches in diameter. I like to use the vacuum sealed packages that will say if the tenderloin contains a solution. This solution is the brine and is a big step saver and helps to keep the meat tender and juicy. So always keep an eye out for it – it’s the best buy.
Start with a Simple Rub
We start by cutting our pork tenderloin in half lengthwise to have two equal lengths of meat. This will help the pressure cooking process. Then we add a rub of brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Fresh, course ground pepper is my choice to use and I like to go heavy on it. I personally love to use a peppercorn medley which consists of black peppercorns, pink peppercorns, green peppercorns, white peppercorns and coriander. The combination of peppercorns, especially when fresh ground creates such a wonderful flavor profile when combined with the other seasonings for this recipe. You can find peppercorn medley grinders in just about any supermarket spice section, usually very affordably too.
Prepare the meat
One of the keys to success is to let the meat sit out of the fridge for a bit. When meat goes right from the cold fridge to the hot pot, it is not going to be as good. Let the meat stay in its packaging on the kitchen counter for 15-20 minutes first. Then after unpackaging, rinse it under water and cut it in half. Coat it with some oil and apply the rub liberally. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode, and when hot, add the meat carefully and brown on all sides. This will take a total of about 5-7 minutes. Remove the meat, and press cancel. Then add the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape up all the little bits that have stuck to the bottom. This is important. If they’re not all scraped up, the pot can issue a burn notice when pressure cooking during the next step.
Pressure Cook Only 3 Minutes
After we’ve deglazed the bottom of the pot, we add some Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke to the chicken broth. Then we place the pork tenderloin right into the liquid, secure the lid, make sure vent is set to “sealing”, and pressure cook on high pressure (manual on some cookers) for only 3 minutes. Yes, just 3 minutes. Then let the pressure naturally release. The NPR will take about 12-15 minutes.
When cooking in complete and pressure has naturally released, remove the pork and set on a plate for 5 minutes before slicing.
Make Some Gravy!
Once the meat is removed. Press cancel, then press saute. Scoop out about 3 tablespoons of the juices into a cup and add 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Mix it well and slowly pour it back into the pot. Everything will thicken nicely in about a minute. Press cancel and you’ve got an amazing gravy from the very juices from which we cooked our meat.
PrintBest Damn Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 3 min
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin, 1.25lb – 1.5lb
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons course ground black pepper (use less to taste preference – see note at bottom)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Instructions
- Let pork tenderloin stay in package out of fridge for 15-20 minutes. Remove tenderloin from package and rinse and pat dry. Trim any visible fat. Cut tenderloin into 2 pieces of equal length.
- Coat each piece with about 1 teaspoon each of olive oil. In a small dish, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Apply the rub liberally onto meat.
- Set Instant Pot to Saute mode. When hot, add meat and brown each side for a couple of minutes each. When all sides are browned, press Cancel and remove meat to a plate. Add the chicken stock to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke to the chicken broth.
- Place meat directly into the liquid, secure lid, set the vent to “sealing”. Pressure cook (manual) on high pressure for 3 minutes. When cycle is complete, allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes. Remove meat to a plate and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing into pieces about ¼ inch thick.
- To make gravy: After removing meat, press Cancel, then press Saute. Scoop out 3 tablespoons of the liquid to a separate cup and add 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Mix well until corn starch is dissolved. Slowly pour mixture back into the liquid in the pot. Once it starts to boil, press cancel. Mix well and sauce will thicken into a delicious gravy.
Notes
If you’re normally sensitive to pepper, please feel free to use less to your personal taste.
Jeff Drake
I’ve made a lot of pork tenderloin over the years, but like title says, my wife and I agree that this was the “Best Damn Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin” we’ve ever eaten! Wow!
The rub is important for this recipe, but I used my own rub which contains all the ingredients listed for the rub, plus some others. I typically leave the rub overnight, but this time it was only for 4 or 5 hours. It was fine!
The pork was perfect! Firm but very tender, not dry at all, and was easy to slice as it did not fall apart. I think the recipe had it right, another minute would have been too long.
What really makes this dish is the gravy. It’s a combination of the rub you put on the pork (another reason the rub is important), and with the liquid smoke added, yikes! It was so tasty! We’re having the leftovers tonight and can both hardly wait!
I put together a cookie sheet full of roasted root vegetables to go with the pork. For dessert, I made peach cake.
What a meal! Thank you, Jason!
★★★★★
Kari
Is it possible to use 2 pork tender loins with this reciepe?
RecipeTeacher
Yes indeed. Just double the rub. Everything else will stay the same. Cooking time is the same too.
Tyler
Followed the recipe closely although used two 1.25ish tenderloins. The flavor was delicious but it was wayyyy too much pepper for us! I can take heat (I add hot sauce to many things), but the pepper flavor was too overpowering and burnt my lips.
Will be saving this one but my recommendation is to halve the amount of ground black pepper.
★★★★★
Bernie
> my recommendation is to halve the amount of ground black pepper.
This is exactly what I do and this recipe remains the “favorite meal” of my mother. Perhaps with packaged ground pepper 2 tsp is OK but with fresh ground pepper corns it’s way too much. I usual do 2 tenderloins because that’s how they are packaged. I’ve found using 50% more of the ingredients (except the pepper) works out to get the right amount of gravy and the gravy is the star of the dish. With our 8qt Instant Pot I don’t have to cut the pork tenderloins in half to brown them.
Adri
Only 3 minutes!!
Well I just made this, I thought, well if it’s undercooked then I’ll just cook it some more, well let me tell you..! The thermometer actually came out higher than I would normally mark if made in the oven. So yes, 3 min cook, natural release, done!
★★★★★
Chrissy D
Made the chops version of this once before and it was fantastic so I decided to do a pork loin for a Christmas Eve family treat!
★★★★★
Marie
Outstanding
★★★★★
Charlene R
I made this tonight. It turned out great! I am new to the instant pot world. Only the second dish I made. One last night and one tonight. I didn’t have any liquid smoke so I used smoked paprika and ancho chili powder. Fantastic! Like I said I am new to instant pot; I accidentally set the timer to 2.5 hrs 😆. LUCKILY I was really watching it and noticed it was taking too long. Another thing that saved it was my roast was cold when I added it to the pot and I immediately released the steam. With all THAT it turned out perfect! Lessons learned!
★★★★
Joyce
My husband said “Hell yeh!” The whole family loved it. Love the addition of liquid smoke flavor. Will definitely use this recipe again!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hell yeah I love it! Thanks to you both!
Jennifer Giles
I have a 4lb pork loin and would like to use this recipe. Cooking time? Cut loin? Double rub? double liquid? Thank you in advance!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Jennifer. So a pork loin is a very different cut of meat than a pork tenderloin and cooks quite differently. That said, i’ve had success with pork loin roasts in an Instant Pot by using basically the same recipe, but increasing the cook time to around 25 minutes. However, I’ve not done enough testing to assure positive results.
Harriet Eisen
Yes, this is about the best, easiest, fastest, tastiest pork tenderloin we have ever had. Just one question: since there are usually 2 tenderloins in a package, can they both be cooked at the same time, or do I have to do them consecutively? Obviously I would adjust the amount of seasoning, but I’m thinking that I could use the same amount of liquid. Suggestions?
★★★★★
Stephen
I have used this recipe with two tenderloins and all I did was double the rug ingredients. I was able to get all four pieces (after cutting both in half) to fit in the bottom of the pot. I’m actually going to do it again tonight. Really love this recipe. You can also use this, modified, with the pre seasoned tenderloins. I don’t use the rug, but use the other steps to make the gravy.
Dawn Adams
Oh my. This is soooo tasty and quite easy to prepare. I doubled the batch….used 3 pounds of pork loin tenderloin purchased from Costco. It came with two pieces, so I had 4 pieces when prepared.
I doubled all ingredients except the fluid. 1.5 times the liquid (so I would have adequate gravy).
Results….it does have a pepper bite, but we like it that eat. Gravy is super tasty. Served with small potatoes air fried in my IP Omni Plus.
Strongly recommend this recipe.
★★★★★
Bernie
Made this 6-8 times now. Biggest complaint is nobody will let me try any other recipe for tenderloin! All our pork tenderloins are packaged 2 per and weigh in at 2.5#. I increase the amounts of everything by half except the pepper and corn starch. Both of those I do not increase the amounts. We like a little less pepper and more corn starch makes the gravy too thick.
We have the rub spice ratio down. We like a little less pepper than the original recipe. Experimenting with the cooking method. Last time I didn’t oil the meat before putting on the rub. Used oil this time and everyone agreed the sans oil rub method was better. It left a crust on the pork loin that was delicious
This time I put the pork on a trivet to keep it above the liquid. We’d had an issue with burning (8 qt Instant Pot), It cooked fine on the trivet. Honestly, don’t think it made a difference.. Might make more of a difference if I used the rub without oil. I was hoping for the crust all around. YMMV.
Liz
This is OH, SO GOOD! I just bought my Instant Pot and this was my 2nd attempt at a pork tenderloin. Outstanding flavor, easy to make, and it was a HUGE hit! I’ll make this again and again. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Arnie
I can’t cook worth a darn! BUT…you made me look like Iron Chef! Absolutely delicious! Many thanks.
★★★★★
Gordon
Hey Teacher,
I’m interested in this recipe NEXT time I do Pork..
