Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

This sous vide pork tenderloin recipe yields juicy and moist meat every single time. The sous vide method is easy and doesn’t leave any room for error.

If it isn’t evident from my slew of sous vide recipes, using a sous vide machine is a staple in my kitchen.

It cooks protein perfectly, even cuts notorious for drying out quickly, like sous vide pork chops and sous vide chicken breast. I’ve been experimenting with larger cuts of meat recently, and this sous vide pork tenderloin is now a firm family favorite.

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to sous vide pork tenderloin
4. How to sous vide pork without a machine
5. Recipe tips and variations
6. How to store leftovers
7. Frequently asked questions
8. More sous vide recipes to try
9. Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• A fool-proof cooking technique. Pork tenderloin is not a cheap cut of meat, and you certainly don’t want to ruin it. With this cooking technique, you get perfectly cooked pork tenderloin with minimal cooking time.
• Perfect texture. Honestly, I think cooking pork tenderloin this way yields the juiciest and most tender meat (even more so than a grilled pork tenderloin or air fryer pork tenderloin).
• Easy. Sous vide sounds super fancy and complicated, but really, it’s such an easy technique; even my non-foodie family members could cook it up on a whim!
• Fun twist on pork. As much as I love crispy pork belly or a pork butt roast, cooking pork using this method is something different and much appreciated!

What I love about this recipe is that it is so easy to customize with many flavors. Season the meat with your favorite marinade or sauce and cook it up! 

Ingredients needed

This recipe calls for very simple ingredients. Besides the pork and some seasonings, there isn’t much else. Here is what you’ll need: 

• Pork tenderloin. I prefer to get my pork loin from a butcher because they often have the skin intact, and you can request them to remove it there and then. Grocery stores tend to provide it skinless, which can actually dry out the meat before even cooking.
• Garlic. Crush the garlic cloves to help release more flavor. 
• Thyme. Use a few sprigs of fresh thyme to make the pork aromatic. 
• Shallots. Sliced onions add a mild flavor to the pork. You can omit them if you want to or use white onion instead. This onion variety yields a more mild flavor, but you can use. white or yellow onion if that is all you have on hand.
• Butter. To sear the pork after cooking it in the sous vide machine. You can use olive oil or another cooking oil, but let’s be real- butter tastes better.
• Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste. 

How to sous vide pork tenderloin

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep the pork. Preheat the sous vide machine to 140F degrees. Pat dry the pork with paper towels then season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.

Step 2- Vacuum seal. Place it in a vacuum seal bag with thinly sliced shallots, crushed garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs. Seal the bag using a vacuum sealer. 

Step 3- Sous vide the pork. Place the bag with the pork tenderloin in the water bath, ensuring it is fully submerged. Cook for at least 45 minutes.

Step 4- Discard. After 45 minutes, remove the meat from the bag and discard the onion, garlic, and sprigs of rosemary. 

Step 5- Sear the pork. Heat butter in a cast-iron skillet or pan on high heat. Sear the pork tenderloin on all sides for about 2 minutes. 

Step 6- Slice and serve. Slice the pork tenderloin and serve immediately. 

How to sous vide pork without a machine

While the sous vide cooker itself makes things easier, it’s actually very easy to cook the pork without it.

Start by filling a large pot with water, then mount the thermometer to the side. Next, heat the water to the desired temperature and adjust the heat to keep the temperature steady. Now, prep the pork as instructed, then submerge it in the water bath. Cook the pork, sear it, then serve.

Recipe tips and variations

• Don’t overcook the meat. Be careful to not overcook the pork when searing it. Two minutes in total is enough to get a nice color on the cut from all sides. 
• Rest the pork. With any kind of meat-heavy recipe, I like to rest the meat for a few minutes to let the juices redistribute before slicing.
• Be generous with the seasoning. Using a proper amount of salt and pepper is essential in bringing out the natural flavor of the pork. 
• Use more aromatics when searing the pork tenderloin. A few cloves of garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary (or other fresh herbs) added to the skillet will further enhance the flavor of the pork.
• Sear with a sauce. To amp up the flavor, I sometimes sear the cooked pork in BBQ sauce or some Dijon mustard. It forms a subtle crust and traps the juices in for one juicy pork tenderloin.

How to store leftovers

To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days. 

To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled pork in a shallow container. Store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

To reheat: Microwave portions of the pork for 30-40 seconds or warm up in a non-stick skillet until hot. 

Frequently asked questions

More sous vide recipes to try

• Sous vide egg bites
• Sous vide chicken thighs
• Sous vide salmon
• Sous vide steak
• Sous vide pork belly
• Sous vide flank steak