Brown Sugar and Garlic Grilled Pork Tenderloin
on Jun 22, 2019, Updated May 01, 2024
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Brown Sugar and Garlic Grilled Pork Tenderloin is robust and smoky with a nice sweet-to-savory ratio. Fire up the grill because this is your new go-to summertime barbecue meat.
Grilling is glorious in just so many ways. Grilling adds this whole new dimension to food, meats specifically… No matter if you use a gas or charcoal grill, or even light up a bonfire while camping or picnicking, the smoky, high-heat nature of grilling meat outside gives such a great texture and flavor to food.
My favorite thing about it? It requires almost *no* cleanup. This Brown sugar and garlic grilled pork tenderloin is divine, and rivals some other summer grilling favs like Beef Short Ribs, and Grilled Chicken Kabobs. You could also pair it with Easy Grilled Asparagus or any other grilled veggies you can throw on the grill with it!
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
- Little to NO cleanup
- Takes some time but is really easy to prep
- Feeds a whole family
- Is moist and delicious!
Ingredients:
- Pork tenderloin
- Brown Sugar
- Soy Sauce
- White vinegar
- Garlic
- Dijon Mustard
See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Frequently Asked Questions:
Pork loin and pork tenderloin come from different parts of the animal. It’s really important for this recipe that you get the tenderloin, because it’s cooked very differently. The normal pork loin is usually at least two times larger than the tenderloin, and wide enough to cut almost steak-size pieces of it. The tenderloin is smaller, and you can cut around 2 inch or so medallions of meat.
You can tell pork tenderloin is done when your instants read thermometer reads 140 degrees F. When grilled over medium to high heat on the grill it should take about 25 minutes to cook.
Tenderloin is a very lean meat, and it can easily dry out if overcooked. Keep an eye on the internal temperature as you cook it, especially if it’s a smaller piece of meat. The liquid marinade will help to lock in some of that moisture too!
More Pork Recipes to Consider:
Chicken
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Breakfast
Toad in a Hole
Easy Dinners
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Pork
Oven Pork Chops
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Brown Sugar and Garlic Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1-1.5 pound pork tenderloin
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and mustard.
- Place the pork tenderloin in a large sealable bag, and pour the prepared sauce over the top. Remove as much air from the bag, and zip shut.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
- Thirty minutes before you plan to cook the meat, remove the baggie from the fridge, and let the meat rest at room temperature.
- Preheat your grill over high heat. Clean and oil the grates.
- Reduce the heat to medium to medium-high, and place your pork tenderloin in the center. The loin has three sides — grill each side 5 minutes at a time, continuing to turn to a new side after each 5 minutes.
- Cook until the pork until it reaches 140 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer, about 25 minutes on the grill.
- Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing, and serve right away.
Notes
- A pork loin and a pork tenderloin are two different cuts of meat. A loin will be much larger, around 4 pounds. A tenderloin will be around 1.5 pounds, give or take a half pound. Don’t mix up the two for this recipe.
- Honor the fact that a pork tenderloin has three sides, and turn it so that it’s on one of said sides each time you rotate it. This’ll give the best texture and cook it evenly.
Enjoyed it very much. Highly recommend.
I made it…they loved it! It actually marinated for about 9 hours because life happens when kids are involved. We also had the Salt Potatoes and the Easy Cornbread Muffins to go with it…..an amazing meal! Thanks!!!!
I’m so glad you liked it. So it wasn’t too salty with a long marinade? I’ll leave that in the notes, it’s always nice to have some wiggle room when it comes to prep like that!
No one commented if there was a higher salt flavor…..but I am a salt-aholic and I served this with salt potatoes so of course I didn’t notice…..hahahaha….I usually brine my tenderloin in salt, maple syrup and water all day long….rinse and bbq’d…..The salt flavor doesn’t seem to penetrate the meat, it just tenderizes it even more than it already is. The soy sauce is the only salty thing in the marinade here…and its not all that much. Unless someone is salt sensitive…..let it marinate!