One Pan Sweet Potato & Pear Pork Tenderloin Dinner

My go-to one-pan meal is usually a sheet pan dinner with some combination of chicken breasts and veggies, and while that’s a great quick and healthy option… it can get a little tired. This one-pan meal is a little less basic, but every bit as easy, which makes it an excellent way to shake up your dinner routine. A deliciously seasoned pork tenderloin is paired with cubed sweet potatoes, apples, and pears that all bake together into one tasty and well-rounded dinner.

I love pork tenderloin because it’s an easy protein to cook for a group, and it always turns out so tender and flavorful. Here, it’s seasoned with a glaze that’s so good you just might end up putting it on everything. Think of it like an herb-scented honey mustard – it’s made up of honey, Dijon mustard, thyme, Parmesan, and plenty of black pepper. It goes so well with the flavor of the pork, and the sweetness from the fruit and sweet potatoes balances beautifully with the acidity from the Dijon.

You’ll need a meat thermometer to judge doneness on this, but depending on how you like your pork it will only take between 25 and 35 minutes in the oven. The veggies and fruit end up nice and tender, but if you’d like them to have a little more color, you can always pop them back in the oven while the tenderloin rests. You can switch the veggies out for what you have on hand (carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli…) but the sweet and savory thing that’s going on here is pretty hard to beat. It’s an ideal weeknight meal!

Sweet Potato & Pear Pork Tenderloin

40 minutes to prepare serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 (1 1/4 lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed of any silverskin
  • 1-2 pears, chopped
  • 1-2 apples, chopped
  • 1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled and cut in half
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • For the glaze:
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a roasting pan with olive oil or nonstick spray.
  2. Pat pork tenderloin dry and season liberally with salt, patting seasoning into meat. Place tenderloin in middle of baking dish.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together honey, Dijon mustard, thyme, Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Brush mixture evenly over pork tenderloin.
  4. Arrange vegetables and fruit around pork tenderloin. Arrange halved garlic cloves around the pan. Drizzle vegetables/fruit with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat in pan.
  5. Cook until pork reaches desired doneness, 145°F for medium-rare, 150-155°F for medium, and 160°F for well-done. This should take 25-35 minutes depending on the size of your cut.
  6. Let tenderloin rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Garlic Matters.