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Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin

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One of my favorite weeknight dinners is this Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin. The flavors are very similar to those in my most popular recipe, Baked Pork Chops and Apples with Brown Sugar Glaze.

a collage of pork tenderloin on a white plate or in a white dish with title text reading Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin

Although I cook with a lot of chicken, I like to shake things up and cook with “the other white meat” to avoid food boredom. This is my favorite Instant Pot pork recipe.

How to Make Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin

One of the best features of the Instant Pot is that you can brown food in it so that you only have one pot to clean. As with many of my other Instant Pot recipes, this one starts with using the saute function to brown the meat.

pork tenderloing on a white plate on a white cloth with more pork tenderloin in a blue dish in the background

Step One – Brown the Pork

Add a little olive oil to your Instant Pot and choose the saute function. Once the pot is hot, add the tenderloin.

Sear it on each side for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a plate.

Step Two – Prepare the Sauce

Next, it’s time to add the apples and onions and prep the deliciously sweet sauce the pork will cook in.

In addition to apples and onions, you’ll add apple cider (or a substitute for apple cider) and brown sugar. Then, you’ll return the pork, season it with salt and pepper and top with some more brown sugar.

Step Three – Pressure Cook

The tenderloin will need to cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

a closeup view of Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin

Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ready to make this Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin? Here’s the recipe!

📋 Recipe

Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin

Corinne Schmitt
Easy and delicious, sweet pork tenderloin!
3.59 from 124 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 823 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil or as needed
  • 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
  • 2-3 apples (I use Granny Smith, but Fuji and Gala work too) cored and chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parsley optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • Select the saute setting on your instant pot and add the olive oil.
  • Sear the pork tenderloin on each side, 2-3 minutes, until completely seared and remove to a plate.
  • Add the apples, onion and cider to the instant pot and scrape up any brown bits of the pork tenderloin that may have stuck to the instant pot. Allow to reduce to half of the original volume.
  • Season the pork tenderloin well with salt and pepper and then rub on 1/4 cup of the brown sugar.
  • Place the pork tenderloin back in the instant pot and add in the remaining sugar.
  • Cover and select the manual setting, then choose high pressure. Set the time to 22 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes..
  • Serve with the poached apples and onions and a sprinkle of parsley.

Notes

Weight Watchers Freestyle = 8 Points Per Serving with 4 Servings

Nutrition

Calories: 823kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 94gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 295mgSodium: 250mgPotassium: 2076mgFiber: 3gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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26 thoughts on “Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin”

    • Yes, you can double the recipe, just make sure the size of your Instant Pot will accommodate it. Also, the cook time will remain the same but it might take longer to come to pressure.

      Reply
  1. 5 stars
    What a great Pork Tenderloin recipe to have! I’m always looking for an easy, quick one and yours looks so delicious. Aren’t instant pots magic?

    Reply
    • I know people have made frozen pork tenderloins in the IP, but I don’t recommend it. It’s too hard to get the right sear and to be confident the pork cooks through evenly.

      Reply
  2. Does it have to be apple cider? I want to make this tonight but I don’t really feel like going out to buy cider when I have tons of just apple juice in the house. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Natural release means that you do not turn the release valve on top of the Instant Pot for the defined time; pressure releases on it’s own.

      Reply
  3. This was sooo delicious. In my opinion, you can cut the cooking time in half. 10 minutes with a natural pressure release for an additional 10 minutes is plenty of time.

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s another keeper!

    Reply
    • Thanks for asking. I didn’t realize I didn’t have that specified in the instructions. Mine are usually about 1 1/2 pounds so not much bigger than yours.

      Reply
  4. 5 stars
    I use a regular pressure cooker but can do this recipe in there. I love how sweet this recipe is – fruit and meat are so delicious!

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    This is a great spin on pork chops and apple sauce. Loved it! I just bought my first Instant Pot so I am off to check out your other recipes.

    Reply
  6. 5 stars
    After making this delicious sweet pork tenderloin, I just needed to come back and let you know how much my family loved it! It’s a quick and easy recipe that will now become a monthly staple in my house. I’m ready to try more of your scrumptious Instant Pot recipes!

    Reply
  7. 4 stars
    I tried this in my Instant Pot. The food came out really good–nice and tender. But we did not care for the taste of the combined onion/apple. Maybe try with just the apple cider next time.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Thank you. Very simply- Thank you. I am a full time mom and also work full-time outside the house- my husband is a firefighter and I struggle to do it all with a smile. Thank you for your awesome, quick recipes- they really help me out.

    Reply
    • Thank YOU – for holding down the fort while your husband selflessly helps others, for being a great mom to your kids so they’ll be great people in turn, and for making my day with your comment.

      Reply

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