Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin With Chili Dijon Glaze

Pork tenderloin is a lean, tasty alternative to chicken and a chameleon when it comes to flavorings. Don’t miss our favorite Garlic Lemon Butter Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Hoisin Blackberry Pork Tenderloin and Chili Dijon Pork Tenderloin. If you’re looking for a slow cooker option my honey pork loin recipe is also fantastic (note that recipe is for loin and not tenderloin).

WATCH: How to make Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Bacon-Wrapped Tenderloin Ingredients

This easy recipe for pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon has three components: the brine, the homemade spice rub, and the chili Dijon sauce. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this pork tenderloin recipe (see measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

For the pork:

For the brine:

For the Rub and Glaze:

How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin is easy to make in 5 steps:

brine season sear wrap bake

Here’s an overview of how to make pork tenderloin wrapped with bacon (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Step 1: Brine the Pork Tenderloin

What is brining? Brining pork simply means submerging it in a solution of salt and water to increase the moisture capacity of the meat. The salty brine accomplishes two things: 1) hydrates the cells of the muscle tissues via osmosis; 2) breaks down the proteins so they can no longer contract when cooking, trapping in all that moisture. Or in other words, less moisture is squeezed out and lost when cooking creating juicier pork! How to brine pork: Mix the kosher salt with warm water in order to dissolve the salt, then mix in the vinegar, brown sugar and ice cubes, followed by the pork tenderloin. I place the brining bag in a bowl or a large liquid measuring cup in order to prop it up and make it easier to work with. Dry before seasoning: After 20 minutes, thoroughly rinse the pork and pat it dry. If you don’t rinse the pork, it will be too salty – so don’t forget this step!

Step 2: Make the Dry Rub and Sauce

Make the dry rub: While the pork is brining, you’ll make the dry rub and the chili-Dijon sauce simply by whisking the ingredients together in two separate bowls.

Step 3: Season and Sear the Pork

Dry rub the pork: Evenly rub the spice mix over the pork tenderloin and pat it into the pork on all sides. Tuck in the tail: Tuck the thin tail end of the fillet under so the pork is a more even thickness and fits into a cast iron skillet. Sear pork: Heat vegetable oil over medium- high heat. Add the pork tenderloin and sear until golden on all sides. Searing the pork creates a caramelized crust, which locks in the juices and creates complex flavors that cannot be achieved any other way.

Step 4: Wrap Pork in Bacon

Prep the bacon: Lay the bacon strips vertically on a cutting board, slightly overlapping. Wrap the pork: Place the seared pork at the end of the arranged bacon. At this point, you can double check you have the correct amount of bacon and adjust as needed. Slip a long knife under the bacon and pork tenderloin and use it to help you lift the bacon and roll the pork so the bacon wraps around the fillet.

Step 5: Bake

Top with sauce: Transfer the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin to a cast iron skillet seam side down. Separate out some of the chili-Dijon sauce and brush it all over the bacon. Bake: Bake the pork tenderloin for about 20 minutes, then baste it with the pan drippings and additional reserved chili-Djion glaze. Broil: Pop the tenderloin back in the oven and bake for a few more minutes, then finish it off by broiling to help crisp up the bacon.