This pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa is the perfect weekend meal. Cook the tenderloin in the oven or on the grill, your choice!
Summertime is the perfect time for backyard BBQs and parties!
And what’s better than a juicy piece of pork with a crisp, sweet, and spicy pineapple salsa?
This pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa is a total crowd-pleaser and can be cooked in the oven, or on your grill. It’s super versatile!
Pineapple and pork are a perfect pairing of sweet and savory.
You can make the pineapple salsa days ahead, so it’s super convenient!
Trust me, this pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa will become your new favorite summertime party go-to!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa
Salsa:
- Fresh pineapple – Sweet and tangy and fruity. I use fresh here, but you could use canned pineapple as well.
- Red onion – Red onions have a great bite! If you’d like less of a kick, feel free to rinse the red onions after chopping them. This will soften their flavor.
- Red bell pepper – Red bell peppers give us a sweet crunch.
- Cilantro – Fresh and green. I know cilantro can be divisive, so feel free to omit it if you’re not a fan.
- Jalapeño pepper – Jalapeños have a great spiciness to them.
- Lime – Bright and citrusy, lime juice will bring a freshness to the salsa.
Pork:
- Pork tenderloin – Tender, affordable, juicy, and widely available at all major grocery stores.
- Spices – We’re using a mix of chili powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and smoked paprika for a combination of flavors with no additional spiciness.
- Kosher Salt – Essential to helping bring out the flavors.
- Pineapple juice – Pineapple juice is a great marinade for the pork tenderloin, it gives the pork a super juicy flavor.
How to cook the perfect pork
The biggest thing to remember when cooking pork is: Do not overcook it!
Pork can be served safely while still pink in the middle, and is considered cooked and done at 140ºF.
The second biggest tip is: Let it rest!
Pull your pork out of your oven, or off of your grill when it hits 140 degrees F cover it with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it.
This lets the meat rest, and the juices stay inside.
Adjusting spices
Using jalapeño pepper might be intimidating, but you have full control over how spicy your salsa is when you know how to use them properly.
The spice from a jalapeño lives in its seeds and ribs (the white parts inside that the seeds are attached to).
If you remove the seeds and ribs, your jalapeño will be significantly less spicy than if you leave them intact.
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers of this pork tenderloin and pineapple salsa can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Store the pineapple salsa separately from the pork tenderloin.
Reheating the pork tenderloin is as easy as putting it in a microwave-safe dish and microwaving it for 3-4 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
More pork recipes
- Need another roast idea? Try my Citrus Herb Crusted Pork.
- Looking for an easy dinner? Try my Instant Pot Pork Chile Verde.
- Loving the pineapple salsa? Try my Ground Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa.
- Craving some pasta? Try my One Pot Cheddar Cajun Pork Pasta.
Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
For pork:
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For pineapple salsa:
- 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced seeds removed
- 1 lime juiced
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
For pork:
- In a ziplock bag add pineapple juice, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin.
- Gently mix and add in pork tenderloin.
- Let marinade for about 30 minutes while you prepare the salsa.
- After your salsa has been prepared preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron or oven-safe skillet set over medium heat.
- Once the oil is shiny and hot add in pork tenderloin and throw away the remaining marinade.
- Quickly brown the tenderloin on all sides and add the tenderloin to the preheated oven.
- Roast in the oven until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes depending on size. (I keep a thermometer in the pork while cooking so I can easily check. If you don't have an oven-safe thermometer I would start checking on the pork at the 15-minute mark)
- Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for about 7 minutes. T
- his will help the pork reach 145 degrees and will be perfectly cooked.
- Slice, top with pineapple salsa, and enjoy.
For salsa:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add pineapple, red onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, and lime juice.
- Stir to combine, season with salt and keep cold in the refrigerator while you cook the pork.
Nutrition
Liz gelbmann
Monday 17th of June 2019
What would you serve with this? Looks yummy.
deb
Thursday 10th of April 2014
Can the pork marinate longer? A few hours?
nutmegnanny
Friday 11th of April 2014
I think it would be fine if you let it marinade longer. I tend to only marinade my pork quickly in pineapple juice only because if it sits for too long the acid in the pineapple can affect the texture of the meat. However, if you only doing it for a couple of hours I think it should be fine. If you do let it marinade longer and it turns out great let me know. I would love to add that note to the recipe :)
grace
Wednesday 2nd of April 2014
i used to be a chicken girl, but now i'm suddenly all about pork loin! this salsa is a wonderful accompaniment!
sue/the view from great island
Wednesday 2nd of April 2014
That is one good looking pork tenderloin --- and I love the salsa!
Christine from Cook the Story
Wednesday 2nd of April 2014
This is one of those dishes that looks fancy enough for company, but it's so easy that I want to make it during the week!