Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin is tender, juicy and so flavorful! A sweet and savory honey garlic sauce makes this easy pork tenderloin recipe something special.
Looking for more Instant Pot pork recipes? Try Instant Pot Pork Chops, Instant Pot Ribs or Instant Pot Pulled Pork next.
Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite proteins because it’s lean, full of flavor, and it cooks up deliciously moist and mouthwateringly tender. My favorite Baked Pork Tenderloin is a staple meal in our house, and this saucy Instant Pot pork tenderloin is another regular in our recipe rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast and Easy. Pork tenderloin cooks quickly, especially when you cook it in the Instant Pot! This Instant Pot pork tenderloin is ready in just over 30 minutes, making it a fantastic weeknight meal.
- Honey Garlic Sauce. You won’t find a tastier sauce to serve with pork tenderloin than this 5-ingredient honey garlic sauce. It’s a winning combination of flavors and any extra sauce is delicious drizzled over mashed potatoes or rice.
- Perfectly Cooked Pork. Pressure cooking the pork keeps it exceptionally moist. Smothered in the sweet and savory garlicky sauce it is absolutely scrumptious!
- Simple Yet Elegant. This recipe is particularly unfussy to make, yet it’s sure to dazzle everyone around your table. Serve it with a few comforting sides like Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables.
Amazing – the family loved it. I doubled everything and used an 8 qt pot.
Erin
Pork Tenderloin vs. Pork Loin Roast
Be sure to use a pork tenderloin in this recipe. A pork tenderloin is a long, round and thin cut of pork that is boneless, lean and tender.
A pork loin (which is also sometimes called pork loin roast or pork roast) is larger and wider than a pork tenderloin and would require additional cook time. If you have a pork loin, try this Instant Pot Pork Loin recipe instead.
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot
Here is an overview of the recipe steps. Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post.
If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, read my Instant Pot Manual to learn how to use your Instant Pot.
Trim and season. Trim any silver skin off of the pork. Cut the pork tenderloin in half so that you have two shorter pieces that will easily fit in the Instant Pot. (This may not be necessary if you are using an 8 quart or larger pot.) Season the pork with salt and pepper.
Sear pork. Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Once hot, add the pork and brown on all sides. Place the pork on a clean plate.
Deglaze the pot. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. This step is important for preventing the burn message.
Add remaining ingredients. Stir in the soy sauce, honey, garlic and fresh ginger. Place the pork in the sauce in the pot.
Seal the pot and pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure.
Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone). Then quick release any remaining pressure. Transfer the pork to a clean plate or cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
Thicken sauce. Stir together 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water – this is called a cornstarch slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce in the Instant Pot. Heat, stirring, using the sauté function until the sauce thickens.
Slice pork tenderloin and serve it with the sauce.
How Long to Cook Pork Tenderloin in an Instant Pot
- Only 4 minutes! Pork tenderloin cooks quickly and a 1 to 1.5 pound tenderloin requires just 4 minutes of pressure cooking time. Be sure to let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes after the cook time; the pork will continue to cook during the natural release.
- How to tell if pork tenderloin is done. The best way to tell if the pork is done is to check the internal temperature using an instant read thermometer. The USDA recommends that you cook pork tenderloin to an internal temperature of at least 145° F and then allow the pork to rest for at least 3 minutes before serving. At this temperature, the pork may be a little pink in the middle. If you prefer your pork a little more done, 155° F is a good temperature to aim for.
- What if it’s not cooked enough? If your pork is not cooked through after pressure cooking, you can finish cooking it by leaving it in the Instant Pot and turning on the sauté function until the pork reaches 145° F.
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t have fresh ginger on hand you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- You can cook more than one pork tenderloin at once using this recipe. If the tenderloins came packaged together, separate them before cooking. Double the sauce ingredients if you like a lot of sauce. The cook time will be the same for a double recipe, as long as each individual tenderloin weighs between 1 and 1.5 pounds.
- If you’re wondering if this recipe has enough liquid, yes, it does. The 1/2 cup water plus other sauce ingredients makes enough liquid for the pot to pressurize. The pork will also release some juices as it cooks.
- Do not skip the 10 minute natural release time in this recipe. The natural release makes the meat more tender and the pork will continue to cook during the natural release.
Frozen Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot
You can use a frozen pork tenderloin in this recipe. Skip the browning step because frozen meat will not sear well. Put the frozen pork tenderloin and sauce ingredients in the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high pressure for 13 minutes and then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you can partially thaw the pork tenderloin by placing it in cool water (keep it in its packaging or put it in a zip-top bag) for 10-15 minutes. Once the outside of the pork is thawed you can brown it using the sauté function. Then pressure cook for 8-10 minutes on high pressure, followed by a 10 minute natural release. The exact cook time will depend on how frozen the pork is.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
- Potatoes: Try Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
- Vegetables: A green veggie, such as Roasted Green Beans or Roasted Brussels Sprouts would be a healthy addition to the meal.
