Easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin - juicy and tender pork with sweet and tangy gravy, cooked right in your pressure cooker.
This tenderloin can be served with fluffy rice and steamed vegetables OR over mashed potatoes and roasted veggies.
Delicious pork tenderloin with sweet and tangy honey garlic gravy is currently my favorite Instant Pot recipe. It's quick and easy, with just 5 minutes of pressure cooking. This tenderloin is absolutely delicious served with potatoes or rice. If you need a simple yet impressive dish for a weekend dinner or a special occasion, this recipe is for you! Even Instant Pot beginners can make it.
Instructions:
- Start by seasoning the meat and cutting it in half.
- Heat up oil and butter in Instant Pot.
- Brown meat on all sides, no longer than 2 minutes per side.
- Remove meat and deglaze the inner pot with ¼ cup of liquid.
- Place meat on the trivet in Instant Pot. Add remaining liquid into the IP.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.
- Rest the meat on a cutting board while you make the gravy in the IP.
Ingredients:
- pork tenderloin (about 1lb)
- olive oil
- butter
- salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- honey
- low-sodium soy sauce
- apple cider vinegar
- chicken or vegetable stock
- cornstarch
The difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin:
Pork loin and pork tenderloin are often mistaken for each other. They are in fact two different cuts of meat, from different parts of the animal. They cook differently too. Tenderloin is long and thin, with not much fat on it. The loin is shorter but much wider, with a big fat strip at the bottom. Pork tenderloin is much more delicate and easy to overcook. It's great for slicing when roasted or pressure cooker. Pork Loin is great for pork schnitzel if cut into thin cutlets or used to make fantastic pulled pork.
Cooking time:
Since pork tenderloin is lean meat, it cooks quickly. It is easy to overcook it, resulting in dry and tough meat. For a 1lb tenderloin, set the timer to 5 minutes (4 minutes, if you like it pink inside). The IP will take about 3 minutes to come to pressure (that's because we are searing it beforehand). Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes (the pressure pin will drop after 5 minutes, so set the timer).
Can I use frozen pork tenderloin?
If your pork tenderloin is frozen:
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- skip the searing part, just rub meat with salt and pepper.
- Set meat on trivet and add liquid to the inner pot.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 14 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Follow instructions to make gravy.
Best tips:
- brown the meat before pressure cooking: this step will ensure your meat is flavorful and it helps to keep it juicy
- use meat thermometer: always check cooked meat to make sure it reached the recommended temperature. For pork tenderloin, it is recommended to cook it until it is at least 145 degrees F. It will be still slightly pink inside. If you like yours more done, cook until 155 degrees F. It the meat exceeds 165 degrees F, it can be dry and tough.
- Natural Pressure Release (NPR): always let the pressure release naturally when cooking meat. If you switch the valve to release it quickly, it will suck out all the juices out of the meat.
- pork tenderloin vs. pork loin: make sure you buy pork tenderloin, about 1 lb in weight. Some stores sell smaller pork loins and label them as tenderloins. If the meat exceeds 1.5lbs, then most likely it is a pork loin. Pork tenderloin is long and thin, with not much fat on the bottom.
Side dish ideas:
This recipe for pork tenderloin makes a delicious sweet and tangy sauce that goes so well with the meat. It can be served over rice with steamed vegetables or over mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach or roasted vegetables. Feel free to browse our Side Dish category for more ideas.
More Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops
- Best Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Meatloaf
For more pressure cooker recipes, feel free to browse our Instant Pot Category.
New to Instant Pot? Check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance!
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin see note
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup chicken stock or water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos for GF diet
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar see note
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
- Press "saute" button and wait until the display shows HOT.
- Add olive oil and butter to IP and let melt.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter
- Season tenderloin with salt and pepper, cut the meat in half.1 lb pork tenderloin, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Brown meat in butter oil mixture, no longer than 2 minutes per side.
- Remove pork onto a plate.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together chicken stock (or water), soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. Pour ¼ of the cup of liquid to Instant Pot and scrape any cooked on bits from meat, using a wooden spoon. This is called deglazing. It will prevent burn message and it will ensure that all of the flavor is in the sauce.¾ cup chicken stock or water, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot, set meat on top.
- Pour remaining liquid into the IP.
- Close the lid and turn the valve to "sealing" position. The newer models do it on their own.
- Make sure the IP is set to cook at HIGH pressure. Set timer to 5 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will beep after few seconds and will start coming to pressure. That took 3 minutes in my Instant Pot.
- The timer will start. Once done, press "cancel/off" button. Do not switch the valve. Let the pressure release nautrally for 10 minutes (the pressure pin will drop after 5 minutes so it is helpful to set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes; the pork continues to cook during that time). Do not skip this step.
- Carefully open the lid away from your face. Using kitchen tongs, remove meat onto cutting board. Remove trivet from IP.
- Press "saute" button. In a small bowl, whisk honey and garlic. Add to liquid in the Instant Pot and stir well.¼ cup honey, 2 garlic cloves
- In the same small bowl, whisk cornstarch and water. Add to honey garlic liquid and stir well. Let it simmer until it starts to thicken. Turn off the Instant Pot, by pressing "cancel/off" button.2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pour sauce over sliced pork tenderloin and serve.
Alesha says
This was absolutely delicious and done to perfection. Very tender and flavorful. Thank you.
Minny says
Made this recipe tonight...really didn't enjoy the taste of the meat and sauce. It was way too salty and I also found that the meat tasted bland as it was sitting on the trivet instead of being fully simmered in the sauce.