Serving sous vide pork tenderloin for dinner makes it feel like a special occasion—but it’s so, so simple! And so, so juicy. Perfect with fresh chimichurri. The sous vide method really shines here.
Have other meats in your fridge (or freezer!) you want to cook sous vide? Check out my sous vide pork chops, sous vide ribs or even sous vide steak for simple, yet special dinners.
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The New Set It and Forget It.
My immersion circulator has changed the way that I cook meat. The perfect temperature, time after time. Plus none of the juices get lost during the gentle cooking process—so all the flavors of the seasoning really come through. That makes it really fun to play with flavor combos—but I must admit, ever since we made this Berbere seasoning + chimichurri version, I haven’t made it any other way!
Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend that is complex and warm, a little bright, a little smoky. Basically, it’s got everything going for it and makes friends with everybody from this tenderloin to your favorite piece of fruit. You can buy a blend or even make your own. 5 stars. Highly recommend.
Now, as far as the cooking method goes: Let the sous vide do the work for you. I set mine and then I don’t have to worry about working in the other room or doing chores around the house. The temperature is controlled and the meat cannot overcook. It doesn’t get more simple than that!
With your new best friend Berbere (or any of your favorite seasoning blends) a simple, special dinner is one searing hot pan away.
Why Sous Vide Pork?
Sous vide cooking allows you to cook your meat to an exact temperature, giving you optimal taste and texture every time. When meat is cooked sous vide, it’s immersed in its own juices, keeping it incredibly moist and tender. This is ideal with lean cuts of meat like pork tenderloin, which are easy to overcook. It’s the foolproof way to cook meat!
How long does it take to sous vide a pork tenderloin?
Cooking a pork tenderloin sous vide will take 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes, depending on whether your pork is fresh or frozen. For fresh meat, cook your tenderloin for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Can I Sous Vide Frozen Pork?
Yes! Sous vide cooking makes it easy to cook frozen pork tenderloin with the same, tender, juicy results. For frozen pork, simply increase the cooking time to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Can you sous vide pork tenderloin too long?
Cooking sous vide will bring your tenderloin to the exact temperature of the water bath. The only way to overcook it is during the searing process, you want a quick sear in a super hot skillet on all the sides.
Seasoning the meat + aromatics
All you need is salt and black pepper along the surface of your tenderloin, then you can get fancy from there. Pat your meat completely dry before seasoning, then add any spices before you begin sous vide cooking:
- We love spice mixes like berbere. Which one you use will depend on the sauce (if any) you dish this with
- Fresh herbs like a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme
- Garlic and sliced shallots
Do I need a vacuum-sealer?
Nope! You can use meat inside a vacuum seal bag, or a large resealable bag. If using a resealable bag, clip the zipped edge to the top of your pot with a paper clip, to ensure water doesn’t leak in.
What temperature do you sous vide pork tenderloin?
When cooking sous vide recipes, you’ll set your precision cooker to the internal temp you’d like to cook your meat. Select a temperature based on your comfort level of pork’s doneness and personal preference. As a frame of reference, we typically cook our tenderloin to 145 F, which has a nice, tender texture. It’s also what the CDC and Pork.org consider medium-rare. However, most chefs, blogs, and the precision cooker Anova cook theirs to around 135F for medium rare pork. See the section below for details!
| Temperature | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 135 F | 90 minutes | pink + juicy |
| 145 F | 90 minutes | tender + blushing |
| 150 F | 90 minutes | springy + barely pink |
| 158 F | 90 minutes | firm + fibrous |
*Results above as described by Chef’s Steps.
Is it OK to eat pork tenderloin a little pink?
Historically it was recommended to cook pork all the way through (145 F) to kill a parasite called trichinosis. That said, cases of trichinosis have become extremely rare in the US, which is why some people are comfortable cooking their pork less.
In addition, when cooked for a calculated temp and time, sous vide cooking is a form of pasteurization. Pasteurizing is to heat the meat to a specific temp, for a specific amount of time, which kills enough of the food pathogens to be considered safe to eat. I’ll use a Cook’s Illustrated example of chicken to better explain: “When brought to 160°F/71°C, it takes 14 seconds to kill the Salmonella. At 155°F/68°C, it takes 50 seconds. At 150°F/65.5°C, our favorite temperature for chicken, it takes 3 minutes. ” Check out the Cook’s Illustrated article for more details.