Right now, I had the pork marinating in a thick sweet oriental sauce recipe for 48 hours. I nneded the I.P. time to cook the pork and discovered your site.
So my 3 quart I.P. is set for 3 minutes and I can’t wait to taste the result…
Lots of good comments/feedback here…
Thanks,
G.
★★★★★
Shawna-Lee
Delicious! This recipe is a keeper! Very easy to make and the whole family loved it…excellent gravy!!
★★★★★
Paula Augustyn
Excellent! Made for dinner last night and we all loved it. My oven is not working and waiting for repair otherwise I would not have considered the instant pot. I’m so glad I tried your recipe. Can’t wait to make it again.
★★★★★
Tricia Morris
Excellent! Followed the recipe to the letter, but had a two pound tenderloin. Didn’t change a thing. As mentioned, the gravy, oh, my!
★★★★★
MeLC
Used a tenderloin from Costco. Browned in my cast iron skillet as it works best for me and cooked as directed for 3 minutes. Perfectly tender, well done tenderloin, exactly the way my family likes it. Pinned and this will be my go to recipe for pork tenderloin. Can’t wait to experiment with different sauces and rubs. Thanks for a great recipe.
★★★★★
Luan Bernhardt
I want to try to make your recipe but it says to use “Manual” on high pressure. My Faberware IP only has positions and no place to set it on “High”. Ex. Position #5 says, “Steak & meat”. is that the one I use? I can reset the time manually that it actually cooks but not the temperature. Can you help me with more info. I’m really new at this but am having trouble when the directions say to set temperature on high. Any suggestions? Thanks for any help you can give me.
RecipeTeacher
Hu Luan. While i’m not familiar with that particular pressure cooker, the “high” refers to high pressure – which is pretty much the standard default pressure setting for almost all pressure cooker (Instant Pot) recipes. You’ll want to use whatever is the basic pressure cook setting on that model.
Abs
I too have a farber ware and from a fb group I’m in says the levels all run at the same which is 10 psi. With the exception of sauté mode and the crockpot mode.
Megan
Very tasty! I forgot to add the Worchestshire with the broth, but added it to the gravy and it was still very good. The pork was a bit overdone, so next time I may cut back to 2 minutes as I like my pork a bit more medium, but the gravy made it delicious. One note: I was initially confused why your pictures were of full rounds but the recipe says to cut in half lengthwise (meaning parallel to the long side). I figured out you meant just to cut it in half crosswise and all was well. I really liked the method of oiling the meat and putting on the spices before searing on 2 small pieces. Much better than my previous favorite recipe that just put the oil in the pot. Thanks!
★★★★
Karen R. Lakeville, MN
Tried this recipe for the first time. Love the clear and precise directions! Pork is well done at 3 minutes. We like our tenderloin medium rare. Next time will adjust cooking time to 2 minutes as it will continue to cook while resting during the gravy preparation.
★★★★★
Mary
I am going to double the recipe. What do I need to change? Time etc.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Mary,
Double the dry rub only. Everything else stays the same. Time is the same too.
Dana Decker
I made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delicious! I did not change anything about the recipe and am so glad that I didn’t. That gravy….wow…it had the best flavor of any gravy I’ve had before for a tenderloin and topped the mashed potatoes perfectly. This will definitely be on my meal rotation!
★★★★★
Mimi
Best damn tenderloin!! I doubled the rub because it felt right (lol, we love rub). Gravy was delicious and pork tender. Will definitely be making again!
★★★★★
Pat M
Thanks for the quick reply. I liked the recipe and will try your pork chops next. I’ve marked the recipe to cook for 2 1/2 minutes next time! (I looked at the postings at the end of the recipe and didn’t find mine, so I hope you can connect it by email address.)
★★★★★
Pat M
I made this tonight with 1/2 of a CostCo pack (used about 2.3 pounds of meat) and the dry rub listed above; for me it was enough rub, I didn’t feel the need to double it. I did parboil a couple potatoes and added with the meat.
Mine turned out tender and flavorful, but on the dry side (not what I would call “buttery” as someone else said) and I wonder about these variables:
1) I forgot to put the oil ON the meat before the rub, so I added a bit of oil before adding the meat to brown.
2) I cooked the meat 4 minutes (due to my inexperience and incredulity that it would actually cook in 3 minutes!).
3) Did the potatoes and carrots draw moisture from the meat?
4) I tried to get it too brown before braising; result was that there was NO WAY to cook the bottom clean with the broth. I had to set aside the liquid in a bowl, remove the pot and scrub it with baking soda and vinegar for quite a while before resuming. Lesson: I won’t try to do more than a light brown in the instant pot, but I wonder if THAT contributed to the meat being a bit dry. I’m sure it contributed to the “smoky” flavor!
Over all, a tasty recipe, and a few lessons learned. Next time will be easier if I don’t have to scrub the pot before pressure cooking!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Pat,
Pork tenderloin is one of those meats that can be very finicky in an Instant pot, especially if cooked too long. My suggested cooking time of 3 minutes is already at the higher end of the average suggested cooking times, because I find more people prefer it closer to being well done. In fact, some recipes call for just 1 or 2 minutes to get a pink center.
Jeff
3 minutes does seem like a short time, but keep in mind that there’s also a 15 minute natural release. Most of the heat stays in the cooker during that time …
Martha
This was the BEST DAMN PORK LOIN. No need to ever look for a instant pot pork loin recipe again. The whole family loved it . Great flavor and very easy to follow directions. And the sauce ..OH THE SAUCE….so good!
Thank you for a great recipe.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
I’m so glad you like it, Martha. Thanks for the feedback!
Jennifer
Cut back on the pepper per reviews, but otherwise made it to a T and it was fabulous!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you, Jennifer!
Mary Carrera
Delicous! The only thing I needed to cut back on was the pepper, but, wow, thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Ben Hayson
This was delicious!
★★★★★
Gia
Made this twice now with a 1 lb tenderloin on top of parboiled carrots, onions & celery. Removed the meat & strained out the veggies, leaving some behind. Used the immersion blender to incorporate them into the gravy. Did a cook time of 2 min with a 5 min natural release. Then I did an intermittent quick release. Very good but may try 1 min cook time next because the venting & then tenting (while making gravy) continue to cook it a bit.
CAW
Fantastic!
★★★★★
Alena
We just had this for supper and it was incredible, wow! A little too spicy for the kids so I’ll adjust the pepper next time but my husband and I loved your recipe and we will be eating this again and again. Delicious!
★★★★★
Lilly Lover
While I didn’t follow the spice blend noted here (I used a premade one from Penzey’s) I followed the rest of the directions and WOW everyone in the family loved this way of cooking a tenderloin. Thank you for posting this. I look forward to poking around your website to see what else I can find.
★★★★★
Beth Drake
So awesome!! We were going to grill but something came up!! Found this & we love it!! Way to salty so will cut down on that next time!! Definitely a keeper!! ❤️ Thank you. Gravy was perfect. Had mashed potatoes, green beans & corn!! Perfect
★★★★★
Debi Siskovic
Going to try this recipe for the first time in my new Instapot. Can I add small potatoes and carrots in with the tenderloin ?
Thanks in advance
Debi
Elizabeth
Only my second time using my instant pot and this recipe was great! Easy to follow and tasty. It Had a bit too much pepper for my taste so I probably would use less next time. Also I doubled the garlic powder and still didn’t taste it so maybe triple next time. Thanks!
Bernie
This one lives up to the lofty billing. Wife and I agree it was the best damn ever pork tenderloin.
We had all the ingredients but some of the spices were old enough that they were, ah, solid. So, instead of using a rub I just dissolved them in the broth. The only “rub” was fresh ground pepper which I didn’t measure but just covered the meat like I would for stew.
We had double the amount of meat so I doubled all the ingredient. That seemed to work just fine although next time I’ll dial down the liquid smoke. I’m sure it depends on not only personal taste but the brand of liquid smoke you use. It was good… damn good, but the smoke was a tad over powering in the gravy.
The part that didn’t scale was the corn starch for making the gravy. I’ve never been good at this but 6 tbsp made the gravy almost into a spread. The leftovers were a solid. I think the corn starch is like a catalyst and the recipe 3 tbsp would have been plenty.
Brad
Delicious! But you should list the 3 Tbsp Cornstarch on the initial ingredient list. Some people (like me) assume that’s all they need to have on hand. Luckily i had some cornstarch when I discovered It in the final step.
★★★★★
Lori
This recipe is spot on! Awesome results. Fantastic.
★★★★★
AIMEE WEISS
Awesome recipe! I didn’t have liquid smoke or worcestershire so I subbed some organic sugar free steak sauce and it was delicious!! Thanks for posting!
★★★★★
Alex Rosansky
I’m sorry if this has been asked already. I have a 2.57 pound pork tenderloin, do I keep the time to 3 minutes or up it to 4 or 5? Thank you in advance 🙂
RecipeTeacher
Hi Alex. It will likely still be 3 minutes. Any larger and maybe add 1 minute.
Bernie
I can tell you from experience that the cook time is dependent on the thickness of the meat not the weight. Last time I did this I was given a tenderlion that appeared to be double wide. After cooking I realized it was actually two halves. Result was the center was pink. It worked but not the desired outcome for our family. Make sure there’s nothing more than 3″ across/thick and 3 minutes should cook “medium well done” regardless of weight. Disclaimer, I’m using an 8 qt Instant Pot.