- Sweet Potatoes: Pork and sweet potatoes are an amazing pair; try Roasted Sweet Potatoes or a Baked Sweet Potato.
- Rice: Such as Instant Pot Rice or Brown Rice.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 pound pork tenderloin
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Trim any silver skin off of the pork tenderloin. Cut the pork tenderloin in half so that you have two shorter pieces that will easily fit in the Instant Pot. (If using an 8 quart Instant Pot this may not be necessary.)
- Season all sides of the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Place the pork in the pot and brown 2-3 minutes per side. Remove pork to a clean plate and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the ½ cup water and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Add the soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger to the Instant Pot. Stir well. Place the pork back in the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position.
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. When the cook time ends allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone. (Do not skip the 10 minute natural release, as the pork will continue to cook during this time.) Then carefully move the steam release valve to the venting position to release any remaining steam and pressure (there may be none). Make sure that the float valve has dropped down and then open the Instant Pot lid.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the thickest part of the pork has reached at least 145° F. If not, you can cook the pork for a few more minutes using the sauté function.
- Remove the pork to a clean plate or cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the mixture into the sauce in the Instant Pot. Cook using the sauté function, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot from the base to stop the cooking process.
- Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.
Notes
- To cook from frozen, place a frozen pork tenderloin and the sauce ingredients in the Instant Pot (skip the step of browning the pork) and pressure cook on high pressure for 13 minutes plus 10 minutes natural pressure release. Check that the internal temperature of the pork has reached 145 degrees F. Then follow the directions in the recipe to thicken the sauce.
- If you don’t have fresh ginger you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- You can cook more than one pork tenderloin at once using this recipe. If the tenderloins came packaged together, separate them before cooking. Double the sauce ingredients if you like a lot of sauce. The cook time will be the same for a double recipe, as long as each individual tenderloin weighs between 1 and 1.5 pounds.
I have a question renthe pork tender recipe Kristine. I don’t have an Instant Pot but I do have a pressure cooker. Do I follow the directions in the same way????
Hi Gina, is it an electric pressure cooker? If so, then yes you can follow the same recipe instructions.
If I want to cook 2lb tenderloin, do I increase cooking time?
Pork tenderloin usually comes in 1 pound pieces. Is it one piece that is 2 pounds? If it’s two pieces, one pound each, the cook time will be the same. For a thicker 2 pound pork tenderloin you will need to increase the cooking time. I would add just a few minutes.
I made this recipe exactly as stated and the pork was over done. Wondering if a natural pressure release instead of a QR would be better. I like my pork to still have pink in the middle.
Hi Jen, You can experiment with different cook times and natural release times. Maybe reduce either the cook time or the natural release time, next time. Thank you for your feedback!
Only a 1/2 cup of water is needed for it to cook? It thought the Instant Pot required more water to cook?
Yes, you only need 1/2 cup of water because the soy sauce and honey also act as part of the liquid to help the Instant Pot pressurize. Good question!
Your Pork Tenderloin with honey garlic sauce calls for 1 1/2 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger. I don’t have fresh ginger but do have powdered ginger. Can I use it & if so, how much? Thanks
Hi Nancy, I would try 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. The flavor won’t be exactly the same, but I think it will turn out well. Enjoy!
Great recipe, however I made a few adjustments because I was determined to just use the products I had on-hand. I used a 2.5 pound tenderloin, cut in half. Instead of water in the sauce, I used pineapple juice that I had in the fridge. Instead of soy sauce, I used coconut aminos. And, I cooked for 6 minutes instead of 4 to account for the larger size of the tenderloin. IT WAS DELICIOUS! The tenderloin was tasty to begin with, but the sauce really took it to the next level. Thank you for an easy, quick recipe that was a 10 out of 10 for flavor.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this! The pineapple juice is a great idea! I’m going to have to try that soon!
I have a pork sirloin roast, same cooking time?
A pork sirloin roast is much wider and larger than a pork tenderloin, so it will take longer to cook. I haven’t tested this recipe with a pork roast, and the cook time will depend on the size of your pork roast. I would recommend searching for a recipe for Instant Pot pork roast for best results.
Just wanted to say this is excellent, never had a pork loin so good. Thank you very much for the recipe.
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Do you use trivet or place the pork directly in liquid?
Place the pork directly in the liquid, no need for the trivet. Enjoy!
