This pork tenderloin with creamy mustard sauce post was originally created in March 2016, and has been updated to add step by step photos and clearer instructions.
Anyone else in disbelief that fall is here? This year has gone by both so fast and so slowly, but I'm so ready for the cooler (and way less humid) evenings with something warm and cozy on my plate and this pork tenderloin with mustard cream sauce fits the bill perfectly.
It's juicy from a cider brine (y'all know I love apple cider with my pork!) and the sauce gets its richness from cream and little Dijon, and the best part is that it all comes together in the same skillet.
I like to serve it with rosemary roasted potatoes and garlicky green beans, but buttery egg noodles or a crisp salad are just as good. It's simple yet impressive and so satisfying as a weeknight dinner.
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Perfect Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce
The secret to juicy, tender pork tenderloin here is the apple cider brine. Apple and pork are absolute partners in crime, they work so well together!
The next layer of flavor comes from searing the meat to a golden crust before roasting, and when it's resting we use that same skillet for a foolproof creamy Dijon mustard sauce boosted with an amazingly aromatic shallot/pink peppercorn/fresh herb combo. It's rich without being heavy, perfectly at home at our Sunday dinner or on a full holiday table.
It's elegant yet unfussy and pairs fabulously with all our favorite sides. I'm talking buttery biscuits, creamy sweet potato casserole, and scalloped potatoes. Oh, I'm getting hungry for holiday food already, haha!
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cider Brine Ingredients
- 2 Pork Tenderloins - you may find them called pork fillet outside of the U.S. Don't confuse this with pork loin, which is a thicker, bigger roast.
- Apple Cider - this is the drink, not apple cider vinegar! Try to find one without added sugar and spices.
- Bay Leaves, Black Peppercorns, and Allspice
- Soy Sauce - using this for the umami!
- Kosher Salt
- Brown Sugar - this adds sweetness that amplifies the apple cider flavor that soaks in.
Dijon Cream Sauce Ingredients
Mustard Cream Sauce
- Butter - there is a lot of butter in this, but it makes for a delicious sauce. Restaurants use a lot more butter than you expect, and this is a restaurant-quality dish!
- Heavy Cream
- Dijon Mustard and Whole Grain Mustard - this sauce doesn't scream mustard at you! But the mustard gives great flavor, a nice tanginess, and emulsifies the sauce.
- Chicken Broth
- Cayenne Pepper - I use just a healthy pinch, but if you want some heat add way more.
- Shallots and Garlic - shallots are a more mild type of onion and they're actually really common in grocery stores now!
- Pink Peppercorns (optional) - Pink peppercorns are similar to black pepper, flavorwise, but a bit milder and fruitier.
- Fresh Herbs - I used what you'd find as 'poultry herbs' in the grocery store: a little sage, lots of thyme, and a bit of rosemary.
Ingredient Swaps
- Don't have heavy whipping cream? Mix in sour cream instead! It'll add a tangy flavor, but never let it boil or it'll curdle.
- No apple cider? Apple cider can only be found in the fall time in many places. Instead of apple cider, try adding sliced fresh apples instead for a flavorful brine any time of the year.
- No shallots? Small dice a quarter of a yellow onion instead.
Equipment I Used
How to Make Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Step 1
Apple Cider Brine for Juicy Pork
In a large bowl, whisk all the warm brine ingredients. Add ice to cool it down, then submerge the pork tenderloins. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to lock in flavor and tenderness.
Step 2
Sear the Pork
Pat the pork dry, sear in an oven-safe skillet with oil over medium-high until golden. Preheat the oven while searing, then roast for 18-20 minutes until 145ºF.
Step 3
Build the Creamy Dijon Sauce
With the same skillet (cover the handle for safety) on the stovetop, whisk together everything but the cream. Sauté until fragrant.
Step 4
Deglaze and Reduce
Add a splash of chicken broth to loosen the browned bits. Stir in the remaining broth and heavy cream, simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until reduced to a silky consistency. Thin with broth if needed.
Step 5
Finish with Buttah, Baby
Whisk in a cold pat of butter for a glossy, velvety finish. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Step 6
Slice and Serve
Slice rested pork into medallions. Arrange on a platter, spoon over the creamy Dijon mustard sauce, and serve the rest in a gravy boat along with your favorite sides.
Chef's Tips
- Don't overcook it. When it comes to roasts it's less about the cooking time and more about the temperature. Use a meat thermometer or a probe thermometer to ensure your pork is cooked to 145ºF.
- Bring the pork to room temperature before cooking. As the pork tenderloin cooks, the inside is colder than the outside. Bring it to room temp so that the inside isn't ice cold and ends up rarer than we want.
