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You are here: Home / Course / Dinners / Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

By: Melissa Erdelac · On: August 27, 2019 · Updated: August 23, 2021

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instant pot pork tenderloin pin

An easy, divine recipe for the best pork tenderloin in the pressure cooker! Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe uses fast, simple preparation, but tastes gourmet with tender, juicy pork smothered in a tangy balsamic gravy. 

cut pieces of pork tenderloin on a wooden cutting board with sauce drizzled over

Pork Tenderloin recipes absolutely kills it for a weeknight dinner. Prep work is fast, easy, and everything is made in one pot.

Plus, cooking pork tenderloin can make ameutar cooks feel like culinary rock stars. It’s a forgiving cut of meat that is hard to mess up. (Especially when armed with a meat thermometer. More on that below!⬇️)

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This easy pork tenderloin recipe is even more foolproof because it cooks in a pressure cooker. If you are an Instant Pot pork newbie, you may never go back to a traditional pork recipe again.

First, mix together a few pantry-staple spices, like ground sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper, for a dry rub. Use the Instant Pot SAUTE function to sear the sides in olive oil. Add chicken stock and seal the lid in place. Cook at HIGH pressure for only 5 minutes. 

After the pressure has released, remove the pork to rest, and make the sweet, tangy balsamic glaze in the pressure cooker. The gravy also has simple ingredients, such as traditional balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and pure maple syrup. 

The flavors balance out perfectly because of the acidity of the vinegar, saltiness from soy sauce, and sweetness of maple syrup. The recipe yields plenty of gravy, so drizzle it on juicy slices of pork and flavor your mashed potatoes or rice. 

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipes

A quick google search brings up many variations of pressure cooker pork tenderloin recipes. Interestingly, there doesn’t seem to be a standard for how low long to cook the pork.

Cooking pork tenderloin in an Instant Pot builds in extra insurance against dry, overcooked pork because of the sealed in moisture. However, I wanted to settle on that optimal time and flavor. 

instant pot pork tenderloin on a wooden cutting board

How Long to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot

Easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe uses a very short cooking time because it has a tendency to overcook. The cooking process starts with the searing. Browning the pork first locks in the the spice rub flavor and creates and a nice golden crust. 

Then it cooks more as as the instant pot builds pressure. Once full pressure is reached, the pork only needs 1 minute cooking time. 

Cooking still happens during the 10 minute natural release time, at a slower, gentler pace.

Use a quick release to let off any remaining pressure. You will then have pork tenderloin with a rich flavorful crust and moist, juicy interior. 

Intimidated by using an Instant Pot? Learn in minutes with this Easy Start Instant Pot Guide full of tips, hacks, and tricks.

How to Take Internal Temperature of Pork

If you want to be sure the pork is adequately cooked use a meat thermometer (my preferred thermometer is this instant read one) to check the internal temperature is at least 145ºF (63ºC). This temperature is accurate for pork tenderloin, pork chops, or pork loin.

Take the temperature when the pork has been removed from the pressure cooker, before resting. As the pork rests the temperature will raise 10-15 degrees fahrenheit. After the internal temperature reaches 145ºF (63ºC), allow the pork to rest for 3 minutes, according to pork.org. 

How to Cook from Frozen

Although you can cook completely frozen pork in the pressure cooker, the spice rub won’t adhere to it. Allow the pork to thaw partially for a few hours in the refrigerator first before rubbing on the spices and searing.

If the pork is partially frozen, add 2 minutes to the cooking time. For completely frozen pork tenderloin, add 3 minutes to the cooking time. 

a gravy boat pouring on balsamic sauce on top of cut pieces of instant pot pork

Doubling Pork with Gravy in Instant Pot

Two pounds of pork tenderloin feeds 4-6 people, depending on guest’s appetite and if you’d like leftovers. 

The easy pork tenderloin Instant Pot recipe may be doubled without any adjustment to the cooking time. Since the pressure cooker will be more full, more time will be be needed for it to come to pressure. However, the time needed to cook at pressure will remain the same.

By increasing the amount of pork tenderloin, you may want to double amount of gravy. Instead of adding 1 cup chicken stock to the pot, use 2 cups. Also double the sauce ingredients of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and maple syrup.

The sauce thickener slurry needs to also increase from 2 tablespoons to 4 tablespoons cornstarch and water. 

