Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Name: Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 855 min
Ingredients: 2 lb. pork tenderloin; 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; 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); ¼ cup sugar

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Step-by-step instructions for how to make the world's best smoked 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!

Sliced pork tenderloin sliced on a black slate topped with spice rub.

Pork tenderloin slow cooked in the smoker is the way to go! Incredibly tender and juicy, it's extremely easy to make. This smoked pork tenderloin recipe is full of flavor and will quickly become one of your favorite smoker recipes! If you've never smoked it before, you're in for a mouthwatering treat!

I have a special love for smoker recipes, especially when it comes to smoking a chuck roast and making my smoked whole chicken recipe. And when it comes to pork, smoking these barbecue pork ribs and this smoked pork butt recipe are sure winners. And now with this smoked pork tenderloin recipe, you have another delicious option for your next barbecue or dinner party.

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!

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ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need For Pork Brine
🛒 Pork Dry Rub Ingredients You'll Need
📋 Variations
👩‍🍳 Preparing the Smoker
📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
🙋🏼 Recipe FAQs
💭 Expert Tips
🥘 BBQ Sides
🍽️ More Pork Recipes
Smoked Pork Tenderloin

ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works

1. Pork tenderloin is an inexpensive cut of meat and can be easily found at your local grocery store. You can also buy it from your local butcher, Sam's, or Costco.

2. Smoking a lean cut of meat is not only extremely juicy and flavorful, but is typically quicker to smoke. It's also a myth that smoking lean meat is more tough and tends to be on the dry side. Simply not true.

3. Pork tenderloin tastes amazing the next day warmed up and served in a wrap, on top of a salad, or in a sandwich!

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need For Pork Brine

Brine ingredients on a counter containing lemon, orange, sugar, salt, and apple cider vinegar.

This pork brine recipe has a citrus base which helps tenderize the meat. The brining process allows the meat to absorb the liquid to not only make the meat juicer and more tender, but to add flavor.

Orange & Lemon Slices: fresh citrus juice not only adds flavor, but the acidic level helps naturally tenderize the meat.
Apple Cider Vinegar: used to add flavor and the acidic level helps tenderize the meat.
Sugar: helps balance out the tartness from the citrus and vinegar with a hint of sweetness.
Salt: maintains the moisture level and also penetrate the food so the flavors in the brine can seep in.
Garlic: adds a savory flavor.
Herbs: rosemary, peppercorn, and bay leaves adds layers of flavor in every bite.

🛒 Pork Dry Rub Ingredients You'll Need

Pork Tenderloin dry rub ingredients on a counter.

Pork Tenderloin: 2-3lbs will feed 4-6 people.
Brown Sugar: adds a sweetness and helps with caramelizing the outside of the meat during the smoking process.
Byron's Butt Rub: a blend of spices that enhances the flavor of smoked meats. It has savory, smoky, and slightly spicy flavors.
Onion Powder: provides a savory flavor and adds to the depth of flavor.
Garlic Powder: pairs extremely well with the brown sugar by adding a hint of both sweet and savory.
Smoked Paprika: adds a subtle smoky flavor.
Salt & Pepper: for additional flavor enhancement.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!

📋 Variations

Barbecue Sauce: Skip adding this if you want to stick to only using the dry rub. The flavor is fabulous with only the dry rub, but I love adding barbecue sauce because it takes this recipe to the next level flavor-wise.
Byron's Butt Rub: If you it, you can skip this ingredient. But you can typically find it at Costco or on Amazon. Even a small amount adds to the flavor!
Paprika: Using smoked paprika adds a rich and smoky flavor. You can also use sweet paprika which has a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Hot paprika provides a significant kick of spiciness and is ideal for adding heat to dishes where a touch of fiery flavor is desired.
Wood Flavors: Any mild wood, such as apple or cherry provides the best flavor. Pecan is another good choice for this cut of meat.

👩‍🍳 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 depending on the type of smoker you use will depend on how you prep it.

Start by lighting the smoker. Let it preheat until it reaches 225°F.
If a water pan is being used, put a disposable pan or wrap the water bowl with aluminum foil before filling it with water. This helps ensure an easy clean up after the smoking process. During the smoking process, the meat will drip.
Depending on the type of smoker you use will determine if you should use wood chips, wood chunks, or pellets. If you use wood chips, they should last about 1.5-2 hours. Wood chunks will burn longer, about 2-4 hours.

📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Start by brining the meat. Place the pork in a large 13x9 dish.

Step 2: Combine all the brine ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.

Step 3: Then, pour the liquid brine mixture over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.

👩‍🍳 Expert Tip: For best results, brine for for 10-12 hours.

Pork tenderloin soaking in a citrus brine.

Step 4: After the brining process, remove the pork and place it on a large cookie sheet. Do not dry it off with paper towels. It should be wet when you apply the dry rub.

Step 5: Lather both sides of the meat with the pork dry rub. Using your fingers, firmly press 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.

White plate with 2 pork tenderloins covered in a spice rub.

Step 6: When the smoker has preheated to 225°F, put the meat directly on the smoker grates. Close the lid and smoke the meat for 1 hour.

Step 7: Open the smoker lid and using a basting brush, lather on a savory and flavorful barbecue sauce to both sides of the meat. This is the point in the smoking process when I insert the digital meat thermometer and start monitoring the internal temperature.

Basting brush with BBQ sauce on pork tenderloins on a smoker.

Step 8: When the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F, remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest for 3 minutes. Grab a meat carving knife, slice, and then serve.

The key to success when smoking a pork tenderloin is smoking it low and slow. And the results are full of mouthwatering flavor everyone will enjoy!

Sliced pork tenderloin covered with BBQ and on a black slate tray.

🙋🏼 Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to smoke a pork tenderloin?

Smoking it at 225°F will take about 2 hours to smoke. On average, it takes about 40 minutes to smoke per pound.

What is the difference between a pork tenderloin and a pork loin?

Pork Loin is often called "the other white meat". It's super low in fat and indeed turns white when it's cooked. It 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 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.

What internal temperature is pork tenderloin done?

The USDA recommends that pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a 3-minute rest. And I couldn't agree more. The slightest degree over 145°F will start to dry out the pork.

Reheating sliced pork tenderloin in a black cast iron skillet.

💭 Expert Tips

When you smoke any meat, smoke it low and slow. This will result in flavorful, juicy, and tender meat.
Trim off any excess fat with a sharp knife before smoking.
You'll sometimes find a layer of silverskin. You can easily remove this with a sharp knife or ask the butcher to remove it for you.
It typically takes about 2 hours to smoke pork tenderloin, but always rely on the internal temperature gauge and not the smoking time. You want the internal meat to reach 145°F before removing it from the smoker.
For storage purposes, it will last in the refrigerator in a covered container for 3-4 days.
To reheat, place the meat in a cast iron skillet and bake in the oven at 300°F for about 20 minutes or until warm.

🥘 BBQ Sides

If I'm taking the time to prepare the smoker and smoke meat, I always smoke several side dishes.

Sliced pork on a black slate tray, topped with spiced rub.

🍽️ More Pork Recipes

If you tried this smoked pork tenderloin or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!

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