Step-by-step instructions on how to smoke pork tenderloin. Soaked in a citrus brine and coated in the most flavorful BBQ spice rub, this is a “no-hassle” smoker recipe the whole family will love!
If you’re looking for pork tenderloin recipes, then you’re in the right place. Pork tenderloin is exactly that…tender. And it’s juicy. But if you’ve never smoked it before, you’re in for a mouthwatering treat!
Tender and delicious, this is the most flavorful smoked pork tenderloin recipe! You know I have a special love for creating smoker recipes, like my Applewood Smoked Chicken and my Smoked Baby Back Ribs, and now I have a smoked pork tenderloin recipe for you to add to your collection.
Juicy, tender pork is a family favorite dinner at my house and since we’re in the barbecue season, an easy pork tenderloin recipe is perfect for dinner and so easy to make. From the citrus brine to the pork dry rub, you’re going to love everything this smoked meat has to offer!
Video: Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Check out this super quick video for a step-by-step visual on how to make the best pork tenderloin on your smoker.
What’s the Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin?
Pork Loin is often called “the other white meat”. It’s super low in fat and indeed turns white when it’s cooked. It’s is typically a large piece of meat, like a roast, and it comes from the back of the pig. That’s why it’s sometimes called a pork loin roast. It can come with the bone in or the bone out. And if you’ve never smoked pork loin, it’s really easy to do and provides a lot of flavor.
Pork Tenderloin is more of a filet and just like the name implies, it is the most tender cut of pork you can get. It’s is smaller and tends to have a darker color to the meat than the pork loin. Even when this cut of meat is fully cooked, it still has a slight pink tint, especially when it has been smoked.
Pork Brine
This pork brine recipe has a citrus base which really helps tenderize the meat. Here’s the secret to brining pork. The brining process allows the meat to absorb the liquid to not only make the meat juicer and more tender, but to add flavor.
I compare brining to wine. Every wine contains different flavors. With wine, you can taste the subtle oak, plum, chocolate, etc. The same concept applies to brining meat. The flavors used in a brine penetrate into the meat to add additional flavors.
I make each brine based on what flavors I want to pull out of the meat. For pork tenderloin, I like to use a citrus brine because of the acidity in the orange and lemon. Here’s what my brine consists of:
To start the process, place the piece of pork in a large 13×9 dish. Combine all the brine ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Then, pour the liquid brine mixture over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. If you have the time, brine for 10-12 hours.
Pork Tenderloin Rub
After the brining process, I remove the pork and place it on a large cookie sheet. Don’t dry it off with paper towels. It should be wet when you apply the dry rub. For this recipe, I lather both sides of the meat with my pork dry rub. Here’s the ingredients I use:
Really saturate the dry rub into the pork and ensure all sides are covered. The tenderloins are still going to be wet from the brine which helps the dry rub stick to the meat better. There’s no need to let them marinate in the rub. As soon as the smoker is preheated and ready to go, you can place the tenderloins in the smoker and start smoking.
Preparing the Smoker
It doesn’t matter what type of smoker you use for this recipe. The smoke time and methods will be the same. But for this post, I’m going to tell you how to prepare an electric smoker, as well as a pellet smoker. Let’s start with the electric smoker.
Electric Smoker
There’s a couple of things you should do before you start smoking your meat in an electric smoker.
First, you’ll need a smoker water pan. I like to wrap my water pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil before I add the water. By doing this, you’re saving yourself a lot of mess. Less cleanup is always better! For this particular recipe, I also add a Tablespoon of Liquid Smoke to the water to help contribute to the smoky flavor. But that’s optional.
Wood Chunks
You’ll also need wood chunks for smoking, which means you’ll need a smoker box. I prefer using wood chunks instead of wood chips because chips burn out quickly. It’s also been my experience that wood chunks produce more smoke for a longer period of time.
Whether or not you’re soaking wood chips or chunks is entirely up to you. In my opinion, it’s about preference. There are a lot controversy on this topic, but I don’t feel that it’s a requirement to always soak the wood before starting the smoking process.
Some think that by soaking wood, it will slow the combustion and create a longer smoke time than wood that wasn’t smoked. Why I use dry wood, I get an immediate smoke and it lasts for 3-4 hours before burning out. However, when I’m doing a long smoke on something like a brisket, I will soak the wood chunks so they do last longer.
Remember, smoking is an art and when it comes to preparing the wood there is no hard and fast rule.
When smoking pork, I like to use a mixture of both apple and cherry wood chunks because pork is such a mild meat. I love the hint of flavor I get from combining these two types of woods.
Foil Pouch
Another controversial topic when it comes to smoking meat is if you wrap the wood in a foil pouch or not. Here’s the thing… again, smoking is an art. Sure, there is a lot of science around smoking meat and all it entails, but a lot of methods come down to preference and what gives you the best results.
For me, sometimes I wrap my wood chunks in heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke holes in it with a knife. When I’m doing long smokes, this smoke foil pouch helps the smoke to release slowly due to a lesser amount of oxygen being exposed to the wood.
For this recipe, I don’t because it only takes 3-4 hours to smoke.
Pellet Smoker
Whether you’re using a pit boss smoker or a traeger smoker, the preparation is really easy. There’s just not a lot to it. Simply add the wood pellets to the chamber and set the temperature to 225°F.
How to Smoke a Pork Tenderloin
Prepare the smoker and preheat until the internal temperature reaches 225°F. Close the lid and smoke it for 1 hour.
Once an hour has passed, open the smoker door and baste on your favorite BBQ sauce to both sides of the meat. This is the point in the smoking process when I insert the digital thermometer and start monitoring the internal temperature.
When the internal temperature reaches 145°F, remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest on a cookie sheet for 3 minutes. Grab your meat carving knife, slice, and then serve.
How Long To Smoke Pork Tenderloin
The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a 3 minute rest. And I couldn’t agree more. Even 1 degree over 145°F starts to dry out the pork.
BBQ Sides
If I’m taking the time to prepare the smoker and smoke meat, I always smoke several side dishes. My Smoked Macaroni and Cheese pairs amazingly well with pork and so do these Garlic and Herb Smoked Potatoes. And, you can never go wrong with smoker baked beans!
Expert Tips and FAQs
- When you smoke any meat, smoke it low and slow. You don’t have to, but when you do the flavor is more enhanced and the meat is super tender.
- I use this electric smoker. It runs on a propane tank and gives me the ability to really monitor the smoking process. I also have this Traeger smoker and I absolutely love it. Sometimes I want the taste of smoked meat but I don’t have the time to babysit the process. A pellet smoker works perfect in this scenario because I can literally set it and forget it.
- Skip the BBQ sauce process if you want to stick strictly with the rub. The flavor is fabulous with only the dry rub, but I love BBQ sauce so I wanted to take this recipe to the next level flavor wise.
- If you can’t find Byron’s Butt Rub, you can skip that ingredient. But you can typically find it at Costco or on Amazon and even a small amount adds to the flavor!
- It takes about 3-4 hours to smoke pork tenderloin, but always rely on the internal temperature gauge and not the smoking time.
- For storage purposes, it will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- If you’re looking for the best way to reheat it, use a cast iron skillet and bake in the oven at 300°F for about 20 minutes.
Pork tenderloin is such a forgiving piece of meat…it’s really hard to mess it up. It’s perfect for any holiday, a weekend BBQ, or for when you meal prep. I love using leftovers in a burrito bowl with rice and beans and then topped with cheese and lettuce. It’s also fabulous in a quesadilla.
More Pork Recipes
If you love pork recipes like I do, try my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Bourbon-Peach Barbecue Sauce. It’s easy to make and has layers of flavors. My Smoked Pork Butt is also a fan favorite!
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Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- Smoker: Pellet, Electric, or Charcoal
Ingredients
- 2 lb. pork tenderloin
Dry Rub Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Byron's Butt Rub
Brine Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons salt
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 teaspoons rosemary, dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
How to Brine Pork Tenderloin
- To brine, place the pork tenderloin in a large 13x9 dish. Pour all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
- Pour the brine mixture over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours. If you have the time, brine for 10-12 hours.
How to Smoke Pork Tenderloin
- Generously apply the dry rub onto the meat and ensure all sides are covered.
- Prepare your smoker according to the article directions above. Once your smoker is preheated to 225°F, place the tenderloins in the smoker, close the lid and smoke for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, open the smoker lid and baste with BBQ sauce on both sides of the meat. This is the point in the smoking process where I insert the digital thermometer and start monitoring the internal temperature.
- Once the pork tenderloin reaches 145°F, I remove the meat from the smoker and let rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- When you smoke any meat, smoke low and slow. You don't have to, but when you do the flavor is more enhanced and the meat is super tender.
- I use this electric smoker. It runs on a propane tank and gives me the ability to really monitor the smoking process. I also have this Traeger smoker and I absolutely love it. Sometimes I want the taste of smoked meat but I don't have the time to babysit the process. A pellet smoker works perfect in this scenario because I can literally set it and forget it.
- Skip the BBQ sauce process if you want to stick strictly with the rub. The flavor is fabulous with only the dry rub, but I love BBQ sauce so I wanted to take this recipe to the next level.
- If you can't find Byron's Butt Rub, you can skip that ingredient. But you can typically find it at Costco or on Amazon.
- It takes about 3-4 hours to smoke pork tenderloin, but always rely on the internal temperature gauge and not the smoking time.
- For storage purposes, this smoked pork tenderloin will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- If you're looking for the best way to reheat smoked pork tenderloin, use a cast iron skillet and bake in the oven at 300°F for about 20 minutes.
- For this particular recipe, I also add a Tablespoon of Liquid Smoke to the water to help contribute to the smoky flavor. But that's optional.
- When smoking pork, I like to use a mixture of both apple and cherry wood chunks because pork is such a mild meat. I love the hint of flavor I get from combining these two types of woods.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in August 2019, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures and tips in May 2020.
Mouth watering and flavorful. Love the presentation too. Pinned the recipe!
I loved how easy and delicious the pork tenderloin came out! It was perfect for a simple summer backyard dinner!
I love pork tenderloin but I never make it at home so thanks for the smoked tenderloin recipe so I can give it a go!
You are welcome! Enjoy it!!
This looks amazing, Amanda – I would never skip the brining step, it adds SO much flavor, and is so easy to do as long as you can plan in advance. (Not always my strong suit, but worth it for this, ha!) Thanks for sharing the recipe!
This looks so tasty! I’ve never made a smoked pork tenderloin before, but I know my family would love this!
Can you do same with regular pork loin?
You can! Here’s how I’d smoke it using pork loin:
1. Prepare the smoker and pre-heat until the internal temperature reaches 225°F.
2. Place the pork loin directly on the smoker racks and insert a digital thermometer.
3. When the pork loin reaches an internal temperature of 110°F, wrap the pork loin in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
5. Place it back in the smoker and continue smoking until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
I’ve noticed with pork loin it dries out faster than tenderloin so wrapping it really helps maintain the moisture! Let me know how it turns out!