There are some meals I could eat over and over again, and this chimichurri pork tenderloin is one of them. I absolutely love this recipe — it is seriously good. Tangy, rich, savoury… plus the texture of the pork is perfectly juicy and tender. What’s not to love?
While often thought of as easy to become dry, pork tenderloin (also known as pork fillet), when cooked properly, will always have an amazing texture – it should be moist and slice like butter, just like this one. The chimichurri — another one of my favourites — is where the tangy flavour comes from, and the fresh herbs in it complement rich meat like tenderloin perfectly.
Best of all, this pork chimichurri recipe comes together in just 30 minutes, making it a great option for busy weeknights. Dinner will be on the table before you know it, and I’m willing to bet you won’t have much left over.
The chimichurri goes beautifully with this bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin too.
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Pork loin vs pork tenderloin
Before we jump into my recipe for chimichurri with pork, it’s important to note that pork loin and pork tenderloin are not the same cut.
Pork loin comes from the back of the pig and is a much larger cut in general. It’s wider and thicker and can be sold bone-in or boneless. Because it is so large and has a higher fat content, it’s ideal for slow cooking.
Pork tenderloin (known in some places as pork fillet) is a lot thinner than pork loin — it’s a very lean cut with little to no fat. It cooks quickly and comes out wonderfully tender when roasted. When doing your shopping, remember that pork tenderloin is the long, thin cut. That’s what you need for this chimichurri pork tenderloin.
Ingredients
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Pork tenderloin: As its name suggests, pork tenderloin is an incredibly tender cut of meat. Because it’s a lean cut with little fat, it cooks up quickly and easily without getting tough. As a note, pork tenderloin is also known as pork fillet.
- Brown sugar: I season the pork with the classic options listed below but also with a little sugar. It adds a slight sweetness but more importantly helps to get a little browning on the outside without an additional pan fry. I learnt this little trick from Salt & Lavender and I’ll definitely use it again.
- Seasonings: I like to enhance the natural flavour of the pork with paprika, salt, and pepper. While salt and pepper would be fine on their own, paprika adds a lovely earthiness.
- Chimichurri sauce: To make the chimichurri sauce you’ll need fresh parsley, fresh oregano, shallot, garlic, salt, dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. There aren’t a lot of ingredients, so do your best to use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients you can find. The sauce is a little spicy, but not too much. If you don’t like spicy foods at all, simply leave out the chilli flakes.
How to make chimichurri pork tenderloin
My pork chimichurri is so easy to make — and the oven does practically all the work. While I will regularly brown meat before putting it in the oven to finish, for this particular recipe it’s all done in the oven for ease but compromises nothing in flavour or colour.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Prepare the pork
Preheat your oven to 200°C (395°F). Line a baking sheet with foil and baking paper on top for easy cleanup.
Place the pork tenderloin on a large chopping board and trim off the silver skin — this connective tissue won’t break down in a quick roast like this, so you must remove it for tender results.
2. Season & roast the pork
Drizzle oil on the pork, then sprinkle over the sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper. Massage it into the meat so that the entire tenderloin is well-covered. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet. If your tenderloin has a thin tail end, tuck the tail under for more even roasting.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F). Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Follow the instructions for a reverse sear on the recipe card below if desired.
3. Make the chimichurri sauce
While the meat cooks and rests, work on your chimichurri sauce. Place the parsley, oregano, shallot, garlic, and salt in a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Remove the blade from the processor and stir in the chilli flakes, oil, and vinegar. Slice the oven baked pork tenderloin, serve the chimichurri sauce on top, and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make the chimichurri sauce. Use a high-powered blender, a sharp knife and a sturdy cutting board, or a mortar and pestle instead.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer with a probe for a more accurate cook time. A meat thermometer will give you the absolute perfect texture when cooking meat! If you don’t have one, start checking on the meat after about 25 minutes. Pork should be ever so slightly blushing and still juicy when it’s done as you can see below.
- If you want a sear, make sure to do a “reverse sear”. Searing the tenderloin before roasting can confuse the cooking time. Rather, sear it after it’s done in the oven, which is called a reverse sear. In the last 3 minutes of cooking in the oven, heat a little oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the pork is done, sear it on one side only for about a minute. Then rest it, seared side up.