Jeannie Durocher
Oh my goodness what a recipe! Had everything but the liquid smoke and it STILL turned out delicious! My husband said, “This is one of the best meals you’ve cooked in a long time”… I think that’s a compliment? LOL
It’s been in the 90’s here lately and it was a real treat not to heat up the kitchen… great Instant pot recipe… Thanks so much!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
That’s awesome, Jeannine! And I’m sure he meant it as a compliment. 🙂 Thank you for the feedback!
Scott Schmaling
Most delishious pork dish we have ever had!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you, Scott!!
Tracy Egger
Success!!! Thank you -I’m terrible at making gravy and this came out perfect-the whole family loved it-my pork filet was almost 3 pounds so I doubled the seasoning, the liquid and cornstarch mixture. I cooked it for 4 minutes and it was juicy and tender-great recipe!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback, Tracy!
Ray
Turned out Perfect!
Amazing flavors!!
Thank you so much for your help!!
– Ray.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Ray!
Ray J
Hi Recipe Teacher,
Hope you have a moment to help me out. Got a 6Q Instant Pot and…
I’m about to use your recipe for 2.30lbs of Pork Loin Filet with red potatoes, onion, garlic, and mushrooms.
I read your answer to cook time should go to 25-30mins for filets.
With all the other ingredients, how long should I NR?
THANK YOU!!
A very amateur cook,
– Ray J.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Ray. Let the pressure release for 15 minutes. If it’s not already released at that point, go ahead and quick release the rest. Let me know how it turns out!
Ashleigh
Should I wait until it’s thawed, or can I put it in frozen and adjust the time and do this tonight?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Ashleigh. Doing it thawed allows you to do as the recipe intends with the browning stage. Which, is pretty essential to the overall flavor of the dish.
Donna
I have the tenderloins that are already seasoned.The vacuum pack..It’s the teriyaki flavor. How would I do that one and with what kind of liquid
RecipeTeacher
Hi Donna. So In that case, still brown it. Then place it on the trivet with 1 cup of water or broth in the pot for 3 minutes.
Alex
YUM! I read a bunch of the comments before making this to see any tips/tricks and I’m glad I did because I actually had a 2.5lb pork loin, not a tenderloin. I followed the recommendation to increase the cooking time to 20 minutes, with 10 minutes natural release and it was almost perfect! Next time I would go 18 & 10 I think, but otherwise it was amazing. I still halved my pork like the recipe said to help it cook evenly, and because my roast was roughly double the size, I doubled all the ingredients and it was PERFECTION. A few reviews said it had too much pepper, but I disagree and think it was spot on. The one ingredient addition I did make was adding about 1/4 teaspoon to the gravy for some kick, and I strained the gravy to have it nice and smooth. My husband said we should add it to our recipe speed dial, lol! We loved this recipe so much we didn’t even make it to the table, we just stood in kitchen and devoured it. Definitely will be making this again, many times! Thank you for an amazing recipe!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
That’s awesome, Alex!! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Sandy Jo Zinschlag
I made the pork tenderloin for guests the other night. Two of them went out and bought an Instant Pot. Everyone thought they were amazing and best they ever had. Thank you!
★★★★★
Marele
NOTE: This is not a review of the exact recipe above, which seems to be by all accounts an excellent recipe. But I see a lot of people asking about using a ‘pork loin filet’ for this recipe and I hope this comment is allowed in order to clarify why everything about the phrase ‘pork loin filet’ is terrible.
I impulse-bought a 1.5 pound “pork loin filet” package because it looked like something I could dump into my instantpot with some vegetables for a socially distanced July 4th party of one. (For clarity, this was the package: https://www.hormel.com/AlwaysTender/MesquiteBarbecuePorkLoinFilet). Before cooking it, I googled “is pork loin filet pork loin or pork tenderloin” – foolishly thinking this was a simple question – and one of the first results (“How to cook pork tenderloin in the instant pot – Make Your Meals”) states that pork tenderloin “is sometimes called a pork loin filet, pork tender, or pork filet”. Satisfied that this was verified fact (Spoiler: “It’s on the internet, it must be true!” is not a great basis for making safe cooking decisions), I looked up ‘pork tenderloin’ instant pot recipes and found this one, which I proceeded to follow.
After seasoning, browning, deglazing, and setting my instant pot for 3 minutes, I sat down and scrolled through the comments and saw the recipe author responding to fools like me who tried to use this recipe with a ‘pork loin filet’ that a ‘pork loin filet’ should actually require 20-25 minutes, not 3 minutes. Alarmed, I went back to my google search and texting people frantically to figure out if ‘pork loin filet’ really was ‘pork loin’ rather than ‘pork tenderloin’. Here’s the summary of what I found:
1. Pork loin filet is just pork loin cut in the shape of pork tenderloin (source: reddit)
2. Pork tenderloin, pork loin, and pork loin filet are NOT the same thing and each require different cooking times based on size (source: Southern Bite)
3. Pork loin filet is NOT pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin and pork loin are cuts from two different parts of the hog. (Renee’s Kitchen Adventures)
4. A filet is its own type of cut – it means ‘small’ and ‘should take less time’ and I should’ve taken meat judging in 4H when I had the chance, duh. (source: my mother)
5. If it’s a pound then it is a tenderloin and if it’s 5-6 pounds it is a loin (source: friend who cooks)
6. Okay fine, maybe a filet isn’t a specific kind of cut and you hated 4H but the cooking time is based only on the weight of the meat, not the type of meat, so if whatever you have is the same size as a pork tenderloin you can cook it for the same 3 minutes as a tenderloin (source: my mother, again).
Anyway, the 1.5 lb pork loin filet came out of the instant pot after 3 minutes looking… fine? Good, even? I don’t know how pork loin filet is supposed to look. (This is the part where a smart person would check it with a meat thermometer. When I decided to start cooking meat last month, I bought a digital meat thermometer and realized after using it once that I probably couldn’t sanitize it in a dishwasher because, you know, it’s digital. I felt similarly weird about running it under water – the battery compartment wasn’t water-tight – so I sort of rubbed hand sanitizer on it and then was never again satisfied that it wasn’t harbouring e coli and ended up tossing it. So I have no thermometer. Dear reader, I hope you make better choices than me.)
I cut off 1 inch of the pork loin filet at the end and it looked normal and fully cooked and was hot. No one I had texted had any firm answers for me so, to be safe and scientific, I put the rest of the pork back in the instant pot for another 10 minutes (figuring the full natural pressure release at the end of 2 cook times, rather than just 1, would probably bring it to a total cook time of 20 minutes?) and then took it out and this 13 minute version was… probably better? But in the meantime, after hearing from my mother that all that mattered was the size of the meat and that 3 minutes was probably correct for a 1.5 lb cut, I ate the 1 inch of the 3 minute pork loin filet because it tasted fine as well. Jury’s out on whether I die of trichinosis by Monday.
I hope that this helps anyone else who foolishly bought a ‘pork loin filet’ thinking that the internet would tell you exactly what a ‘pork loin filet’ is. Nobody knows what a ‘pork loin filet’ is. All we know is that it’s almost certainly not the same as a ‘pork tenderloin’. Maybe you can cook ‘pork loin filet’ for 3 minutes if it’s only 1.5 lbs and maybe you need another 20 minutes because it’s only a ‘loin’ cut despite the tenderloin size – who knows? Not science! Not google! Certainly not my mother. The only thing we know for sure is that I should own a meat thermometer.
RecipeTeacher
This is all great information. Yes the wording on the cuts can sometimes be tricky. Pork tenderloin will always say “pork tenderloin”. Everything else, simply put, is not. Some may look similar – such as “pork loin filet”, but it’s a different piece of meat.
Danielle
You are hilarious, and thank you for taking the time to explain the difference between a “pork tenderloin” and a “pork filet”. I had no idea!
★★★★★
Barbara Lopez
Asked hubby what he wanted for his Father’s Day dinner and he said ‘that tenderloin’. This is the second time I made it and it came out better than the first. The meat was super moist and tender and the gravy was delicious. Told my sister about and she agreed this is ‘The Best Dam Tenderloin’.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you for the feedback, Barbara. And happy Father’s Day to your husband!!
Robina Bruno
Was a little sceptical re “Best darned..”, but having compared this recipe with several others, decided I liked the mix and gave it a go.
Apart from the fact that my meat was a little overdone (my tenderloin was on the small side so should have adjusted for that) I really enjoyed it; ‘the best darn..’ indeed!
I actually used beef marrow bone as a swap for ol/oil and I used beef bone marrow broth instead of chicken broth. Delicious.
One tiny comment though – the olive oil is missing from the Ingredient listing.
A great recipe! Thank you.
★★★★★
Don Smith
Great recipe, easy to follow, terrific results. I put in a couple of onion quarters and they really added to the meal!
★★★★★
Lisa G
Delicious! My meat was a tiny bit overcooked, but that’s because I halved it vertically 😩. I’ll do it right next time! The gravy was so easy!!! I appreciate that because my husband always wants gravy and I hate making it!! I’m always giving him the stuff in the jar, and it can’t compare to this!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Jamie S.
This was easy, delicious, and took well to minor adjustments. I loved it. New staple recipe.
★★★★★
Brian L.
