This Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Caper Pan Sauce is perfect for a date night in or a delicious weeknight meal. It also happens to be Whole30 and Paleo compatible!
I originally developed this Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Caper Pan Sauce as a Whole30 recipe but it is so delicious I honestly make it on or off round!
With a pan sauce so delicious you'll want to eat it with a spoon, this pork tenderloin recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. Serve with my Whole30 truffle basil mashed potatoes for the ultimate bite.
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More pork recipes you will love.
Equipment:
For this recipe you will need a cast iron skillet or other oven safe skillet or pan. You will be transferring the skillet directly from the stovetop into a 450 degree F oven so it will need to be able to withstand high heat.
You will also need a large pot to boil and mash the potatoes in.
Ingredients:
- Pork tenderloin: Quality does matter so be sure to find a good cut from an ethical supplier.
- Spices & Crushed Garlic: You will coat the pork tenderloin in a mix of dried rosemary, dried thyme, onion powder, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. This not only gives great flavor to the pork itself but infuses the pan sauce with absolutely delicious drippings.
- Olive oil: I do recommend using a good olive oil for this recipe rather than other Whole30 compliant options such as avocado or coconut oil. While you could sub with avocado oil in a pinch (would not recommend coconut oil) , the flavor of the olive oil works really well here.
- Beef Broth or Bone Broth: Make sure to check your labels for any added sugars when doing Whole30. You can also make your own broth super easily in the slow cooker by combining beef bones with veggies and water and cooking on low for around 16-20 hours.
- Balsamic Vinegar: No need to get super expensive, aged balsamic but good quality does make a difference.
- Capers: I absolutely love capers and could honestly put them in anything. This recipe calls for 3 Tbsp, but if you are less of a caper fan you can cut it back some.
- Ghee or Butter: Adding a dollop of ghee or butter at the end gives the pan sauce a decadent richness that you will love. I you're doing Whole30 to the line then definitely use ghee. If you are off round of a little more flexible than a high quality butter, such as Kerrygold, works just as well.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite side dish to serve this pork tenderloin with is basil truffle mashed potatoes.
To make, boil peeled Yukon gold potatoes until tender. Then drain and add back to the pot. Add in butter or ghee, whole milk (or heavy cream) and a little sour cream. Mash and then add a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder, truffle oil and freshly sliced basil. Then add slat and pepper to taste.
Or check out my recipe for the ultimate Whole30 Truffle Basil Mashed Potatoes.
Perfect for Date Night!
This dish would make a fabulous date night or Valentines Day dinner. The basil and truffle in the mashed potatoes make it feel really special and I could quite literally drink the pan sauce from the skillet.
You can pair with some simple roasted or steamed veggies such as my Rosemary Garlic Carrots or on its own. So delicious!
Dietary Information
This recipe is Whole30 and Paleo compatible. It was works great for a low carb or keto lifestyle.
More recipes you for you to enjoy.
Maple Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fall Vegetables
Pan Seared Boneless Pork Chops with Mustard Pan Sauce
Whole30 Pulled Pork and Coleslaw
Made this Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Caper Pan Sauce recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Caper Pan Sauce
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or other oven safe pan
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed I highly recommend using fresh garlic (not jarred).
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp ghee or high quality butter
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove pork tenderloin from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine rosemary, thyme, onion powder, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Mix to combine. The evenly rub mixture on all sides of the pork tenderloin to fully coat.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a cast iron or other oven safe skillet and heat over medium high until hot and shimmering. Place the pork tenderloin in the hot pan. *You should immediately hear a sizzle, if you don't it isn't hot enough.* Sear for 1-2 minutes on all for sides to golden brown.
- Transfer the cast iron skillet into the oven and roast at 450 degrees F for about 12 minutes or until the thickest part of the tenderloin has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Remove cast iron skillet from the oven. Remove pork tenderloin from the pan and cover with foil to rest and keep warm. *Do not rinse the pan.*
- Place the pan with the pork drippings back on the stover over medium to medium-high heat. Add in beef broth and balsamic vinegar to deglaze and whisk together, making sure to incorporate all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.Bring mixture to a low boil and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.Remove from the heat and stir in capers, ghee, and a pinch of salt & pepper to taste.
- Slice the pork tenderloin and serve with basil, truffle mashed potatoes if desired. Top with Balsamic caper pan sauce and enjoy!
Notes
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This dish was amazing....Flavors wet well together and the loin was perfectly cooked.....Nice job...
Made this tonight with the rosemary garlic carrots. Omg! This was the most amazing meal. The flavors were phenomenal. My whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing. You made me look like a professional chef.
Yay! I’m so glad y’all enjoyed! That makes me so happy! ☺ï¸
This was amazing! I wanted to make a restaurant quality meal for a special evening with my husband, and this was perfect! The pork turned out so tender.. and the sauce... oh my! So yummy! Thank you for the recipe!
This was so delicious! We loved all the flavors that were blending so well together. And the mashed potatoes were great as a side dish.
Such a great dish, the flavors go great together. And those potatoes, I can't get enough.
This was amazing! We don't eat pork often, but made this for Mother's Day dinner and it came out so good!
Not a Whole 30 dieter and even I loved this recipe. SO flavorful!!
Yay! Thanks so much!
This looks so succulent and delicious. Love all the tips that you shared. I will be making this for my guests this weekend.