Pork tenderloin is an underrated BBQ option. Ribs and pulled pork are icons of the cuisine, but a good pork tenderloin is an excellent alternative that won’t break the budget. Here’s my smoked pork tenderloin recipe.
Ingredients:
- pork tenderloin
- mustard
- paprika
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- brown sugar
- thyme
- oregano
- salt
- pepper
- cayenne pepper
- hickory wood chips
Prep
The first step in prepping the pork tenderloin is making the rub. I have a basic rub recipe that I use as a base for most of my BBQ meats. From there I can add spices if I want different flavors, but usually its good enough on its own.
Mix the spices together and set aside. A good kitchen hack is to save old spice containers and repurpose them for your own mixes. It makes for easier distribution of the rub when its time to apply it to the meat.
Next we need to coat the pork tenderloin in mustard. This will help the rub to stick to the meat and allow for a nice thick coat. You only need about a teaspoon, as we don’t want the strong mustard flavor to overpower the meat or seasonings. Once the tenderloin is properly coated, apply the rub generously.
The final step is to get your smoker or grill preheated. I like my pork tenderloin soft like butter, but not pull apart soft like pulled pork. I set my smoker to 275 degrees to achieve this.
Cooking Smoked Pork Tenderloin
When it comes to smoking meats, the actual cooking is the easy part! Add your wood chips to your smoker and fill the water tray if you have one. Slide the pork tenderloin in and let the smoker do the work.
I usually cook my pork for 2 hours at 275 degrees. You could go for 3 hours if you want a little more char on your bark, but much more than that and it will begin to shred like pulled pork. After the pork has cooked to your desired tenderness, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
What Goes With Smoked Pork Tenderloin
All of the classic BBQ sides go great with smoked pork tenderloin. Our favorites are baked beans and potato salad. You can’t go wrong with this combo. Check out my recipes for each if you don’t have one of your own.
Mac and cheese is another classic that pairs well with this dish. The creaminess of the mac and cheese is a nice contrast to the spice and smoke of the pork. Another creamy option is coleslaw.
For dessert, nothing beats a good banana pudding! Alon with ice cream, its my favorite dessert of the summer, and a perfect pairing with BBQ. For a healthier option, you can’t go wrong with some plain old watermelon. Nothing says summer like BBQ and watermelon!
Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- 1 Smoker Could be grill, oven, or even slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 ea pork tenderloin
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp pepper to taste
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 cup hickory wood chips
Instructions
- Mix dry spices well. Adjust salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Coat pork tenderloin with teaspoon of mustard.
- Generously cover the tenderloin with the spice rub.
- Cook pork tenderloin in the smoker with hickory wood chips for 2 hours at 275 degrees.
- Let the meat rest for 10 minutes after cooking and enjoy!
[…] Pork tenderloin is not as popular as the previous two meats, but don’t sleep on it. Tenderloin by itself doesn’t have a ton of flavor, but smoking the meat erases that issue. Combine a good rub and BBQ sauce, and this cut can shine at any cookout. Tenderloin also doesn’t take as long to cook as ribs or pulled pork, and can be done in as little as 2 hours. […]