This Easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin will become your go-to dinner the whole family will love. Tender pork with a sweet brown sugar, balsamic sauce. {gluten free}
Do you have those go-to meals you make every week? We love anything with a sweet sauce like this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin. It's tender moist pork tenderloin covered in a sweet brown sugar balsamic sauce.
AND it's made in my handy dandy Instant Pot!
I am obsessed with the ease of this machine. I can now make a slow cooker tender meal in about 30 minutes! Woohoo! So get your Instant Pot or put it on your Christmas list and get busy making Pork Tenderloin, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, and more!
I hope your family loves this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin. It's...
- tender and juicy
- easy to make in the Instant Pot
- made with pantry staples
- gluten-free
- covered in a sweet, delicious sauce!
Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin - Cut the tenderloin into pieces to allow it to fit in the Instant Pot easier.
- Olive oil - I like to use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic helps to liven up the dish.
- Brown sugar - Adds a richer flavor than white sugar.
- Balsamic vinegar - Balsamic vinegar is the star of the show! The slightly sweet, rich flavor of balsamic is what really makes this dish unique.
- Tamari - Soy sauce can easily be used here, but I love how tamari is less salty. It is also thicker and richer, which works really well in the sauce here.
- Rosemary - I recommend using fresh rosemary, but you can also substitute with dried.
- Corn starch - Corn starch (along with water) helps to thicken the sauce.
Instructions
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Mix all sauce ingredients, except corn starch, in a small bowl.
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Heat Instant Pot to saute. Salt and pepper pork pieces and add olive oil to the pot. Saute pork on all sides.
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Turn off saute and add sauce to pot. Program Instant Pot to meat and cook for 20 minutes. When the timer beeps, turn pressure cooker off and let the pressure naturally release.
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Remove meat from the Instant Pot. Whisk together cornstarch and water. Add the mixture to the Instant Pot and turn the pot on saute. Let the sauce cook until it thickens.
Top Tips
- Keep in mind that while the pork takes 20 minutes to cook, it does take the Instant Pot around 10 minutes to come to pressure and another 10 minutes for the pressure to naturally release.
- If the pork's internal temperature is under by 5-10 degrees after the pressure has finished releasing, you can place the lid back on to allow it to cook for longer.
- Let the pork rest for 10 minutes after cooking. This ensures that the juices stay intact so you don't have dry, tough pork.
- Try these delicious Instant Pot Carrots for the perfect side dish.
- If you prefer to bake it in the oven, try this Baked Pork Tenderloin.
I love the versatility of this Pork Tenderloin. It can be sliced and served with mashed potatoes and green beans or you could treat it like pulled pork and throw it on some brioche buns. Either way, it's sure to be loved by your family. It's totally kid-friendly, and mine always gobble it up. It makes great leftovers too.
Look What Readers Are Saying About This Recipe
"This was flavorful and SOOOOOO tender!!! I am a convert for the combo of sauteing and pressure cooking. Thank you so much for this super recipe!!!!" - Barbara
"This was amazing. My entire family absolutely loved it. My son asked me to put it on the 'make again' list." -Christine
"Yum! I threw in some potatoes and bell peppers to go with the pork.. The sauce was so good, a nice balance of sweet and savory that tasted great on everything. Thanks for sharing this deliciously easy recipe!" -Brittany
More Pork Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Pork Tacos
- Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin With Peaches
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork
- Pork Tostadas with Mango Salsa
- Three Ingredient Barbecue Pork
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! I’d love it if you could add a star rating ★ and a comment below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 1.5-2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into four pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl except cornstarch.
- Heat Instant Pot to saute. Salt and pepper pork pieces and pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot. Saute pork on all sides.
- Turn off saute and add sauce to pot. Program Instant Pot to meat and cook for 20 minutes. When the timer beeps, turn pressure cooker off and let the pressure naturally release. Do not skip this step or your meat will be tough.
- Remove meat from Instant Pot. In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch with 2 tablespoon water. Add the mixture to the Instant Pot and turn the pot on saute. Whisk well and let it cook until it thickens a bit.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from my Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin.
Shadi says
Love anything with balsamic and brown sugar. It's a family friendly combo that everyone loves and is great for any season!
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says
Instant pot for the win! Love this hearty recipe.
Melina Malone says
Thanks Suzy!
Jenni says
Aren't pressure cookers just the best?! This looks super tender and juicy.
Melina Malone says
Yes, Jenni, I love my Instant Pot!
Melina (Back Road Journal) says
Your pork looks tender and delicious.
Melina Malone says
Thanks Melina!
Sandi says
I love the idea of using my pressure cooker for this recipe! I love the balsamic flavor you paired for the pork.
Melina Malone says
Thanks Sandi!
Amanda says
I don't have an Instant Pot yet and this recipe is making me think that I really do need one! The texture of the meat looks fantastic and I love how quickly this meal comes together!