Dude! Five stars for the instructions, the dish, and the description. Literally the best damn instant pot pork tenderloin recipe! Clean plates all around, so tender…. I’ve NEVER left a review for a recipe, but had to for this one! And I followed the instructions as written – wouldn’t change one thing! Slow clap.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Lol I love it!! Thanks man!
Julie
Delicious! Easy! Fast! Thank you for a wonderful recipe to add to my arsenal.
One quick question: do you have the Nutrition facts for the recipe? Thank you!
★★★★★
Dove Welch
I see on here that people have also used to this recipe for a pork loin instead of a tenderloin I have a 4 lb pork boneless loin and I was wondering if I cut it horizontally or leave it whole for the 23 minute cooking suggestion.
RecipeTeacher
Leave it whole and do 30 minutes.
Bob
Tried this last night with a 2.5# tenderloin. Followed timing per the recipe, but found the pork too overcooked. The saving grace was the gravy. That save the dinner. Don’t think I’ll try this again.
★★★
E
Made this today with the Costco pack & cooked all 4 tenderloins at once, halved, in my 8qt Instant Pot. (That was 4.91lbs of meat!) Doubled the rub & liquid ingredients, except pepper-kept that at 2tsp. Added 2tsp balsamic vinegar reduction, half a large onion, chopped, & 1/2 Tbs garlic paste with the Worcestershire sauce & liquid smoke. Increased cook time to 4min, accidentally let it NR 29mins. (Distracted by another cooking show) Meat was overcooked (read around 160-165) but still moist and delicious. My family loved it, esp the gravy. So maybe next time I’ll keep to the 3min pressure and 15min NR, but definitely don’t be afraid of cooking more meat at a time! Was still delicious 🙂
★★★★★
Moises
This is why I love your recipes, and your page! Food always comes out great and you are awesome at replying to people!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Right on, man!! Let me know how the recipe turns out for you!
Moises
About to try to make this recipe, because all of the recipes I’ve made that you, have shared have been so delicious! But theres something that I realized. I don’t have any chicken broth or any type of broth. Is there something I can do to substitute that? I do have some chicken flavor bouillon?
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Moises, use the bouillon. Mix it with 1 cup of water and you should be fine.
Dan
Thanks for making everyone think I’m an awesome chef!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hey you ARE an awesome chef if you made it and everyone liked it! 🙂
Sabrina Jang
I have a Pack of tenderloin (2 pieces in it) that’s about 2.7lb in total. If I want to cook the whole thing following your recipe should I double everything including the cook time etc? After reading all your wonderful comments I am very interested in making it for dinner tonight!!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Sabrina. Double the dry ingredients and do a cook time of 4 minutes. I actually have a couple of those double packs right now in my fridge. You’ll be all good! Let me know how it goes!
Susan
I have never written a review….until now! Wow…this was delicious! I am so glad I stumbled upon your site. This will be written down on a fancy recipe card, saved on the computer, passed down through the family….the whole nine yards! Thank you! I look forward to looking for other recipes on your site!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Wow! Susan, thank you for the very kind words!!
PNW dad
I can’t believe for the first time in forever I had all the ingredients in my pantry! Great recipe and will be making it again.
★★★★★
Allyson
This was the most delicious, easy meal! I cut up a large sweet potato into small chunks and placed on top, and it cooked perfectly. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Kathryn
Just wonderful! Glad I’d read some of the comments, I tried the cola instead of chic broth, since I was out, and added a sweet potato on top to cook with the tenderloin. Everything came out great–the sweet potato needed a bit more time, but the meat was tender, the gravy turned it and my husband was impressed! Thank you, I’ll be bookmarking your site for more recipes.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Kathryn! And I really appreciate the note. Thank you!! 🙂
Maygen
I have lost track of how many times I have made this recipe. It is soooooo good.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you so much, Maygen! It’s one of our favorites too.
Barbara Lopez
During COVID, my company gave it’s employees a different meet each week. This week was a pork tenderloin. “The Best Damn” caught my eye but I didn’t have liquid smoke. Thank goodness Walmart was open on Easter Sunday. I did make a little boo-boo and switched the measurements for the liquid smoke and worchester sauce. My family LOVED this dish. The pork was like butter, the gravy was so tasty! Definitely will be making this again! Happy Easter!
Josie
Hey! I’m making this tonight. My tenderloin is only 1.1 pound. Should I adjust the cook time?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Josie. I’d keep it at 3 minutes.
Erica
So good ! Any tips on how to reheat leftovers? Thanks !
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks Erica! Just add a little of the juice and microwave for under a minute.
Anna Cataldo
I thought that 2tsp pepper was too much, as well as the 1.25tsp salt, so did 1tsp finely ground black pepper (what I had), and a lil less than 1tsp salt. I also put a lil extra onion powder in at 3/4tsp, and doubled the garlic (because I am italian lol). Because I didnt have liquid smoke, I put in 3/4tbls worcestershire sauce instead of 1/2tbls. These are just personal preferences, but I am sure it wouldve been great as written. It was all a perfect amount of rub for the amount of meat (mine was 1.19lbs), with nothing to spare, but no more couldve been rubbed on even if I wanted to, worked out perfect.
One thing I wanted to point out, cornstarch is in step 5 of the recipe, but is not listed in the ingredients section at start of recipe so I didnt have the needed ingredient out and ready with the other ones; glad I had it available, but typically decide if I am going to make a specific meal based on ingredient list and if i have the items, so I just lucked out that I was able to make the gravy. Furthermore, olive oil is not listed in ingredients, but is in step 2. Also, I was confused in how it said to use already hot liquid with the cornstarch, because usually cornstarch has to be done with cold liquid or else it lumps (at least in my experience, even when making sure to only do a couple tbls of liquid instead of all of it; but been a number of years since i tried). Fearing lumpiness, I used 2tbls cornstarch with 2tbls cold chicken broth, and that worked nicely.
I served this with balsamic sesame roasted asparagus and steamed sweet potatoes where I was able to drizzle a bit of the sauce over them. It made for a very nice meal. The recipe says 2-3 servings yielded, but I made this into 4 meals (4oz raw is recommended serving size of most meats; my 4 servings were actually a lil bigger than id normally do with a 1.19lb loin [recipe called for 1.25-1.5lb]); I think the 2-3 servings yielded though is pretty accurate for how most Americans eat.
The meat was perfectly cooked; tender, juicy, the best damn pork ive had honestly. I think that even though I already halved the pepper, I think next time I might take that down even more. While I loved it, I could see a guest having a complaint if they are sensitive to spicy. It’s more like a flavor POW than a spicy to me, but I add a lil spice to everything so I’m not sensitive at all/prefer it, while others might hate the pow at all.
This was only my second ever insta-pot meal, and directions were well written I followed them to a T when it came to cooking technique. If I had to add anything in this technique…in step 4 “allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes”; then it jumps to “remove meat to a plate”. Between the two I would add to say to “switch vent from sealing position to venting position”. I only say that, because the last, and only other time I used the insta-pot, had the recipe not said to do that, I wouldve had a pressure cooker explosion. Idk what the difference was between that last meal i made and this meal, but they both had the same “allow pressure to naturally release for 15minutes” line, yet the last meal when i released the vent from sealing to venting after the 15 minutes is shot out steam for 30+ seconds. This pork loin, when I switched it, nothing happened; no steam shot out which surprized me after my first experience. Im guessing the first time the pressure mechanism was stuck and didnt naturally release anything at all, so adding a line to every recipe that says to switch the vent over, I think is a great idea in the lines of keeping your readers safe that may have never used an inta-pot before.
★★★★★
Jennifer
I’m going to try this soon. I have a question about the cutting in half. In the narrative you say “start by…cutting in half lengthwise” but then in the recipe the directions say “cut into two pieces of equal length”. Which is it? If you cut something in half lengthwise it should already be two equal lengths. And, the pictures accompanying this show a round shape where cut in half lengthwise I’d expect to be flat on one end. Don’t want to ruin this!
RecipeTeacher
Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll make the wording more clear. Cut it in half just like in the pictures.
Karena
So delicious! The gravy is so good. Perfectly tender. And it’s really quick and easy.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback, Karena!
Diana
Should I change the cook time if I’m using an 8 quart instant pot instead of 6?
Thanks!
RecipeTeacher
Nope. Leave the same.
dale geraldson
Made this tonite . Came out great Only to much pepper for me next one I will cut in half Best recpe so far for pork tenderloin
★★★★★
Doug
Great recipe! Meat was perfectly tender. I substituted corn starch with arrowroot. Use a little less arrowroot than the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch it calls for.
★★★★★
Brooklyn13
This was amazing!!! Checking out all of your other recipes now……so excited!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks Brooklyn! Hope you find some other good ones too!
Mike
Great recipe but I made some modifications. Used cola instead of broth, threw in a handful of garlic cloves and a sliced onion before pressure cooking. Came out great. Garlic was soft and sweet. I pulled them out of the liquid before thickening the gravy so they wouldn’t mush it up, tossed them back in right before dishing out the gravy. Family loved it.
