If you love pork tenderloin in sauce, you’ll love this delicious pork tenderloin recipe, with a creamy wine, herb and garlic sauce using rosemary and sage. A special dinner, that’s also weeknight friendly.
This delicious pork tenderloin is a quick and easy version of my popular Pork Loin with Wine and Herb Gravy recipe. It seems a lot of people wanted to make that particular recipe with pork tenderloin, so I decided to adapt the recipe specifically for the quicker cooking pork tenderloin. This version still has all the same great flavours and the same delicious pan sauce!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pork Tenderloin – As noted, this recipe is specific to pork tenderloin, which are the long and skinny cuts of pork. To prepare the pork, remove any visible fat and then, remove and discard the thin, opaque membrane along the sides of the pork with a sharp knife. This is the silver skin. It’s removed not only because it is tough, but because it shrinks as it cooks, causing uneven cooking.
Herbs – Fresh herbs are best in this dish, if you have then. I love the fresh rosemary and sage combination. If you are not a fan of one of these herbs, fresh thyme would be a great substitution. If you only have dried herbs, use about 1 tsp of dried rosemary and 2 tsp of dried sage leaves (less if your sage is powdered).
White Wine – Any white wine you enjoy drinking is fine here. If you prefer not to use wine, simply omit and deglaze the pan with a splash of water, instead (to loosen the brown bits in the pan).
Cream – Heavy, whipping cream (35% b.f.), will produce the nicest sauce, but you can use a lighter cream, if you like. You will probably need to further thicken the sauce with a lighter cream. Directions to do that are in the recipe instructions. For a non-dairy version, coconut milk should work here.
Recipe Tips
- The days of cooking pork to 160F. internal temperature are gone. Pork is best when cooked just to about 140F – 145F internal temperature. It will rise to the desired and recommended 145F. as it finishes on the stove-top and then rests.
- This gravy is ready made for serving with mashed potatoes, in my opinion. If you want extra gravy, use the larger amounts of chicken broth and cream to have extra.
Top Tip!
If you believe there is no such thing as too much garlic, scoop out some of the garlic cloves that have cooked along with your pork, chop them up and add them to your mashed potatoes.
Get the Recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Herb and Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, visibe fat and silver skin removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup dry white wine, enough to form a thin layer over the bottom of the pan
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves)
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup chicken broth, *see Note 1 below
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f., or a lighter cream, if you prefer
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet (cast iron works great) over medium-high heat. Prepare the pork and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pan and sear all sides of the pork in the hot oil, turning as needed, until golden. Add the garlic cloves to the pan and stir a bit to coat with some of the oil.
- Place skillet into the preheated oven and roast until the pork reaches and internal temperature of 140-145F., about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the pork tenderloin and how long it was pan seared.
- Remove skillet from oven and place on the stove-top over medium-high heat. Add the wine to the pan and allow to boil for 1 minute or so, to cook off the alcohol. Add the herbs to the pan and then remove the pork to a cutting board to rest.
- Stir the remaining liquid in the pan to loosen any brown bits, then add the chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a boil and let boil 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly. Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the cream. Stir to combine and let gently simmer to thicken a bit further. If your sauce isn’t thick enough at that point, you can mix 2 Tbsp. cornstarch with 2 Tbsp. water and add a bit at a time to your sauce until it thickens to your liking. You may not need to use all of the mixture. Taste sauce and add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
- To serve, slice the pork and spoon the warm sauce over-top.
Notes
More Pork Tenderloin Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Can you freeze these pork tenderloin recipes?
Hi Jaye and yes, they should freeze well.
Thanks! I dont have an oven safe pan what else could I use? I have a dutch oven and can tranfer it to a glass pan to put in the oven?
Hi Jaye and a glass pan probably isn’t the best choice here. Dutch ovens are usually oven safe. Are you sure yours isn’t? If not, how about a skillet or even a cake pan. Anything metal would work.
Ok, yes it is oven safe, Also have a cake pan, I need to invest in one of those small cast iron pans! Thanks!
I am going to make this tonight and have no doubt it will be delightful. I’d like to compliment you on your recipe writing. You have covered all the bases, directions are simple and clear. Cheers for giving concise directions for using dried or fresh herbs, light or heavy cream, wine or H2O, etc. Also, directions for extra sauce. I wish all recipes were written this way! 👍🏽👍🏽👏🏽
Thanks so much, Molly :)
How would you suggest making this with pork tenderloin medallions? Would this work in individual sized Dutch ovens?
Hi Lisa, if you wanted to cut the pork tenderloin into medallions, you could probably do the whole thing on the stove-top. Simply cook the medallions longer in the skillet (skip the oven part), then add the sauce ingredients and simmer the pork with the sauce a bit. I’m not sure it’s best suited for the little Dutch ovens, which I find work best with something more stew like (it’s hard to cut meat in those :)
I made this tonight. It went together easily. I did use ground rosemary and sage. I made extra sauce to go over potatoes and it was perfect. This was fantastic. We all loved it. We will make this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Barbara :) Thanks so much!
I love this recipe so much I make it whenever I have company. As others have in the past , I used the tenderloin instead of the loin in the original recipe. Thank you for converting this recipe!!! I ALWAYS make extra gravy!!! And I add mushrooms. Delicious!!!
So glad you are enjoying it, Sandy :) Thanks!
I’ll definitely be putting pork tenderloin on the grocery list this week! Love that gravy!!
Thanks Annie :)
We really enjoy pork tenderloin Jennifer. And I bet this creamy sauce complements it perfectly!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
Love the addition of all the herb in this one, Jennifer! I especially love rosemary and our plant (that is inside) is growing great so this would be a fabulous recipe to use some of it! Absolutely delish!!
Thanks Dawn and yes, a great use for that rosemary :)
I’m making this Friday night. Can’t wait. Kids moved out only me and my wife. Perfect!
Perfect empty nest, Friday night dinner :) Open a nice bottle of white. Use a bit in this dish and enjoy the rest together. Enjoy!