Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin is sweet, savory, and absolutely irresistible. Seasoned and seared pork tenderloin is oven roasted to juicy perfection and finished with a tangy apricot glaze.
This pork tenderloin recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal but elegant enough for a holiday menu.
If you eat dinner at my house every now and then, I can guarantee that pork tenderloin will make an appearance on the menu. It is so incredibly versatile. The method of preparation, seasonings, and a sauce or glaze can turn it into something entirely different. It’s also super easy to prepare, cooks quickly, and on top of all of that, it happens to be lean and low calorie.
For this Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin, apricot preserves, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce are the basis for the most finger lickin’ good, sticky-sweet and savory glaze EVER!
The skillet to oven method is vital in creating a seared, caramelized exterior and juicy, perfectly cooked pork.
There is so much great flavor in this Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin that it’s hard to believe that it’s also a low in fat and calories. This is a seriously delicious addition to add to your weekly rotation.
Table of contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Pork Tenderloin
- Pork tenderloin – Look for the two-pack of pork tenderloins that come pre-trimmed and ready to go. If you buy pork tenderloins with the silver skin intact, use a sharp knife to lift it up and trim it off the tenderloins.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Rosemary – Use fresh if you have it or dried rosemary is absolutely wonderful too.
- Oil – Use your favorite high-heat, neutral oil. I use either canola or vegetable oil.
For the Apricot Glaze
- Apricot preserves – I most often find apricot preserves at my stores. Apricot jam will work just as well.
- Apple cider vinegar – The tang in the vinegar adds the perfect balance to the sweetness in the preserves.
- Less sodium soy sauce – Adds the savory, umami that brings the whole gosh darned thing together. Substitute tamari for a gluten free glaze.
- Honey – I add just enough honey to help bring the glaze together into a sticky mixture.
- Minced garlic
- Cornstarch and water – Create a cornstarch slurry to thicken a portion of the glaze.
How to Make Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post for detailed instructions and amounts.
- Whisk together the apricot preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Measure out and transfer ½ cup of the sauce to a small saucepan and reserve the remaining amount in the bowl.
- Pat the two pork tenderloins dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Heat the oil in an oven-proof sauté pan or large skillet and seared the seasoned tenderloins until well browned on one side. Flip the pork over and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the apricot sauce from the bowl over the top of both tenderloins.
- Transfer to a preheated 350 degree F oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and baste the tenderloins with the sauce in the bottom of the skillet (spoon it over). Return the pan to the oven and roast for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 150 degrees and no more than 155 degrees F.
- While the pork is cooking, set the the saucepan with the apricot mixture over low heat. Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl and add it to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, just until thickened then remove the glaze from the heat.
- Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the thickened glaze. Let it rest for about 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cutting board.
Tips for Juicy Pork Tenderloin
- Sear – I strongly recommend searing one side of the pork tenderloin before it goes in the oven. This ensures the exterior will have a nice crust and reduce the overall cooking time.
- Temperature -The USDA recommends pork be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees F but I have found the range of 150- to 155 degrees F to be perfect. The pork should be very tender with a slight hint of pink in the center of the slices. Use an instant read meat thermometer and remove the pork tenderloin from the oven when it reaches a safe temperature.
- Rest – Once removed from the oven, allow the pork tenderloin to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. This rest time will help the pork retain its juices when sliced.
Slice and Serve
Slice the pork tenderloins into 1-inch medallions and return them to the saucy mixture of apricot glaze and pan juices that has accumulated in the pan. You’re going to want to scoop up some of that incredible sauce to drizzle over the top of everything on your plate!
What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin
- Potatoes – Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin and sweet potatoes are a heavenly match. Try it with my Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes. For a meal worthy of a holiday menu, serve it with Potato Leek Gratin or Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes to soak up the pan sauce.
- Veggies – It works very well with Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon, Air Fryer Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower, or Cauliflower Rice Pilaf.
- Rice and Grains – Simply cooked white or brown rice, couscous, or quinoa would be wonderful. For a special menu, try my Wild Rice with Cranberries and Pecans.
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Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- ½ cup apricot preserves
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce, tamari for gluten free
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 to 2.25 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed (2 tenderloins)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 ½ teaspoons dried
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and garlic and whisk well to break up any clumps of preserves. Measure out and transfer ½ cup of the sauce to a small saucepan and reserve the remaining amount in the bowl. Set aside.
- Pat the two pork tenderloins dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Heat the oil in an oven-proof sauté pan or large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the seasoned tenderloins to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until well browned on one side. Flip the pork over and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the apricot sauce from the bowl over the top of the tenderloins.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and baste the tenderloins by spooning the sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top. Return the pan to the oven and roast for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 150 degrees and no more than 155 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, place the the saucepan with the apricot sauce over LOW heat. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch and pour it into the saucepan. Stir the sauce and cook just until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the thickened glaze. Let it rest for 10 minutes in the pan.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board and slice into 1-inch medallions. Return the sliced pork to the skillet with the sauce. Plate the pork with a little sauce from the pan spooned over the top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
More Pork Recipes
Tender Baked Pork Chops
Sweet and Sour Pork Kabobs
This recipe went straight to our “keeper” list. It was DELICIOUS!
So happy it worked out for you! Thanks, Mandy. 🙂
The tenderloin turned out perfect. There was more ACV flavor than I care for. It seemed the ACV stole the flavor away from the apricot preserves.
I would love to substitute Thyme instead of Rosemary as our family is not a fan. Do you think that will work?
Yes, I think it would work just fine!
This was crazy good. Perfect blend of sweet and savory and VERY easy. I just “pinned” it for definite future use!
So happy you enjoyed it! This is on my menu at least once a month. We love it too!
This recipe was amazing! Fancy enough for company, quick enough for a weeknight dinner.