Janice
My family loves this pork tenderloin, even my super picky son. I was wondering if this recipe could be adapted for a boneless pork lion filet that I accidentally picked up instead of the tenderloin. Thanks
★★★★★
Peggy
I’m just looking at this recipe as I have an almost 2 lb tenderloin (in 2 pieces). Most all the tenderloins in the store come this way. Does this mean they have already been cut in half lengthwise, or do it still have to split them and have 4 separate pieces? Please let me know. Peggy
RecipeTeacher
Hi Peggy, yes I recommend cutting them in half. Each of those prepackaged pieces are one tenderloin each.
Bernie
Word! Made the mistake of not separating once. Ended up pink inside. Under cooked is easier to adjust for than over cook but yeah you want keep this to ~3″ diameter pieces to cook correctly. How do I know? You learn from your mistakes.
Jon
This was the bomb. Gravy was delicious. Definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks Jon!
Katie
I made this last night for dinner. It was delicious! I have a Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker instead of an Instant Pot. One disadvantage is I do not have the option to pressure cook (manual). I have tried to learn to adapt recipes to somewhat match. I used the Poultry setting and it only allows minimum of 15 minutes. I was worried it would overcook, but it did not. Also, with stores being a bit crazy at this time, I improvised on some of the seasonings and did not have the liquid smoke. Still great recipe! Thank you for sharing it.
★★★★★
Cheryl
That was so good. My picky family of 4 really enjoyed it. Last night we had breakfast due to no food in the house and the cancellation of our plans for spring break. I love my instant pot and the wonderful meals it has created. Restaurant quality without the cost.
Thank you
Grace
So, so delicious and fool proof.
★★★★★
Wanda
Great recipe! My very picky six year old ate more than I did! Will definitely make again. He even asked for leftovers the next day! (Made with homemade Mac and cheese, corn on the cob and biscuits)
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
I love when picky eaters like it! And this coming from a picky eater myself. Thanks for the feedback, Wanda!
Christie
Made this last night and it WAS the best damn tenderloin! I used one of the Hormel preseasoned tenderloins in Peppercorn flavor. I reduced the pepper by half and next time I will reduce the salt by half too. I did still rinse it and pat it dry. Served it with mashed potatoes and corn. The gravy made plenty for the pork and taters with extra leftover.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I was so impressed at how moist it stayed and the flavor was amazing!!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome! Thank you so much Christie!!
Brenda S
I have a pressure cooker, not an insta pot. Would I do 3 min then turn off once the pressure is built up? or just turn heat up to high for 3 min and then shut off? Thank you for info!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Brenda… let it come to pressure, then the 3 minutes begins. Let me know how it goes for you.
Kelly Armstrong
I made this last night. Best gravy!! Never know what to do with a pork tenderloin. Thanks so much! I did cut it in half vertically. It still came out amazing! Next time,I will cut it horizontally,as you directed!
★★★★★
Valerie Thal-Slocum
I did not have any liquid smoke, so eliminated it. I also cut the sugar in half.
I threw a couple of small sweet potato’s in on top of the pork.
It was the Best Damn pork tenderloin, ever!! Thanks
★★★★★
Bob Caie
Amazing recipe, thanks for posting it! This was one of the best pork tenderloin meals I have ever made, and I’ve done a lot. My family was raving over the gravy!
Dwayne
How do you modify this recipe if I want to fill the pot with carrots, potatoes, celery and the tenderloin. Thank you.
Kathy
With the exception of being a little too peppery for me, my tenderloin came out PERFECT! It’s so tender I can cut it with my fork. I paired it with steamed broccoli w/ lemon and some roasted sweet potatoes and it was a wonderful meal for company! This one’s a keeper for certain!
★★★★★
Joan Cameron
I wanted butternut squash as a side with this pork tenderloin, so just added 2 big chunks to the pot when adding the meat back into the broth, before the pressure cook. Left cooking time as stated. Worked like a charm!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Oh that sounds awesome, Joan! I love butternut squash!
Tracy
I have had my insta pot for over a year now and have just started cooking with it the last few weeks. I bought the tenderloins on sale and looked up a recipe with ingredients I had. I am so glad I stumbled on to yours! I did not have liquid smoke but I used smoked paprika in hopes it would add what I was missing. I cooked 2 1.6lb tenderloins and doubled the rub and added 1/4c broth. I also cooked it for 4 mins. It was amazing. I will be cooking this again. I will use less pepper next time but it was fantastic either way. Thank you for a great easy dinner that give what it promises. Made mashed potatoes and buttered corn for sides. Perfact.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Outstanding!! I’m glad you found the recipe and it worked so well for you. Thanks for the feedback, Tracy!
Lori S. Chofnas
Is a pork loin filet the same as a tenderloin? I’m so confused!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Lori. No they are actually quite different. If it’s a pork loin filet, do 25-30 minutes.
Miriam
If I only use half of the tenderloin would I follow the same instructions. My husband and I find half of a tenderloin enough for us.
Miriam
RecipeTeacher
Hi Miriam. Yes follow same instructions.
Ryan
If I double the pork tenderloins to two (3lbs) how much will it change the cooking time?
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Ryan. Same cooking time. Just make sure you’ve got a little space between them.
Kathleen A Harrington
Holy Cow!!! I’m just so used to pork being tough that this blew my mind. Might just give up steak for this. I think the only thing that I would do is.
1. cook it an extra minute. Just a little too pink for me
2. add some kind of “tang” to it. I needed something…. any ideas on that?
Side of sauteed yellow squash and a leftover baked potato… gone!!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Kathleen, you could always add a little apple cider vinegar to the broth. Or white wine vinegar. I’m glad you liked it!
Rhonda
Made this tonight, love the rub, although after reading the comments, I did cut back on the pepper. My meat had been inbthe freezer, I had let it thaw in the frig overnight. The tenderloin was on the small size, I let it naturally release till the pin is dropped. It was good, just not as tender as I would have hoped. Next time, I think I will only do 2 mins. Gravy hit the spot.
Amy
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I bought an instant pot two months ago, and I am loving it oodles. I am an impatient cook and do not enjoy the process of cooking, preparing, and cleanup at all. Instant pot is a huge blessing on time, and so is this recipe! I was shopping this weekend and bought a pork tenderloin because the last one worked out so well (not roast, but tenderloin, though I see someone posted that your recipe does really well with a roast as well!).! I brined this one for 12 hours. I followed the instructions on the rub, and put the pork tenderloin in the instant pot for 10 minutes — oops, the recipe only calls for 3 minutes. I figured if the meat turns out overcooked and mealy, I can shred it and turn it into a sandwich, it’ll taste great just the same, but the tenderloin turned out perfect, just like the first one! Thank you again for sharing this recipe…you just can’t go wrong with it!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
That’s awesome, Amy! I’m glad the extra time worked out ok. I’m sure the brining made a big difference in that regard. Thank you so much for the feedback and welcome to the world of Instant Pot cooking!
Susan
EXCELLENT! Will it freeze well after cooking? This is my third time with this recipe! DELICIOUS!
RecipeTeacher
Thanks, Susan!! Yes indeed you can freeze leftovers.
Jennifer
My entire family LOVED this dish so much that they want me to make it every week. I was skeptical about the cooking time but it was phenomenal. This time I’m going to try it with a 2lb Pork Loin that my husband cut into chunks. How would the recipe change for this? Thanks in advance!!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Excellent! Every week sounds good to me! As for the 2lb pork loin, is it a pork tenderloin or pork loin/loin roast? If it’s a tenderloin do everything the same. If it’s a loin, it’s actually a different cut of meat and will require longer cooking time.
Jennifer
It is a pork loin, not tenderloin. That’s why I figured it would need to cook longer.
RecipeTeacher
Ok, I’ve had good luck with those doing 20-25 minutes, then do a 10 min natural release.
Mary
What about a pork loin filet? Is that the same as a tenderloin?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Mary. They are actually quite different. Closer to 25 min for a pork loin filet.
Della Nippert
Thank you for this simple to follow recipe!
I made it a couple of weeks ago and now making it again!
I have to say, I was skeptical about the 3 minute time, but it came out so good! and the gravy…YUM!
I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Della. Yep, the pork tenderloin comes out SO good at 3 minutes. I’m happy you liked it!! Thank you for the feedback!
Megan
SO good! So easy! I do recommend less pepper, a bit much but very tasty! So worth doing the gravy too!! Paired with some mashed potatoes, so good!
This is a keeper!
★★★★★
Amy Johnson
This was AWESOME. I don’t care for liquid smoke and used balsamic vinegar instead. Turned out fantastic! Thank you!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
That’s awesome, Amy! I love balsamic vinegar too. Glad liked it!
Cherrie
I understand the “mins”, but when cooking manually, you do not seem to indicate..(?) If you turn ‘off’ the keep warm option. Thank you for your recipe
I would live toreceive your feedback. I purchased the ‘top’ Instant Pot, at the time, a couple years ago, so mine might be..(?)..perhaps a little..’outdated ‘?..
RecipeTeacher
Hi Cherrie. No I actually do not turn off the keep warm function. I also purchased “top” Instant Pot a few years ago and it’s still going strong. 🙂
Nolyhan
So many reviews but what the heck, I’ll add mine too!
Outstanding!
Bought a 3 pack and can’t wait to make this again. Don’t know that I like liquid smoke but I may just have to buy some to find out! Company worthy and so fast and simple. Thank you!
(now going to look for more of your recipes) 🙂
★★★★★
Catherine Hammill
The only thing I would change on this recipe is less pepper – it was a bit overwhelming. The meat was perfection though and the gravy was great too. It’s a keeper for sure!
