This moist and delicious Bourbon Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Onions may soon become a family favorite. A flavorful bourbon spice blend is rubbed into the pork, tossed with sweet potatoes, apples and onions, and roasted in the oven for just 30 minutes.
It’s a warm and comforting meal to celebrate the arrival of Autumn. Try this Cranberry Pork Tenderloin too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Quick & Easy – bakes for just 30 minutes!
- Sheet pan meal – everything roasts on a single baking tray (fewer dishes to wash!)
- Comforting flavors – a delicious bourbon spice blend – perfect for fall and winter dinners.
- Sweet and savory – the ideal combination to please all palates.
Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin – I use two 1-lb pork tenderloins for this recipe.
- Sweet potatoes – Peel and cube three medium or two large sweet potatoes.
- Apples – I recommend Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji apples. No need to peel the apples; just core and slice them.
- Bourbon spice mix – I use this Bourbon Pork Seasoning Mix to save time and hassle but if you prefer to mix up your own bourbon spice rub, I’ll include the how-to below.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: In a small bowl, stir the seasoning mix and brown sugar together. Reserve 1/4 cup. Set aside.
Step 2: Brush pork with oil, then rub with the seasoning mixture (not the reserved 1/4 cup). Place pork tenderloins in the center of a foil-lined baking pan.
Step 3: Mix reserved seasoning mixture and orange juice in a large bowl.
Step 4: Add sweet potatoes, apples, and onions; toss to coat well.
Step 5: Arrange sweet potatoes, apples, and onions, cut sides down, around pork.
Step 6: Roast in a preheated 425-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until pork reaches desired doneness and sweet potatoes are tender. Toss sweet potatoes, apples, and onions with pan juices; serve with sliced pork.
Helpful Tips
- Be sure to remove the silverskin from the bottom of the tenderloin. Use a thin, flat blade to angle under the membrane and slide to cut it away from the meat.
- When cutting sweet potatoes, try to cut them in even sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Leaving the skin on the apples when roasting adds color and texture, but if you prefer skins off, you can peel the apples beforehand.
- Be sure to coat all sides of the pork tenderloins with the rub.
- Use a food thermometer to check pork doneness. Pork tenderloin should reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
- To make homemade bourbon spice rub, combine the following ingredients and use 2 tablespoons of it in this recipe. (Save the rest for later.) Combine 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons bourbon smoked sea salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Recipe FAQ
They’re two different cuts of pork. The tenderloin is a long, boneless cut of muscle along the backbone. It has a layer of silverskin that needs to be removed before cooking because it won’t melt away or caramelize during cooking. Pork loin is a broader, flatter cut with a thin layer of fat across the top.
Use a thin, flat blade to angle under the membrane and slide to cut it away from the meat.
Pork tenderloin is considered done at 145°F and tends to dry out if cooked too long, but technically, pork can cook to a higher internal temperature.
Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji are all great roasting apples. However, I like using Honeycrisp apples in this recipe. They have a mild sweetness, and they’re firm enough to hold their shape but are still pleasingly soft to the bite.
Related Recipes
Bourbon Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 1-oz pkg Bourbon Pork Seasoning Mix
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 1-lb pork tenderloins about 1 lb each
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 apples unpeeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 sweet onion sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir bourbon seasoning mix and brown sugar together. Reserve 1/4 cup. Set aside.
- Brush pork with oil, then rub with the seasoning mixture (not the reserved 1/4 cup). Place pork tenderloins in the center of a foil-lined baking pan.
- Mix reserved seasoning mixture and orange juice in large bowl. Add sweet potatoes, apples and onions; toss to coat well.
- Arrange sweet potatoes, apples and onions, cut sides down, around pork.
- Roast, uncovered, in preheated 425-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until pork is desired doneness and sweet potatoes are tender. Toss sweet potatoes, apples and onions with pan juices; serve with sliced pork.
Notes
- When cutting sweet potatoes, try to cut them in even sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji are all great roasting apples. I use Honeycrisp; they have a mild sweetness, and they’re firm enough to hold their shape but are still pleasingly soft to the bite.
- Leaving the skin on the apples when roasting adds color and texture but if you prefer skins off, you can peel the apples beforehand.
- Be sure to coat all sides of the pork with the rub.
- Use a food thermometer to check pork doneness. Pork tenderloin should reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
- For a shortcut bourbon spice rub, use a 1-oz pre-mixed seasoning blend, i.e. McCormick Bourbon Pork Seasoning Mix.
- For a homemade bourbon spice rub, use 2 tablespoons (1 oz) of the following mixture: Combine 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons bourbon smoked sea salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. (This will be more than you need for the recipe.)
