Although seemingly complicated and lavish, this pork tenderloin marinade recipe is easier than you’d imagine. Yet the result is nothing short of spectacular. The meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, infused with gorgeous, savory flavors that pull you in more and more with each bite. Accompanied by polenta and roasted vegetables, it’s the effortless shortcut to a fine-dining experience straight from your own kitchen.
Is This Pork Tenderloin Marinade Healthy?
With a balanced amount of protein and vegetables, this dish is a healthy, nutritionally balanced choice for your dinner nights. The main ingredient—pork tenderloin—offers around 38.5 g protein, along with copious other essential nutrients like vitamins B6 and B12, heme iron, and zinc.
The corn and baby carrots are good sources of not only fiber but also various vitamins and minerals. This gives the dish a little bit of everything, maintaining a balanced nutritional value.
Beyond that, the individual ingredients are also carefully measured to comply with our nutrition guidelines without compromising on the flavor. For a 473-calorie serving, this dish only has approximately 7.8 g saturated fat and 600 mg sodium.
Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin Marinade
Don't let the lavish appearance fool you. This dish requires nothing but simple, staple ingredients. Here's everything you need:
- For the main dish:
- Pork: Obviously, our meat cut of choice is the tenderloin. It's lean but still tender and flavorful, a perfect choice for quick-cooking.
- The marinade: Our marinade is a sweet, savory, and subtly zesty mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, soy sauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- For the side dish:
- Baby carrots: Also coated in the marinade and roasted alongside the pork, the baby carrots tie in perfectly with the rest of the dish. It's earthly sweet and intricately flavorful.
- Corn: This is used to infuse specks of natural sweetness into the creamy base.
- Polenta: This is finely ground cornmeal - the main ingredient of our side dish. When cooked, it becomes distinctly creamy and buttery - a perfect contrast with the savory, hearty meat.
- Dairy products: Milk and heavy cream are used with the polenta to make a rich, creamy side.
Don't let this be the only pork tenderloin dish in your arsenal. There's a whole world of possibilities to explore with this versatile meat cut. Check out our Roasted Pork Tenderloin Recipe and Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe for more ideas.
What Else Can You Use for the Marinade?
Taste is entirely subjective, so there might be other ingredients that you'd find more suitable for the marinade. If you're not sure what else to try, these are a few of our suggestions:
- Honey
This is a must-have for those who like their food sweet and vibrant. A tablespoon or two is enough to infuse the marinade with a sweet touch, balancing out the meat's robust, savory richness.
- Worcestershire sauce
Tangy and subtly spicy, this classic condiment gives your marinade a special edge that takes the dish to brand-new heights.
- Spices
There's a world of possibilities with this category. Opt for cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. if you'd like a warm undertone, or cayenne pepper and paprika for a spicy, smoky touch instead.
- Fresh herbs
Chopped herbs are perfect for infusing the meat with an aromatic flair. Just a wisp of parsley's earthy tone or basil's peppery scent is enough to add extra depth to the flavor profile.
What to Serve With This Dish
Already packed with a built-in side, this pork tenderloin marinade is a full meal itself. If you still want a little something extra to round things out, carbs like pasta, noodles, or rice are always the foolproof choices.
Veering into the land of salads, a kidney bean salad is lovely for adding a nutty, starchy tone to the hearty profile. How about a corn salad to tie into the polenta side dish? If you like some vibrant sweetness to contrast all the richness of the main dish, it's perfect.
How to Store and Reheat
In airtight containers in the fridge, this dish should last for up to 3 days.
The meat can be reheated with conventional methods, such as a quick sear on the pan, a quick roast in the oven, or just the microwave if you can't be bothered. The polenta and roasted baby carrots, however, might not taste as good as leftovers. We suggest making a brand new batch of polenta and switching out the side veggies for a more satisfying eating experience.
How to make Pork Tenderloin Marinade
With a plate of this pork tenderloin marinade on the table, your meal is a surefire success. After all, who could say no to tender, succulent meat drenched in savory, hearty flavors?
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 50 mins
- INACTIVE TIME 40 mins
- COURSE Main dish
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 473 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 22 oz pork tenderloin
- 8 oz baby carrot
- 4 oz corn
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup polenta
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the marinade: In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp garlic, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder and 2 tbsp olive oil together.
Marinate the pork: In a large bowl, coat 22 oz pork tenderloin in the marinade. Let the meat sit for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking.
Make the polenta: In the meantime, bring 1/2 cup water to a high simmer. Slowly whisk 3/4 cup polenta, 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 cup whole milk, and 2 tbsp heavy cream in. Stir until the mixture thickens.
Add the corn: Turn off the heat then add 4 oz corn and stir to mix everything together.
Lay the food onto the baking tray: On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, evenly spread the marinated meat and baby carrots. Sweep whatever's left of the marinade in your bowl all over the veggie. Preheat the oven to 375 °F to prepare for step 6.
Bake the food: Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake the food at 375 °F for around 25 minutes or until the meat thermometer reaches an internal temperature of between 140 °F and 160 °F. Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes once it's out of the oven.
Garnish and serve: Transfer the cooked food onto serving plates alongside the polenta. Sprinkle 2 tbsp parsley for garnish.
NUTRITION
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Daisy Huynh
Writer, Recipe Developer