Easy Roasted Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

Easy Roasted Cranberry Pork Tenderloin 

Easy Roasted Cranberry Pork Tenderloin is one of my new favorite holiday recipes. But it can be made at any time of the year, and it is simply delicious! 

Cranberry sauce gives it a great sweet flavor, and the onion soup mix balances that out for a more savory dish. It is a perfect combination! 

This recipe can be made with minimal effort, and is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. I made it without having to go to the grocery store. Everything came out of my pantry and freezer. In the winter time, these are the kind of go-to meals that I stock up and prepare for in case the weather forces me to stay at home. 

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Have you tried this easy roasted cranberry pork tenderloin recipe yet? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

Easy Roasted Cranberry Pork Tenderloin Ingredients 

Pork Tenderloin 

Cranberry Sauce, the amount one recipe makes. Which isn’t specific, I know. But I make my own every time and follow that recipe. 

Onion Soup Mix, 1 ounce, or 6 teaspoons 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Minced Onions, to taste 

Easy Roasted Cranberry Pork Tenderloin Directions 

Start with making the cranberry sauce and then mix in the onion soup mix. The onion soup mix will provide a savory component and keep it from being too sweet. If you need to, feel free to add a pinch of extra salt as well as the minced onions. 

Once the sauce is made, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Season the pork tenderloin liberally with salt and pepper, and sear it in a pan over medium-high heat until it has a nice brown crust on all sides. 

Transfer the pork to a baking dish, then cover it with the cranberry sauce and onion soup mix. 

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees, measured with a meat thermometer. 

Let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. 

Once sliced, put it back into the sauce so it can soak for a minute or two and then serve. 

Recipe Notes 

I keep cranberries at home in the freezer all year long. Buy them around the holidays, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then put them into a vacuum sealer, and they are good all year long. 

Pork pairs really well with anything sweet, and this is certainly no exception. 

You can also make this recipe in the slow cooker and go 5-6 hours on a low heat setting. 

Pork tenderloin is also an excellent meat to keep in the freezer. It is generally packaged in a vacuum sealed bag already, saving me prep time with that. It is readily available, and not an expensive protein. 

I also make my onion soup mix ahead of time in a large batch and keep in the pantry. 

The key in this easy roasted cranberry pork tenderloin recipe (and any other pork recipe) is not overcooking the pork tenderloin. It becomes dry and chewy when it is overcooked, and nobody wants that. 

If you struggle with overcooking pork, I recommend turning the oven temperature down to 350 degrees and keep checking the pork at 5-10 minute intervals. That will allow you the opportunity to learn and gauge how long the meat takes to cook without going past the recommended temperature. It’ll take practice, but don’t worry. You’ll get there and be a pro in no time! 

Why I Love This Recipe 

I love this recipe because it is delicious and simple to make. I can throw everything together in less than an hour, with pretty minimal effort. It pairs perfectly with oven roasted carrots or any other side dish of your choice. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of pork. Growing up, my mother overcooked it until it was dead seven times over because she was terrified of undercooked meat. So she more than made up for that fear by cooking it to death. I didn’t eat bacon for many years because of this. 

Nathan, my husband, loves pork and is always trying to get me to eat it. I’ve finally ran out of excuses and had to start looking for inventive recipes to try and find what worked for me. I feel like a better wife when I can make something that makes Nathan happy and I can enjoy it as well. This recipe definitely checks both boxes! 

As I said earlier, this recipe is a great one when preparing for the winter months and stocking the freezer and pantry. I’ve made it without having to go to the grocery store on a couple of occasions and love that. Winter weather can cause us to be a bit more creative if the freezer and pantry aren’t well stocked, and this recipe is front and center when making that restocking shopping list in the fall. 

Discussion 

Have you tried making this easy roasted cranberry pork tenderloin yourself? Did you enjoy it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

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