★★★★★
Jeff
I had twice the amount of pork – two TLs. So I doubled everything. it was good but: too much pepper, too much smoke….I would half each of those.. I used mesquite smoke instead of my normal hickory (not sure that had much to with it but it did change the flavor profile.) I also added a mirpioux (onions, carrots and celery) which made a big upgrade to the sauce. Otherwise I like my pork a little on the pinkish side….I did NOT change to cook time and found it was way overdone. Moist but overdone.
Just my experience……have fun.
Next time will be better, bit that won’t be for awhile as I have a boat load of pork to eat for the next few weeks.
cheers
Elaine
So I followed the recipe exactly but used a 2.5 pound pork loin instead of tenderloin. Cooked it as you suggested for 23 minutes and it was AMAZING!! I’m not as afraid of the instant pot now and look forward to using it again. Thanks!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Ok I kid you not, I was just at the store and looking at pork loin roast and thinking about your post/question and wondering if you had made it. I’m SO glad to hear it worked out! I’ve got a pork loin recipe in the works so stay tuned for that too. Thanks for letting me know how it went, Elaine! I appreciate all the feedback. 🙂
Kristy G
Very YUMMY! Very Tender! Very easy to follow instructions! I will for sure continue to make this recipe and I’m excited to try other recipes that you have. Thanks for sharing. It’s a keeper!! 🙂
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks, Kristy!
W1769
I have a package of 3 pork tenderloins, I will be cooking 6 pcs. How much time would suggest?
RecipeTeacher
As long as you have room for everything and they’re not stacked up, time will be the same.
Elaine
I’d like to try this however are you SURE only 3 minutes?! I’m new to the instant pot and must say that I haven’t had good luck with the darn thing (pardon my language). I also have a pork loin not tenderloin so should I cook it longer? Sorry for the questions. This is a make it or break it fir this pot. If it doesn’t turn out I’m giving it to my daughter.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Elaine. So to answer the question about the pork “tenderloin” recipe, absolutely yes on the 3 minutes time. You see, cooking is actually happening during the time it comes to pressure, as well as during the release time. Also, many other Instant Pot pork tenderloin recipes recommend 0 or 1 minute for the “cooking” time. But I suggest the 3 minutes as I like them to be more well done. Now here’s the thing, a pork “loin” is a different piece of meat than a pork tenderloin. They may look similar, but they do require different times. I am currently in the processing of working on a recipe for pork loin roast, but I don’t have and real specifics just yet. With that said, i’ve done them for 25 minutes and have had success with that. The Instant Pot and pressure cooking may seem daunting at first, but I promise, once you have a good recipe or two under your belt, you’ll fall in love with it as so many others have.
RUTH
TRIED IT AND IT CAME OUT PERFECT , I WAS AFRAID OF THE INSTA POT FOR TWO MONTHS IT SAT ON THE SHELF AND THEN GOT BRAVE AND DID IT , I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT , I USE IT ALL THE TIME IN FACT I BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE A 8 QT AND HAD TO HAVE MY HUSBAND FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE IT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE 6 QT BUT SUCCESS , MY HUSBAND LOVES THE FOOD FROM THE INST POT AND I HAVE HAD 3 OTHER WOMEN FRIENDS USE THEM NOW . ITS 21ST CENTURY COOKING FOR SURE AND I AM VERY VERY PARTICULAR BECAUSE IM AN EXCELLENT COOK . LOVE THIS RECIPE AND LOVE MY INSTA POTS 🙂
★★★★★
Ann marie
If you have 2 tenderloins do you double the liquid and time or will it GE the same
Tiffany
Can this recipe be done in the crockpot? It sounds amazing but I don’t have an instant pot. If so should I go ahead and add the broth at the beginning?
Karen
HI Elaine – I was skeptical myself and cooked for 5 minutes. I think 4 minutes would have been the sweet spot although this recipe was AWESOME! Not sure if you tried it yet but I got rave reviews. I used a little more brown sugar and could have used slightly less pepper but it was definitely a hit.
Elaine
Hi Karen I did try it and it turnout out awesome! Except I had a pork loin not tenderloin (2.5 pounds). I followed the recipe exactly and the recipe teacher suggested I cook my loin for 23 minutes which I did. Was fantastic ! Glad to hear yours was a hit too!
Deb Ducker
I am going to make with potatoes and carrots, still using 3 min and adding 1/2 cup more liquid. Hope for the best. Also will be using less pepper. Made it before and was too spicy for my picky eater.
Zach
Can you use this recipe with a frozen tenderloin?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Zach, though technically you can, you wouldn’t be able to do the seating with the rub, which is a big part of the recipe.
Patti Baker
I purchased a Smithfield 2.5 lb. two pack at the grocery store. I followed your suggestions and doubled the dry ingredients and kept the liquids the same. I PC it for 3 minutes. Perfection! We follow a Keto lifestyle and it was so easy to adapt for us. I subbed Sukrin Gold, a brown sugar substitute, and 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum for the cornstarch, That worked beautifully. Thank you so much for the new pork tenderloin recipe. Quick and easy for a weeknight and would be perfect for company too.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
That’s awesome, Patti! Very cool that you made it keto as well. Thank you for the feedback!
Mike
Usually there are 2 tenderloins in the package and I normally make both. Would you suggest doubling everything and just extend the time?
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Mike. Is it the Costco twin pack? I’d double the dry rub for sure and if all fits in the Instant Pot comfortably no time adjustment should be necessary.
Mike
No its just the normal package that I get from Kroger. There are always 2 pork tenderloins in it. so just double the rub and leave the same amount of liquid?
RecipeTeacher
Oh ok. You should have plenty of liquid but you can always add another 1/2 cup just to be sure.
Lois
I’d love to know directions for Costco twin pack!(5.63lbs) making enough for a lot of guests. Would love to do it in 1 batch but don’t want to ruin it. Appreciate your suggestion!!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Lois. Those Costco twin packs sure seem popular! But, I’ve yet to do a batch of that amount. I’m going to soon though because others have asked. But, it’s such a short cooking time you could do a couple of batches in a short period of time. Just adjust the ingredients accordingly.
Hec
At first I was skeptical. A lot of recipes online promise a tender juicy dish while using the InstaPot but don’t deliver. My god did this recipe delivered. Tender, juicy and above all, delicious. And the gravy? Phenomenal. If I could give this recipe more stars I would. Saving this recipe, it’s amazing.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
That’s so awesome of you Hec! Thank you!!
Sara
This turned out amazing. Very tender and great flavor. The gravy was a great touch. Kids devoured it with no complaints which means a lot.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Yes!! I love when a recipe gets kid approved. Thanks, Sara!
Angela
Quick question, if I use 2.5 lbs of pork tenderloin what ratio of the liquid and cooking time would I adjust? TIA.
RecipeTeacher
Liquid will be the same. That large of a tenderloin may need an additional minute.
Angela
Thank you so much for your reply.
Jody
Hi. I was so excited to try this when I saw the recipe.I had a 1.67lb tenderloin and I thought I had followed the recipe to the T but for some reason it did not come out tender. It was very tough. I cant figure out whereI went wrong. Everyone’s comments say how great theirs came out. Any thoughts? I use my instant pot all the time and this is the first time this has happened. I want to make this again but am hesitant. Thank you!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Jody. I’m really sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. It’s been so successful, it’s hard to say if you did anything wrong at all. I’m wondering if the particular tenderloin you got may have been the culprit? Was it indeed a pork tenderloin and not a pork loin roast?
Dale
well done Sir. this is a definite top 5 on my instant pot list
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
And I thank you for the feedback Dale.
Jackie
Probably one of the best and easiest Instant Pot recipes for pork tenderloin. This will now be on our menu rotation for the future. Thank you.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome to hear!! Thanks Jackie!
Bob
The recipe as is, is perfect! I did gild the lily a bit by deglazing the pan with white wine. I did omit the sugar for my wife. Tender. Tasty. Will be a repeat offender in this house! One more note, it’s an inexpensive, tasty dinner. Nicely done.
RecipeTeacher
Thanks for the feedback, Bob. And you get the Reviewer of the Day award for using “gild the lily”. I love it!!
Bob
In addition, I also added a teaspoon of fish sauce to the gravy.
Lois Wallace
This was a fabulous recipe. I used a little extra smoked paprika in my rub and added dehydrated onions and chives to the chicken stock before making gravy. I actually forgot and started an IR instead of NR but quickly turned it back and reset pot for 1 more minute because tenderloin wasn’t quite done. It worked perfectly!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Lois! Sounds like you made some great adjustments and I’m glad it worked out perfectly in the end.
Jen.Lo
This has quickly become one of my fave go to recipes. Not only is it QUICK and EASY. My entire family (including my pickiest eaters) love it and ask for it almost weekly.
I follow everything as written besides doubling the amount of seasoning rub because I generally use twice the called for amount of pork. Time/liquid unchanged from recipe.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Jane
100% this is the best pork tenderloin recipe ever. I used smoked paprika as I didn’t have liquid smoke. Was soooo good. Thank you! 💕
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Jane! Yeah, smoked paprika is great on it too.
Lynette N. Melton
I don’t see my original comment, asking about cooking several tenderloins in one pot. I cooked 3 in each pot.l, following the recipe except for subbing Lakanto brown sugar substitute. They were perfect!
