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
- 1.5 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.
- Season tenderloin with salt and pepper, cut the meat in half.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour sauce over sliced pork tenderloin and serve.
Sharon White says
Hi Anna!
This pork recipe is by far, the best recipe that I make! I follow your very clear directions and serve this recipe that makes me look like a chef! Thank you Anna! My family devours every morsel and there is never a leftover!
Sharon White says
Update 8/25/2024
Still one of our favorite and easy, delicious recipes! Thank you Anna many times over for this recipe!
kathy says
OMG this was soooo good!
Colleen says
Made this for our dinner tonight and we loved it. Served it with mashed 🥔 potatoes and green beans. Will definitely be making it again.
Linda says
I made this tonight for dinner with salad and fresh Asperagus. It was absolutely delicious. The sauce was delightful, will definitely make this again.
Suzanne Bennett says
Hi,
My tenderloin is 2.15 lbs. So how much longer should I cook? Its def a tenderloin. And has anyone tried with potatoes at same time? Would like to tonight.
Lesah says
Can I double this recipe and cook two pork tenderloins at once? Does it change the cooking time?
Denise says
I may be missing it, but I don’t see whether to chop the garlic or mince it or crush it of just leave the cloves of garlic whole.
Anna says
Hi Denise! I apologize for the confusion. You should mince or finely chop the garlic. Hope this helps!
Barb says
Can I throw in some baby reds or yukons to cook together?
Anna says
Hi Barb! If you cut them into quarters they should be cooked at the same time. I did not test the recipe with potatoes so I can't say for sure.
Tricia says
Oh my goodness!!!! So good and juicy. Plus did not have to turn on the oven!!!! This recipe is surely a keeper. Thank you!!
Anna says
Hi Tricia! Yay! That's fantastic! I am so glad the tenderloin was a hit. Thank you so much for trying my recipe!
Lola Osinkolu says
Wow! Would love these with mashed potatoes!
Emily says
One of the best recipes I have tried in my Instant Pot! Thank you!!
Sara Welch says
What a savory recipe for dinner this is! Adding this to my dinner lineup for the week; looks delish!
Eden says
These came out so good! Making them again!
Steph says
I love how easy this was to make in the instant pot! I'm definitely going to make this more often.
Natasha says
Nothing like the ease and delicious flavor of the instant pot!
Corey says
That look so juicy! Thanks for the info about pork loin, I'll be sure to look for the right one!