My favorite recipe for juicy pork tenderloin is this sous vide pork tenderloin with mustard cream sauce. Easy to make for an elegant meal or a simple hands-off weeknight dinner. The tangy mustard sauce is the perfect pairing for the buttery texture of the sous vide pork.
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Using the sous vide method ensures the pork is cooked to your perfect temperature and is consistent throughout. Coming from the back of the hog, pork tenderloin is a long narrow strip of meat.
The shape and size of pork tenderloin often results in overcooking. An expensive proposition given it is the most expensive cut of pork. This is why we recommend you sous vide cook over traditional methods. Here are a few more reasons to try this perfect sous vide pork tenderloin recipe:
- Gluten free
- You can make a double batch perfect for meal prep or leftovers
- Set it and forget it, no need to worry about overcooking if you have a busy day
- Can be cooked right out of the freezer, no need to thaw out
- Quick and easy pan sauce
Sous vide pork tenderloin pairs perfectly with sous vide vegetables like our sous vide lemon pepper asparagus. And with all your other pork pairing favorites like mashed potatoes, roasted rutabagas, garlic string beans, and sauteed kale.
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🧾 Ingredients
Sous vide cooking intensifies any flavors included in the repackage when you cook your meat. Therefore, it is not recommended that you go above the listed quantities in the recipe.
You may notice that there are no fancy ingredients. Just what you might typically see when roasting pork. This recipe is all about the cooking method and the texture of the pork tenderloin. The ingredients highlight that rather than cover it.
- Pork Tenderloin
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Thyme
- Garlic Cloves
- Shallot
- Olive Oil- For searing
Mustard Cream Sauce
- White Wine- Can substitute chicken or vegetable stock if avoiding alcohol
- Liquid from Sous Vide Bag
- Heavy Cream
- Dijon Mustard
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
⏲️ How to Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
The term sous vide means “under vacuum” in French. refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. The sous vide water bath maintains a consistent temperature which ensures the meat is never overcooked.
The pork will then be seared off to caramelize the outside. This searing process will give us the base for our mustard sauce.
The sous vide technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method.
Step 1- Prep the Water Bath
Fill a large pot or container with warm water. Using your immersion circulator, preheat the water bath to your desired temperature.
I recommend between 135 and 140 F degrees for medium. See the chart under food safety for all the options from medium rare to well done. It is important you set the correct temperature before adding the bag to the water.
Step 2- Season and Seal the Pork
Remove any silverskin from the tenderloin. Season each piece of meat liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in a vacuum seal bag along with the thyme, garlic, and shallot. If you are doubling the recipe both pieces of tenderloin can be placed in the same bag.
Seal the bag with your vacuum sealer (see below for how to use a Ziploc bag for the water displacement method).
Step 3- Sous Vide
Once your water reaches your set temperature, place the sealed bag in the water bath for at least 1 hour. You can leave the pork for up to 4 hours. My recommended sweet spot for cooking pork is 1.5 hours.
Remove the vacuum sealer bag from the water bath and remove the pork from the bag. Reserve the liquid for your mustard sauce but discard the aromatics. Pat dry the tenderloin with paper towels.
Step 4- Sear
In a cast iron, or a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the pork, turning occasionally until browned on most sides, about 2 to 3 minutes total.
Be careful not to overcook the pork. We just want to get a nice color and caramelize the outside. Move the pork to a cutting board to rest.
Step 5- Make the Mustard Pan Sauce
Return the same skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the white wine, reserved cooking liquid, and Dijon mustard. Mix well, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix in the golden crusty bits.
Simmer the wine for 30 seconds. Stir in the heavy cream, thyme, and parsley. Simmer until sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. I find that I rarely need to add salt and only occasionally do I need to add more black pepper.
Step 6- Serve
Slice pork diagonally into ½" slices and serve with sauce. Garnish with extra thyme, parsley, or fresh lemon slices.
🥗 Best Pork Tenderloin Side Dishes
- Sauteed Sunchokes
- Beetroot Salad
- Baked Mushrooms
- Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Feta
- Sundried Tomato Risotto
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Water Displacement Method
If you do not have a vacuum sealer you will need to use the water displacement method with a gallon size freezer bag. It is impossible to get all the air out of the bag with this method but try to force out as much air as possible.
As long as you force out any air bubbles trapped around the pork you won't end up with any uneven spots.
Place the seasoned pork and aromatics into the resealable freezer bag, then slowly lower the bag into the cooking water. The pressure of the water will force out the air through the top of the bag.
Once most of the air is out of the bag, carefully seal it. You can then drop the bag into the pot and cook as normal. If there is a large unused area try clipping the bag to the side of the pot so it doesn't interfere with the pump of your precision cooker.
How to Sous Vide Frozen Pork Tenderloin
Sous vide cooking is perfect for meal prep. Prep the pork tenderloin and vacuum seal according to the recipe. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to cook, simply turn on your precision cooker to your desired temperature. Drop in the frozen bag of pork tenderloin and cook for 2 to 4 hours.
You will need to add an hour to the minimum cooking time but still do not go over 4 hours. I cook my frozen pork tenderloin for 2 hours and 15 minutes, i.e. the recommended 1.5 hours plus 45 minutes.
🔪Equipment
This recipe obviously requires a precision cooker. Precision cookers heat water to a precise temperature and then circulates the water using a pump. This results in cooking food to an exact temperature without overcooking. The benefits include precise and predictable results and preserved moisture.