If you love pork and gravy, try Instant Pot Pork Roast as well!

Pulled Pork Tenderloin in the Pressure Cooker

For fall apart, shredded pork Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe can be easily adapted. Keep everything in the recipe the same, except increase the cooking time to 30 minutes. Allow pressure to fall naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

For the ultimate pulled pork experience shred the pork and lay it on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the balsamic sauce over the shredded pork and broil for 2-3 minutes. The sauce will bubble and the top layer of pork will start to become crispy. 

How To Cook Pork Tenderloin in Instant Pot with Gravy

how to rub spices on instant pot pork tenderloin before searing
images showing how to make instant pot pork tenderloin
  1. Mix together seasonings in a small bowl – ground sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cut the pork tenderloins in half horizontally so pieces fit into Instant Pot.
  2. Rub the seasonings all over the pork pieces.
  3. Heat olive oil on SAUTE function in the pressure cooker. Brown and sear the outside of the pork, rotating to cook all sides. Remove pork and set aside.
  4. Add chicken broth to pot and use a spoon to scrape up browned bits. Add pork back to the pot, lock, and seal lid. Cook at HIGH pressure for 1 minute. 
  5. Allow pressure to decrease naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Remove pork to a cutting board to rest. 
  6. Add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and maple syrup to liquid in the pot. Bring to a boil and whisk in cornstarch / water (or cream) mixture. Boil and stir constantly for 1 minute, or until gravy is thickened. 

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How To Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker

Don’t have a pressure cooker or want dinner to be waiting for you? This balsamic pork tenderloin recipe is easily adaptable for the slow cooker!

  1. Rub seasonings all over pork tenderloin. In a large skillet heat olive oil and brown pork on all sides.
  2. Transfer seared pork to slow cooker. Add 1/2 CUP chicken broth. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.
  3. Remove pork and set aside to rest.
  4. Use a mesh strainer to pour slow cooker liquid into a small saucepan.
  5. Add balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, and soy sauce to saucepan. Heat to simmering. 
  6. Mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water (or cream). Whisk into simmering liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
  7. Cut pork and serve with balsamic gravy. 

What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin

  • Roasted veggies, such as butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli and cheese
  • Sauteed apples – What goes together better than pork and apples?
  • Cheese Grits Casserole 
  • Rice – Perfect to soak up all that extra sauce.
  • Sweet Potato Salad –  Roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, apples, and dried cranberries with maple mustard dressing
  • Mashed potatoes – The ultimate comfort food meal – meat and potatoes! Plus, pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot makes plenty of balsamic gravy to flavor the potatoes.
  • Instant pot baked potatoes – Fast and easy baked potatoes with crispy, seasoned skins. 
close up of shot of sliced pieces of pork tenderloin

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cut pieces of pork tenderloin on a wooden cutting board with sauce drizzled over

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

An easy, divine recipe for the best pork tenderloin in the pressure cooker! Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin involves fast, simple prep, but tastes like a gourmet meal with tender, juicy pork smothered in a tangy balsamic gravy. 
4.50 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork tenderloin
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water (or heavy cream)
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Instructions

  • Cut pork tenderloin into 2 shorter pieces so they will fit in pressure cooker. Mix together sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub seasonings all over pork tenderloin pieces. Set aside.
  • Turn on SAUTE function in pressure cooker and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear and brown 2 pieces of pork at a time on all sides. Let sit, undisturbed, in hot oil for 1-2 minutes then turn to brown another side. Once all sides have been browned remove to plate. Add additional 1 tablespoon olive oil, and repeat with remaining pork pieces. Hit CANCEL after pork has browned and been removed.
  • Slowly add chicken broth to the pot and use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits on bottom of the pot. Return all pork back to the pressure cooker and lock lid in place with valve sealed. Cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute. (Yes, 1 minute. The pork cooks while building up pressure and as pressure releases.) Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release to let out any remaining pressure. Remove pork to a cutting board to rest.
  • To the chicken broth add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and soy sauce. Use SAUTE function to heat liquids until simmering. In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water (or heavy cream). Whisk into simmering sauce. Cook and stir constantly until thickened, about 1 minute.
  • Slice pork tenderloin and serve with balsamic sauce.  