Melina Malone says
Amanda - I think you would love an Instant Pot and use it tons!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I’m sure my entire family would enjoy this dish Melina! Looks like I’ll need to ask Santa for an InstantPot!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
So don't kill me, but I've had an instant pot since last year and I have yet to really use it. I tried to use it once as a slow cooker and came back three hours later and the chicken was still raw. Lol. Not sure if I used it wrong, or if it's broken. But since then I shoved it in the back of a cabinet and haven't touched it. I guess I should bust it out and give it another go, huh?? Because this pork looks AMAZING! Love how easy it is!! Cheers, dear!
Sam Harbison says
I'm excited to try this recipe! I have a bunch of pork in my deep freeze and I've been struggling to come up with ways to use it, so I think I will add this to the meal plan for the coming week :).
Melina Malone says
Hope you like it Sam!
Lynne says
I want to try this tomorrow. I have a 3.5 pound pork loin. What size tenderloin was used for this recipe? How do I adjust for larger piece of meat? Do I double or triple sauce? How long should it cook? This looks so good. I don’t want to mess up. This will be my first time using the Instant Pot.
Melina Malone says
Hey Lynne, I would say my tenderloin was about 1 1/2 pounds bc it was a tenderloin two pack. I usually go by the Instant Pot site and it suggests 20 minutes per pound although that sounds high to me. https://instantpot.com/instantpot-cooking-time/ You definitely have a larger piece of pork so I would say at least 50 minutes for a very tender meat that you can pull apart. Make sure you let it release naturally and double the sauce. I hope it works out. The Instant Pot does take some experimentation!
Rebecca says
Ten minutes into the meat cycle, my pot gave me a "burn" message. Has anyone else experienced this?
Melina Malone says
Rebecca, so sorry I haven't had this happen so I'm not sure what is going on.
Stephanie says
Should pork be placed on trivet to keep from getting burn display? Or did you just place it straight in bottom of pot?
Melina Malone says
I put mine right in the bottom of the pan and it was fine! Good luck!
Danielle says
That happens to prevent the meat from burning. After you sauté anything you need to deglaze the pot. I use chicken broth on the sauté setting and a Wooden spoon to scrap any of the burnt spots on the bottom off the pan from browning the meat. It happened to me my very first time using my instant pot. It is just detecting something is burnt and stops cooking. It’s aceasy fix. 🙂
Melina Malone says
Really? So you are saying it only happened the first time you used your Instant Pot? Wonder why it never happens for me or so many others. Does this only happen with a certain type of Instant Pot? I appreciate you popping in and telling us bc I was stumped!
Lisa Atkinson says
Happened to me when there wasn't enough liquid in the bottom of the pot. Turned it off, added a little water and it was fine.
Elena says
I have an 8 qt IP and I have gotten this Burn message before. I am pretty sure every time it happened was because most recipes are for a 6 qt IPs and with the 8qt being wider there was just not enough liquid in a pot. So, what I started doing is adjusting all recipes to add a bit more of whatever liquid is being used. I haven't gotten the Burn message ever since.
Melina Malone says
Thanks for the tips!
Deb says
It just means there wasn’t enough liquid. In the pot. If that happens again, tu4n pot off, vent until safe to open lid and add another 1/2 cup of liquid. Then just set it to meat for remainder of cooking time. Hope this helps.
Diane says
Thanks so much for this delicious looking recipe I’m excited to try it. When cooking what pressure do you use low or high?
Melina Malone says
Thanks Diane, I used the high setting.
Candace says
I've seen some recipes like this, but I'm scared to try. I thought (and Instant Pot says) that you need at least 1 1/2 cups of liquid to pressure cook. Is this not so?
Melina Malone says
Hi Candace, I have seen that you need one cup but I didn't have any trouble with this recipe. If you want to double the water and soy sauce you can. I have heard that some Instant Pots show the burn notice more than others but that has never happened with mine. Good luck.
Courtney says
I have an 8 qt IP so I did double the sauce mix.
It’s coming to Pressure now!
Melina Malone says
Oh no, I'm nervous... let me know!
Daphne Gaff says
Hi! Can you make this without sautéing the pork first?
Melina Malone says
Yes you can but it gives the pork more flavor when you saute.
Christine says
This was amazing. My entire family absolutely loved it. My son asked me to put it on the "make again" list.
Melina Malone says
Great to hear! Thanks so much for letting me know. Kids can be picky so that's a huge win.
Jen says
I don't know how everyone is cooking this without getting a burn notice! I followed instructions, and even doubled the sauce recipe, so that there would be extra liquid, and I STILL got the dreaded burn. Any tips?
Jen says
I think I figured out the answer to my own question 🙂 In reading some tips on the "burn notice", many recipes suggest adding any thickener AFTER the cooking has completed, as the cornstarch can cause the sauces to thicken too quickly. When making this recipe again (because I definitely will--my super picky 4 year old tried it and liked it, and my 2 year old loved it!) I'll add the cornstarch once cooking has been completed.
