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    Home ➞ All Recipes ➞ Dinner

    Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta

    Published: February 17, 2020 // Updated: May 1, 2020 // by Shannon Emery

    Jump To RecipePrint RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Two plates of creamy polenta topped with several slices of herb-crusted pork tenderloin and roasted cherry tomatoes.
    Two plates of creamy polenta topped with several slices of herb-crusted pork tenderloin and roasted cherry tomatoes.
    Two servings of herb-crusted pork tenderloin served over creamy polenta and garlic roasted cherry tomatoes.
    A plate with several slices of herb-crusted pork tenderloin served over creamy polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes.
    A table set with a pot of creamy polenta, a cutting board with sliced herb-crusted pork tenderloin, a skillet of roasted cherry tomatoes, and two plates with a serving of each.
    A plate with several slices of herb-crusted pork tenderloin served over creamy polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes.

    Tender, herb-crusted pork tenderloin is served over creamy polenta with roasted garlicky cherry tomatoes. This simple, minimal no-fuss dinner is sure to impress any night of the week or for any special occasion.

    Two servings of herb-crusted pork tenderloin served over creamy polenta and garlic roasted cherry tomatoes.

    Easy dinners that require minimal hands-on effort but look and taste oh-so-fancy make me giddy.

    This juicy, herb-crusted pork tenderloin with creamy, dreamy polenta and garlicky roasted balsamic cherry tomatoes practically cooks itself. It's SO SIMPLE, and yet its flavor is soooo big. You'll wonder what kind of voodoo magic just took place on your dinner plate.

    Ingredients for herb-crusted pork tenderloin with creamy polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes.

    (Sorry to show you a hunk of raw meat.)

    But take a quick peep at these ingredients. It feels very minimalist, doesn't it? And minimalism when cooking dinner is like winning the golden ticket.

    Pork tenderloin, a couple of pints of sweet cherry tomatoes, polenta, some salty Pecorino Romano, garlic, fresh herbs, butter, balsamic, and a little salt and pepper. And some water and milk that unintentionally were left out of the ingredient group selfie. (Would that make it a groupie?)

    A cast iron skillet with herb-crusted pork tenderloin and garlic roasted cherry tomatoes.
    A pot of creamy polenta.

    How to make this super simple herb-crusted pork tenderloin dinner

    Step 1: First, we're locking in the juicy flavor and moisture of the tenderloin. Give it a good rub with some olive oil and slather it with fresh rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Then sear it darlin' for 4 minutes on each side. Marvel at how easy that was.

    Step 2: Once the tenderloin has been seared on all sides, turn off the heat, scooch the tenderloin to one side of the pan, and add those pretty little cherry tomatoes to the other side of the pan with some garlic, butter, and balsamic. Pop the pan into the oven for about 15 minutes and let it cook. Marvel at how easy that was.

    Step 3: Make the polenta. Bring water and milk to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Stir, stir, stir. Take a sip of wine from that glass you poured for yourself before Step 1. Stir the polenta a little more. Add some butter and cheese. Marvel at how easy that was.

    Step 4: Remove pan with the tenderloin and roasty maters from the oven. Let the tenderloin rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Take another sip of vino and give a toast to yourself for making such a quick and simple dinner that everyone will swoon over. Wasn't that easy?!

    A cast iron skillet with herb-crusted pork tenderloin, garlic roasted cherry tomatoes, and a pot of creamy polenta nearby.
    A table set with a pot of creamy polenta, a cutting board with sliced herb-crusted pork tenderloin, a skillet of roasted cherry tomatoes, and two plates with a serving of each.

    Unless you are the type who has strong feelings about keeping your food groups from touching on your plate (no judgment), serve up this dinner by topping a big swoosh of the creamy polenta with several pork medallions and a large spoonful of the juicy, roasted tomatoes. Then definitely drizzle some of the pan juices over everything, including your face, because it's tasty and amazing.

    This dinner is perfect for:

    • Any weeknight when you are in need of a cozy, comforting, minimal fuss dinner.
    • Having guests over for dinner? This meal will impress.
    • Date night!
    • A simple, but fancy-ish holiday meal. Think Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, the whole month of October (#nationalporkmonth <-- who comes up with these things?)
    A plate of herb-crusted pork tenderloin served over creamy polenta with garlic roasted cherry tomatoes.

    Creamy, simple, savory, elegant, comforting, minimal fuss dinner. Easy weeknight dinner dreams do come true. ♡

    More tasty dinner recipes!

