Juicy keto pork tenderloin with a mouthwatering garlic brown “sugar” glaze. This easy low carb dinner recipe takes only 30 minutes to make, start to finish.
Pork tenderloin has been one of my go-to easy keto meals since before I was even knew what the keto diet was. How is that even possible?
I’ve been making a garlic rosemary tenderloin recipe since my mid-20s, when my husband and I first moved in together. I was astonished to learn how easy it was to make and how flavorful it could be. And it was the first recipe I ever made for his parents.
It turned out so well, I felt like quite the gourmet chef. And I earned my place in the food-loving Ketchum family!
I get my healthy, pasture-raised pork from Wild Pastures. And they’re offering my readers 20% off their first box!
Pork tenderloin nutrition
Pork tenderloin is an excellent choice for a healthy meal. Unlike chops and pork roasts, it’s very lean, which means it’s high protein without being high fat.
Although we don’t shy away from animal fats on a keto diet, sometimes we want something a little lighter and less calorie dense. Additionally, many people find that the over-consumption of fat can stall their weight loss. This is particularly true of older women.
Some lean meats are hard to cook well, as they dry out easily and become tough. But as long as you don’t overcook it, pork tenderloin can be juicy and full of flavor.
Garlic Brown “Sugar” Glaze
I don’t often stray from my original recipe but this time I had a little fun creating a sweet garlicky glaze for my keto pork tenderloin. It was over the top good!
The glaze features plenty of garlic, some mustard, and a brown sugar replacement like Swerve Brown. It’s slathered over the tenderloin prior to baking, and creates a mouthwatering pan sauce for drizzling.
I gave it a sweet and spicy twist with the addition of some chipotle powder, but that is easily left out if you prefer.
How to make keto pork tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is so easy to make. I prefer browning it in a pan and then baking it in the oven. So juicy and flavorful! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Use an oven-proof skillet: it doesn’t need to be cast iron, just any skillet that can go from stovetop to oven. This way, you don’t need to transfer the tenderloin to a baking dish and dirty two dishes.
- Brown on all sides: get the skillet nice and hot so that it sears the outside of the tenderloin. You don’t want to cook it too long, just enough to get a light golden exterior.
- Seasonings and glazes: whether you choose to make this easy glaze or simply add some seasonings, make sure to get it all over the meat before baking.
- Bake at high temp: it helps seal in the juices and shortens the cook time.
- Check the internal temp: pork tenderloins vary in size and thickness. Use an instant read thermometer to know when it’s truly done. 140F or so is perfect as it will continue to cook when it comes out of the oven.
- Let rest 5 minutes: this allows the temperature to reach a safe 145F before you cut into it.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can still make this recipe! Simply transfer the seared tenderloin to a baking dish.
You have a few options. You can simply use any granular sweetener you like. Or you can use the granular sweetener plus 2 teaspoons of molasses. It will only add a single gram of carbohydrate to each serving.
No problem, you can easily scale back the glaze. Then proceed as directed but check the the temperature of the pork at 15 minutes.
That’s fine, just leave out the chipotle powder or the cayenne. It will still be delicious!
Absolutely! If you don’t think you will eat it all at one meal, slice only what you need and keep the rest whole. The keto pork tenderloin will retain its juiciness better that way. Then simply warm it up in a 300F oven.
Suggested sides
Want some side dish ideas to go with this delicious keto pork tenderloin? Here are a few you might enjoy:
- Super Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
- Keto Brussels Sprouts Casserole
- Roasted Delicata Squash
- Cauliflower Risotto
- Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash
- Hasselback Turnips
- Smothered Cabbage
Keto Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Swerve Brown
- 6 garlic cloves pressed
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar replacement, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil, mustard, vinegar, paprika, and chipotle powder until well combined. You will end up with a thick paste.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Pat the tenderloin dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- Brown the tenderloin on all sides, about 4 minutes. Then spread all over with the garlic brown "sugar" paste.
- Place the whole pan in the oven, uncovered, and cook 18 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 140F.
- Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Pamela says
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I’ve always been afraid of cooking a pork tenderloin, I don’t know it always just sounds so fancy, but this was so easy to do!! family loved it, it was so moist. Thank you for a new recipe to add to my arsenal.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Chris says
Easy and very tasty 😋
Cynthia Baugh says
Made this for lunch today. The only changes I made was to use smoky paprika and double the chipotle because those flavors are a favorite. We loved it. Thanks again for another winning recipe. Easy to make and delicious.
Carolyn says
Excellent!
Linda Walker says
Hi, I have a similar recip that has brown sugar, garlic, a little chili powder and tobacco sauce, I use mild, I have made a few times and so good, but last time I used brown swerve, and it had a terrible taste and seemed to cause a hard crust. My son and daughter in law are keto, and they weren’t coming for dinner but I thought they would love this like I do. Any idea what happened?
Carolyn says
No idea since I don’t know that recipe… however, that doesn’t happen with this recipe so why don’t use try it? 🙂
Nita Kalso says
This is the best pork tenderloin recipe I’ve made. It will be a regular!!
Barbara says
This goes on sale in my area all the time and I’ve cooked it just to have something on hand to eat. Blah.
This recipe is an absolute keeper! It’s a great mix of sweet, tart (I love vinegar!), and a little spicy (I like the cayenne). I’ll definitely be adding this to my rotation. Thanks as always Carolyn!!
Carolyn says
Wonderful!
Terrence says
Delicious! Made it last night and it was amazing. Served it with roasted radishes, onions, peppers and broccoli
Thank you for the recipes
Dewey says
The tenderloin was flavorful and moist after cooking on high heat. The glaze was killer! I have to make more for the leftovers. Thanks for the recipe.
Kerri says
This pork tenderloin was delicious! The spicy part was fantastic. I love pork tenderloin but usually just season with salt pepper and steak spice which is ok but this really hit the spot when I was looking for something a bit more flavourful. I did not have the brown swerve so used a granulated monk fruit that I had on hand.
Carolyn says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Anu says
This method of cooking tenderloin is fantastic, thank you so much! The glaze was very interesting, but a unfortunately too sweet for our taste, so next time I wil cut down the sweetener significantly, or maybe even skip it. The chipotle, paprika, garlic and vinegar by themselves make a scrumptious sauce and I’d love to try this again with that alone. Thank you again for a simple, hands-off recipe.
Melissa says
Could I put this I a crockpot on low? I would skip the browning in the pan. Thank you so much
Carolyn says
Probably but I don’t much like tenderloin cooked in a crockpot. So you will have to experiment to see how you like it.
Laura says
Thanks for the recipe…..I am going to try this with thick cut pork chops. Hopefully it will turn out good ????
Deb Maxwell says
I made this tonight and it was quite the hit with hubby! I loved it too! Nice and easy, with common ingredients. I didn’t have the Swerve Brown but I used regular granulated Swerve and it was great! Thank you!
Betsy says
Would this work with a turkey tenderloin that I bought by mistake ?
Love your recipes !
Karen Laster says
Sounds great. I hope I don’t cook it too long and it gets dried out. I’ve been a follower for a couple of years and with your recipes and doing a keto diet, I have lost over 70 #’s in 11 most. BS is down to 5.9. Thanks, Carolyn, for your help and inspiration.
Carolyn says
Congrats!
Joce Humbert says
I asked a question about which sweetener to use to make chutney but haven’t heard back
Kind regards Joce
Laura Nelson says
Can I make this in the InstAnt Pot?
Carolyn says
This is not an instant pot recipe.
Kate says
This is so delicious! The paste seemed a little sweet at first, but once it cooked on the pork, it was just a lovely undertone to the other ingredients. It’s not particularly garlicky, either. Another keeper, for sure.
Kellie says
Sooooo amazing! And easy to make. The entire family loved it….will be making again!
Katie says
This has so much flavor, I forget that I don’t need bbq sauce!
Beth says
We absolutely love pork tenderloin and I’m so glad I have found this keto recipe! We were so pleased with how this recipe turned out and I can’t wait to make this lovely pork tenderloin again!