Bourbon Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

sliced maple glazed pork tenderloin in a serving dish

4.85 from 19 votes

Bourbon Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

A juicy, cider-brined pork tenderloin glazed with a perfectly sweet and smoky bourbon maple glaze. This easy recipe takes all the guesswork out of making pork tenderloin, ensuring it’s tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked every time. Serve it up with your favorite sides and you’ve got a cozy, crowd-pleasing meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Brine Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

Brine

5 cups water
1 cup apple cider not apple juice
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
½ tablespoon allspice berries whole
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
½ yellow onion roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 cups ice cubes
2 pork tenderloins about 1¼-1½ pounds each

For Cooking

2 tablespoon vegetable oil for searing

Glaze

½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup bourbon or apple cider
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon butter separated
flaky salt for serving

Instructions

Brine the Pork Tenderloins

In a large saucepan, bring all the brine ingredients except the ice cubes to a simmer and dissolve the salt.
5 cups water, 1 cup apple cider, ⅓ cup pure maple syrup, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup kosher salt, 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, ½ tablespoon allspice berries, ½ yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
Once the salt is dissolved, take the pan off the heat and stir in the ice cubes to cool the brine down.
2 cups ice cubes
Place the pork tenderloins in a large mixing bowl and pour the brine over it. Cover with plastic wrap and let brine for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.
2 pork tenderloins
Take pork out of the fridge and out of the brine to rest 30 minutes before cooking.

Cooking the Pork and Making the Glaze

Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
In a 12-inch, oven-safe saute pan/skillet/braiser, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Place both tenderloins in the hot pan, with at least an inch between both tenderloins, searing the pork for about 3 minutes on each side. Let the crust develop on each side before turning; do not force the pork off the pan to turn it, it will release from the pan when it's ready.
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
While the pork is searing, stir all the ingredients for the glaze except the butter together in a saucepan over medium heat. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of the butter.
½ cup pure maple syrup, ¼ cup bourbon, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoon butter
When the tenderloins have finished searing, turn off the heat. With a silicone brush or spoon, slather half of the glaze over each of the tenderloins generously. Cover the pan with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes of cooking, remove the lid and pour the rest of the glaze over the tenderloins. Let cook for another 10-13 minutes until the pork's temperature is 145ºF.
Remove the pan from the oven and move tenderloins to a cutting board covered with foil to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. The glaze will have thickened up in the pan from cooking, whisk the last tablespoon of butter into it, then pour it into a heat safe serving container.
2 tablespoon butter
Slice tenderloins into ½ inch slices and serve sprinkled with flaky salt and the extra maple glaze.
flaky salt

Notes

Chef's Tips for Perfect Pork

That cider brine is your secret weapon to flavorful and juicy pork so don't skip it! Even 30 minutes helps (but no more than 4 hours or it'll get mushy).

For perfectly cooked pork every time, use a meat thermometer. Check the thickest part of the tenderloin for an internal temperature of 145ºF for the juiciest results. A little pink is perfectly safe according to the USDA!

If your glaze gets too thick and sticky, add a little water or apple cider to thin it out until it reaches the right consistency. Just heat it back up to combine.

Nutrition