How to finish sous vide pork tenderloin?
Our favorite way to finish sous vide pork is in a cast iron skillet set to high heat with a touch of avocado or vegetable oil. The key is to get the oil shimmering and the pan super hot, to decrease the amount of time it needs to be heated — remember your sous vide tenderloin is already cooked through. Sear just until the edges brown, rotating the meat to brown each side.
Make sure to rest the meat before slicing to keep all the juiciness inside.
Best pork tenderloin sous vide sauce?
Use whatever you love! You can really take this in any direction you’re craving. Here are some ideas for you:
- Chimichuri – my personal fave, made from parsley, oregano and diced onions.
- Pan gravy – you’ll have some brown bits from the sear to work with. Make this while your meat rests.
- Mustard sauce is a pork classic — Check out my pistachio crusted salmon, which has a white wine and dijon mustard sauce.
How to reheat sous vide pork tenderloin?
As you know, sous vide cooking will bring food to a specific temperate, whether you’re cooking or reheating. So, when it comes to leftovers, as long as you heat your water to just under the original cooking temp, it won’t dry out your meat. Since tenderloins are so thick, I like to slice leftovers into 1/2″ pieces to cut down on the reheat time. Keep meat in the water for 15-20 minutes for warm juicy leftovers.
For more reheating tips, check out this guide.
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 whole pork tenderloin about 1 pound
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon berbere (note 1)
- 1 tablespoon Oil (note 7)
Serving Suggestion:
- Chimichurri
Instructions
- Seasoning + Bag. Dab pork tenderloin (1 whole) completely dry with paper towels. Season with salt (1 teaspoon) and seasoning (1 teaspoon) and press to adhere. Place in a large ziplock baggie, or in a vacuum sealed bag--remove as much air as possible and make sure your bag is sealed well. If using a ziplock bag, use a binder clip to keep the seal above the waterline.
- Cook. Set the immersion circulator temp based on the chart below, and place it inside a large pot filled with water. Make sure to place your pot on a surface that can get hot. Allow the water to come to temp. Once at temp, fully submerge your meat into the water and allow it to cook. Cook tenderloin in the heated water for 1 hour 30 minutes. If frozen, increase cook time to 2 hours 15 minutes. Once cooked, open the bag and discard any liquid inside.
- Sear. Get your cast-iron smoking hot and turn on your vent fan (can also be done on a grill--note 8). Add oil (1 tablespoon), and sear the meat on most sides to form a golden crust. Rotate every few minutes to get each side.
- Rest + Serve. Tent the seared meat with foil, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the tenderloin into pieces, and serve with your favorite sauce. Enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- Type of seasoning: Feel free to sub in any seasoning that will complement the sauce you're using. I LOVE berbere with the chimichurri we typically serve this with.
- Amount of seasoning: The amount of seasoning you use will depend on the size of your tenderloin. You want to completely cover the surface.
- Amount of water in your pot: You want enough water to submerge the tenderloin and the hole that circulates water on the immersion circulator
- Protect your work surface! The immersion circulator will make the pot hot, so make sure it's on a surface that can handle this. I do this on the stove or a marble counter with heat-resistant trivets.
- Food floating to the surface? If you're using a resealable bag, place a ton of spoons on top of the meat to help weigh it down. If you're using a vacuum-sealed bag, place a heavy item on top that can get hot--I use ceramic mugs filled with water (yes, it's a bit of a balancing game).
- Cooking from frozen: Just adjust cook time (same temp) to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- Oil: You want an oil with a super high smoke point, I use avocado oil, vegetable oil will also work.
- Searing the meat: this can also be done on a grill, just get it as hot as you can, clean the grates, add oil and sear the tenderloin on each side as quickly as possible.
| Temperature | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 135 F | 90 minutes | pink + juicy |
| 145 F | 90 minutes | tender + blushing |
| 150 F | 90 minutes | springy + barely pink |
| 158 F | 90 minutes | firm + fibrous |
Nutrition
