1 skillet and 30 minutes is all it takes to make Maple-Dijon-Cider Pork Tenderloin. Saucy and succulent, this scrumptious gluten-free dinner recipe will knock your socks off.
And I’m back, bay-bee! Hi, hi, hi. How are you?!
We are officially 1+ week back into a routine – ie Ben is back at work, Lincoln is back in school, and I’m doing this WAHM thing with three kids at home – and it’s been…ok? I say that with a question mark because 50% of the time I’m like, ummm, totally killing this Mom of 3 thing (I’m not, but these are the things I tell myself in order to make it to 8pm alive,) and the other 50% of the time I’m nursing Gwen while attempting to keep Cameron from nose diving off the top of the couch (#WILDCHILD) with a Lego guy 1-1/2″ in front of my face as Lincoln tells me said Lego guy’s entire life story.
GOOD TIMES.
Anyway, here we are at the tail end of August and even though schools in the area were closed today because of excessive heat, this is the time of year when I officially check out from summer and set my sights on fall. Bring on orchard visits, big bowls of chili, cozy sweatshirts (emphasis on SWEAT – it is seriously so hot here!) and of course, college football. The University of Iowa has their first game this weekend and I could NOT be more excited. I’ve already got big plans to crack open a gluten-free cider to enjoy whilst cheering on the Hawks, saving one to make this incredible, 1 skillet Maple-Dijon-Cider Pork Tenderloin afterwards.
Whether you make this 30 minute meal as a weekend treat or quick weeknight dinner, just promise me you’ll make it!
Pork tenderloin one of my favorite cuts of meat to utilize for quick and easy dinners that taste decadent yet are nearly foolproof – and cheap, too! Not only is pork tenderloin as tender as steak after a sear on the stovetop followed by a quick roast in the oven, but it’s a fraction of the price. Top it with a saucy, fall-inspired glaze made from a bottle of hard apple cider, Tablespoon of pure maple syrup, and a couple teaspoons of dijon mustard, and I promise you’ll make this recipe again and again and AGAIN, not only this fall but year round too. It’s insanely easy, and that simple pan sauce, which is tart and subtly sweet?
GAME CHANGER.
Dinners these days need to be fairly hands off and quick cooking of course, plus they’ve got to please the whole fam. This recipe is checking ALL the boxes. That said, break out your cast irons, preheat the oven, and let’s get cooking!
Start by heating a thin layer of high heat cooking oil in an oven-safe skillet (preferably cast iron – I have this enameled cast iron skillet,) over medium-high heat. Season a 1-1/4 – 1-1/2lb pork tenderloin all over with 1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme then sear for 1-2 minutes on all four sides, or until each side is golden brown.
NOTE: a pork tenderloin is not the same thing as a pork LOIN, so be sure to get the tenderloin at the grocery store!
Place the entire skillet into a 450 degree oven then roast until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 140 degrees, 8-15 minutes depending on the size of your tenderloin. Transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest while you make the Maple-Dijon-Cider pan sauce.
Place the skillet back over medium-high heat then add a 12oz can or bottle gluten-free hard apple cider, 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons dijon mustard and whisk to combine. If there are burnt herbs or anything you can strain them out with a skimmer or pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve at the very end.
NOTE: remember that the skillet will be blazing hot from the oven – I keep a hot pad on the skillet handle so I don’t forget!
I love using Smith & Forge Cider in this recipe, by the way. It’s one of the driest, least-sweet ciders I’ve had and lends such a light and tart flavor to this pan sauce. Super good!
Let the sauce simmer and reduce for 5 minutes then whisk in 1-1/2 teaspoons corn starch whisked into 2 Tablespoons water and continue to simmer until the sauce is thick and bubbly, another 3-4 minutes. That’s all she wrote!
Slice the pork (I prefer thick slices while Ben requires his sliced very thin and at a diagonal thank you very much,) then spoon the luscious, sticky pan sauce on top. MMMMM, you guys!! Hope you love this simple, fall-inspired dinner – enjoy!
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BBQ Chicken QuesadillasMaple-Dijon-Cider Pork Tenderloin
Description
1 skillet and 30 minutes is all it takes to make Maple-Dijon-Cider Pork Tenderloin. Saucy and succulent, this scrumptious gluten-free dinner recipe will knock your socks off.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 - 1-1/2lb pork tenderloin (not pork LOIN)
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme
- 12oz gluten-free hard apple cider (I use Smith & Forge)
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1-1/2 teaspoons corn starch
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat pork tenderloin dry with paper towels then season all over with seasonings.
- Heat a thin layer of high heat cooking oil in a 11-12” cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork tenderloin for 1-2 minutes on all four sides, or until golden brown on each side, then place the entire skillet into the oven and roast until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, 8-15 minutes. Transfer the pork tenderloin to a cutting board to rest while you make the pan sauce.
- Place skillet back over medium-high heat being VERY CAREFUL with the skillet handle as it will be extremely hot from the oven (I keep a hot pad on the handle so I don’t forget it's hot.) Add hard apple cider, maple syrup, and dijon mustard to the skillet then whisk to combine and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Stir together water and cornstarch in a small bowl then pour into skillet and whisk to combine. Continue to simmer while occasionally whisking until sauce is thickened and glossy, 3-4 more minutes. Pour sauce through a fine mesh strainer or use a skimmer to remove any burnt herbs or bits if desired. Slice pork then serve with pan sauce.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
This sounds delicious and I promise to make it this fall ;) I can’t believe school was let out yesterday for heat! It is amazing the differences between central and northern Iowa.
