Honey Sesame Pork Tenderloin is an easy dinner recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It’s fully cooked in only 8 minutes on the grill!
Grilling season is well underway, and the options are endless. I love that we can cook outside without warming up the house. My neighbor is in his nineties, and he even cooks lunch for him and his wife on the grill.
This recipe for Honey Sesame Pork Tenderloin comes together fast and is sure to become a family favorite.
How To Make Honey Sesame Pork Tenderloin
Step One: Marinate
- Mix together kosher salt, coarse ground pepper, garlic powder, and ground cinnamon.
- Rub the spice mixture over a one-pound pork tenderloin.
- Place the tenderloin in a pan, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step Two: Honey Sesame Sauce
Put the honey, soy sauce, olive oil, hoisin sauce, minced onion, minced garlic, sesame seed oil, and crushed red peppers in a saucepan, whisk together, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
In a small bowl, stir together cold water and cornstarch and then slowly whisk it into the sauce. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until thickened. Put 1/4 cup of the sauce in a small bowl and set the rest aside.
Bonus tip: If your sauce gets too thick, you can thin it by whisking in water, a little at a time, until it reaches the desired thickness.
Step Three: Grill
Remove the pork tenderloin from the fridge and cut it into 1/2 thick slices.
Brush the grill grates with vegetable oil and then cook the pork tenderloin medallions over high heat for 3 minutes on each side.
Brush the pork tenderloin with the 1/4 cup of honey sesame sauce in the small bowl and grill for an additional minute on each side to caramelize the sauce.
The pork is fully cooked once it has reached an internal temperature of 145°F for medium-rare or 160˚F for well-done.
Step Four: Garnish
Serve the honey sesame pork tenderloin over rice with the reserved sauce, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, bake the pork medallions at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until fully cooked.
Heat one tablespoon of olive over medium-high heat. Cook pork medallions for 3-4 minutes per side or until fully cooked.
Grill the whole pork tenderloin over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until fully cooked. Or bake the whole pork tenderloin in the oven at 425°F for 30 minutes or until fully cooked.
Yes, cook it on low for 4-5 hours or until fully cooked.
More Pork Recipes
- You’ll love this Pulled Pork Pizza with barbecue sauce!
- Crock Pot Pork Chops include a creamy sauce.
- Air Fryer Pork Chops are so easy to make!
- Pork Fried Rice is perfect for leftovers.
Honey Sesame Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoon sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Spice Rub:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey Sesame Sauce:
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon sesame seed oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers optional
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Spice Rub:
- Mix together kosher salt, coarse ground pepper, garlic powder, and ground cinnamon. Rub the spice mixture over the 1 pound pork tenderloin. Place the tenderloin in a pan, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Honey Sesame Sauce:
- Put honey, soy sauce, olive oil, hoisin sauce, minced onion, minced garlic, sesame seed oil, and crushed red peppers in a sauce pan, whisk together, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
- In a small bowl, stir together cold water and cornstarch and then slowly whisk into the sauce. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Put 1/4 cup of the sauce in a small bowl to bring out to the grill and set the rest aside.
Grilling:
- Remove the pork tenderloin from the fridge and cut it into 1/2 thick slices. Brush the grill grates with vegetable oil and then cook the pork tenderloin medallions over high heat for 3 minutes on each side. Brush the pork tenderloin with the 1/4 cup of honey sesame sauce in the small bowl and grill for an additional minute (or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F for medium-rare or 160˚F for well done) on each side to caramelize the sauce.
- Before serving, top the pork tenderloin with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Mandy Barnings says
This is a simple yet amazing recipe! Grilled the meat over charcoal, if you want to take it to the next level! Tonight was a test for ourselves, and we will be adding it to the things we make for entertaining friends.
Tonia Larson says
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to give it a try!
Therese cornelius says
This was excellent. I sautéed the pork medallions (cut up tenderloin) in high heat oil, and once it was cooked well, I added the 1/4 cup sauce…then the remaining. I topped it over a bowl of rice for each of us, added cashews, the scallions and toasted sesame seeds and a handful of shredded carrot, and handful of cucumber that it shredded into sticks. Add Sriracha, and we were very happy! Keeping this recipe!
Summer Blizzard says
Our sons made this tonight for our anniversary dinner. It was really good. Was easy to make gluten free.
stephen farbrother says
My partner and I made this the other evening and it was so tender and sweet… I think the sauce would be amazing used on ribs too 👌👌
Diana G says
I made this tonight and wow was it tasty!!! I served it over rice and we loved it. Next time I think I will turn it into a “teriyaki bowl” with steamed broccoli and carrots. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Patty Mendoza says
I made this tonight and it was ABSOLUTELY delicious! I was trying to email to my friends, but there is no link.
Cindy Artino says
This dish was amazing! We loved it and will be in my rotation! I cooked slices of the pork in the oven. I think it kept the pork tender and moist. Great recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Krista says
Wonderful recipe. It will be on the rotation for summer grilling.
Mark says
Loved loved loved this recipe…can’t wait until summer to use the grill!
Kathy says
No grill….can I do this in the oven?
Tonia says
Hi Kathy,
Try baking them at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 145.
Or you can saute the medallions in a pan. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive over medium-high heat. Cook pork medallions for 3-4 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
Best of luck!
~Tonia
Diane says
You suggest 145 deg internal temp while the recipe suggests 160 deg. I agree with the 145 as the tenderloin will dry out quickly. Would you confirm this? Sounds delish.
Tonia Larson says
Hello Diane,
For pork tenderloin it is 145˚F for medium-rare and 160˚F for well done. https://pork.org/pork-cooking-temperature/ Thanks for the head up. I’ll update the post.
Enjoy,
Tonia
Kay says
I did the meat with potatoes, carrots and onion in a crock pot and used the sauce on top of the meat and as a sauce over each portion and it was FABULOUS!
tracy says
Loved this recipe. will make it again soon.
tracy says
Loved this recipe. will make it again soon.
Larry says
This recipe is awesome – I also dear the whole tenderloin and roast in oven brushing with glaze…..yummmmm!
Sarah says
Hi! At what temperature and for how long did it take to cook the whole tenderloin in the oven?
Thanks!
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
I couldn’t agree with you more Tonia. . .the best part of summer is GRILLING! Unfortunately, the hubby has be on business in Shanghai for the majority of the summer so I have not been able to enjoy grilled dinners (or lunches in the case of your neighbor) as much as I would have liked to. But this irresistible grilled tenderloin is making me want to fire up the grill STAT.
Tonia says
I hear you and I do all the grilling in our house because my husband eats very little meat. So, I do it for me and the kids! 🙂