This spicy grilled Korean pork tenderloin is served with a lovely Asian slaw for a great summer BBQ meal. Make on the BBQ or on the stove-top in a grill pan.
There are a lot of things to love about this dinner. It’s great for summer. I can make the Asian Slaw and set the meat to marinade ahead, then send the hubby out to quickly cook the meat on the grill, so I have nothing to do at dinner time but dress the salad. Finally, both the meat and the salad are packed with flavour, especially for those that love a little spice.
I love that this dish uses pork tenderloin, several of which are always hanging about in my freezer and always guarantees a tender bite. You can cook the pork on the bbq grill or inside in a grill pan or even a sauté pan. Be sure to cook over medium-high heat to get a good sear on the meat. It will cook quickly after that, about 2 minutes per side.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pork Tenderloin – be sure to remove the silverskin and any visible fat before slicing the pork tenderloin. This will ensure that the pork cooks evenly and doesn’t curl when cooking.
Rice Vinegar – you can use seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar. If using seasoned rice vinegar, reduce the added brown sugar slightly.
Ginger – use fresh ginger or ginger paste.
Asian Chili Sauce – you can use Sriracha, Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sambal Oelek. Simply adjust the amount added depending on how spicy you like it.
Recipe Tips
You can marinate the pork for as little as 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
For the slaw, you can use a combination of green and purple cabbage, or Napa cabbage is great, if you can find some. While you can shred the ingredients for the Asian Slaw ahead of time, just be sure not to dress the salad too early, as it will get soggy. No more than 15-20 minutes ahead is perfect. You can make your life easier and save a ton of time by using a food processor to do the slicing and shredding for the slaw.
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Get the Recipe: Spicy Korean Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 large pork tenderloin, about 1-1/4 lb.
Marinade/Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium recommended
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, reduce slightly if using seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or ginger paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1-2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce, Sriracha, Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sambal Oelek, to taste
Asian Slaw:
- 1 lb green cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup grated carrot, about 2 medium carrots
- 1 red pepper, grated
- 1 jalapeno pepper, grated
- 4 green onion, both white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced, divided
Asian Slaw Dressing:
- 1 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, reduce slightly if using seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar, reduce slightly if using seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, such as Sriracha, Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sambal Oleek, to taste
Instructions
- Trim the pork of any silverskin and excess fat, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick medallions. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
- In a small measuring cup, whisk together the Marinade/Dressing ingredients. Toss 1/2 cup of this mixture with the pork medallions in a large bowl. Reserve the remaining mixture to use as a sauce. Let the pork sit at room temperature for 25 minutes or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
- Meanwhile, in another large bowl, toss the grated cabbage, carrot, red and jalapeno pepper with half of the green onion. Whisk together the Asian Slaw Dressing ingredients and add to the bowl. Stir well to combine well. Let sit for 15 minutes, then toss again.
- For cooking on a grill/frying pan: Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Discard the marinade. Cook the medallions until well browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the pork is just cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Set the pork on top of the slaw. Pour out the oil and wipe the pan with paper towels (if the drippings on the bottom of the pan look like they may burn, wash the pan). Serve immediately drizzled with reserved Marinade/Dressing and with the Asian Slaw, sprinkled with the remaining green onions.
- For the BBQ: Grill pork over medium heat until the medallions are well browned.
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!
I made this yesterday and the whole family loved it!
So glad to hear, Laura! Thanks so much :)
One of our favorite recipes! I make it all the time!
So glad you are enjoying it, Jennifer :) Thanks so much!
So glad you are enjoying it, Jennifer! Thanks :)
Wow! We loved this recipe. So delicious, plus quick prep and clean up. Will definitely be making again.
So glad to hear, Rebecca :) Thanks so much!
This is sooo good. The slaw is amazing. I added some dry instant noodles, crushed up, to add a bit of crunch and with the pork tenderloin it was a perfect summer meal – satisfying and healthy. Thanks for another winner!
So glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn :) Thanks so much!
Again, another home run! We all enjoyed it so much, and will definitely make again!
So glad to hear, Rachel :) Thanks so much!
Do you use seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar?
I generally have seasoned on hand. You can use either. If unseasoned, you could add a pinch more brown sugar.
This was the first of your recipes that I was a little worried about, knowing my wife’s tastes. I need not have worried. It was superb and she loved it, so much so that I have to do it for friends next week. Definitely in my favourites folder!
So glad you and your wife both enjoyed this. It’s a simple, but flavourful dish. We love it in warmer weather :)
I have made this at least three times and it has been a hit with our guests every time! They all ask me for this recipe. As a Chinese person, I do need my rice so I serve the slaw and pork with steamed Thai jasmine rice that I cook in the microwave. For the pork, I cook it the way you suggest, then once all the meat is done, I pour all the marinade into the hot pan, boil it up and pour it over the pork so it has a gravy to go on the rice. With the slaw, it’s one of my favourite meals!
I actually dislike cooking but have to as eating out in the UK is so expensive. Your recipes make me look forward to trying new dishes and my hubby loves being my guinea pig too ha ha.
Thank you again. x
So glad you are enjoying this! I like rice, too and I love your idea for boiling up the marinade. I like sauce, too :)
This does look perfect for having the hubby grill while I make the other components, I am definitely going to have to get him to make this asap! Looks soooo good!
BBQ season is my favourite, Phi. It’s the only time of year my husband cooks ;)
I have been seriously craving spicy flavors lately. This is perfect for grilling season!
It is Laura. And you can make it as spicy as you like!