I keep triple checking the recipe for Quick Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Chili Sauce because I can’t believe how quick, easy, and delicious it is. 30 minutes + 1 skillet + a luscious sweet and tangy pan sauce = an easy yet impressive dinner for tonight!
Do you know why the pork chops of our childhood were dryer than shoe leather? Because you had to cook them to the point of, well, shoe leather. These days pork is safe to eat at 140 degrees, read: still juicy and tender. I’m showing you exactly what I mean with this quick roasted pork tenderloin with fig and chili sauce. Seasoned pork tenderloin is seared then roasted for just 10 minutes in the oven, then a juicy fig jam and chili garlic pan sauce is made in the same skillet. This pork tenderloin is so delicious and tender you’ll swear you’re eating into a succulent piece of steak! This dish makes for a fabulous, “fancy-feeling” Sunday dinner, but is so simple that it can be made between shuffling the kids here and there any night of the week.
Start with a pork tenderloin that’s been trimmed of any excess silver skin. Pork tenderloin is the equivalent to beef filet in that it’s incredibly tender. It’s also important to note that the tenderloin is not the same as pork loin, so make sure you’re buying pork tenderloin at the store.
Season the tenderloin with a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried rosemary then sear each side for 1-2 minutes in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat that has a thin-layer of vegetable oil in the bottom.
Pop the entire skillet into a 450 degree oven then roast anywhere from 8-15 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloin, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 140 degrees.
Tip: the skillet will be super hot coming out of the oven. A reader suggested in a another skillet recipe of mine to wrap foil around the handle as a visual reminder to not mindlessly grab it. Great tip!
Transfer the pork tenderloin to a cutting board to rest while you make the pan sauce. Cutting into the roast before it has a chance to rest will result in all the juices running out.
To make the fig jam and chili pan sauce, add fig jam, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, chicken broth, and gluten-free Tamari (or soy sauce if not GF) to the hot skillet then simmer for 4-5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stream in corn starch mixed with water then simmer until thickened and bubbly, 1-2 more minutes.
Once the pork has rested, slice then serve drizzled with that yummy fig and chili sauce, and enjoy!
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