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.
Hi! What kind of chili sauce do you use?
Is the sauce a good balance between hot and spicy? I would like to try this recipe with some friends who do not like things too “hot”. If upon sampling I find the sauce to “hot” for my guests, what is the best way to “cool” it down? With water? more fig jam?
Definitely a good balance and not too hot. If they find it to be too spicy you could just add chicken broth or water!
Looks incredible, Kristin!
Made for dinner tonight! This TRULY was the best pork tenderloin that I’ve EVER made! Hands down, the BEST! I will never make pork any other way!
Wohoo! So glad to hear it, Stacy!!!
Well, first I have a confession – I burned my hand. I did not do the foil trick because I was confident I would not need reminding about the handle when taking the pan out of the oven. And that was no problem. The problem was when it was sitting on the stove and I went to mix the sauce… and grabbed the handle…
The pork tenderloin package I bought was 3 lbs, but it was actually 2 long separate pieces of meat. I went ahead and doubled everything. But after 10 minutes in the oven, it was only 86F. I don’t know if that was because I had more “mass”. That shouldn’t really matter since they were two separate pieces and separated from each other. But the meat ended up taking about 30 minutes in the oven. Plus the prep and resting. So it wasn’t a quick meal, sadly.
I made some minor modifications… my son is allergic to both soy and coconut, so no soy sauce or coconut aminos. Ended up using some Ume Plum Vinegar instead. And I didn’t have any chili garlic sauce so I found a recipe online and used that as a guide (didn’t have time to actually make it). I added 1 clove garlic to the sauce. I was going to add a bit of honey since the chili garlic sauce had sugar, but I tasted the sauce and it was plenty sweet. Then I rummaged around the fridge to see if I had any hot sauce to replace the chili part. I didn’t. But I found a jar of Roland Thai chili sauce. Which had garlic, too. I figured what the heck and used that. I don’t know if it’s the same type of sauce you used? Ot if it is a sweeter sauce? (http://www.rolandfood.com/products/Chili-Sauce%2C-Sweet-Thai-Style-%28%2387192%29.html). But it worked. The kids loved the sauce (covered their broccoli & rice in it, too)! Whole dish was great. We will be making this again. (Just probably not on a week night.)
Oh, and I did not use corn starch since my son can not do corn. So I used Cassava Flour. I don’t know that it thickened as much. But it was fine…
Do you have a suggestion for a substitute for the cornstarch?
I would just skip it. I think using a brown or white rice flour would be fine if the sauce was cooked for more than a few minutes, like it is here. The sauce won’t be *quite* as thick, but still super delicious!
Made this last night for dinner…fantastic! Thanks for the glaze idea, such a simple way to glam up this cut of meat. Also, the 140degree tip for the meat saved it from being overdone. This will go in the books for “special meals” and one that can be made pretty quickly. Also, I made roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on the side sprinkled with dried cranberries, toasted almonds and feta cheese. TO DIE FOR! Also loved that it cooked while the meat did in the same oven. Thanks again Kristin for such a great meal!
Awesome, SO glad you loved it – side dish sounds fabulous! :)
Made this last week and everybody gobbled it up! I didn’t have the fig jam but improvised with some dried figs, red wine and a few other things in the fridge. It came out wonderful! I love a good sauce that’s not too complicated.
Amazing improv – the red wine sauce sounds delectable!
LOVED this recipe. Nice to have a “fancier” dinner that was easy and quick on a week night. Sauce was to die for – might make a batch of it just to enhance lots of other dishes (or maybe to swim in it)!!!!
Just made this for dinner. Thanks for such a simple, delicious recipe. This will be made many more times. Love your site!
Stunning! I literally drool out of seeing all the pictures, they are so lovely that I feel like tasting it, NOW! It is like Mott32 hk’s pork iberico, ughh! This is crazy tasty! I’ll bet this will fit perfectly with a glass of cocktail.
Help–I had the opposite problem and was only able to get a 2 1/2 pound pork tenderloin. Will this still work with one so large? The smaller ones were all pre-marinated in something extremely high in sodium. Do I just cook it longer and double the sauce? Any advice.
BTW–I made the Yoshinoya Beef Bowls this week and my husband and toddler gobbled them up. So easy too!! Thank you.
Hey there! I’d maybe cut it in half then freeze one half. Is the diameter a lot wider than the smaller ones? If so I’d just roast it a little longer!
Made this last night. Pork could be cut with a fork. Sauce was to die for. Quick, easy, and delicious. Can’t ask for more!