Honey soy pork tenderloin. A wonderfully tasty pork tenderloin recipe that results in a fusion of flavours from East and West. The spices and soy sauce from China mixed with the herbs from Europe. This is a truly global recipe and, by using lean pork tenderloin, is very healthy too. Doesn’t this look yummy…
This pork perfection takes only 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. It can be served with anything really but I recommend Jasmine rice or, as I had, wild mushroom fried cauliflower rice. This is a fantastic and tasty combination. The cauliflower rice recipe can be found by clicking the picture below…
Right then, let’s make this terrific and tasty honey soy pork tenderloin…
1. Gather the dry rub ingredients together
This honey soy pork tenderloin recipe has two key parts to it. The dry part and the wet part. The pork is first rubbed in a mixture of dry herbs and spices, cooked, and then glazed in a sweet oriental sauce.
To prepare the dry rub dry spices of garlic powder, onion powder, Chinese 5 spice and black pepper are needed. These are then combined with minced fresh rosemary and thyme.
The recipe measurements are listed in the printable recipe below and cover a large, 500-gram pork tenderloin. Just scale up or down depending on how much you are cooking.
2. Prepare the pork tenderloin
Depending on where the pork tenderloin was purchased from there may be a need to do a little trimming. If bought from an established local butcher the tenderloin should be trimmed of all fat and ready to use. However, if bought from a grocery store it may need any fat or sinew that has been left trimmed off.
Either way, inspect it and if there is any residual fat or sinew just use a sharp knife to remove it and leave the pork tenderloin as lean as possible.
Finally, and using a fork, stab the tenderloin a number of times so that the dry rub can be mixed inside.
3. Rub the pork tenderloin
With the dry rub ingredients ready and the pork tenderloin trimmed place the dry rub in a mixing bowl and mix together.
Add the pork tenderloin to the bowl.
Now, rub all of the herbs and spices so they cover the meat. Try and get some inside the holes made by the fork.
4. Prepare the pork tenderloin for the oven
First, turn the oven on to preheat to 200C / 180C Fan.
With the pork covered in the dry rub, take a large skillet or frying pan and heat either olive oil or butter over medium heat and seal the pork all over. This should not take too long. A minute or so. However, remember that with the color comes the flavor.
If using a skillet then the sealed pork tenderloin can now be transferred to the oven. However, if, like me, the pork is too big for any of your skillets then transfer the pork and all juices to a roasting tray and then place in the oven.
The pork tenderloin should be cooked for 20 minutes. While it is cooking the sweet oriental glaze can be made.
5. Make the sweet oriental glaze
To make the glaze gather the wet ingredients together. Light soy sauce, honey, orange juice, brown sugar, and minced garlic. Also, prepare a small mix of cornflower and water but leave this to the side for now.
Take the wet ingredients and put them in a small saucepan. Heat this slowly until the oriental glaze starts to boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and thicken with the cornflower and water mixture. Add back to the heat if required.
6. Glaze and serve the honey soy pork tenderloin
Once the pork tenderloin has roasted for 20 minutes remove from the oven and, using a pastry brush, cover the pork with the oriental glaze. Put plenty on and then place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the glaze has caramelized.
Once caramelized remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
And that’s it, folks. Honey soy roasted pork tenderloin. What a recipe! Easy to make and something the family will love time and time again. Asian spices, European herbs, fresh pork. Serve with Jasmine rice or wonderful wild mushroom cauliflower rice. Yum! Yum!
I really hope you enjoyed this post. If you’d like you to try some of The Yum Yum Club’s other recipes just sign up for our newsletter at the top of this post or like our Facebook page. The link can be found here… ▶
As always, may thanks for reading and until next time, Steve…
7. Nutritional values
8. Printable recipe
This honey soy pork tenderloin recipe is a magnificent fusion of flavors from east and west. Honey, soy, thyme, rosemary, garlic. It has them all and more! Yum!
- 18 oz pork tenderloin, lean Mertic - 500+ grams
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp onion salt / powder
- 1 tbsp garlic salt / powder
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with equal water
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First, gather all of the ingredients together for the pork tenderloin dry rub. The garlic and onions powder, Chinese 5 spice, black pepper, and minced fresh thyme and rosemary.
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Trim an obvious fat from the pork tenderloin and pierce with a fork a number of times.
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Place all of the rub ingredients in a bowl and add the trimmed pork tenderloin.
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Mix all of the herbs and spices into the pork tenderloin.
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Now, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium to hot heat and seal the pork tenderloin. Remember, color equals flavor.
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Once the pork tenderloin has been sealed place the pan with the meat into a pre-heated oven at 200C / 180C Fan for 20 minutes.
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While the pork tenderloin is cooking gather all of the other ingredients together. The honey, brown sugar, minced garlic, light soy sauce orange juice, and cornflour/water mix.
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Add all ingredients barring the cornflour/water mix to a pan and slowly heat to boiling.
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Once boiling, remove from the heat and at the cornflour/water mix and stir until the mixture has thickened. Add tot heat if required.
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After the pork tenderloin has cooked for 20 minutes remove from the oven and glaze the pork with the hot mixture. Put plenty all over the pork.
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Place the pork back in the oven for 3 minutes for the mixture to caramelize.
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Once caramelized remove the pork from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
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The honey soy pork tenderloin is now ready to serve. Try it with Jasmine rice or even cauliflower rice. Tasty and very healthy. Yum!
Karly
Looks amazing! Love your step by step photos!
steven.deacon
Many thanks Karly. Your feedback is very much appreciated.
Roslia santamaria
This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂
steven.deacon
Thanks, Roslia! It certainly was super tasty…
youjizz
I have cooked this several times (I also add liquid smoke) and the family raves over it. Had a pack of chicken breasts and thought, What the heck?!? Hope this recipe is as good on chicken as it on pork! Can t wait to try it!
Steve Deacon
Hey there! I’m sure chicken will be just fine and I really like the liquid smoke idea. I’m going to try this myself. Enjoy and many thanks for the comment.