This instant pot pork tenderloin is so easy and delicious! The pork comes out tender and perfectly cooked with an irresistible sauce. It's perfect for a quick weeknight supper or a fancy dinner party!
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Pork tenderloin has to be one of my favorite cuts of meat. It's super tender, cooks fairly quickly, and best of all it's pretty difficult to mess up.
This recipe is made even easier by using an instant pot which ensures a perfectly cooked pork tenderloin each and every time.
The marinade is versatile and you can make many substitutions to suit your own taste buds.
Ingredients, substitutions, and tips for making the perfect pork tenderloin
Avocado Oil is my go-to for high temp cooking. It had a mild flavor so it goes well with most dishes and it has a super high smoke point so you don't have to worry as much about it burning. You can swap the avocado oil in this recipe for any oil you like as long as it has a high smoke point.
Pork Tenderloin is obviously the star of this show, but the sauce would go well with most pork cuts. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times depending upon the cut of pork you are using.
Fresh Garlic Cloves are best, but in a pinch, you can use garlic powder instead.
Soy sauce can be swapped with liquid aminos or coconut aminos if you are avoiding soy.
You can easily swap the Dijon mustard for just about any variety of mustard that you like, although dijon is my favorite!
Orange juice is one of the ingredients that I don't recommend subbing or leaving out. It provides a nice bit of freshness and keeps the sauce from being too heavy. You can, however, amp up the orange flavor by adding the zest of ½ an orange along with the other ingredients.
Rosemary is the other ingredient that I wouldn't leave out. You can swap fresh for dried pretty easily though.
Lakanto Golden is my all-time favorite brown sugar substitute and one of my favorite sweeteners in general. It has an amazing caramel-like flavor that goes especially well with pork. If you don't have lakanto golden you can sub with brown sugar, honey, or any other sugar substitute that you like.
Right now you can get 10% off of all Lakanto products with the code "THISMOMSMENU" when you order from the Lakanto Website!
What if I get a "BURN" Warning?
This warning shows up on the instant pot display panel when there isn't enough liquid in the pot. Having enough liquid is essential for forming the steam that brings the instant pot to pressure.
That shouldn't be a problem with this recipe, but if you do get that warning, don't worry. Just remove the lid and add about ¼ cup of water then resume cooking.
What if the inside of the pork tenderloin is pink?
It is normal for the pork tenderloin to be slightly pink on the inside. I recommend checking the thickest part of the tenderloin with a meat thermometer as soon as the lid is removed. Pork should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
If you check the pork at the end of cooking and it is only a few degrees under this, then simply return the lid and allow the pork to continue cooking from the residual heat in the instant pot.
If it is more than 8 degrees under temperature, cook on manual pressure with a time setting of "0" this will just allow the pot to come to pressure and then release, which should be plenty to finish cooking the meat.
Can you make this pork tenderloin in a slow cooker?
Yes and no. Cooking this tenderloin in a slow cooker will still result in a delicious pork dish. However, slow cooking will make the tenderloin fall-apart tender, almost like a pulled pork. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to be aware of.
For the slow cooker, I recommend that you sear the meat on all side in a skillet before placing in the crockpot. Then top with the other ingredients and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
After cooking you can transfer the remaining liquid to a saucepan and simmer to reduce and thicken if desired.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Maple Butter Pork Tenderloin
- Instant Pot Chicken Mulligatawny Soup
- Keto Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup
- Crispy Air Fryer Pork Chops | Keto
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 2 lb Pork Tenderloins
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Cloves Minced
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup Orange Juice about 1 small orange
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ cup Lakanto Golden or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary
Instructions
- Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT (~8 mins). Add the oil to the pot then pat the tenderloin dry. Brown the pork tenderloin on all sides flipping after about 2 minutes.
- While you are browning the tenderloin, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
- Once the tenderloin is done browning, turn the instant pot off and carefully pour the prepared soy sauce mixture over the pork.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and ensure that the steam valve is set to "sealing" Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes then allow a natural pressure release for 10-12 minutes.
- After 10-12 minutes, carefully set the steam valve to "releasing" and allow any remaining steam to be released. The pork tenderloin should be at 145° F in its thickest part. If it's not up to temp yet, return the lid and allow it to sit for a few more minutes.
- Once it is finished cooking, remove the pork tenderloin from the pot and set it aside to rest. Meanwhile, return the instant pot to high saute and allow the sauce to come to a boil, stirring frequently (more often if you are using brown sugar) until the sauce has thickened.
- Pour the reduced sauce over the tenderloin, slice into medallions, and serve!
Notes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Suzanne says
I’ll definitely make this again. So easy in the tnstant pot!
Leah says
I needed way more time on the pressure cooker! My loin piece was maybe thicker? It took 8 minutes instead of 2 and I let it natural release 3 times...