Troubleshooting/FAQs
Keep the heat at a gentle simmer after adding the cream. Boiling cream, especially with mustard, can cause it to split.
Whisk in more cream to mellow it out.
Yes! Cook the pork just shy of 145°F, let it cool, then slice. To rewarm in the oven place the slices in a baking dish with a little sauce, cover with foil, and bake at 300°F for 10–15 minutes, just until warm.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: The pork and the sauce can stay in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Rewarm the sauce on the stove top in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and warm the pork in the microwave or in the oven in a baking dish covered with foil at 300ºF until warmed through.
- Freezing: The pork can be frozen in a freezer-safe zip top bag or in a vacuum sealed bag for up to 3 months. For the sauce, freeze without the cream for the best texture.
Cozy Sides and Sweets to Serve With This
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Juicy Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Equipment
- Saucepan for the brine
- large skillet
Ingredients
Apple Cider Brine
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups apple cider, unfiltered
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup soy sauce, low sodium
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoon all spice
- Ice cubes
Pork Recipe
- 2 pork tenderloins, about 1½ pounds each
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce
- 6 tablespoon cold butter, 2 tablespoon separated
- 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
- ½ shallot, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, coarsely ground
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Brine the Pork
- Heat water and apple cider over medium heat in a large saucepan to come to a gentle simmer. Dissolve the salt and sugar and add the other ingredients except the ice.4 cups water, 2 cups apple cider, ¼ cup kosher salt, ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, tbsp black peppercorns, 2 teaspoon all spice
- Once the brine comes to a simmering bubble take it off the heat, pour it into a heat-safe mixing bowl, and add the ice cubes to cool it down. Add as many ice cubes as it takes to make the brine stop steaming. Add the pork tenderloins to the brine. cover with plastic wrap, and let brine for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours.Ice cubes, 2 pork tenderloins
Cook the Pork
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat.3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Remove the pork from the brine and pat the pork tenderloins dry with paper towels. Season both tenderloins on all sides with salt and sear the pork on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cover the skillet and transfer into the oven; cook for 18-23 minutes, until the temperature reaches 145℉ / 63℃ (if you are wary about pork, 155℉ / 73℃).2 pork tenderloins
- Remove pan from the oven and move the tenderloins to a plate to rest, cover them with foil to keep warm.
Make the Mustard Sauce
- Use a pot holder or a silicone pan handle cover (that handle will be hot!) and place the skillet over a medium heat on the stove.
- Melt down 4 tablespoons of butter, then add the minced shallot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring well.6 tablespoon cold butter, ½ shallot
- Add the pink peppercorns, minced herbs, both mustards, garlic, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Whisk well. You'll notice that it'll start to thicken up a bit, that's the mustard at work.3 cloves garlic , 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
- Splash in a little of the chicken broth and whisk well to get up the fond from the bottom of the pan and loosen up the brown bits from when the pork was cooking. Then add all of chicken broth and heavy cream, whisk well to incorporate them, and let reduce and thicken for about 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and season with salt as needed.⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 cups chicken broth, Salt and Pepper to taste
- Once the sauce has thickened, whisk in the last 2 tablespoons of butter.6 tablespoon cold butter
- Slice the tenderloins into ½ inch slices, place nicely on a platter and serve with some of the mustard sauce poured over and the rest in a gravy boat or bowl.
Recipe Notes
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: The pork and the sauce can stay in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Rewarm the sauce on the stove top in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and warm the pork in the microwave or oven at 325 degrees F until warmed through.
- Freezing: The pork can be frozen in a freezer-safe zip top bag or in a vacuum sealed bag for up to 3 months. The sauce is NOT freezer-safe since it is dairy-based.
Variations and Pro Tips
- Don't overcook it - Overcooked pork is almost as bad as overcooked turkey. Crumbly, dry, and just not the business. When it comes to roasts it's less about the cooking time and more about the temperature. Use a proper thermometer or a probe thermometer to ensure your pork is cooked perfectly.
- Bring the pork to room temperature before cooking. As the pork tenderloin cooks, the inside is colder than the outside. Bring it to room temp so that the inside isn't ice cold and ends up rarer than we want.
Ingredient Swaps
- Don't have heavy whipping cream? Mix in sour cream instead! It'll add a tangy flavor, but never let it boil or it'll curdle.
- No apple cider? Apple cider can only be found in the fall time in many places. Instead of apple cider, try adding sliced fresh apples instead for a flavorful brine any time of the year.
- No shallots? Small dice a quarter of a yellow onion instead.
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