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spicy rubbed pork tenderloin, sliced and served on a platter

Spicy Pork Tenderloin Seasoning (and Cooking)

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This Spicy Dry Rub recipe is a tasty and easy way to spice up your pork tenderloin. With a perfect balance of sweetness and heat, this rub adds a delicious depth of flavor to the mild taste of pork. Best of all, it requires minimal prep time and is easy to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinner parties.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Resting time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
  • chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preparing spicy rub and Tenderloin

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and white pepper until well mixed.
  2. Rub tenderloin all over with olive oil.
  3. Rub with spice mixture to coat all sides – you’ll need around 2 tablespoons, so you’re likely to have some rub leftover, which you can save for the next time. Set rubbed pork aside.

Cooking on the grill

  1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on medium.
  2. Once hot, carefully oil grill rack (I use long tongs holding a paper towel lightly soaked with canola or other high heat oil.)
  3. Grill tenderloin, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Turn over and continue cooking, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 140 to 150 degrees.
  5. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Cooking in the oven

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Sear the outside of tenderloin on a grill (or in an oiled grill pan or cast iron skillet) over high heat; it usually takes about 5 minutes.
  3. Place tenderloin on prepared baking sheet and roast for around 10 to 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 140 to 150 degrees.
  4. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Cooking in a sous vide

  1. Place rubbed pork in a vacuum-sealable bag, or in a zip top baggie and seal. If using zip top baggie, remove all the air from the bag (follow directions for your sous vide machine).
  2. Set your sous vide cooker to 140 to 145 degrees.
  3. Once preheated, add sealed bag to the water and cook for 2 hours.
  4. Around 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to take the pork out of the water bath, preheat a grill to high. Alternatively, just a few minutes before taking out of the water bath, preheat a grill pan or cast iron skillet on high.
  5. Remove pork from bag. Oil grill grate/pan/skillet. Quickly grill pork on all sides, just until golden brown.
  6. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
  • Author: Lee Clayton Roper
  • Category: Pork, main dish, quick and easy
  • Method: Grilling (or Roasting)
  • Cuisine: American