★★★★★
Teresa
Yum yum yum. So tender so easy. I will make again and again.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome! Thanks so much for the feedback, Teresa!!
Shajur
Could you substitute maple syrup or honey for the brown sugar? Or just leave it out?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Shajur, I’ve not done it with honey or maple syrup. Not sure how that would work during the searing process. Maybe just leave it out.
Betty Christian
I fixed this last night and substituted the brown sugar with coconut sugar! It was really good and was diabetic friendly for my son.
Josh
I also added 1 clove of garlic and 3/4 of a smaller yellow onion. This was incredible! My only question would be, should this gravy be illegal?!?! Yum!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Right?! Glad you dig it, Josh! Thank you for the feedback!
LNM
I need to cook 5 1 to 1.5-lb tenderloins for NYD. Should I increase the cook time? Thank you.
RecipeTeacher
It depends, I wouldn’t do them all at once. Depending on the size of your instant pot I’d probably recommend at least 2 batches. You don’t want to stack the meat for sure. And pork tenderloin is ver lean and you don’t want to overcook. Stay with the 3 minutes and if, after cooking you think they need another minute or two, you can still do that.
LNM
Thank you. I have a 6 at and a 5 at, so can possibly do them all at once, in two pots.
RecipeTeacher
Let me know how it goes
Mrs Prish
I’m so excited to try this tonight! I’m making some modifications as I don’t have onion or garlic powder so I’ll be using fresh garlic and red onion in the saute. Just curious, can I add the broccoli on top of the tenderloin and cook it with? Will my broccoli be mush by the end of the 15 min NPR?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Mrs Prish. Yeah the broccoli may get a little mushy but, it’s worth a try. Let me know how it goes!
HOLLY YOUNG
Welp, here I am back here again for this amazing recipe my husband ASKS for at least 2x a month. Just the most delicious pork recipe around, and I am not even a huge FAN of pork….this recipe changed that!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Ha!!! I love it!! Thanks, Holly! I’ve got a bunch more recipes right around the corner I hope you guys will like too. Thank you for the feedback!
Diana
Is the brown sugar in the dry rub very noticeable? I’m wondering how sweet it will taste or if it’s masked by the other flavors in the rub.
Thanks!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Diana, the brown sugar, through prominent in this recipe, really accents the natural flavors of the pork and works great with the other ingredients in the rub mix. It’s not candy sweet, but it’s not “not sweet” either. 🙂
Barb
This was my very first Instant Pot meal and it turned out WONDERFUL! I have an 8qt Duo so I adjusted the liquid amount. I put the Worcestershire and liquid smoke in a 2 cup measuring cup and filled to 1 1/2 cup mark with Chicken Broth. I also sautéed some finely diced onion and minced garlic with the pork. We love our onions and garlic. Left them in the liquid when I made the gravy.
The ‘rub’ is very similar to one I already use on pork so I knew that we’d love this one. And we did. Hubby and dog went back for seconds and I’m sure the dog would have gone for thirds if she could reach the counter.
A definite KEEPER Instant Pot recipe.
Thanks very very much!
RecipeTeacher
Awesome! I love hearing this, Barb! So glad your first Instant Pot recipe was a success. Love the addition of the onions and garlic too. 🙂
Susanna Bour
Im in a panic. I have a 3# pork tenderloin that I need to fix for 8 guests the day after thanksgiving and cannot find how long to cook that size in my instant pot. Please advise.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Susanna. That’s awfully large for a pork tenderloin, but not entirely unheard of. Just to be sure, are you certain it’s a tenderloin and not a pork loin roast or pork loin filet? If it is indeed a tenderloin, cut it in half, double the dry ingredients in the recipe, and pressure cook on high for 4-5 minutes. If it needs more time, it would just be a minute or two and you can always put it back in. You can test it quickly with an instant read thermometer. You want it between 145 and 160 degrees F.
Julie P.
I’m in the same boat. I have a 2.75 lb. tenderloin. Yup – a tenderloin for sure. Must have been some pig! I’ll try the extra time and rub.
Judy
EXCELLENT…will make again!
Catherine
This was amazing, my whole family loved it. Thank you so much!
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Catherine!
Veronica
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious!
I had a pork loin verses a tenderloin, so I cut it into 4 pieces. Followed the directions as written, except I used Splenda Brown Sugar, and it was a big hit with my husband. Will make it again when the family comes to visit.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome! I’m glad it worked out well with the Splenda brown sugar. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for the feedback, Veronica!
Kelly
This was DELICIOUS! The gravy was a bit on the spicy side. Maybe it was the liquid smoke I used? Could one of the other ingredients make it really spicy? Could i cut down or cut out the liquid smoke, or will that ruin the flavor?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Kelly. Maybe the pepper gave it a little kick. The liquid smoke doesn’t have any heat. I’m glad you liked it! Thank you for the feedback.
Calico
Thank you, I’m making it tonight. I’ll stick with the 3 minutes since pork doesn’t need to be well done.
RecipeTeacher
Let me know how it goes!
Callie
I made this per the recipe (except a bigger piece of pork). It was fantastic, definitely will make it again.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Yes! Glad it worked out for you, Callie. Thanks for the feedback!
Carolyn
I am normally not a big pork fan, but I ate 4 pieces of this!!!! The flavor is awesome.
★★★★★
Michele
Made this tonight and OH. MY. GOD! I don’t have liquid smoke, don’t know where to buy it, and not sure what it adds to the recipe, but this was delicious without it. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Love it! Thanks, Michele! If you liked it without the liquid smoke, it’s all good then. 🙂
Michele
Cooking it again tonight WITH the liquid smoke. Can’t wait to see what it brings.
Kathy
I am new to instant pot cooking. Do you put the meat on the rack or straight into the pot without the rack?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Kathy. For this recipe the pork tenderloin goes right into the liquid in the pot. No trivet or rack required.
Calico
I could only find a 2.35lb pork tenderloin, how much time would I need to add to the high pressure time?
RecipeTeacher
So that’s a larger sized tenderloin, you’ll still be cutting in half and doing everything g else the same. You “may” want to add 1 more minute to the time but, I’m guessing 3 minutes will still give you an excellent result.
Deb
I’ve never needed to increase time in recipes even if I’ve increased amounts. One of the great joys of the instant pot.
Diana
This was delicious! Question: how did you get your gravy so dark? I followed your recipe to a tee and my gravy was brown.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Diana, thanks for the kind words! The lighter color gravy could really be just about anything from the particular stock/broth you use, the amount of cornstarch, the amount of bits you scrape up from the bottom of the pot, etc. I usually really let the pork sear extra long and that creates quite a bit of char on the bottom of the pot that eventually gets scraped up and incorporated into the gravy. Either way, glad you enjoyed it!
Allena Downey
Diana & Recipe Teacher,
Just a thought….. when I want a darker gravy (for anything), I always use KITCHEN BOUQUET & SEASONING SAUCE. It’s available in spice isle of most supermarkets. It’s a small brown bottle with yellow label & lid.
Even though it says seasoning sauce – it doesn’t (in my opinion) change the flavor in any way. Just adds a nice rich, darker color.
***only use a couple of drops till it’s the color you want. You can always add more, but can’t reverse how much you have added. A small amount goes a LONG way.
Good luck & let me know how it works for you. Happy cooking!
I’ll be making this dish tmr. Turkey is all gone, off to a different meat 🙂
RecipeTeacher
That’s good stuff. Thanks for pointing that out, Allena!
Julie
This is FANTASTIC!!!!!!! I usually marinate my pork loins and grill them, I was very time consumed and decided to try this recipe. So glad I did, it is one of my favorites, especially that gravy!!!!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Julie! Yeah that gravy is something else!
Rose Jackson
You are so right. This is the best damn instant pot pork tenderloin ever! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I didn’t have any bottled Worchestershire sauce so, I made some from scratch.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much for the kind words, Rose!
MARIANNE BLACK
Can this meal be frozen after it cools for future use?Has anyone actually done this? Thank you in advance.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Marianne… yes you can freeze it after cooking. Wrap it up good in freezer bags.
Lisa
This was very good. Had everything in the cupboard I needed to make it, just had to buy the tenderloin and a side. Will make again but next time I will only let it NPR for 10 minutes rather than 15. Gravy was wonderful! Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
David
Simply outstanding. Ready in 30 minutes. Served over cauliflower rice with steamed broccoli. Will highly recommend and will make again.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much David!
Jana
I’m wondering if you have ever tried this using several lb of regular pork loin? If so, how many minutes would you cook it for since it’s a bigger cut of meat?
Angela
Delicious!! I used a tenderloin that was already marinated in mushroom onion. I cut it into four pieces and followed the recipe without the spices since it was already marinated. I didn’t have chicken broth so I used beef. Delish and tender! Thank you!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much Angela! I’ve used those marinated tenderloins too and we like them a lot. I really appreciate the kind words and the feed back!
Delores Bruyette
I get tired of the same food made the same way all the time. I’m always looking for new recipes for the same meats. I found your recipe in the tenderloin section. Well it turned out great. I will cut the pepper in half next time. It is the best darn tenderloin recipe.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you so much Delores!! I really appreciate the kind words!
Cynthia
You weren’t lyin’ when you named this”best damn!” This turned out amazing! I will definitely cook this again and I will be following you for more recipes.