- The resting step is crucial. Resist the urge to slice the pork immediately — you have to let it rest so the juices redistribute. This way your chimichurri pork tenderloin will be more tender and flavorful when you do dig in.
- Get even more use out of any leftover chimichurri sauce. It works really well with pork chops too but even other meats. Roast chicken is a great one, and of course, flank steak is a classic.
Substitutions
- Herbs: I use parsley and oregano in this chimichurri but you can swap the oregano for fresh coriander / cilantro instead.
- Vinegar: For a different taste, try swapping the vinegar for lime juice. Red wine vinegar is more acidic, slightly, than lime juice but limes are more bitter so maybe just use 2 tablespoons and taste before adding more or add a touch of sugar to counteract the bitterness.
Storing
It’s best to store the leftover chimichurri sauce and pork tenderloin separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Cooked pork will keep for about 3-4 days, and the sauce will be good for 2-3 days.
Try to slice only what you need to serve then reheating the pork gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water to keep it from drying out will work a treat. Pull the sauce out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to bring it to room temperature.
FAQs
Chimichurri sauce is a popular Argentinian sauce made with fresh herbs and other ingredients like vinegar, chilli, garlic, and olive oil. It’s bright, vibrant, herbaceous, and a touch tangy thanks to the vinegar. I love it paired with roasted meat, like in this pork tenderloin with chimichurri recipe.
No, as mentioned, if you want to sear this tenderloin, do it after roasting. The sugar adds a nice colour to the pork so it doesn’t need a sear for that purpose, however if you like a little added flavour that searing can give, refer to my tips on reverse searing in the recipe card instead.
No, you really don’t want to overdo it and cook your pork chimichurri for too long. Overcooking will result in tough and dry meat. Use your meat thermometer to check on the internal temperature after about 25 minutes, and pull it out of the oven once it hits 63°C (145°F) for the best results.
What to serve with pork tenderloin chimichurri
There are so many options when it comes to sides to serve with chimichurri with pork. I love vegetables like warm potato asparagus salad and spiced roast sweet potato salad, or my broccoli cheese bake for something a little more hearty.
Simple dishes like mashed potatoes or rice are also good options. Round things out with a fresh rocket salad and dinner is sorted.
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Did you try this pork tenderloin with chimichurri? Show it some love in the comments below.
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Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins / pork fillets (1kg / 2¼lb total)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (4tsp, notes 1)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cooking salt / kosher salt not table salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons oil
FOR THE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
- ¾ cup packed fresh parsley some stalks are ok (30g)
- ¼ cup packed fresh oregano leaves strip and discard stalks (10g)
- 1 small shallot peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (notes 2)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Chopping board and knife
- large baking sheet
- Mini food processor helpful but not essential
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced) / 395F. Line a baking sheet with foil then baking paper (to save on washing up).
- On a large chopping board with a sharp paring knife, trim away the silver skin from the pork tenderloins. This is connective tissue that won’t break down in a quick cook like this and isn’t very pleasant to chew on.
- Drizzle the oil over the the pork, then sprinkle over the sugar, salt, paprika and pepper. Massage it all into the tenderloins, rolling them around to pick up everything off the board.
- Transfer the meat the baking sheet. If your tenderloin has a thin tail end and a thicker end, tuck the tail under to even out the thickness all over. Bake for 25 minutes or until it reaches 63C/145F in the thickest part on a meat thermometer. Take it out of the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
- This pork comes out of the oven a nice colour but if you’d like to see a bit of sear on it you can do a reverse sear. In the last 3 minutes of cooking in the oven, heat a little oil in a large pan over medium high heat. As soon as the pork comes out of the oven, sear it on one side only and for no more than a minute or you risk overcooking it. Then rest it, seared side up.
- While the meat cooks, make the chimichurri sauce: Place the parsley, oregano leaves, shallot, garlic and salt to a small food processor and blitz until finely chopped. You can also just place it all on a chopping board and cross chop it or pound in a mortar and pestle.
- Remove the blade from the processor and stir in the chilli flakes, oil and vinegar.
- Slice the pork into thick slices and serve with the chimichurri drizzled over the top.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- If you don’t like the strong flavour of extra virgin olive oil, use a mild flavoured olive oil instead.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information
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