Quick Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Chili Sauce is a delicious 30 minute meal with juicy, mouthwatering flavors.
I keep triple checking the recipe for Quick Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Chili Sauce because I can’t believe how quick, easy, and delicious it is.
30 minutes + 1 skillet + a luscious sweet and tangy pan sauce = an easy yet impressive dinner for tonight!
Do you know why the pork chops of our childhood were dryer than shoe leather? Because you had to cook them to the point of, well, shoe leather. These days pork is safe to eat at 140 degrees, read: still juicy and tender. I’m showing you exactly what I mean with this quick roasted pork tenderloin with fig and chili sauce.
Seasoned pork tenderloin is seared then roasted for just 10 minutes in the oven, then a juicy fig jam and chili garlic pan sauce is made in the same skillet. This pork tenderloin is so delicious and tender you’ll swear you’re eating into a succulent piece of steak!
This dish makes for a fabulous, “fancy-feeling” Sunday dinner, but is so simple that it can be made between shuffling the kids here and there any night of the week.
Start with a pork tenderloin that’s been trimmed of any excess silver skin.
Pork tenderloin is the equivalent to beef filet in that it’s incredibly tender. It’s also important to note that the tenderloin is not the same as pork loin, so make sure you’re buying pork tenderloin at the store.
Season the tenderloin with a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried rosemary then sear each side for 1-2 minutes in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat that has a thin-layer of vegetable oil in the bottom.
Pop the entire skillet into a 450 degree oven then roast anywhere from 8-15 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloin, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 140 degrees.
- Tip: the skillet will be super hot coming out of the oven. A reader suggested in a another skillet recipe of mine to wrap foil around the handle as a visual reminder to not mindlessly grab it. Great tip!
Transfer the pork tenderloin to a cutting board to rest while you make the pan sauce. Cutting into the roast before it has a chance to rest will result in all the juices running out.
To make the fig jam and chili pan sauce, add fig jam, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, chicken broth, and gluten-free Tamari (or soy sauce if not GF) to the hot skillet then simmer for 4-5 minutes or until slightly reduced.
Stream in corn starch mixed with water then simmer until thickened and bubbly, 1-2 more minutes.
Once the pork has rested, slice then serve drizzled with that yummy fig and chili sauce, and enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1-1/4 — 1-1/2 lb pork tenderloin, not pork loin
- vegetable oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons fig jam
- 3-1/2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 Tablespoon gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried rosemary in a small dish then sprinkle all over pork tenderloin and rub to ensure seasonings stick.
- Add enough oil to a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat to thinly coat the bottom then add the seasoned tenderloin and sear on four sides until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Place skillet into oven then roast for 8-15 minutes (I needed 10 minutes for a 1.3lb pork tenderloin,) or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin reads 140 degrees. Transfer tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for a minimum of 10 minutes before slicing.
- While the pork is resting, return skillet over medium-high heat (be careful - the handle will be HOT!) then add the chicken broth, fig jam, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and Tamari. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet then boil until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, 3-4 minutes. Stir together water and cornstarch in a small bowl then stream into skillet while stirring. Turn heat down to medium then continue to simmer until sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Slice and serve pork tenderloin then drizzle with fig and chili sauce.
Notes
- Wrap foil around the skillet's handle as a visual reminder that it will be HOT when it comes out of the oven and to not touch it while making the pan sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
this sounds perfect but I am wondering if I can use a stainless steel skillet. I don’t have cast iron.
Sure! You just need a skillet that can go into the oven.
I made the wild rice harvest bowl. It was so yummy. I def would make this again
I’m so happy to hear that, Jeanene! Thank you so much for your feedback!
I want to make this for dinner! Do you think this could be made in a crockpot?
I have been searching for a pork loin recipe to serve at a dinner party and this is it! however, I need help trying to adjust the servings as I will be serving 24. yikes! I have never cooked a pork loin or tenderloin before. This recipes calls for 1.5 lbs tenderloin to serve 4, so I assume that I need 18 lbs. I would also like to use pork loin instead of tenderloin, which of course are thicker (and a little cheaper) so the roasting time will obviously be longer. Should I 6x the sauce, too? or even more? would it be a mistake to roast the meat in advance? how do you recommend to reheat? any other tips that you suggest? Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Kat! I have never cooked a pork loin using this method, nor this quantity of meat using this method, so unfortunately I can’t say for sure. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
What a great way to make a pork tenderloin. I usually don’t like sweet sauces, but this one was great. I made the sauce in a separate sauce pan, in case I didn’t like it, and made my regular pan sauce in the pan I cooked the ternderloin in. Both were good, but I liked the one here better. When I sliced the tenderloin, one part was a little pink, so I put them all back in the now off the heat pan sauce. By the time we ate, it was perfectly done, and the smaller pieces were not dry or over-cooked. My husband loved this, too. I told him Iowa Girl’s recipes are excellent. Thank you, Kristen!