Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe (+ Pro Tips & Tricks) (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep pork tenderloin from drying out on the grill? ›

The salt in the marinade is how you keep pork tenderloin from drying out on the grill.

How Long to Grill Pork Tenderloin. On a grill preheated to medium heat, the pork tenderloin should be fully cooked after about 30 minutes over indirect heat. You'll know the pork is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 145 degrees F.

If you've been looking to elevate your grilling game, you can't go wrong with grilled pork tenderloin in foil. Not only does grilling give this tender cut of meat a tantalizing smoky flavor that everyone will love, but cooking it in foil can take the dish's depth and juiciness to a whole new level.

Food52: Which cooking method gets the most flavor out of pork loin? CG: You get flavors from grilling that you don't get from roasting. Smokiness, first and foremost. Direct cooking gives a distinct char, and that char adds a lot of taste.

Once the pork loin roast reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, remove it from the oven, and let it rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes. This gives the meat time to reabsorb all its juices. You can also brine the pork before you cook it, which ensures the meat stays tender, juicy, and well-seasoned.

Grilled Pork Chops

Thick pork chops are grilled over high heat to develop flavor before moving to low heat to cook them gently—that's how you keep them from drying out.

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

If fresh pork has reached 145°F (62.8 °C) throughout, even though it may still be pink in the center, it should be safe. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.

If your pork tenderloin is just coming out of the refrigerator, let it sit out for about 30 minutes before grilling for the best sear and even cooking.

For the best flavor, you should cook it fatty-side up. If you place your pork loin lean-side up, the fat will simply drip onto and through your smoker's cooking grate.

Should I flip a pork loin on the grill? ›

Rotate pork roast every 15-30 minutes to ensure each side cooks evenly. Pork loin is done when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees when the center of the meat is tested with an instant-read thermometer, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.

While not all pitmasters wrap their meat in the final stages of a cook—in barbecue circles, wrapping in foil is known as the “Texas crutch”—wrapping is an effective way of finishing a long cook time without drying out the smoking meat (after 10 hours, a bone-in smoking pork shoulder should register an internal ...

The size and structure of a tenderloin make it perfect for cooking quickly on high heat. You want to be able to brown the outside while still keeping it a little pink on the inside.

Tips for Perfect Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Make sure your grill is screaming hot before cooking. I heat mine to between 450 and 500 degrees before creating the two heat zones.

Both pork and beef are high in proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. However, beef tends to have more calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol than pork. Pork may be a better choice, then, if you're trying to manage your blood cholesterol levels.

At 400 degrees F, a 1-pound pork tenderloin will cook in 8 to 10 minutes after being seared on the stove. Unlike tough, fatty cuts of meat (like the shoulder used for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork), leaner cuts like pork tenderloin do not become more tender the longer they cook.