I am curious as I am currently teaching myself how to cook slowly, and I have found that using an instant pot is amazing, especially since I would much rather not leave a slow cooker unmanned while working. My question pertains to cooking a pork tenderloin, how many minutes per pound should I set the instant pot for, I have a 3 pound tenderloin. And when it finishes, I should let it release slowly, and use quick release to let put any remaining pressure once it finishes, correct? Any assistance is appreciated.
I have only tested this recipe with a 1 pound pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is generally a smaller cut of meat. If yours weighs 3 pounds it is likely a pork loin or pork roast and will not turn out as tender as a pork tenderloin. I can’t say how long to cook a 3 pound pork loin without testing it myself, but you would definitely need to cook it for longer. Yes, allow the pressure to release on its own for 10 minutes and then manually quick release any remaining pressure.
Perfect as written every time! The leftover garlic sauce is amazing over rice!
I’m glad you enjoyed this! I agree about the sauce and rice. 🙂
All I can say is YUM! Had that little pork loin for awhile in the fridge and just got an instant pot. Great flavor! I realized I didnt have any ginger so I excluded it but it still tastes amazing! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Easy to prepare. Made this tonight. Tastes great!!! Used the gravy on small potatoes and cauliflower with butter on the side. I will use this recipe again. Thanks.
Help! This recipe sounds so good, but something went wrong. I double-checked that I followed it exactly, which I always do the first time I make a recipe. I set the instant pot on High pressure for 4 minutes with the valve in the sealed position. It was cooking along and smelling great, then it started smelling like something was burning. The IP never showed the burn code, and when I finally opened it, there was only a small piece that was stuck to the bottom, but there was not much liquid left. The pork was over 175 degrees, so a bit overdone. I was surprised it took 20+ minutes to get to pressure and start the countdown. I used a 1.2 pound pork tenderloin cut into 2 pieces, all other ingredients as listed in recipe. Any ideas on what went wrong? I’m wondering if my IP is starting to malfunction. I know machines will vary, but approximately how long did your IP take to get to pressure? (BTW, it would be so nice if you would put the time to pressurize in your comments about a recipe, with a disclaimer that machines will vary. It would give us a ballpark of what to expect).
Hi Linda, I am surprised that your pot took that long to pressurize with this recipe. I usually include an estimate of how long it will take to pressurize in my recipes, but it looks like I forgot to do that in this one. I might suggest trying another simple recipe next (something like hard boiled eggs) to see if your pot seems to be working properly. You can also reach out to Instant Pot customer support if you find that you continue to have concerns.
I made potato soup in the Instant Pot tonight and it cooked in the same times as it always has, so I think my Instant Pot is OK. I could increase the water in this recipe to 1 cup, which should be enough liquid, although it would dilute the flavor of the sauce. Maybe my pork tenderloin didn’t have enough fat.
Hi Linda. When I’ve done recipes like this where there’s barely the minimum 1 cup of liquid, I have to go really quickly for the deglazing part. I didn’t go fast enough when I did this recipe, I could see that almost all of the water steamed off so I added some more, then proceeded. It turned out well.
I also have to keep the ‘sautee’ mode on minumum – it’s just too hot otherwise. This could be because I have the wider 8-Qt model. More surface area = more liquid cooking off.
I know this comment was old, but I hope this helps you and others! 🙂
Hi! I am going to be cooking a frozen loin and I have an 8 quart so I won’t need to cut it in half. Will I need to increase the cooking time since it’s going to be whole and frozen? I see what you put for cooking time For the frozen option but Wasn’t sure if it will need more time if it was whole.
I don’t think you’ll need to adjust the cooking time, even though you aren’t cutting it in half. Enjoy!
Delicious and moist! The sauce is a bit on the salty side for us (even with reduced sodium soy sauce), so I’d suggest using minimal salt to season the meat – but that’s just our preference. Thank you for this excellent recipe!
This was very good!! My one pound roast was a little dry (thought the sauce helped cover that fact up). I will try for a lesser cooking time next go ’round. Thank you for a great recipe!
Usually when I cook a pork tenderloin, I remove the “silver” before cooking. Is that something I should do here as well?
BTW, just made your whole roast chicken in the IP – it was delish!!
Yes, removing the silver skin is always a good idea. I hope you enjoy this recipe! So glad to hear you loved the IP whole chicken.
I made this recipe tonight, but used a turkey tenderloin instead of pork. Everyone cleaned their plates! The turkey was juicy, and the sauce was so delicious. Thanks for this recipe! I’m adding this to our weekday quick meal ideas.
Thanks for this recipe! I had to tweak it a bit – I didn’t have fresh garlic so I used garlic powder, no corn starch so I used a bit of xanthan gum, and also out of ginger. It still turned out really nicely. This is a keeper!
Amazing – the family loved it. I doubled everything and used an 8 qt pot.
This recipe works really well. I used my own sauce recipe but the pork came out great—and it was such a fast cook.