Delicious and always tender pork tenderloin, with a souvlaki marinade and served with a cherry tomato salad. Cook in the oven, a grill pan or the BBQ.
Why you'll love this pork souvlaki marinade
Just like the bears, our BBQ grill hibernates for the winter and it's about this time in the Winter that I start to crave some of our Summer favourite flavours like grilled pork souvlaki. With this Souvlaki Marinated Pork Tenderloin, I can get the flavours of those Summer BBQs in the middle of Winter! And as a bonus, it's a quick and easy weeknight meal, too.
This pork tenderloin cooks up super quickly in the oven, thanks to butterflying the pork. You can marinate the pork anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours, so it's great to prepare in the morning and cook up for a quick and easy dinner later.
Key Ingredients
✓ Pork Tenderloin: This is that long, skinny cut of pork. I love it as it's always tender! Look for one about 1 1/2 lbs., though it really doesn't matter much what the exact size you start with.
✓ Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for this dish, if you have lemons on hand.
✓ Garlic: I love fresh garlic. For this dish, all you need to do is peel and smash them with the side of a knife, to open up the flavour. If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, you can use 1 1/2 tsp of powdered garlic, instead.
✓ Dried Oregano Leaves: Oregano is what gives souvlaki it's distinctive flavour, so it's tough to recommend a substitute here. You can use fresh oregano or dried oregano powder. Use more fresh and less, if powder.
For the tzatziki sauce:
✓ Cucumber: The seedless English cucumber is best for grating, but a regular field cucumber with the seeds removed will work as well.
✓ Yogurt: Any thicker plain yogurt, such as Greek or Balkan will be fine. Use any fat level you like.
What to Serve with this Souvlaki Pork
I've provided a tzatziki and an easy tomato feta salad I love, which is how I often serve this dish.
Other options are grilled pita bread, lemon rice or lemon-roasted potatoes. And of course, you can never go wrong with Greek salad!
Variations
- Instead of butterflying the pork, you can cut into cubes and thread onto wooden skewers instead. Simply lay the skewers onto a foil-lined baking sheet and cook until the pork is cooked through.
- Using either of the methods, rather than plating, you can put the pork, tomato salad and tzatziki into a warmed pita, for a souvlaki pita.
Cook's Notes
- While I've detailed the non-BBQ method here, you can certainly take these same pork souvlaki marinade and cook the pork on the BBQ instead. Either do it butterflied, as I have done here, or you can cube the pork tenderloin and thread onto skewers for the grill, if you prefer.
- A grill pan is also an option, though the pork when butterflied is quite large, so unless you have a large grill pan, it may not fit to lay flat. Personally, I find the grill pan more work than it's worth just to get a few grill lines, as cleaning them afterwards is a bear!
Top Tip!
Pork should be cooked to 145F internal temperature. At that temperature, the pork will be juicy and have a little pink in the centre. If you prefer no pink, cook closer to 155F internal temperature. And when it comes to internal temperature, why guess? An instant-read thermometer is one of the best additions you can make to your kitchen, I think.
Recipe
Souvlaki Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
Pork Souvlaki Marinade:
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, or cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2-3 tsp dried oregano leaves, less if powdered oregano, more if fresh
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Tzatziki:
- 1/2 cup English cucumber, grated and squeezed to remove moisture
- 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes (Optional):
- 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled or diced
- Pinch dried oregano
- Pinch dried basil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the pork tenderloin by removing the silverskin and any visible fat. Butterfly the tenderloin, but cutting it in half lengthwise, cutting almost, but not quite, all the way through. Spread it open and flatten slightly. Season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Prepare the Souvlaki marinade by stirring together all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Rub on the prepared pork tenderloin, then place in a plastic storage bag or wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (the longer the better).
- * Both the Tzatziki and Marinated Cherry Tomatoes can also be made ahead and refrigerated, if you prefer. (see below for instructions).
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375F (not fan assisted).
- Remove the marinated pork tenderloin and place it on a baking sheet (you can line with foil, if you like). *I like to tuck the smashed garlic cloves underneath the pork, so they don't burn on the top and introduce a bitter flavour. You can also just remove and discard, if you like. Place in preheated oven and allow to cook until it reaches 145F internal temperature, about 20 minutes. Brown the top of the pork by popping it under the broiler for a few minutes.
- While pork is cooking, prepare the marinated cherry tomatoes by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl and tossing well to combine. Set aside at room temperature to marinate until needed. Prepare the tzatziki by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring well to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature until needed.
