Are you looking for a good pork tenderloin chop marinades?
I've got a great collection of 14 tasty pork marinade recipes including citrus, honey soy, herb, Asian, mustard maple, sherry soy, hoisin, balsamic and my favorite marinade.
Most of these pork marinades recipes are low fat or fat free and will work well on chicken, shrimp or salmon too.
Choose a marinade recipe that sounds good and then let your meat marinate several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Pork chops will need less time marinating than pork roasts.
Allow at least 2 hours for pork chops and 6 to 8 hours for pork tenderloin and pork loin roasts.
Cooking Note: To prevent pork tenderloins from curling when cooking, you'll want to remove the silver skin (the silver fibrous from the meat before marinating.
Once marinated, check out my helpful instructions for how to roast pork tenderloin in the oven, grill pork tenderloin, grill pork chops, or cook pork chops on the stovetop. The key to successfully cooking pork is to be careful not to overcook it.
Most cuts of pork are much leaner than they were just 20 years ago, which means they can become dry and tough when overcooked. The USDA has changed its cooking guidelines for pork and now suggests that it can be safely cooked to medium rare - with an internal cooked temperature of 145 followed by 3 minutes of rest. This means that the pork will be pink in the center, but totally safe, and much more juicy, tender and flavorful than if cooked to well done.
Favorite Easy Pork Tenderloin Marinade
Low Fat Citrus Marinade
Cuban Citrus Spice Marinade
Fat Free Honey Soy Garlic Marinade
Low Fat Herb Marinade for Pork
Bourbon Marinade
Asian Marinade for Pork
Mustard Maple Marinade
Low Fat Balsamic Marinade
Low Fat Sherry Soy Marinade
Fat Free Hoisin Marinade
Pork Tenderloin Chop Marinades
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Favorite Easy Pork Tenderloin Chop Marinade
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: 1 cup
This is a tasty easy marinade made from common pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Low Fat Citrus Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: 1 cup
A great marinade for pork chops, pork tenderloin, chicken or shrimp.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until well blended.
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Cuban Citrus Spice Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: ½ cup
Orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili and ginger combine to make a tasty marinade for pork chops or pork tenderloin.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Fat Free Honey Soy Garlic Marinade
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: 1 cup
A super easy fat free pork marinade with just four ingredients.
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Low Fat Herb Marinade for Pork Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: 1 cup
A favorite lemon herb pork tenderloin marinade that is equally delicious on chicken or shrimp.
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1-½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Bourbon Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: 1 cup
Another favorite marinade recipe for pork.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Asian Marinade for Pork
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: ½ cup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- 4 scallions, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended
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Mustard Maple Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: ½ cup
One of my favorite pork chop marinades that's delicious on chicken too.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Low Fat Balsamic Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: ½ cup
Another deliciously easy marinade with just five ingredients.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended
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Low Fat Sherry Soy Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: ¾ cup
One of the first pork tenderloin marinade recipes I ever tried.
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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Fat Free Hoisin Marinade Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Yield: ¾ cup
Hoisin is a tasty Asian barbecue sauce (affiliate link) that is located in the Asian section of the grocery store. This is a great easy pork chop marinade.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Recipe Preparation
Combine all ingredients and whisk until blended.
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To Roast Pork Tenderloins in the Oven
Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Applesauce
The best way to cook pork tenderloin is to roast it in the oven or cook it on the grill. I don't do a lot of grilling so prefer the oven. I think the best way to cook pork tenderloins is to first brown them on top of the stove and then finish cooking them in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Brown the pork tenderloins on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, about 10 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and roast in the oven until the internal temperature of the pork in its center registers 135 to 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes, turning the tenderloins over half-way through the cooking time.
Remove pan from the oven and transfer the pork to a cutting board (affiliate link). Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees before slicing and serving it. The pork will be pink in the center, but juicy and totally safe.
To Grill Pork Tenderloins
Heat a gas grill or build a charcoal fire. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the pork tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the heat of the grill) until the meat registers 135 to 140 degrees at the thickest part. Transfer the pork to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ½-inch thick slices.
The thick end of the tenderloin will be quite pink but it's perfectly fine.
*PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT Weight Watchers Zero Points fruits and vegetables using the WW Recipe Builder.
To Grill Pork Chops
Heat the grill until it's very hot, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil the grill. Leave the primary burner on high and turn the tother burner(s) to medium-low.
