Break the monotony of boring weeknight dinners and serve up my Peppered Pork Tenderloin with a Sweet Chili Pecan Fruit sauce. Your family will be glad you did!
Dinner shouldn’t take you all night to make and shouldn’t cause you added stress. It’s a time to relax and celebrate the day by sharing a meal with your family and friends
Not only is my Peppered Pork Tenderloin delicious, but it’s also easy to make and can be on your table in about 30 minutes. And my Sweet Chili-Pecan Fruit Sauce just adds another layer of deliciousness to this perfect pork loin recipe.
What ingredients do I need to make Peppered Pork Tenderloin?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Peppered Pork Tenderloin with a Sweet Chili Pecan Fruit Sauce. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How do I make a sweet chili pecan fruit sauce?
- Toast pecans in a hot saute pan and set aside. (don’t let them burn). You can also do this in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat add butter and allow to melt.
- Add pineapple and cook for 1 -2 minutes.
- Add the cranberries, tangerine segments, zest and sweet chili sauce to the pan with the pineapple. Bring the mixture to a quick boil and remove from heat.
- Add in the pecans and mix well. Set aside until needed. (can be served at room temperature)
How do I prepare the Peppered Pork Tenderloin?
- Cut the pork tenderloin in half and season liberally with sea salt, black pepper and cajun seasoning and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. (while you make the fruit sauce)
- Lightly coat pork with flour
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil as needed and place both pieces of pork into pan. Do not disturb them for 4-5 minutes
- turn the pork over and allow other side to cook for about 4-5 minutes. Sear any ends that may not have gotten cooked.
- Continue cooking the pork tenderloin in saute pan over medium-low heat (adding a little more oil as needed) or in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
*The internal temperature of the pork should be 165 degrees for well-done pork. If you prefer medium to medium-well pork, the internal temp should be 155 -160 degrees.
Let the fully cooked pork tenderloins rest for 7-10 minutes before slicing to allow the juice to flow back into the meat.
Slice the Peppered Pork Tenderloin and serve with the Sweet Chili Pecan Fruit Sauce.
What is Fusion Style Cooking?
Fusion-Style cooking borrows different components from ethnic cuisines and blends them together. This dish takes a typical American dish and adds in an Island/Asian component with sweet chili sauce and fruit.
You have that tender, moist, flavorful pork tenderloin, well seasoned and seared, definitely American. Then add pineapple, tangerines and sweet chili sauce for the Island/Asian influence. Finishing with two All-American ingredients cranberries and pecans.
The end result of this fusion is an incredibly flavorful dish that takes about 30 minutes to prepare. I promise it will definitely impress your family and friends.
More Pork Recipes You’ll Love!
Peppered Pork Tenderloin with a Pecan-Chili Fruit Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin seasoned and cut half
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper cracked is better
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasonings or paprika if you don’t like heat
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour gluten free flour can be substituted
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup diced pineapple
- ½ cup cranberries
- 1 small tangerine peel and use segments
- 1 teaspoon tangerine zest
- ½ cup pecans toasted in skillet or oven
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce more if you like
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- cut pork tenderloin in half and season liberally with sea salt, black pepper and cajun seasoning. Set aside until needed.
- toast pecans in a hot saute pan and set aside
- in a small saucepan over medium heat add butter and allow to melt.
- add pineapple and cook for 1 -2 minutes.
- add cranberries, tangerine segments, zest and sweet chili sauce. Bring to quick boil and remove from heat.
- Add in Pecans, mix well. Set aside until needed. (can be cold or at room temperature)
- lightly coat pork with flour.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil as needed and place both pieces of pork into pan. Do not disturb them for 4-5 minutes
- turn pork over and allow other side to cook for about 4-5 minutes. Sear any ends that may not have gotten cooked.
- Continue cooking pork tenderloin in saute pan over medium low heat (adding a little more oil as needed) or in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
- The internal temperature of the pork should be 165 degrees or less if you like medium well pork.
- Slice into medallions after allowing the pork to rest for 10 minutes, or serve whole with the fruit sauce and your favorite side dishes.
Erin
I didn’t have tangerine, so used mandarin oranges instead, and put it all over a center cut pork loin roast with great results. I could see where peaches would also be great in this recipe. Family loved it!
Chef Dennis Littley
peaches would be an excellent change up to this recipe, I’m happy to hear you adjusted the recipe to what you had on hand! Great job!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This was insanely, incredibly delicous. Sooo yummy!
Linda
You got me at pecan chili sauce and it went so well with this pork loin!
Annie
My family loved this! It was great and flavors were amazing.
Addie
The best sweet and savory flavors!
Pam Greer
Once again! Another restaurant quality recipe!
Agnieszka
This pork tenderloin looks amazing! Saving it for my next Sunday dinner!
Lara
I would have never imagined how delicious this flavor combination would be! The whole family loved it and I will definitely be making this again sometime soon!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/
This is a meal to repeat often! Delicious!
Andréa Janssen
What a delicious combination. My family loved it!
Jean
Pairing it with rice is a great meal for us. We love sweet chili flavor dishes.
Jennifer Banz
Your recipes are always so creative and delicious! I love the combo of the sweet fruit sauce with the pork loin.
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life
What a delicious looking recipe! My husband and I both really enjoy a good pork loin but never know what to top it with. We’ll definitely have to give this fiery, sweet sauce a try!
Danielle
That would totally make a delicious dinner and not just tonight. Fantastic option to treat someone special and the one I would really enjoy!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
This peppered pork loin would be my husband’s favorite. To make and to eat. He loves to fuse and blend cultures and this dish full of flavors is right up his alley. That sauce,, wow!
Elaine
I need to start with the sauce because chili fruit sauce is simply the best. I have used it with so many of my favorte mains, and it never disappointed. And that pork loin is mouthwatering. It is amazing where the combination of different flavors can take us taste-wise!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Oh what a delicious looking recipe! I’m loving all of those flavors of pecans and citrus! We’re having a snowstorm here right now but this would definitely make it feel like summer with all of those bright flavors!
Tammy
Dennis my mouth is watering just looking at this beautiful pork loin. I really love the combination of flavors here and the sweet crunchiness of the pecans is a perfect finishing touch for this meal. I wish I could have it right now!
Anna
Wow Dennis, this looks amazing! I just love all of the flavours and ingredients you’ve used to make this dish, especially that pecan & chilli sauce! Sounds and looks so tasty!
Aleta
A sweet sauce loaded with pecans for pork tenderloin? I am SO intrigued! I love that this whole dish can be ready in 30 minutes, can’t wait to try it out on my husband!