Over the years I have created over 50 grilling recipes, and I can give you my best tips for making the easiest, tastiest meals on your BBQ grill! Grilled pork tenderloin is ridiculously easy. I'll show you exactly how to get juicy, flavorful grilled pork every time.
I loved the Asian-inspired marinade in this recipe, but you could go a million ways with this! Pork tenderloin is super versatile and easy to season. Kind of like chicken breast, but feels a little fancier.
Pork Tenderloin on the Grill: the BEST way to eat pork tenderloin!
Since I love grilling so much, I might be a little biased, but I think grilling pork tenderloin is the way to go. The quick, hot cooking creates smoky, charred spots on the outside with a juicy, flavorful interior.
Why you'll like Grilled Pork Tenderloin
It's easy to prep. 10 min max.
You can make it ahead of time -- the day before even.
It pairs with SOOOO many side dishes. I'll give you some ideas below.
It's easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for entertaining!
What you'll need for Grilling Pork Tenderloin
- Pork tenderloin: I like to buy these in bulk at Costco and toss the others in the freezer for later.
- Marinade or seasoning: This recipe has an Asian-style marinade, but you could use almost any flavor profile you can dream up. I'll give you some ideas below.
Asian Marinade for Pork
- Soy Sauce: I like to use tamari soy sauce since it's gluten free. You could also use coconut aminos if you're avoiding soy. You'll need to add some salt to the marinade if you do this since coconut aminos isn't nearly as salty as soy sauce.
- Fish Sauce: I really love using fish sauce because it adds a deeply salty umami flavor. If you don't want to use fish sauce, just add more soy sauce.
- Fresh Ginger: I love buying the frozen minced ginger cubes. I find them at Trader Joe's but have seen them in nicer grocery stores in the freezer section.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Get a few big juicy ones.
- Oil: I use avocado oil because it's neutral tasting and heat-safe for grilling. You could also use light olive oil. If you use coconut oil the oil will firm up during refrigeration, but just let everything come to room temp before you grill so your oil can coat the tenderloin.
- Asian style chili sauce: I use sriracha or sambal oelek depending on my mood. You can find both in the Asian section of most grocery stores. The amount in the recipe doesn't make the pork spicy, but you can double or triple it if you want to add more heat.
How to Grill Pork Tenderloin
- Cover the tenderloin in seasoning or whisk up the marinade and let it chill for several hours.
- Preheat the BBQ Grill to high heat.
- Grill the pork tenderloin for 18-25 min, depending on its thickness, flipping once or twice during grilling. This particular recipe will have a glaze that you brush on during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Remove the meat from the grill when it has reached an internal temperature of 135-140F.
- Let it rest for 10-15 min before slicing. Serve!
How long to Grill Pork Tenderloin
After making dozens of these, it usually takes me around 20 minutes. Start checking the temp at 16-18 min and keep an eye on it closely.
You'll want to preheat the grill to around 400-450F and try to keep it there the whole time. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your tenderloin and the temperature of your grill. (And how often you open the lid.)
Pro tips for making Pork Tenderloin on Grill
Preheat your grill well. This will create those nice grill lines and ensure it doesn't stick to the grates. The oil in the marinade should help that, too.
Let the pork marinate for at least 4 hours. If you're using a dry rub you can let it sit at room temperature for 45-60 min. It doesn't need as long with a dry rub if there's sufficient salt added.
Don't overcook it! Proper temp for pork is 145F, but that usually creates dry meat. I pull it off between 135-140F and let the residual temp take it up a few more degrees on its own. Do what you feel is best for you.
Storing leftover Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Store any leftovers, covered and chilled, for up to 5 days.
What to serve with Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Grilled Vegetables! This recipe suggests tossing some of the pork marinade on the veggies and cooking them alongside of the pork tenderloin. This is my favorite side.
If you want more ideas for sides, here are a few that would go well with this Asian-style pork:
- Ginger-Scented Rice
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Ginger Chicken Salad - omit the chicken and replace it with this pork!
- Chopped Asian Salad
More Easy Pork Recipes on Perry's Plate
- Pork and Pineapple Tacos (another great pork tenderloin recipe!)
- Spicy Egg Roll in a Bowl (ground pork is good here)
- Pork Chorizo Recipe (Chipotle Copycat)
- Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Pork Tenderloin (on the grill)
Grilled pork tenderloin is ridiculously easy. I'll show you exactly how to get juicy, flavorful grilled pork every time. You'll love this Asian-style marinade, but you can use this as a jumping off point to use any kind of marinade you want!
Ingredients
- 1 uncooked pork tenderloin
For the marinade:
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 3 Tablespoons of fresh ginger, minced or Microplaned
- 3 Tablespoons heat-safe oil, like avocado
- 2 teaspoons Asian style chili sauce (like sriracha or sambal oelek)
- 2 limes
- 3 Tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Place the tenderloin in a gallon-sized zip top bag.
- Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, oil, and chili sauce to a small bowl or glass measuring cup.
- Add the juice from the limes (about 3 Tablespoons) to the marinade.
- Add all but ½ cup of the marinade to the bag with the tenderloin. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, up to 18 hours.
- To the remaining ½ cup marinade, add the honey. Microwave it for 30 seconds to warm it up so the honey dissolves. Set aside.
- When you're ready to grill the pork, preheat your grill to medium high heat.
- If you plan to serve this with rice and vegetables, you might want to start your rice now and prep your veg. You can grill some vegetables alongside the pork if you like or roast some in the oven.
- Place the tenderloin on the grill. Discard the marinade in the zipotop bag. Cover the grill and let the pork cook for 8 minutes or until you get grill marks on the side.
- Flip it over and cook for another 8 minutes.
- Brush some of the reserved marinade with the honey over the tenderloin. Continue cooking, brushing it with marinade, and turning it once or twice until you reach an internal temp of 135-140F.
- Transfer the pork (and any vegetables you may have grilled) to a cutting board. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes and then slice.
- Serve with rice, vegetables, and a drizzle of the reserved marinade.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size ¼ of the pork tenderloinAmount Per Serving Calories 295Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 16mgSodium 3471mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 5gSugar 15gProtein 11g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
