Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin (INCREDIBLE gravy)

This flavorful and tender Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin is ready in under an hour! It’s made with potatoes and the most delicious gravy.

If you’re looking for an Instant Pot Pork Loin recipe that is savory, kid-friendly, and will serve a crowd. You’ve come to the right place.

Instant pot pork tenderloin on a platter.

BEST Pork Loin Instant Pot Recipe

There is nothing better than comfort food home-cookin’. This pork tenderloin Instant Pot recipe is not dry and stringy like other pork tenderloin recipes that you grew up eating. It has so much flavor and tenderness that you’ll want to make it every week.

You all loved our Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe so much that we wanted to make another Instant Pot pork dish just to mix things up. This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe is tender, juicy, and so easy to make. Let’s hop to it.

What Part of the Pig: Tenderloin

Let’s chat about pork tenderloin. There are so many different cuts of meat out there. Especially when we’re talking about a pig.

What part of the pig does tenderloin come from?

Pork tenderloin is found tucked underneath the backbone of a pig.

What is the difference between pork tenderloin and a pork loin roast?

Pork Tenderloin is usually about 2-3 inches in diameter and is longer and more slender than a loin roast. It is known for its tenderness because it is so well protected behind the pig’s spine and (if cooked correctly) can be so incredibly tender!

When purchasing pork tenderloin, sometimes the tenderloin is sold with two tenderloins, so be cautious of that when looking for a certain weight.
Pork Loin Roast is a larger cut of meat that runs along the spine of a pig and continues down the pig’s leg. The pork loin roast is about 5-6 inches in diameter and looks more like a roast. In the grocery store, a pork loin roast is often referred to as a top loin roast!

How to Make Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

In this section, we are going to break down how to make Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin. If you’re new to pressure cooking, no fear…it’s not as scary as it looks. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Season the Pork Tenderloin

There are a few different ways you can flavor pork tenderloin, but the most important thing to remember is to use salt! Seasoning a tenderloin with enough salt helps to tenderize the meat and get the juices flowing!

We used the BEST dry rub for pork to season this pork tenderloin. It is the perfect spice rub for pork because it has a delicious combination of salty, savory, and sweet spices.

Massage the dry rub all over the tenderloin and let is sit for at least 30 minutes. The longer your meat sits in the dry rub the more tender and flavorful it will be. We like to let it sit in the dry rub overnight if there’s time.

Try it!

Thermoworks Thermapen

We swear by using a meat thermometer when cooking any cut of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works every time.

Buy Now

STeP 2: Sear the Tenderloin

Another way to get the juices flowing in the meat and to add a yummy caramelized flavor is to sear the pork loin in Instant Pot before pressure cooking it.

To sear the tenderloin, heat your Instant Pot using the sauté feature and add oil. When the oil is fragrant, add each tenderloin to the pot and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. You want a caramelized crust to form on the tenderloin.

don’t skip this step

It really adds a ton of flavor to the pork AND the amazing gravy you’ll prepare at the end of the recipe!

STEP 3: Cooking Pork Tenderloin in Instant Pot

After searing the meat, deglaze the Instant Pot with chicken broth and scrape the little brown chunks from the pot and add the garlic and white onion (all these ingredients will be the base for your gravy).

Cover the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15-19 (see below for timing based on if and what potatoes you use!).

The cooking time may vary by Instant Pot and pork tenderloin, but should be around the same amount of time.

Slow Roasted

Pork Shoulder

The best pork shoulder recipes are cooked low and slow. If you are looking for another pork recipe, check out this delicious pork recipe.

Make It

STEP 4: Don’t Forget the Vegetables

When we use the Instant Pot to cook meals, we like to make it a whole meal. So what is a meal without veggies?

We paired this Instant Pot pork tenderloin with potatoes because you just can’t go wrong with potatoes. All you have to do is chop the potatoes and toss them in a little chili powder and garlic powder. We tested both russet potatoes and sweet potatoes and here’s what we found:

sweet potatoes cook faster and only need about 2 minutes.
russet potatoes don’t soften as fast and will need to cook for around 4 minutes.

potato timing

Sweet Potatoes

If you use sweet potatoes, cook the pork tenderloin for 17 minutes and then add the sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Russet Potatoes

If you’re using russet potatoes, cook the pork tenderloin for 15 minutes and then add russet potatoes and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

If you decide to use no potatoes at all, simply cook the pork tenderloin for a full 19 minutes!

Tenderloin and potatoes in the Instant Pot.

The Gravy is OUT OF THIS WORLD

What makes this the best pork tenderloin Instant Pot recipe? THE GRAVY.

After your pork and potatoes are cooked to perfection remove them from your pressure cooker and prepare the gravy! It’s similar to our Slow Cooker Pork Roast gravy and I know you’ll love it.

You guys, this gravy is AMAZING. It’s savory and slightly sweet and has just the right amount of salt. To prepare it, turn the sauté function on the Instant Pot and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and then continue whisking in the cornstarch.

The heat is from the saute feature is what activates the cornstarch to thicken, so keep un whisking until it bubbles!

Remove gravy from the heat and serve it over the pork and potatoes!

Storage

Store pork tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Pork Tenderloin Leftovers

There are so many delicious ways you can use left over pork tenderloin! Check out some of our favorite ways below.

Make a pork sandwich. Slice the pork tenderloin up and have it on a sandwich with your favorite cheese, mayo, and other sandwich fixings.

Add it to a salad. Chop the leftover pork tenderloin up into chunks and serve it over greens or lettuce like romaine.

Make it into a stir fry. Heat up a pan and sauté carrots, snow peas, fresh ginger, and onion. Add a tsp or 2 of soy sauce to taste and then add chopped-up pork tenderloin. Cook until warm and then serve over rice.