Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (2024)

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A quick and easy recipe for delicious Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin that is sure to become a new favorite. It’s the perfect holiday meal.

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (1)

Is there anything more comforting than a delicious, home cooked meal?

This Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe is the perfect meal for a chilly winter night.

It’s comforting, affordable, and easy to make. Plus, it’s delicious! You’ll love the sweet and tart flavors of the cranberry and orange sauce. So warming and satisfying!

Plus, this recipe is incredibly easy to make – perfect for busy weeknights. So give this recipe a try today. You won’t regret it!

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (2)

How to Butterfly Pork Tenderloin

Butterflying pork tenderloin allows it to cook quickly and evenly, making it a simple, easy weeknight meal choice.

To butterfly, place tenderloin on a large piece of plastic wrap on cutting board. Make a slit, cutting lengthwise down the middle, being careful not to cut all the way through.

I find best results are achieved when you cut 2/3 of the way through, leaving 1/3 of the overall thickness of tenderloin. Open the tenderloin like a book. Cover with a 2nd sheet of plastic wrap and pound it out with the flat side of a meat mallet or press it out with a rolling pin to an even thickness.

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (3)

About the Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin

Pork – See notes above about the pork tenderloin.

Seasoning – Season well with salt and pepper, rosemary brings a hint of herbs.

Oil – Use a neutral flavoured oil like avocado or olive oil

Orange Juice – Freshly squeezed orange juice will give the best flavour but any actual orange juice will work. Skip the orange drinks.

Mustard – Dijon brings a nice little kick to the pork.

Sugar – You can use dark brown sugar instead, but don’t use white sugar, it won’t give the same depth of flavour.

Cranberries – I made this using dried cranberries but you can absolutely use fresh or frozen cranberries instead, you will just want to cook the cranberries until they start to burst which is about 5-7 minutes longer than indicated.

Butter – Unsalted butter is best but you can use salted butter too. Just make sure you season everything well with salt.

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (4)

Looking for More Delicious Winter Dinner Recipes?

Check out some of my favourite dinner ideas for over the holidays and all winter long!

Balsamic Roasted Beef Tenderloin is the perfect weekend dinner. It has Mediterranean flavors that will keep everyone asking for more!

This Instant Pot Chicken Lanzone with Baby Portobello Mushrooms recipe is flavourful and low carb, featuring a delcious, creamy pan sauce.

This quick and easy sheet pan lemon chicken and vegetables dinner recipe is bursting with flavour.

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (5)

How to Make Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin

Yields: 4 Servings | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. pork tenderloin, patted dry
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons (10 mL) avocado or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (118 mL) orange juice
1-1/2 teaspoons (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon (12 g) light brown sugar
1 (2 g) Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup (32 g) dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter

Directions:

  1. Butterfly pork tenderloin, place in a large bowl and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  2. Combine orange juice, mustard, brown sugar and rosemary. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large 12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork tenderloin to hot skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes on first side or until well browned. Flip and cook on 2nd side 5 minutes more or until just cooked through. Remove tenderloin from pan and place on rimmed cutting board and lightly cover with foil to keep warm.
  4. Add orange juice mixture to skillet. Add any accumulated meat juices from cutting board. Add cranberries and cook stirring until reduced by half (2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter just until it melts.
  5. Thinly slice meat and place on serving platter. Spoon cranberry orange sauce on top and garnish with additional fresh rosemary, if desired. Enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (6)

Yield: 4 Servings

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A quick and easy recipe for delicious Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin that is sure to become a new favorite. It’s the perfect holiday meal.

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs. pork tenderloin, patted dry
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 t. avocado or extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 c. orange juice
  • 1-1/2 t. Dijon mustard
  • 1 T. light brown sugar
  • 1 T. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 c. dried cranberries
  • 1 T. unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Butterfly pork tenderloin, place in a large bowl and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  2. Combine orange juice, mustard, brown sugar and rosemary. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large 12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork tenderloin to hot skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes on first side or until well browned. Flip and cook on 2nd side 5 minutes more or until just cooked through. Remove tenderloin from pan and place on rimmed cutting board and lightly cover with foil to keep warm.
  4. Add orange juice mixture to skillet. Add any accumulated meat juices from cutting board. Add cranberries and cook stirring until reduced by half (2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter just until it melts.
  5. Thinly slice meat and place on serving platter. Spoon cranberry orange sauce
    on top and garnish with additional fresh rosemary, if desired. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 366Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 241mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 45g

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Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (10)

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (11)

Liz Lampman

Liz Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys cooking and baking, food photography, and reading.

Cranberry Orange Pork Tenderloin Recipe - Rosemary & Maple (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to sear pork tenderloin before baking? ›

Sear + Roast

This cooking method is a surefire way to make moist and juicy pork tenderloin without much fuss. Searing the meat first gives it that golden-brown crust before a quick roast in the oven finishes it off. It's an easy, crowd-pleasing meal for any night of the week.

Should I sear tenderloin before baking? ›

Should you sear beef tenderloin before cooking it? If roasting a tenderloin in the oven, you'll definitely want to sear it to get a golden brown crust. It doesn't take very long, and is so worth the effort.

Do you season pork before or after searing? ›

Season with salt and pepper: Just before cooking, sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Wait to do this until you're ready to actually put the meat in the pan, otherwise the salt draws moisture out of the meat and you'll need to pat it dry again.

How do you cook a pork tenderloin without drying out? ›

Brine the pork to maintain moisture by soaking it in a mixture of salt and water, baking soda, vinegar or even milk. You can also pour hot water over the loin to shrink the rind, which can enable better absorption of brine, milk, oil or marinade.

Which cooking method is best for tenderloin? ›

The food web and a great many cookbooks (very many of them highly reputable) recommend blasting a tenderloin in a hot oven, 450–500°F (232–260°C), for a relatively short time to cook it, followed by a counter rest.

Which of the following cooking methods is best for tenderloin? ›

Direct heat, where food is placed directly over the heat source, is ideal for small cuts like kabobs, tenderloin, burgers and chops. Indirect heat, where food is placed on the grill rack away from the coals or gas burners, is good for large cuts like loin roasts, ribs, shoulder and fresh ham.

Do you sear pork loin before or after baking? ›

Sear the pork on the stove until golden brown on all sides. Finish by baking them in the oven.

Do you have to sear pork before baking? ›

Our main goals with pork tenderloin are to build flavor and not overcook it. Searing the pork tenderloin goes a long way to building flavor! It caramelizes the marinade, creating a delicious golden brown crust on the outside. It also helps seal the juices before you bake it.

Is it better to sear before or after roasting? ›

Despite most recipes to the contrary, it is rarely necessary to sear meat before roasting. The idea that you “seal in the juices” is an old wives tale that has long been debunked. Your best bet is to cook it without searing and, if it isn't browning to your taste, sear it after roasting.

Is it better to cook a pork loin at 350 or 400? ›

This is the cardinal rule for lean cuts of meat like pork tenderloin. At 400 degrees F, a 1-pound pork tenderloin will cook in 8 to 10 minutes after being seared on the stove.

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