Harissa-Honey Pork Tenderloin
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes, plus 10 minutes resting
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup harissa paste or 1 teaspoon harissa spice powder
- 2tablespoons honey
- 1pork tenderloin (1 to 1¼ pounds), silver skin removed, meat halved crosswise and patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 2teaspoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
222 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 352 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the harissa and honey. On a plate, season the pork all over with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt). Rub a thin layer of the harissa-honey mixture all over the pork and reserve the rest.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add the pork and cook until very browned on two sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Decrease the heat if the pork is burning; hold onto the plate.
- Step 3
Turn off the heat and return the pork to the plate. Rub the pork all over with the remaining harissa-honey mixture. Remove any burnt bits from the skillet, then return the pork to the skillet and roast until a thermometer in the thickest part registers between 140 and 145 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. (The thinner, tapered piece of meat may be ready first, so check both pieces and remove them as they’re done.)
- Step 4
Transfer to a cutting board to rest at least 10 minutes (the meat’s internal temperature will continue to climb), then slice and serve with the juices poured over.
Private Notes
Comments
Turn the oven up to 425 and skip the stove top browning.
I don't usually like pork, but this was perfect. So juicy and flavorful. I followed the recipe exactly, except used maple syrup instead of honey, because that's all I had. I served it with basmati rice and a sauce of yogurt, sumac, lime and mint. It was an amazing weeknight dinner. Will definitely make again.
Great method, the pork was very tender and moist! We substituted garlic instead of harissa so it was more kid-friendly, and it was very delish. Can't wait to try it with harissa as well! My only note--it wasn't completely clear to me which way to cook it in step 2 vs step 3. But I went with browning it on the stove for 2-4 mins each side, re-seasoning, and then putting it in the oven to roast for 8-12 mins. I think that's what's intended in the recipe, and it worked perfectly!
I cooked it on a grill. I think salt needs to be added to the sauce in addition to the tenderloin. It might be harissa dependent. I will definitely make this again.
I usually find pork tenderloin finicky to cook and it's an inexpensive meat that I want to cook more of. Salted the pork and cooked it sous vide at 140º for 2 hours. Applied the honey-harissa mixture and seared it. Perfectly cooked (thanks sous-vide!) and delicious.
After I made the marinade I discovered that the pork tenderloin was discolored when I took it out of the package - so I decided to punt and use chicken breasts. It worked! Followed the recipe but left it in the oven about 15 minutes and it came out perfect, moist and tender. Very good with the Basic Yogurt Sauce on the side and some rice pilaf.