Paleo Pork Tenderloin with Teriyaki Sauce {Whole30}

This paleo Pork Tenderloin takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and is perfect for weeknight dinners!  Cooked all in one pan with a Whole30 friendly teriyaki sauce that’s kid approved and goes perfectly with cauliflower rice or your favorite veggie side dish.  

I’m pulling myself out of a holiday cookie induced sugar coma to share a recipe you can make for an actual meal!  Woohoo!

In all seriousness, while I LOVE me some holiday baking this time of year, I also start to feel less than stellar when I eat cookies/coffee cake (coming soon!)/and more cookies day after day. Even paleo cookies are still, well, cookies.

Which is why you’ll be seeing a few new Whole30 recipes on here over the next couple of weeks.  With a coffee cake and pancakes sneaking in there, since we’re not in January just yet…

Anyway, I’ve been making today’s recipe for some time a couple of times per month for dinner, and it’s pretty much the only “different” meat recipe my kids don’t complain about.

By “different”, I just mean it’s not a burger, meatball, or chicken cutlet 🙂  Most of the time I make this, the younger two insist it’s chicken anyway, but hey – whatever gets them to eat dinner, right?!

In their defense, you could totally make this recipe with chicken breasts.  Or turkey tenderloins, and probably any meat that’s about the same thickness as a pork tenderloin!

The sauce is a mixture that I threw together randomly and then finally decided to actually write down the ingredients one day.  I would consider it a teriyaki flavored sauce (or so my kids decided, actually), made with all paleo ingredients, using a Whole30 compliant sweetener (dates) if needed.

While the mustard and balsamic vinegar aren’t typically found in a teriyaki sauce, they add great flavor, and, the balsamic sweetens the sauce as it reduces to complement the dates/maple syrup.

If you’re not on the Whole30, you can use pure maple syrup for your sweetener so you can whisk the sauce together in less than a minute.  And, if you ARE on Whole30 and made your date paste ahead of time (go you!!), you’re also looking at under a minute for prep time!

You can serve this pork tenderloin with pretty much any side dish you could imagine.  I typically just serve it with roasted sweet potatoes and veggies, but if you want to go the “rice” route, cauliflower rice would be tasty!

Or, if you want to get fancy, you can go the fried rice route with this recipe, minus the chicken.  Go ahead and keep the bacon though because, well, it’s hard to say no to bacon!

Aside from it being tasty and kid friendly, I love this recipe because it’s super quick to make – quick enough for my 30-minute weeknight requirement.

As long as your tenderloins are relatively thin (most are) they should take just about 20 minutes to cook through after browning.  I cooked 2, and each one was about 1.25 lbs.   I also love having the leftovers for lunch the next day!  Perfect with fried plantains and whatever greens I have on hand.

Okay, get out your biggest skillet – I think we’re ready to start – let’s cook!

Paleo Pork Tenderloin with Teriyaki Sauce {Whole30}

5 from 4 votes

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Paleo Pork Tenderloin with Teriyaki Sauce {Whole30}

This paleo Pork Tenderloin takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and is perfect for weeknight dinners!  Cooked all in one pan with a Whole30 friendly teriyaki sauce that's kid approved and goes perfectly with cauliflower rice or your favorite veggie side dish.  

Course Dinner

Cuisine Paleo and Whole30

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 249 kcal

Author Michele

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp brown mustard {Whole30 compliant}
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger finely grated
• 1 Tbsp date paste* or pure maple syrup
• pinch cayenne pepper optional
• 3 Tbsp light flavored oil - light olive or avocado oil are best divided - 2 tbsp for sauce and 1 for browning
• Thinly sliced scallions for garnish
• 2 pork tenderloins About 2 1/2 lbs total
• Sea salt for tenderloins

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce first by whisking all ingredients together in a bowl, set aside. Heat a large, well seasoned, cast iron skillet to medium high heat and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Trim excess fat and silver skin from tenderloins before beginning. Sprinkle tenderloins with sea salt, then coat in sauce, shaking off excess.

3. Add 1 Tbsp oil to skillet and brown tenderloins all over, turning 2-3 times. Turn off heat, then cover tenderloins with remaining sauce and roast in the preheated oven until done - about 15-20 mins depending on thickness of your tenderloins, until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.

4. Brush sauce and pan juices all over tenderloins and sprinkle with sliced scallions. Allow the meat to rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*To make date paste for this recipe, place about 1/4 cup pitted medjool dates in 2 Tbsp of very hot water to soften.  After 5 minutes you can stir to make sure they'e soft, then blend the mixture in  a high speed blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth and add water if needed to get the right consistency.

Nutrition Facts

Paleo Pork Tenderloin with Teriyaki Sauce {Whole30}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 249 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11g 17%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 92mg 31%

Sodium 223mg 9%

Potassium 567mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%

Sugars 2g

Protein 29g 58%

Vitamin C 0.3%

Calcium 1.3%

Iron 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What I Used To Make My Paleo Pork Tenderloin with Teriyaki Sauce:

Want More Whole30 Dinner Recipes?  Try One of These!

Crispy One-Pan Bacon Wrapped Chicken 

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with White Sweet Potatoes

Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Crispy “Breaded” Chicken Cutlets

Classic Meatloaf with Whole30 Ketchup

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

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