🍯 Honey-Garlic Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork tenderloin
- Honey
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 lb green beans
- Soy sauce (pantry staple)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (pantry staple)
- Salt & pepper (pantry staple)
Instructions
- Sear seasoned tenderloin on all sides; brush with honey-garlic-soy glaze.
- Roast at 400°F with green beans alongside, 15–18 min to 145°F.
- Rest 5 min, slice, and drizzle with pan glaze.
Tips
- Sear on all sides before the oven. Tenderloin is lean with no fat cap, so the crust from searing is the only browning you'll get.
- 145°F then rest 5 minutes, without exception. This is the leanest cut of pork and has almost no margin — 155°F is noticeably dry.
- Brush the glaze on after searing, not before. Honey burns fast in a hot pan; you want it caramelising in the oven rather than blackening on the hob.
Substitutions
- Pork tenderloin
- Pork loin is a different, larger cut needing about twice the roasting time. Chicken breast works with this glaze at the same temperature.
- Honey
- Maple syrup or brown sugar — something that caramelises is needed for the glaze to work.
- Soy sauce
- Tamari for gluten-free. Worth noting: regular soy sauce is the reason this dish isn't gluten-free as written.
- Green beans
- Asparagus (8 minutes), broccolini, or halved Brussels sprouts (add 5 minutes).
Storage & reheating
Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Sliced cold it's very good in sandwiches and salads, which beats reheating — lean pork dries out quickly the second time. If you do reheat, cover it and use low heat.
Common questions
Is pork safe at 145°F?
Yes. The USDA lowered the recommendation from 160°F to 145°F plus a 3-minute rest in 2011. A blush of pink at that temperature is expected and safe.
Tenderloin or loin — what's the difference?
Tenderloin is a small narrow muscle of a pound or two, very lean and quick-cooking. Loin is a much larger roast needing slower cooking. They aren't interchangeable without adjusting time.
What's the silvery membrane on my pork?
Silverskin. Slide a knife under it and pull it off — it doesn't render and turns tough and chewy if left on.