Obviously, you are going to need a precision cooker. I use the Anova brand. I have been regularly using my sous vide machine for over 8 years without issue which is why I highly recommend this brand.
I recommend the mid-range model 1000 watt Anova precision cooker. Along with this, you will need a few accessories.
I highly recommend a vacuum sealer. Great for preserving leftovers and it does make sous vide cooking much easier. I have a Food Saver brand vacuum sealer, but Anova also makes a vacuum sealer. Don't forget to buy extra bags!
Optional, but nice to have it a sous vide cooking container. Or you can use a large stockpot.
Finally, Anova makes a bundle with the vacuum sealer and precision cooker which saves quite a bit of money.
🌡️ Sous Vide Pork Cooking Temperature
The USDA has lowered the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 ºF to 145 ºF with the addition of a three-minute rest time.
Please note the temperatures below are for the precision cooker settings. You will sear the pork tenderloin in a hot pan then let it rest which will bring it to a safe internal temperature.
| Doneness | Temperature Setting | Time | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Rare | 130°F / 54.4°C | 1 to 4 hours | Buttery tender, very juicy |
| Medium | 140°F / 60°C | 1 to 4 hours | Tender, moderately juicy |
| Medium | 150°F / 66°C | 1 to 4 hours | Firm, moderately juicy |
| Well Done | 160°F / 71°C | 1 to 4 hours | Firm, dry |
I recommend to sous vide the pork tenderloin between 135 °F and 140 °F for one and a half hours.
However, sometimes I may do a higher temperature or slightly lower temperature if I am sous vide cooking another item at the same time.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 145 °F
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Typically pork loin and pork tenderloin are not interchangeable in recipes. However, when sous vide cooking you can interchange them. You will need to cook the loin for 3 hours instead of the recommended 1.5 hours for tenderloin.
No. The sous vide method ensures an even cooking method and retained moisture. There is no need to brine meat when cooking sous vide.
The sous vide method is extremely forgiving. The only way to overcook the tenderloin is to leave it for longer than 4 hours or to over-sear it.
📖 Recipe
Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin about 1 to ½ pounds
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 shallot Sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Mustard Cream Sauce
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot or container with warm water. Using your immersion circulator, preheat the water bath to 140 F degrees (for medium, see chart for options from rare to well-done).
- Season the pork tenderloin very liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in a vacuum seal bag* along with the thyme, garlic, and shallot. Seal the bag(s) and place in water bath for at least 1 hour. You can leave the pork up to 4 hours.1 pork tenderloin, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 6 Sprigs fresh thyme, 2 garlic cloves, 1 shallot
- Remove the bag from the water bath and remove the pork from the bag. Reserve the liquid but discard the aromatics. Pat dry the tenderloin with paper towels.
- In a cast iron, or heavy bottom skillet heat the olive oil. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until browned on most sides, about 2 to 3 minutes total.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Move the pork to a cutting board to rest.
- Return same skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the bag liquid, wine and mustard. Mix well, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix in the golden crusty bits. Simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in the heavy cream, thyme and parsley. Simmer until sauce coats the back of a spoon.¼ cup white wine, ¼ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, Kosher salt and pepper, 2 teaspoon fresh parsley
- Slice pork diagonally into ½" slices and serve with sauce.
Notes
- Pork tenderloins typically serve 2 to 3 people. You can add two tenderloins to the same bag to serve 4 or more people.
- See post for details on how to use a freezer bag and do the water displacement method in lieu of a vacuum sealer.
- See post for cooking options from medium rare to well done.
- For frozen pork tenderloin cook for a minimum of 2 hours.
K says
So what do you do with the liquid in the bag?
Jen Wooster says
Appreciate the question. You add the liquid from the bag with the wine and mustard. I updated the recipe card to make it more clear. Thanks!
Neil says
This was as easy as it was fantastic. Thank you!
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for the review!
Derrick Schulze says
What type of white wine would you recommend?
Jen Wooster says
In cooking I usually opt for a dryer white wine and avoid oaky wines like Chardonnay. Try a pinto grigio or sav blanc.
Lynn Rice says
Excellent
Jen Wooster says
Thanks so much for the review!
Christina says
This recipe was a total hit with my foodie husband and adventurous 7 year old eater. I brined 2 one lb tenderloins for 24 hrs before SV for 1 hour at 135. Dried on paper towels then seared well on all sides with some olive oil in a cast iron pan before making the sauce. Perfectly done, moist, flavorful and the sauce was rich and satisfying. We might try with a sweeter wine next time or adding honey to cut the acidity of the dijon. But this one is going into the rotation for sure.
Jen Wooster says
Thank you for the lovely review. Glad it was a hit!
Fran says
Very good recipe. Sauce was terrific and would be equally good on chicken. I SV'd (2) one pound tenderloins at 132 for 3 1/2 hours; then ice bath and frig for a few hours. Reheated SV for 1/2 hour and then we grilled the pork in a cast iron outside and made the sauce in the same pan. We had a problem for some reason getting a good sear on the pork so we ended up putting it directly on the grill. The only thing I would change is to increase the temp of the SV from 132 to 133 (possibly 134). We like it on the pink side and I wanted to undercook it in the SV to compensate for the high heat on the grill but even still, I felt it turned out a little more red than I would like for the next time. All and all, I recommend this recipe.
Jen Wooster says
Appreciate the feedback and review Fran!