Perfectly tender and juicy, this sous vide pork tenderloin is finished with a quick reverse sear for a golden crust, then topped with a rich mustard cream pan sauce. Elegant enough for guests, easy enough for weeknights-this sous vide dinner recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal effort.
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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 is perfect for a thin strip of meat like tenderloin.
Sous vide pork tenderloin pairs perfectly with side dish favorites like mashed potatoes, roasted rutabaga, garlic string beans, or sauteed kale.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Delcious Pan Sauce- I am known for easy sauce recipes with a lot of flavor, and this recipe doesn't disappoint.
- Perfect Method- 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 I recommend you sous vide cook over traditional methods.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Pork- Use pork loin or pork tenderloin.
- Herbs- I prefer thyme and parsley, but tarragon can be substituted fr the thyme.
- White Wine- Can substitute dry vermouth, chicken, or vegetable stock.
- Shallot- Onion can be substituted, use ¼ to ½ small onion.
⏲️ How to Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin
- Remove any silverskin from the tenderloin. Season each piece of meat liberally. Seal the bag with your vacuum sealer (see water displacement for how to use a Ziploc bag).
- 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.
- Pat the pork dry before searing for a perfect crust. Rest the pork while you make the sauce.
- Reserve the liquid from the bag but discard the aromatics. Simmer the wine for 30 seconds. Stir in the heavy cream, thyme, and parsley. Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
🌡️ Sous Vide Pork Cooking Temperature
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 of 145 F degrees.
| 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.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- If you are doubling the recipe, both pieces of tenderloin can be placed in the same bag.
- Trim the silver skin for even cooking and better texture.
- You can make ahead. Chill the cooked tenderloin in an ice bath, refrigerate, then sear right before serving for a stress-free dinner.
- Sous vide cooking intensifies flavors; do not go above the listed quantities in the recipe.
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 as long as you force out any air bubbles trapped around the meat, 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.
How to Sous Vide Frozen Pork Tenderloin
- 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, set up your sous vide. 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.
🔪Equipment
This recipe requires a precision cooker. I use the Anova brand. I have been regularly using my sous vide machine for over 10 years without issue which is why I highly recommend the mid-range model 1000 watt Anova precision cooker.
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.
More Sous Vide Recipes
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
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 Tablespoons 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 Tablespoons 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.
Nutrition
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Can you substitute pork loin for pork tenderloin?
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.
Do you need to brine meat before cooking sous vide?
No. The sous vide method ensures an even cooking method and retains moisture. There is no need to brine meat when cooking sous vide.
Can you overcook sous vide pork tenderloin?
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.
Jodi says
Great recipe, it was so tasty and tender, perfect. Thank you!
Tabatha says
Quick, easy and delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream but did have crème fraiche so I used it. I also added sautéed mushrooms. Very good!
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!