Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin is a quick and easy weeknight roast dinner made in just 30 minutes! Bacon locks in moisture, making the pork extra juicy and succulent with an irresistible smokey flavor.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Key Ingredient Notes:
- How to make this pork tenderloin recipe:
- 1. Prepare the herb rub
- 2. Wrap the pork tenderloin with bacon
- 3. Mix the maple glaze
- 4. Roast the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin
- Tips for Success:
- Make-Ahead Tips:
- Storing Tips:
- Pork Tenderloin FAQs:
- More Mouthwatering Roasts:
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe
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This recipe transforms a low-maintenance, quick-cooking cut of pork into an absolutely show-stopping main dish. The tenderloin is smothered in an herb paste, wrapped in bacon, and drenched in maple-balsamic glaze.
Strips of salty, fatty bacon complement lean pork tenderloin beautifully, adding a rich, salty flavor that will have you practically licking your plate.
- Flavor – The tenderloin is rubbed with rosemary and mustard and drizzled with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar, giving it a flawless balance of sweet and savory flavors.
- Texture – You don’t have to worry about the pork tenderloin drying out, because the bacon wraps it in a protective layer, ensuring a tender and moist roast. After a few minutes under the broiler, the bacon becomes perfectly crisp!
- Quick and easy – Compared to other roasts, pork tenderloin cooks up in a snap! After just 10 minutes of hands-on time preparing the roast, the oven does the rest of the work.
Turn bacon wrapped pork loin into a complete meal by either roasting a batch of potatoes with the pork or preparing fluffy brown butter mashed potatoes on the stovetop as it cooks.
Key Ingredient Notes:
- Garlic – Freshly grated whole cloves add a savory flavor to the herbed rub.
- Rosemary – This fresh herb is added for its subtle, piney taste. To remove fresh rosemary from the stem, gently pinch the stem and run your fingers down it to pull off the leaves.
- Mustard – The tangy, slightly spicy flavor of Dijon mustard pairs well with pork tenderloin. Dijon is the most popular choice, but you could also try whole grain or honey mustard if you want to add more sweetness to the recipe.
- Kosher salt – This will stick to the meat and enhance the overall flavor of the herbed rub. You can substitute with table salt, just reduce the amount by half.
- Olive oil – This locks in moisture and ensures the herbs stick to the tenderloin.
- Pork tenderloin – Don’t confuse pork tenderloin with pork loin! Pork tenderloin is a long, thin, boneless pork cut weighing between one and two pounds. Meanwhile, pork loin, which is what we don’t want, is an entirely different cut of meat weighing up to 5 pounds, with a much longer cooking time. If you’re still confused, this post about pork loin versus pork tenderloin will tell you everything you need to know.
- Bacon – Choose thinly sliced bacon to ensure the bacon crisps up and cooks evenly.
- Maple syrup – Always avoid the artificial stuff! 100% pure maple syrup is best. Maple syrup caramelizes the bacon, balancing the savory, salty flavors of the dish, and giving the recipe a more complex flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar – This is an acid component that balances the sweet flavor of the maple syrup. You can substitute balsamic vinegar with red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
How to make this pork tenderloin recipe:
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Prepare the herb rub
- Combine the garlic, rosemary, mustard, kosher salt, and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Remove the sinew (silver skin) from the tenderloin using a sharp knife.
- Rub the herb paste around the entire tenderloin, ensuring you cover all sides with the seasoning blend.
For tender pork
The silver skin is a small whitish-grey patch on one side of the tenderloin that should be removed because it’s tough, chewy, and flavorless. Use a very sharp knife to cut the small section of skin off before adding the herb paste.
2. Wrap the pork tenderloin with bacon
- Wrap the bacon strips around the pork tenderloin, overlapping them slightly.
- Secure the bacon with toothpicks if needed.
3. Mix the maple glaze
- Mix the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.
- Brush the mixture over the entire bacon wrapped tenderloin using a pastry brush.
Make it a meal
Add roasted potatoes to make bacon wrapped pork tenderloin a full meal! Simply toss one pound of baby potatoes with olive oil and salt. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet around the pork tenderloin. They’ll roast in the same amount of time it takes for the pork to cook through.
4. Roast the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin
- Place the bacon wrapped pork loin onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast the pork tenderloin for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 150°F.
- Crisp the bacon under the broiler for 3-5 minutes (or longer) if needed.
- Rest the pork for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve bacon wrapped tenderloin with any of your favorite side dishes.
Tips for Success:
- Don’t overcook the pork tenderloin. Monitor the temperature of the pork using a digital meat thermometer. Only cook the pork to 150°F to ensure juicy meat with a slightly pink center.
- Broil for an extra crispy finish. The bacon might not crisp up while the roast bakes due to the lack of airflow around all sides of the bacon while it cooks. Broiling will fix that problem in just a few minutes!
- Allow the meat to rest before slicing. Resting redistributes juices within the roast, which is another way to help guarantee tender, juicy bites!
Make-Ahead Tips:
Prepare this bacon wrapped pork in advance for a totally stress-free dinner that’s ready in minutes!
- Remove the silver skin from the pork, and cover it in the herb rub.
- Wrap the tenderloin in bacon.
- Instead of securing the bacon with toothpicks, tightly wrap the loin with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the roast until you’re ready to cook it.
- When you’re ready to finish preparing dinner, remove the plastic wrap, secure the bacon with toothpicks, and cover the roast in the maple-balsamic glaze.
- Bake the tenderloin as directed.
Storing Tips:
- Store leftover pork tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating pork tenderloin can be tricky due to its tendency to dry out. Reheat leftovers in the oven at 250°F covered in foil, until heated through. Alternatively, reheat individual slices in a skillet on the stovetop over low heat.
Pork Tenderloin FAQs:
Pork tenderloin is a versatile meat that lends well to pan-searing, grilling, and roasting. Roasting is hands-off and usually guarantees evenly cooked flavorful meat. Grilling pork tenderloin requires more attention as the tenderloin must be flipped frequently. Pan-searing works best for cooking individual slices of pork tenderloin.
It depends on what type of recipe you’re making with pork tenderloin. If you need your pork tenderloin to cook within minutes on the stovetop, you’ll want to cut it into slices first. Slice the tenderloin after it’s cooked if you’re preparing a roast, wrapping it in bacon, or stuffing and rolling it.
In general, pork tenderloin is best when cooked quickly at a moderate to high temperature. Reserve low and slow cooking for large, fatty, tough cuts of meat.
More Mouthwatering Roasts:
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tablespoon mustard Note 1
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Note 2
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix garlic, rosemary, mustard, kosher salt, and olive oil to make a paste.2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- With a sharp knife remove as much sinew from the tenderloin as possible.1 ½ pound pork tenderloin
- Spoon the paste onto the tenderloin and rub on all sides.
- Wrap the bacon strips by overlapping them slightly, so they stay secure. You can use toothpicks to secure the bacon, if needed.6 strips bacon
- Mix the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl, then using a pastry brush, brush on the mixture all over the wrapped tenderloin.1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Place the prepared tenderloin on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature reads 150°F for the juiciest pork. If the bacon is not crisp enough, finish it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or as long as needed.
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the potatoes or your favorite sides.
Tips & Notes
– Store leftover tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
– Reheat leftovers in the oven at 250°F covered in foil, until heated through. Or, warm individual slices in a skillet on the stovetop over low heat.
Nutrition
I made this for Christmas dinner – it was delicious!
Yay, I’m so happy you tried and loved our recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Les!