With a handful of everyday ingredients and less than an hour of total cook time, this spicy cranberry pork tenderloin can be on the table for a celebration-worthy meal that will delight your taste buds and your guests with the perfect combination of classic meets modern inspiration.
This recipe starts with traditional holiday ingredients – tart cranberries and pork tenderloin – but then a generous twist of lime and jalapenos are added to create robust, complex flavor. The final spicy cranberry pork tenderloin is perfect for potlucks and parties with friends, coworkers and family, and can even be the star of the show at Christmas dinner.
For a garnish, sprinkle the finished spicy cranberry pork tenderloin with freshly chopped sage and serve with roasted sweet potatoes, skinned and mashed with coconut oil and honey.
This spicy cranberry pork tenderloin recipe with photo was shared with us by PorkBeinspired.com.
Special Diet Notes: Spicy Cranberry Pork Tenderloin
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and soy-free.
For paleo spicy cranberry pork tenderloin, simply substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
- 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
- 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed (see above for paleo option)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Finely grate zest from the limes. Juice the limes (about 4 tablespoons).
- In a small bowl, mix half of the lime zest (about 2 tablespoons) with the salt and pepper.
- Brush the tenderloins with the oil and place in a nonstick roasting pan, fat side up. Roast for 8 minutes. Flip and add the lime zest mixture to the top. Continue roasting until the digital meat thermometer reads between 145°F (medium rare) and 160°F (medium), about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, stir together the water, cranberries, brown sugar, jalapeno and remaining lime zest and juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst and the juices thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the pork to a carving board and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the cranberry sauce to the roasting pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Carve the pork and serve with the sauce.
1 Comment
Cranberries and pork are a match made in heaven! I love this!