This Easy Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin recipe makes for a fast weeknight dinner. It is fast, tender, simple, and absolutely delicious. Just like any good dinner should be!!
I found this gem of a recipe and barely changed a thing it was so good! My grandmother made this recipe with rib or loin chops which I switched to pork tenderloins. I found that the pork chops over cooked just a bit while getting good a glazey.
This Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin recipe is a classic that only takes a few minutes of prep time and then you stick it in the oven and forget it, making it an easy weeknight dinner. Don’t we all need more of those!!
Ingredients in Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin
The best part is that you only need a handful of ingredients to make this Easy Orange Pork Tenderloin recipe that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Pork Tenderloin: Pork tenderloin is flavorful but lean as it doesn’t have any fate to keep it juicy as it cooks. It is a very tender cut of meat but will taste dry if overcooked.
- Orange Juice: The bright, citrusy flavor of orange juice adds a sweet-tart brightness to the pork tenderloin.
- Brown Sugar: The deep, caramel and toffee-like flavor of the brown sugar mixes bountifully with the orange juice to create the most astonishing glaze.
- Cinnamon: Highly aromatic, cinnamon’s slightly sweet and savory undertones pairs perfectly with the orange juice.
- Lemon Juice: Layering flavors is key in any good dish. The bright, sweet and tart flavor profile of the lemon juice adds another layer to that citrus flavor profile.
- Honey: Honey does not just add sweetness to this Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin. Honey also adds another citrusy undertone, together with notes of caramel and butterscotch enhancing the flavors of the brown sugar.
- Orange Slices: When roasted with the tenderloin, the orange slices caramelize on their own adding a sweet and nutty component to the glaze.
How to make Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin
- Season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Brown well on all sides and reserve.
- Deglaze the pan with the orange juice, add remaining ingredients (except for the oranges) and reduce.
- Place the orange slices on a parchment lined sheet pain. Place pork tenderloin on top and cover with reduced orange juice mixture.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- That’s it! You are done just rest and serve!
Fun Facts!
Did you know that a pork tenderloin is not just a smaller version of a pork loin and the should not be used interchangeably?
What is the difference between a pork loin and pork tenderloin? A pork loin is a wider and flatter cut that comes from the back of the animal where a pork tenderloin is a long, narrow cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone.
While they are both lean cuts of meat, a pork tenderloin is the leaner choice. Because of the difference in shape, thickness, and size a pork tenderloin will overcook if used in place of a pork loin whereas the ingredients used in a pork tenderloin recipe if used on a pork loin which will take longer to cook.
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Easy Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 package pork tenderloin (about 2 lbs, these usually come 2 to a pack)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 oranges, sliced
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- While the oven preheats, season pork tenderloins on all sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan over medium high heat and add a little oil. Brown the pork tenderloins on all sides. Remove from heat and reserve.
- Turn down the heat and add the orange juice to the pan using a wooden spoon scrape up all of those little browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add brown sugar and dissolve. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, and honey. Simmer until reduced to about 1/4 of a cup about 5 minutes.
- While the orange juice mixture is simmering, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place orange slices on the parchment paper and top with the browned pork tenderloins. Pour the reduced orange juice mixture over the pork.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- Let rest 5 minutes before slicing to make sure all of those wonderful juices are absorb back making it tender and juicy.
I made this last night for dinner. It was wonderful – very easy to put together and the glaze was so flavorful! I substituted clementines as the base for the meat as I had no oranges. They were perfect. I was a little worried that the brown sugar and honey would make the dish too sweeet but it didn’t. The cinnamon evened the flavors.out My family loved it and are looking forward to it being served again. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing.