Simple oven roasted pork tenderloin with the loveliest balsamic fig sauce you’ve ever tasted!
This easy recipe is great for entertaining but can be served any night of the week!
I grew up in a household where dried figs were treated as though they came directly from the gods. My mom would swoon every time she ate one. I never shared her enthusiasm. To me, they always seemed like raisins on steroids. I have a deep disdain for raisins.
I dabbled in Fig Newtons, that’s as close as I could come to eating a dried fig. But let’s face it, Fig Newtons are not the same as a chocolate chip cookie. I ate them because there was nothing else around, but they were never my favorite. I never craved a Fig Newton quite like I would crave chocolate. When I was old enough to walk to the quicky mart to buy candy I stopped forcing down those darn Fig Newton’s.
Just this year I decided it was time I revisit the good old fig. However, this time I tried it in the form of fig jam. I used it in these little brie cups and fell hard in love. I still think dried figs are gross, but fig jam is a whole other animal. It is so perfectly sweet; like thick honey, but deeper and richer. It is just beautiful.
Pork tenderloin is so easy to roast in the oven. It actually doesn’t take long to cook as long as you brown it on the stove top first. This pork only took about 30-40 minutes in total. The lightly seasoned pork was really the perfect vehicle for the tangy/sweet sauce that I’ve created. The sweet fig jam is combined with tangy balsamic vinegar and heat just until it is thin enough to be called a sauce. The flavor combination hits every key taste bud in your mouth.
I’m not ready to pop dried figs like popcorn, but I am ready to indulge in fig jam on a daily basis. One day I may actually try a real fresh fig.
Want more pork dinner ideas? Try this easy Pork Parmesan Recipe, Herb Crusted Pork Roast ,Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, or these Mediterranean Stuffed Pork Chops!
How To Roast Pork Tenderloin
Oven Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fig Sauce
Simple oven roasted pork tenderloin with the loveliest balsamic fig sauce you've ever tasted!
This easy recipe is great for entertaining but can be served any night of the week!
Ingredients
For the pork
- 3 lbs pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce
- 3/4 cup fig jam
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450.
- Sprinkle pork with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat a large, oven-safe skillet (I used a cast iron) with olive oil over medium heat. Add pork. Cook pork for 10 minutes, turning halfway to brown each side. Place the skillet in the oven and bake pork in the preheated oven for 30 - 50 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees. Remove pork. Let pork stand for a few minutes before cutting.
- Meanwhile, add jam to the same skillet. Add vinegar and salt, stir frequently and cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes or until jam has thinned out or until desired consistency.
- Slice pork and serve with sauce.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 324Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 111mgSodium 489mgFiber 0gSugar 15gProtein 35g
Aggie says
Ha ha to “raisins on steroids”. We had a lot of dried figs in our house growing up too, fresh ones too! This meal looks really awesome, my family loves pork tenderloin so I know they would love this!
Mandy @Mandy's Recipe Box says
I bet this was just delicious!
Lemonsforlulu says
It was! Thanks Mandy!
Jordan says
This looks absolutely delicious! I never actually had a fig until I was an adult. They weren’t really too readily available where I grew up.
Lemonsforlulu says
I’m glad I’m not the only delayed fig eater! I may try a fresh one next, how adventurous of me right?
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
I saw this in my Twitter feed before 7a and was immediately in love with that sauce – love this, Tanya!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you Melanie!
Anna | ANNAdventure says
Yummy! I love pork tenderloin! Must try this recipe!
Lemonsforlulu says
Me too! Thanks Anna!
heather+@french+press says
raisins on steroids – SO true, but you may actually have convinced me to try them
David @ CookingChat says
Pork tenderloin is one of my favorites. Always like to find tasty new ways to enjoy it!
Lemonsforlulu says
I love pork tenderloin too! Good thing it’s so easy to make!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Love the sound of the sauce! Perfect flavor for pork!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thanks Jessica!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
I was just telling my mom that I don’t know how to cook pork tenderloin and the your beautiful recipe popped up! I’m obsessed with figs (even in dried form) and fig jam sauce on top sounds AMAZING. Thanks for the recipe!
Katie says
Delicious! Whole family loves this sauce.
Tanya Schroeder says
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that! Who doesn’t love fig jam?
Cynthia says
Did not have regular balsamic on hand…..used cherry balsamic…. Yuuuuummmm!
Tanya Schroeder says
I bet that tasted so good! I never have cherry balsamic, but I may buy some just for this recipe.
Kim Steuernagel says
Hi! You have to eat a fresh fig! As sweet as candy and absolutely divine. Don’t go another day without trying one. You don’t know what you are missing. You can thank me later. : ) kim
Tanya Schroeder says
If I can find fresh figs, I’ll try them!
Dan from Platter Talk says
Somehow you’ve managed to combine a handful of my favorite flavors into this single and utterly mouthwatering dinner recipe. I can’t wait to try this pork tenderloin!
Carolyn says
I am in love with fig jam, so I am so excited to see a recipe that uses this, I am trying this asap!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
That balsamic fig sauce sounds amazing!!! Gorgeous photos too!
Mary says
This was fabulous and the leftovers were even better! I used a locally available commercial sauce with vidalia onion and balsamic vinegar . OMG! Will do this whenever I want to impress company. I think using a tenderloin is key.
Tanya Schroeder says
That sauce sounds amazing!! Thank you for sharing!
Barbara Penge says
This is a great recipe . Our fig tree produced an enormous amount of figs this year and I have an abundance of jars of fig jam that I made. So, this is a perfect way to use some of that jam.