- When pork is done, allow to rest a few minutes, then remove to a cutting board and cut into slices. Serve with the marinated tomatoes and some tzatziki. Some warmed pita bread triangles drizzled with a bit of garlic butter would also be a nice addition to the platter, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
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Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!
Den M. says
Here in Florida grilling is most of year. I am wondering if anyone has grilled this and if they found the skewered chunks or flat grilled works best. Any input is welcome.
Jennifer says
Hi Den, when our BBQ isn't hibernating, we do this one on the grill. I enjoy both, but I do find the larger piece of meat to be nicest, as it doesn't dry out as much as the chunks and is less likely to be over-cooked.
Melodie says
Oh this looks so easy to make and I love that I can do it on the oven than the grill
.
I do have a question, after I take the pork tenderloin out of the marinade bag, and put on a baking sheet do I spread it open or closed as a whole?
Jennifer says
Hi Melodie, you'll grill it open (butterflied and pressed flat). It will cook much more quickly and evenly that way. After, I like to slice it into pieces, as shown in the photos. Enjoy!
Laura Shannon says
This was fantastic! Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. I served it with some lemon roasted potatoes and the pita wedges as suggested. Lovely Friday family dinner.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Shannon :) Thanks so much!
Michael nacci says
Yes, it's still warm enough here in Manitoba, Canada !! And we're firing up the barbeque to cook this and this is Dec 20th 2020 !!!
Maybe we'll try a turkey on the 25th !!!!! Happy Holidays everyone !!!
Jennifer says
Glad to hear, Michael! I think "warm enough" is a relative term to us Canadians ;) We're a hearty lot! Happy bbq-ing and happy holidays to you, as well.
Donna Carpenter says
We are at home in Florida and avoiding the grocery store. I have lots of chicken tenders in the freezer but no pork. Would it work with chicken? All best and stay safe, Donna
Jennifer says
It should work just fine with chicken, Donna! Enjoy :)
Donna Carpenter says
Delicious, Jennifer. A keeper. Thank you.
Jennifer says
Glad you enjoyed it, Donna! Thanks :)
Carolyn says
Today was finally warm enough to bbq and this was the inaugural dish of the season! What an excellent start it was. The sauce and salad are really nice additions to the dish - makes it restaurant caliber. Thank you for another awesome recipe.
Jennifer says
It was beautiful here as well, Carolyn, but not quite enough to melt the BBQ. So glad you got to have one though and happy you enjoyed this one :) Thanks!
Helen says
Hi Jennifer. This recipe looks so good ! I just wondered if it could be made in the instant pot.
Jennifer says
Hi Helen, I don't think it's really suited for an instant pot. First, when you butterfly the pork tenderloin, it is quite large. Secondly, after marinating, it really takes just a short time (20 minutes) in the oven to cook, as it is so thin. Finally, I think pork tenderloin is best when it is dry roasted, as opposed to the pressure/steaming process of the instant pot. It would create a totally different texture (and not in a great way, in my opinion).
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
We enjoy pork at least once a week at our house Jennifer! This looks delicious. I'll definitely be adding to our menu soon!
Jennifer says
Thanks Mary Ann! We are regular pork eaters here, as well :)
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Oh gosh - yesssss!!! I am definitely craving summer flavors and this pork would totally hit the spot!! I love that Souvlaki marinade!! And the tomato salad pairing sounds just superb! I could eat a big 'ole plate of this right about now! Drooling!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Cheyanne :)
Paula Connor says
My family really enjoyed this . Thanks for a great, easy recipe .
Jennifer says
So glad you all enjoyed it, Paula! Thanks so much :)
Tricia B says
YES! This is what I've been craving and I didn't even know it - :) I cannot wait to give this a try. The perfect meal with amazing flavors. Thanks Jennifer!
Jennifer says
Thanks Tricia and yes, I do miss those grilled meals, too :)
Leanne says
We normally BBQ year round, but this year, we've just had too much snow. The BBQ is now trapped in our garage until spring. Thank goodness for recipes like this. We love pork, and this would give us the same great flavour as grilling!
Jennifer says
You have had too much snow! We always get a lot (not your quantity all at once, just a continuous flow), so shovelling a path to and keeping the BBQ cleaned off is just too much trouble for us. This does the trick for me :) Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
This sounds fabulous! I'm with you, really missing all things grilled right now and this looks like a wonderful way to make up for it!
Jennifer says
Thanks Chris and yes, the flavours just remind me of Summer, as it's one of our favourite grill dinners :)
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
This looks delicious, Jennifer! Flavour packed with every component. Ain't no way I'm skipping those marinated tomatoes, either! YUM!
Jennifer says
Thanks Dawn and yes, I love tomatoes and feta anytime :)