Roasted Pork and Apples

We eat a lot of pork in our house, and for good reason! It’s an easy and versatile protein that can be incredibly delicious when cooked correctly. I have been working with every cut of pork for many years, at home and in restaurants, and learned the secrets to getting it just right every single time. The most important rule? Never overcook it!

A perfect pork tenderloin should be juicy, tender, and have a touch of pink in the center. Searing it first is key to locking in those juices before it finishes cooking in the oven. I’ve created this pork tenderloin recipe as a delicious fall dinner since pork and apples are a classic combination. It’s all about the sweet, fruity flavor of the apples perfectly complementing the savory pork.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Pork tenderloin – note that this is a recipe for pork tenderloin, not pork loin. Pork tenderloin is the long, thin cut of pork that comes from the back of the animal and runs along the backbone. It’s quite tender and soft. The size of a pork tenderloin is usually 1 to 1.5 lbs. This cut is best to cook quickly, at higher temperature.

Apples – pick out sweet, juicy apples like Gala, Cosmic crisp, Honeycrisp, or Fuji apples. Pairing sweeter apples with pork is the classic combination and they compliment each other perfectly.

Onion – a sweeter variety of onion like Vidalia onion will work very well with pork and apples without overpowering.

Broth – use chicken broth or vegetable broth, either will work very well. I don’t recommend using beef because of the stronger competing flavor.

Thyme: dried vs fresh – you can use dried thyme or fresh, the amount would just need to be adjusted. Dried herbs are more potent than fresh, so if choosing to use fresh herbs, use a little more than the recipe recommends.

How To Make Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Let’s talk about preparing pork first. Remove the pork tenderloin from the package and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place it on a large cutting board and remove as much silver skin as you can, if there is some still attached. Silverskin is a tough layer of white, shimmery connective tissue that runs along the pork tenderloin. You should always remove it because it’s not pleasant to bite into and chew if left on.

Removing silverskin: use a sharp, thin knife and slide it right under the silverskin. Carefully and gently slice it along the meat, moving towards the thick end, just separating silverskin from the meat. You may need to work in thin batches, depending on how much is there. Try not to remove any of the actual meat.

To season the pork, I always recommend using a rimmed baking sheet for easy cleanup and to prevent a mess around the cutting board. When seasoning the pork don’t rub it with the seasoning mix, you want to sprinkle the seasoning on and then pat it on. Rubbing can cause clumps and uneven seasoning distribution.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Before searing the pork, preheat the cast iron skillet. Use a large skillet (a 12-inch skillet) so apples and pork fit comfortably. Give the skillet a few minutes to preheat over medium heat and then add some oil. Place the pork into the skillet and let it sear for about a minute per side, turning it 1/4 of the way. Once seared on all 4 sides, take it out and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the skillet and add onions. Sear them until starting to get golden brown, that’s where more flavors come in, and then add the apples. Toss apples and onions with the seasoning and let them sear undisturbed for a minute or so. Once golden, stir and let them sear again. When you have some great sear going, nestle the pork back into the skillet.

Pour in the sauce mixture (hear that sizzle and smell the amazing aroma!) and place the skillet into the preheated oven. Roast for about 20 minutes, the pork should be around 145°F internal temperature when done.

What other sides would be good with this pork?

Potatoes is always a comforting side dish and you can make some mashed potatoes while pork is cooking. If you have a double oven, you can make some roasted potatoes or roasted fingerling potatoes as well.

Other vegetables that would be great with this dish include haricot verts, roasted honeynut squash or roasted sweet potatoes, potato dinner rolls, or buttermilk biscuits.

Is it okay if my pork is slightly pink in the center?

Yes, it is perfectly safe and even desired for the pork to be slightly pink in the middle. When the pork is slightly pink in the middle, the meat is done to safe temperature (145°) but not so done to be dry. Overcooking pork will result in tough, dry meat and pork is not very pleasant dry. 

Storing and Reheating Recommendation

Storing: store leftovers in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Reheating: while using a microwave is nice and fast, you have to be careful not to overcook the pork or it will be dry. So I recommend reheating for 30-45 seconds at a time. Otherwise, you can reheat for a few minutes on stove-top, over medium heat. Make sure to reheat the pork just until heated through.

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More Pork Recipes To Try

Did I mention we love pork? Some of our favorite (and reader favorite) pork tenderloin recipes include bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, pork rub roasted pork tenderloin, and Italian stuffed pork tenderloin.

I also work quite a bit with pork loin and my readers just love the garlic pork loin and stuffed pork loin. Pot roasted pork loin with an amazing sauce is a holiday favorite.

Of course, you can’t not mention pulled pork when talking about pork and pork carnitas as well as BBQ pulled pork are always a hit.