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.
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.
If you want to try a more savory version of this recipe, try this Jamaican jerk pork tenderloin.
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.
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.
Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ready to make this Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin? Here’s the recipe!
๐ Recipe
Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tenderloin
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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
Nutrition
Other Recipes
- Instant Pot Pork Chops and Apples – These Instant Pot Pork Chops and Apples taste great, smell great, and make the perfect easy, family weeknight dinner since kids love them too.
-
Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Loin with Vegetables – This Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Loin with Vegetables dish is a Sunday Supper that you can make any day of the week no matter how busy your family is!
More Instant Pot Resources
Love your Instant Pot? Find more Instant Pot Recipes here. And check out my favorite Instant Pot Hacks.
Can you double the recipe in the same pot?
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.
Do you recommend apple cider juice or apple cider vinegar? Looking forward to making this recipe! Thanks!
I use apple cider (the juice). ๐
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?
My pork loin is frozen. Can I still use for this recipe?
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.
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?
Use the apple juice! It will turn out fine.
I just bought an instant pot and am totally new to cooking with one. What does Natural Release mean and how do I do it? thx.
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.
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!
Thanks so much for your feedback Tami! I’m glad you liked the recipe and I appreciate your advice on the cooking time.
What size pork tenderloin is this recipe for? I have a small one, 1 1/4#, so I’m sure I’ll have to adjust the time.
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.
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!
This was so delicious
I love the combination of apples, onions and pork. Looks like a great winter dish!
The browning bit is why I love Instant Pot’s so much. This recipe was simple and easy to make as well as tasting fantastic.
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.
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!
I love my Instant Pot and this recipe is the perfect easy meal for busy weekenights!
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!
Thanks for the feedback!
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.
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.