Thank you!
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Cynthia!!
Grace
Made it its lovely, We rarely find liquid smoke in stores here so i left that out. Teeny bit salty think I might have put in a little too much salt. Cant wait to see hubbys face 😁😁 will make again.
★★★★★
Carley
I’m planning to make this, but with a frozen tenderloin. Would you increase the cook time to say 6 min and naturally release? Any suggestions! Thanks in advance.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Carley… it’s generally said that cooking time for most meats is about the same, and that is just takes longer for the pressure cooker to come to pressure. That said, you don’t want over cook pork tenderloin. I’d say check it after 4 minutes (adding just 1 minute). You can always thrown it back in for another couple of minutes.
Sally
I made this last night. I am always trying new recipes. I wanted something different and I did not want my pork to be dry. WOW. This was wonderful. I did cut the pepper in half, but followed the recipe other than that. I tripled the chicken broth, Worcestershire and liquid smoke because I had two tenderloins and mashed potatoes. I cooked it for 3 minutes in the pressure cooker, and it came out perfect.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks so much, Sally!!
Linda
Thank you so much for your post. Love how u explained everything, just hard to wrap head around 3 minutes will cook pork but it did was just wonderful. Thanks for sharing😉
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome I’m glad you liked it Linda! Thanks for the feedback and kind words.
Kim
The title of this recipe is the most accurate title for a recipe. My husband literally drank the left over gravy. Lol I just wanted to thank-you for the recipe. This is probably my families favorite IP recipe.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you SO much, Kim!
Haruko
I did 4 mins because I had 2 tenderloins for a total of a little more than 2.5 lbs and I am always worry about undercooking my meat — but 3 mins would have been perfect as the recipe instructs. Overall a good and easy recipe. My husband and I liked it, my kids not so much but they are picky.
★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Kids are tough to please for sure. But glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback!
Janet Barger
I made this last evening, yes it was fast and delish! My tenderloin was a tad lest the 1 1/2 pounds. I did the recipe as written. I just didn’t think it made much gravy at all,
★★★★
Katrina MILLER
Has anyone added potatoes to the IP while cooking this? I’m thinking cubed potatoes so I don’t have to cook a starch separately. Otherwise I can cook rice first, since I use my IP for rice too!
RecipeTeacher
Hey Katrina… I have indeed done potatoes at the same time and it’s worked out great! I haven’t added it to recipe yet though, only because I’ve wanted to make sure everyone has had success with the pork tenderloin itself – which, has been very positive.
For the potatoes I always use the very small Yukon gold and cut them in half or quarters depending on size. Keep in mind that the potatoes will take on the flavor of the liquid, and also affect the gravy because the potatoes will absorb some of the liquid, so it might take a little trial and error.
Nicole Endres
I have a 5 1/2 lb. Pork tenderloin. Was going to cut lengthwise and triple the rub ingredients so I will have enough for the meat. Sine my loin is shorter (fits in pot) and cut lengthwise, would you recommend additional cooking time. Thank you in advance for your recommendation.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Nicole. The cook time should be the same. It’s such a short cook time anyways but if, when done you feel it should be done more, there’s no harm in cooking an additional minute but probably no more than that. Let me know how it comes out!
Amy
This was so good! It was little pepper heavy, so we will probably half it next tume, but the other flavors were spot on.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks Amy! Yeah I’m a self confessed pepper fan. 🙂
Cate
This was awesome!! Was looking for an easy recipe for tonight, had no idea what I felt like eating and this was SO good. The gravy is delicious! The only thing I did different was I mixed the cornstarch with water first and then just poured it in!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
I’m so glad you liked it, Cate! Thank you for the feedback!
Mimi
Can’t remember if I reviewed this already. But it not, here goes. This is the BEST DAMN pork tenderloin recipe. I doubled the seasons (because why not?). The only thing I’d do is cut back on the paprika a little so the kids won’t say it has too much kick.
★★★★★
Jenn
No leftovers! Easy and quick for a week night dinner – Thank you!
★★★★★
Renee Viens
This was awesome–I didn’t have the liquid smoke and yet it came out perfectly and still very tasty! I love this recipe and how easy it was and will make it again!
★★★★★
Dan
Hoping to make this tomorrow night for dinner! One question: is the liquid smoke absolutely required? Has anyone tried it without and how did it turn out? Thanks!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Dan. While the liquid smoke certainly adds a “distinctiveness” to the overall flavor, you can certainly make it without it. It will still turn out great! looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.
Rob
Tonight we will be having this for the 1st time. I won’t use liquid smoke, I will use Smoked Paprika instead. I use Smoked Paprika in recipes that will benefit from a little smoky flavor.
RecipeTeacher
I LOVE smoked paprika. We have a couple of spice shops we go to just to get it. Adds a terrific flavor.
Rosemary carrera
This is amazing! I think my pork could come out a little more tender. I’m an Instapot rookie, so I’m not sure how to do that. Any ideas?
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Rosemary. Even for Instant Pot veterans, nailing the perfect recipe for a particular cut of meat can be trial and error. For pork tenderloin, many recipes are just 1,2 or 3 minutes. It’s such a lean cut of meat and cooking takes place while the pot is coming to pressure, and also while the pressure is releasing. I’ve always had the best results at right around the 3 minute cooking mark, but you could always try a minute less, or even a minute or two more of the tenderloin is on the larger size.
Dale
Fast easy and delicious. Due to medical conditions I cannot stand on my feet too long so, always looking for a recipe that is fast and can you go in an oven or the instant pot where I don’t have to stand over it. My only concern was the amount of liquid smoke. I thought it would be too smoky but, turned out perfect. And for those who thought it was too spicy, this was probably because of the grind of your pepper. A course grain which is what was in the recipe, does not have as many granules as, say table pepper. And I didn’t get my gravy dark brown but not as dark as yours.
Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Glad this worked out well for you, Dale! Thank you for the feedback and kind words.
Debbie
Absolutely delicious. I’ll definitely make this again! Couldn’t be easier.
★★★★★
Jen
Wow, just made this tonight. I am not a pork fan, but this was finger licking good. My husband and I destroyed the pork. I made knoedel to go with it. The gravy didn’t thicken, but delish regardless! Pinned and will be my go to for pork tenderloin.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks, Jen!
Branes51
Next time pour the drippings into a saucepan and heat them up before adding the slurry. The instant pot doesn’t really get the sauce hot enough.
Cher
I have a pork loin in the fridge that I want to try and use and this seems like a great recipe. How can I adjust the recipe/cook time for it?
Evan Panagiotopoulos
Just cook it the way it tell you here, for three minutes and then do the “natural” release.
I’ve tried this recipe and it’s a slam dunk.
Evan
★★★★★
Cheryl
I am making this right now. Hope it comes out well! One question though – the tenderloins I buy come 2 tenderloins per package. So I am going to just cook both. I doubled the dry rub ingredients, but for the liquid/gravy would that need to be doubled as well? Or is the one cup of broth enough for two tenderloins? I’d hate to have too much liquid!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Cheryl! Sorry I couldn’t respond sooner. You should have enough liquid for 2 tenderloins. You can always increase by about 1/2 cup if need be and still have a good amount for the gravy.
James
Can I make 4-6 pork loins at once?
RecipeTeacher
Hi James, for 4-6 pork tenderloins, you’d definitely be needing the room of a larger pressure cooker and would certainly need to adjust the amount of the dry rub accordingly. I usually make a whole jar of the dry rub and keep for other recipes as well. You also might be better off cooking that many in 2 batches.
Deborah Morris
I made it tonight for the first time. It turned out awesome. I have a sensitive mouth, so I think I will reduce the amount of pepper next time. That didn’t stop me from eating it, though!
★★★★★
Heather
So easy and everyone loves it! Thank you.
★★★★★
alex
Wonderful recipe! I didn’t have liquid smoke but it still was yummy. I roasted sweet potatoes slices to go with this meat and it was a big hit! Very easy and I will be making this again. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Jan
Delicious and so easy! Will definitely make this again…and again. Thank you!
★★★★★
Holly i
If I am using approximately 3 pounds of pork tenderloin, should I double the pressure cooking time to 6 minutes. Or will the 3 minutes suffice? Thank you.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Holly. Stay with the 3 minutes.
Brian
O.K. So, this is the 2nd time I’ve made this in the past 3 weeks & it is truly amazing. It’s actually better the 2nd time as I know what I’m doing now. I can’t begin to express how good this is. If you’ve got an Instapot or like, just follow the recipe & you’ll be hooked.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks for the feedback, Brian! I’m so glad you love this as much as we do!
Brian
I made this for yvr first time tonight and it was so easy…ready & on the table in just under 30 minutes & far exceeded my expectations….truly lived up to the name…best damn instant pot pork tenderloin…I will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Stephanie S
The dish lives up to its name – best damn pork tenderloin! Couldn’t be any easier or tastier!
★★★★★
Gail
Made this for dinner tonight – turned out delicious and was so easy! Definitely will make again!
Lisa Polydoros
Very good. Extremely tender. Family loved it. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kathy
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. It was easy to make and very good. I will make again.
★★★★★
Sylvia L Gregg
Good recipe. Pork was tender and gravy delicious. Will make again.
Teresa Bazeley
Excellent!! Love the spices and the gravy!!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome Teresa!