Pork
Quick Grilled Pork Tenderloin (25 Min)
Pork tenderloin is the weeknight secret of experienced grillers. It costs about the same as chicken breast, cooks in 15 minutes, and feels like a more substantial dinner. The Ninja Woodfire OG701 is a great match for this recipe because its 700F ceiling lets the brown sugar in the rub caramelize hard, which is the flavor-defining moment of the dish. The only real pitfall is overcooking. Pork tenderloin has very little fat, so every extra degree above 145F shows up as dryness. An instant-read thermometer is not optional here.
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 01
Trim any silverskin from the tenderloins with a sharp knife. Pat dry.
- 02
Mix brown sugar and all the spices in a small bowl. Rub oil over the tenderloins, then coat with the spice mixture.
- 03
Preheat the grill to 450F.
- 04
Grill the tenderloins for 12-15 minutes, rotating every 3-4 minutes to hit all four sides, until the internal temperature reaches 140F.
- 05
Rest 5 minutes (carryover will bring them to 145F, USDA-safe and still slightly pink).
- 06
Slice on a sharp diagonal, 1/2 inch thick.
Pro Tips
From our kitchen
- ★140F off the grill, 145F after rest. Any higher and you are serving dry pork for no reason, USDA updated the safe temp to 145F years ago.
- ★Tenderloin is NOT loin. Tenderloin is a 1-lb strip; loin is a 3-lb roast. They cook completely differently.
- ★The brown sugar in the rub creates caramelization even on electric grills. It is the single ingredient that makes this recipe feel like BBQ.
We recommend for this recipe
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill OG701
The Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill OG701's 312 sq in surface and 7-in-1 cooking functions and woodfire pellet smoke infusion make it our pick for this recipe.
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