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This Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin is tender, juicy, and wrapped in crispy bacon with a sweet and tangy brown sugar glaze! It’s an easy and impressive dinner that comes together with just a handful of ingredients and comes out perfect every time!
This post is sponsored by Iowa Pork Producers Association,
but all opinions and text are my own!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy To Make! It sounds fancy, but don’t let the bacon-wrapping intimidate you as it’s very easy to put together.
- Juicy and Tender! Pork tenderloin is a great cut of meat, especially when cooked properly…and when wrapped in bacon!
- A Little Glaze with A Lot of Flavor! The sweet glaze paired with the savory bacon is a match made in heaven!
- Great for Entertaining. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal but looks impressive enough for entertaining.
- You’re Supporting Family Farms (like mine)! About 1/3 of the pork raised in the United States comes from Iowa, so when you buy pork, you’re supporting family farms in Iowa and across the US!
Key Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts are in the recipe card below, but I wanted to draw attention to a few of them:
- Pork Tenderloin – These typically come in packages of two, each one being about 1 – 1 ¼ pounds. You can use one and freeze the other for later or double this recipe.
- Bacon – I highly recommend using regular cut bacon (not thick cut). Thick cut bacon takes a lot longer to crisp up and you don’t want to overcook the pork.
- Mustard – I like the tanginess of yellow mustard, but Dijon would work great, too.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar is great.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Make the Brown Sugar Glaze
Stir together the glaze ingredients. Don’t worry if the glaze is a sandy-looking at this point. The brown sugar will melt when cooking to create a smooth and shiny glaze that’ll coat the pork. Set aside and preheat the oven to 400F.
Season and Wrap the Pork Tenderloin
Season both sides of the pork tenderloin with just a little bit of salt (the bacon will add more salt) and pepper.
Wrap the slices of bacon around the pork tenderloin, overlapping them just a bit. Depending on the length of the bacon, you may want to trim it so you don’t have too much extra at the bottom of the pork tenderloin. You’ll need 8-10 slices of bacon.
Place the tenderloin into the baking pan, ensuring that the bacon is seam-side-down to keep the bacon in place while it cooks.
Add the Brown Sugar Glaze and Bake
Liberally brush the glaze over the pork tenderloin, coating the top and sides of the pork.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145F. If it’s starting to brown too much on top, you can cover it with foil and continue baking.
Last, but not least, be sure to let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing. This allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb the juices! When ready to serve, cut with a sharp serrated knife and enjoy!
How to Know When Pork Tenderloin is Done
Throughout my studies to become a food scientist, I learned a lot about cooking temperatures – both from a culinary standpoint (think best texture and flavor!) and from a food safety perspective. While temperature is important when cooking all types of meat, it’s especially important with pork.
Pork is a lean cut of meat which means it can dry out easily and become tough when overcooked. I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer and pressing it into the center of the pork to determine doneness. With whole muscle cuts of pork, 145 is the magic number! Hot enough to ensure food safety while keeping it juicy and tender!
What to Serve with Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
The possibilities are endless as this entrée really goes with just about anything. I like adding a starchy side like my Amish Noodles or Parmesan Crusted Potatoes as well as a vegetable such as glazed carrots or brussels sprouts. Pair with fresh fruit or applesauce for a simple yet delicious meal!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover pork tenderloin in an airtight container. Pour the juices from the baking dish into the container to help keep it moist. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can use the microwave or cook it in a little bit of liquid (water or broth) in a saucepan on low or medium heat. Don’t overcook!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, these are two different cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is smaller (more narrow) while a pork loin is longer and much more thick.
I don’t recommend it as the bacon won’t be cooked by the time the pork is done.
You can season and wrap the pork tenderloin ahead of time and keep it covered tightly in the fridge for a couple days. You can also mix up the glaze so when it’s time to cook, your prep time will be super minimal!
Yes and actually this is a great ideas as many pork tenderloin packages have two. Simply double the recipe and note that the baking time might increase a bit.
More Pork Recipes
- Sticky Pork
- Stuffed Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
- Million Dollar Bacon
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Korean Pork Kabobs
- French Onion Pork Chops
- Dr Pepper Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
- Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- 1 Baking Dish
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Bacon-Wrapped Tenderloin
- 1 pork tenderloin (1 – 1 1/4 pounds)
- salt and pepper
- 8 slices bacon (regular thickness, not thick-cut bacon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, mustard, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using); set aside.1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.1 pork tenderloin (1 – 1 1/4 pounds), salt and pepper
- Wrap the bacon around the pork tenderloin then transfer to the baking dish, ensuring that the ends of the bacon are underneath the pork tenderloin.8 slices bacon (regular thickness, not thick-cut bacon)
- Brush the brown sugar glaze all over the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145℉.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