Rebecca G. says
Absolutely delicious!! This is an instant pot keeper recipe for sure!
Melina Malone says
Rebecca, thanks for coming back and letting me know!
Kerri says
Do you know how many pounds your pork loin was?
Melina Malone says
It was about 1 1/2 pounds Kerri.
Barbara says
This was flavorful and SOOOOOO tender!!! I am a convert for the combo of sauteing and pressure cooking. Thank you so much for this super recipe!!!!
Melina Malone says
Awesome! So glad you loved it and I appreciate you coming back to rate my recipe!
Tina Cyr says
How long does the natural pressure release usually take?
Melina Malone says
I'd say about 10 minutes.
Wayne Anstey says
I’ve done another Pork Tenderloin recipe in which i’ve Sauted the meat and the cooked it in apple juice with sliced apples on Low Pressure for 3 minutes, NPR. The Tenderloin came out really tender and juicy. I would love to try yours as well, but cannot understand how it would not be over cooked at 35 minutes on High. Any thoughts on the difference?
Melina Malone says
Hi Wayne, I'm not sure but here's the Cooking Times for meat according to the Instant Pot site https://instantpot.com/instantpot-cooking-time/. Looks like 3 minutes in really short. Hope that helps.
Sherri Myers says
Wayne, my thoughts exactly. I’m new to the IP so I followed the directions. The sauce was so tasty, but thought the tenderloin was over cooked. Perhaps a pork loin would be better since the nature of tenderloin asks for less cooking. I’ll probably do this again with consideration to whether I’m using a loin and follow the recipe or a tenderloin f ollowing your recommendation. Nonetheless the flavor was spot on.
Pam says
Amazing! Very easy, quick and I loved that I had everything I needed in the pantry. This will be a go to recipe at our house!
Brittany says
Yum! I threw in some potatoes and bell peppers to go with the pork.. The sauce was so good, a nice balance of sweet and savory that tasted great on everything. Thanks for sharing this deliciously easy recipe!
Lauren says
Did you cook the potatoes in the pot with the pork? If so, do you put them under it or on top? I’m an IP newbie!
Crystal Q says
So glad I stumbled upon your recipe. I made it for dinner this evening and it was a success! I did not have fresh rosemary on hand so I used fresh thyme . It still came out amazing, although I can not wait to try it with Rosemary. Thank you so much from my family to yours!
Dee Hart says
Hi, I just tried this but I used my Power Pressure Xl. I have a 10 qt so I doubled the sauce mixture, and I added 2 med onions just quartered and about 7 fingering red potatoes. It’s in right now I will let you know how it turns out. I sautéed it first in the oil, like you said and followed all the same directions. I have adapted many recipes like this to my PPXl. Some day I hope to get an instapot but this was a birthday gift so I can’t complain! Lol! Can’t wait to try this thanks for your awesome recipe!
Melina Malone says
Thanks for letting us know how you made yours in a Power Pressure. Please let us know how it turns out!
Ronna says
This was the first time I cooked a pork tenderloin that didn't already have the marinade. I search and found yours with the added bonus of using my Instant Pot!
We will definitely make this one again, my family loved it.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Melina Malone says
Thanks so much for letting me know how you liked it!
Kate says
Made this tonight and the entire family loved it! My three-year-old helped me whisk the ingredients, and the entire meal was ready in under an hour, but it tasted like it braised all day. Thank you!
Melina Malone says
Kate, I am so glad your family loved it. I know from experience that getting everyone in the family to like the same meals is nearly impossible. Thanks for telling me!
Michael says
Great easy recipe. Was terrific and came out perfect.
Melina Malone says
Thanks so much for letting me know Michael!
Hannah says
I followed directions exactly as written and it turned out AMAZING. This will definitely be a regular meal in our house. So simple and really tasty.
Melina Malone says
Thanks so much for letting me know how much you liked it!
Gina says
Made this tonight with two approx 1.5-2 lb pieces of pork sirloin tip roasts (2 of the 4 pack you get from Costco). I cut both in half and I doubled the sauce and the cook time. Since the rest of dinner wasn't ready, I just left it on off for an extra 20-30 min after the initial 20 min depressurization time. It was DELISH. The gravy was so good. Served with steamed carrots, mashed potatoes, and homemade rolls. Such a wonderful Sunday night dinner with family. Thanks!
Melina Malone says
Thanks so much for your detailed review. I love hearing how folks tweak the recipe to make it their own. Interesting that you let it sit for an extra 20 minutes. Wow, homemade rolls too? Impressive!
Alyssa says
Melina, it’s awesome! I cannot wait to try this. I bet it makes the house smell divine and tastes incredible!
Olga says
Melina, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!