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    Recipe Notes

     
    Cooking Frozen Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot
    Although you can cook completely frozen pork in the pressure cooker, the spice rub won’t adhere to it. Allow the pork to thaw partially for a few hours in the refrigerator first before rubbing on the spices and searing.
    If the pork is partially frozen, add 2 minutes to the cooking time. For completely frozen pork tenderloin, add 3 minutes to the cooking time. 
     
    How To Cook in the Slow Cooker
    1. Rub seasonings all over pork tenderloin. In a large skillet heat olive oil and brown pork on all sides.
    2. Transfer seared pork to slow cooker. Reduce chicken broth to 1/2 CUP and add to slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.
    3. Remove pork and set aside to rest.
    4. Use a mesh strainer to pour slow cooker liquid into a small saucepan.
    5. Add balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, and soy sauce to saucepan. Heat to simmering. 
    6. Mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water (or heavy cream). Whisk into simmering liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
     
    Doubling Pork Recipe in Instant Pot
    Two pounds of pork tenderloin feeds 4-6 people, depending on guest’s appetite and if you’d like leftovers. 
    The easy pork tenderloin Instant Pot recipe may be doubled without any adjustment to the cooking time. Since the pressure cooker will be more full, more time will be be needed for it to come to pressure. However, the time needed to cook at pressure will remain the same.
    By increasing the amount of pork tenderloin, you may want to double amount of gravy. Instead of adding 1 cup chicken stock to the pot, use 2 cups. Also double the sauce ingredients of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and maple syrup.
    The sauce thickener slurry needs to also increase from 2 tablespoons to 4 tablespoons cornstarch and water (or heavy cream). 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 755mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course: Dinner
    Categories: Dairy Free Dinners Fall Gluten Free Grain Free Healthy(ish) Instant Pot Low Carb One Pot Meals Quick and Easy Recipes Spring Summer Winter

    ❊SHOP THE RECIPE❊

    Items used to make this recipe:

    Pressure Cooker         Instant Read Thermometer         Gravy Boat

              thermapen mk4       

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kay says

      April 28, 2021 at 11:35 AM

      Hi Melissa,
      I’ll be using your delicious recipe tonight for dinner. I’m cooking four tenderloins that weigh 4.25 lbs. Should I increase the amount of broth and use the same cook time?

      Thank you,
      Kay

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        April 28, 2021 at 12:01 PM

        Hi Kay,
        The cooking time will stay the same, but do double the seasoning spices on the pork to cover the 4 pounds. The only reason to increase the broth would be to yield more gravy, however then you would have to increase the ingredients under the chicken broth in the same proportions. I will say, this recipe does make a fair amount of gravy. I usually have leftovers, so I would keep it the same or use 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, 6 tbsp. balsamic, 4.5 maple, etc. Does that make sense?
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply
    2. Tana says

      July 22, 2020 at 8:07 PM

      Excellent pork tenderloin recipe! It is quick, easy, and delicious!! My husband gave dinner an A+!! I will definitely put this in my recipe rotation.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        July 23, 2020 at 1:08 PM

        This makes me so happy! Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much the meal was enjoyed. 🙂
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply
    3. maureen sanders says

      March 16, 2020 at 1:18 PM

      The 2 lbs pork tenderloin took much longer that 1 minute. It took me about 20 minutes after following all of the directions and checking 2 times.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        March 16, 2020 at 8:32 PM

        Hi Maureen,
        Sorry to hear that. Everytime I make pork tenderloin I use this recipe to make sure the cooking time is right. If anything, I’ve scaled back the time because it had a tendency to overcook. I apologize for any frustrations, and I’m stumped on why yours took so much longer! It was pork tenderloin and not center cut loin?
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply
    4. Diane says

      March 5, 2020 at 9:33 PM

      This was my first try at cooking pork tenderloin in a pressure cooker. (I am relatively new to this) My son described it as “the most tender pork you have ever cooked!”. My husband wanted more of a barbecue flavour so I used a mix of garlic and onion powder, applewood rub and Famous Dave’s Rib Rub to start with then added barbecue sauce as the liquid reduced. Two thumbs up! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        March 7, 2020 at 5:35 PM

        Hi Diane,
        I love this comment and your son’s comment. That had to feel good! Love the BBQ sauce addition. I will try that next time because we enjoy this pork a lot!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

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