I know it! Stay cool up there! :)
Thanks for the heads up that a pork tenderloin is not the same as a loin. I’ll keep my eye out for hard cider next time I’m shopping. I’m taking my 8 year old son to his first Hawkeye game vs NIU this Saturday (we’re from North Liberty). Hope for cooler weather!
Yes, you bet! And oh my gosh, so jealous – have a GREAT time!!
What cast iron skillet are you using? I had one and it got all rusty so I’m looking for a new one that hopefully won’t happen to.
I use this enameled cast iron: , though an inexpensive Lodge cast iron works great too! https://amzn.to/2Pf7ygp
It’s probably too late, but you can totally fix a rusty cast iron pan. I was naive and left mine to soak in water. I was able to get it back to new.
What would you serve with this???
A side salad plus any roasted vegetable would be delicious, or even a baked potato!
I am just curious if there is a substitute for the Hard Cider?
Btw it’s 98 degrees here in CT, school’s are being let out early :)
You could use regular apple cider, though I wouldn’t use apple juice.
Thank goodness there is a substitute for the Hard Cider. I buy the whole loin at my Hy-Vee in Kansas City and have them cut into 1 1/2 lbs size. Will work perfect!
OMG!!! This is fate! I bought a Pork Tenderloin yesterday and figured I would do a quick roast this week for meal prepping. BUT THIS RECIPE WILL AMP IT UP! It’s going to be instagram worthy :)
Wohooo!! I hope you love it, Amber!
Yay, you and your recipes are back! I pinned this one, it looks great! Congratulations on your baby girl – she is gorgeous.
Love your recipes. Would love nutritional content added.
This looks delicious! Glad to have you back!
Thanks just what I need for a backyard Labor Day picnic w/ the fam…Im with u gotta go with the thick slices… Some things should not be sliced thin. :)
Welcome back!
Looks tasty! So glad you’re back and doing well!
I made this for lunch today! My sauce did not come out very dark or thick. Not sure if my heat was too high when simmering? It was still delicious though :)
That is so interesting! I’ve made this three times and it’s always gotten super thick – maybe try reducing it just a touch more before adding the corn starch next time?
Glad you’re back…and Baby Gwen is darling! <3
What do you usually serve this with?
A side salad or roasted vegetables would be delicious!
Definitely making this. I love pork tenderloin. Quick to make, always delish and so versatile.
This recipe looks great! Thank you so much for sharing!
[…] 1 skillet and 30 minutes is all it takes to make Maple-Dijon-Cider Pork Tenderloin. Saucy and succulent, this scrumptious gluten-free dinner recipe will knock your socks off. Recipe HERE. […]
[…] Maple Dijon Cider Pork Tenderloin by Iowa Girl Eats […]
This is ridiculously good! We made it for dinner tonight. I’ve never had pork that was so juicy. And the sauce is good enough to drink. My husband thinks I’m a genius 😂 I gave you credit! Thanks for the recipe!
This was the bomb – perfect for a fall evening! I served this with some mashed sweet potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. Quick, easy and absolutely wonderful. The pork was nice and tender, but the sauce really completes this dish.
This is one of the most delicious things I’ve made lately and SO fast and easy!!! I served it with mashed potatoes and everyone in my family gobbled it up!
[…] October 11: Skillet Maple Dijon Cider Pork Tenderloin […]
I made this a few days ago and it was absolutely delicious. But I have a few words of warning. I had not previously done a high heat roast, and it had not occurred to me that the cooking oil used could be a problem. I had olive oil and avocado oil, so chose the olive oil. Also, I was not very careful when pouring the oil into the skillet, and in hindsight, used way too much. The upshot — the stove vent couldn’t handle the smoke, the smoke detectors went off, and my oven will have to be cleaned before I can use it again. So, before I make this a second time, and there will definitely be a second time, I will acquire a proper high heat oil, take care when putting oil in the skillet and disarm the smoke detector before putting the skillet in the oven. This roast is really worth the small effort involved in preparing it!
I made this yesterday and, while it was very tasty, I really struggled with it splattering and smoking in the oven. I had to contend with LOTS of smoking from the pan (which kept setting off my smoke detectors). And I’ll definitely have to clean out the inside of my oven before I can use it again because of the oil splatter. :( Did you not have any issues with this? Any idea what I did to cause this? I used vegetable oil.
Hi Patricia! It sounds like maybe there was a bit too much oil in the pan. Pork tenderloin is so lean that it wouldn’t contribute any additional fat then what was initially drizzled in. I’d just cut back on the amount of oil next time!
This was amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Tasted great, was easy to make, and best of all-my kids ate it without arguing! Win!
can I triple this recipe, make ahead and warm up and serve the next day for dinner party for 10?
Hi Diane! I personally don’t like re-warmed pork tenderloin – it’s very lean so it dries out. That said, I wouldn’t recommend it!
I made this as the main dish for a dinner for a family with a new baby. The sauce was wonderful, and it smelled so good in my car when I took it over. It was pretty simple to make too. To go with the tenderloin, I chose baked potatoes (with good old A&E sour cream!), broccoli with lemon-dill butter, and Healthier Zucchini Banana Bread Muffins, also from this site. A local chocolate shop helped me pick out a small box of gluten-free chocolates for dessert. Thanks for your great recipes, they really helped me come up with a good meal for my friend and her family. p.s I can’t wait to make the pork for my family!
The sauce was phenomenal. I used pear hard cider, and it tasted great. I think apple would be even better.
Aaaaaamazing! This sauce is pure gold. Easy enough for a quick mid week dinner and yet I would easily serve at a dinner party as well. IT’S THAT GOOD!
Wohoo! Thanks for such a great review, Ann, I’m so glad you loved the dish!!