Meanwhile, pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the chops over the hotter part of the grill, covered until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Move the pork chops to the cooler part of the grill and continue to cook, covered, until the center of the chips registers 135 to 140 on an instant read thermometer, 7 to 9 minutes more, turning the chops over halfway through cooking.
Transfer the pork chops to a platter, cover with foil, and let rest until the pork comes to an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes.
How to Cook Pork Chops in a Pan on the Stove Top
Pat the pork dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place the pork chops in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the chops over and reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the center of the chops registers 135 to 140 degrees on an Instant Read Thermometer
, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pork chops to a plate.
Cover with foil and let rest until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes.
How to Trim Silver Skin from Pork Tenderloin
To trim silver skin from your pork tenderloin, Slip a knife under the silver skin, angle it slightly upward and use a gentle back and forth cutting motion to remove the skin. Here's a great video that demonstrates how to remove the silver skin from your pork tenderloin.
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rhoda
luv this!!
Amy
I tried the Favorite Easy Marinade for Pork Chops or Pork Tenderloin on a tenderloin that we ended up smoking and it was the best pork we've ever smoked!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Laurie Aslin
The Mustard Maple marinade was delicious on my pork tenderloin. I will for sure save this one! I look forward to trying more. Thank you for sharing with us!
Tracey
Love your recipes
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Tracey! That really means a lot to me!!
Paula
Is the wine vinegar called for in the favourite measy marinade white wine or red wine vinegar?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Paula,
Thanks for the question. I've updated it to read "red wine vinegar" because that's what I tend to use most often, but I think either one would work.
Andy
Marinaded some chops in the low fat balsamic recipe. However, I used pomegranate balsamic vinegar. It was delicious coupled with your stovetop directions. Thanks! Bookmarked
Easy Peasy
Thanks for the handy recipes, but how about some anchor links at the top of the page? I'm getting major scroll fatigue.
Martha McKinnon
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll see what we can do.
Darren Paterson
After you use the honey soy garlic marinade. What is the best way to cook the pork chops? Pan fry or in the oven?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Darren,
The great thing about cooking is that there is no one way. It depends on your preferences really. And the thickness of the pork chops. I like to brown them for just 2 to 3 minutes per side and then finish them in the oven. I have a cast iron pan that easily goes from stove top to oven. Grilling is another good alternative. Hope this helps. -Martha
Jude Irwin
I am allergic to garlic and alcohol. Only one recipe lacked one or the other - and sometimes both. Garlic is an "easy out" for marinades, but it is a very strong and dominating flavour also. Surely something more subtle and varied can be created without it that allows the pork to "shine" as the main ingredient. And please don't say,"Well, just substitute onions for garlic." Too obvious but not the whole answer. We have a world of ingredients. Could we see some fresh thinking?
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Jude. I'm always open to "fresh thinking" and would be happy to include any marinades without garlic and/or alcohol that let pork "shine" that you discover!!
Jason
Hey Jude, ease up on the author. There are 11 solid marinades that many people here appreciate. Your unique allergy requirements don't entitle you to belittle the author for her choice of ingredients, nor postulate on her potential answers. How about offering some suggestions from your own " world of ingredients" to provide the readers with some "fresh thinking."
sarah
May I know how long can I keep these marinades if I pre-made this and keep it in the fridge?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Sarah,
I've never really made them ahead but I'd say that any of the marinades without fresh herbs should be good kept in the fridge for at least 1 week. For the ones with fresh herbs, probably a day or two. Hope this helps.
J J
back in the early 90s Weight watchers had a recipe in their magazine for a sauce to put on a pork loin..it had Ketchup ,honey,soy sauce, garlic and something else then it was cooked ..cant remember what is missing
Lynn
Thanks for sharing these recipes! I also have allergies and have learned to substitute when needed. Fortunately, I'm not allergic to garlic because I LOVE it. As for alcohol; cooking at high temps burns off the alcohol. I will sometimes use grape juice instead of red or white wine vinegar. I am allergic to pepper and all related items. eg. paprika, so to get a bit of heat I regularly use turmeric; very little though as it is quite strong. I'm also allergic to soy, but there are a few really good recipes on the net to make soy sauce substitutes. Hopefully this helps others out there like Jude.