    • Instant Pot Coq Au Vin Blanc a delicious white wine version of classic coq au vin
    • Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs in a luxurious pomegranate sauce
    • Coconut Tomato Curry with Cod & Brown Rice a simple and tasty heart-healthy meal
    • Gnocchi Marinara with Sausage & Peppers a quick and easy 20-minute meal!
    • Beef Kofta with Greek Yogurt Sauce perfect for a Mediterranean feast

    Did You Make This Recipe?!

    If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a star rating below! I greatly appreciate your feedback and it is also so helpful for other PMST readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Remember to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!

    Print
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    A table set with a pot of creamy polenta, a cutting board with sliced herb-crusted pork tenderloin, a skillet of roasted cherry tomatoes, and two plates with a serving of each.

    Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta


    5 from 11 reviews

    • Author: Shannon Emery
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 40 minutes
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Tender, herb-crusted pork tenderloin is served over creamy polenta with roasted garlicky cherry tomatoes. This simple, minimal no-fuss dinner is sure to impress any night of the week or for any special occasion.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

    • 1 whole pork tenderloin, roughly 1 ¼ pounds
    • extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 pints (about 4 cups) cherry tomatoes
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

    Creamy Polenta

    • 2 cups water
    • 2 cups whole milk*
    • 1 cup polenta (also known as corn grits)
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 cup Pecorina Romano, grated*
    • salt and pepper to taste  

    Instructions

    Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
    2. Pat pork tenderloin dry. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, just enough to coat. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Rub herb mixture all over pork.
    3. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add pork; sear on each side for about 4 minutes until browned. Turn off stovetop, and remove skillet from heat.
    4. Scooch tenderloin to one side of the skillet. Add cherry tomatoes to the other side of the skillet and top tomatoes with, garlic, butter, and balsamic vinegar.
    5. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of the tenderloin reaches 145°F, about 14 to 16 minutes.
    6. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

    Creamy Polenta

    1. While the tenderloin is cooking in the oven, in a medium pot, bring water and milk to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, Pecorino Romano, salt, and pepper. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with additional water or milk.

    Put it all together!

    1. Divide the polenta between serving plates. Place several slices of pork tenderloin and roasted cherry tomatoes over top. Drizzle with juices from the skillet. Enjoy! 

    Notes

    For the polenta, I sometimes substitute plain, unsweetened almond milk for regular milk with success. I also sometimes substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano in place of the Pecorino Romano but feel free to use whichever cheese is your favorite! You may have to adjust the cheese quantity slightly based on your cheese's particular flavor profile. 

    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Stovetop, Oven
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Keywords: dinner, pork tenderloin, polenta, easy dinner, gluten-free

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @passmesometasty on Instagram. I'd love to see what you made!

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
    A plate with several slices of herb-crusted pork tenderloin served over creamy polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes.

    My face is definitely about to go in that.

    Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion and are brands/products that I personally use and enjoy. This post may also contain affiliate links which I may receive a small commission from (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for supporting Pass Me Some Tasty!

    More Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Gina

      August 30, 2021 at 11:19 am

      Absolutely delicious, and easy to make! I am not the greatest cook, so I love being able to pull off something this flavorful and satisfying. While the cooked tenderloin is resting, I often add fresh spinach to the skillet with the tomatoes, and cover with a lid allowing the residual heat to wilt/warm it.






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        August 30, 2021 at 9:11 pm

        Awesome Gina, I'm so happy to hear! The addition of spinach is great idea!

        Reply
    2. Kelly Recktenwald

      January 17, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      We really loved the flavors and will make again!






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        January 17, 2021 at 6:59 pm

        Hi Kelly! I'm so happy to hear! Thank you for your comment! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Stephanie Matlock

      October 17, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      This is UHmazing! Do all your chopping, rinsing, etc beforehand and it comes together very easily. This was a real winner in my house
      I’m not a real tomato fan, but loved them in this. We had grape tomatoes in the fridge and used those instead of cherry tomatoes.






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        October 18, 2020 at 3:32 pm

        Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Stephanie! I'm so happy to hear that you and family enjoyed this meal!

        Reply
    4. Tara

      February 27, 2020 at 10:26 am

      Such a perfect dinner dish to enjoy! I like to use herbs when breading tenderloins as it provides an amazing boost to the flavor.






      Reply
    5. Claire

      February 23, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      This looks like quite the dinner! I love a good pork tenderloin but don't make it all that often as I never know what to pair it with besides potatoes. I'm definitely going to be adding this to our menu soon.

      Reply
    6. Debbie

      February 23, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      This Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin is so flavorful and it was cooked to perfection. As if the tenderloin wasn't good enough the polenta and tomatoes were so good. There wasn't one morsel of this yummy meal left!! Thanks for an amazing meal I wowed my friends with.






      Reply
    7. Danielle

      February 23, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      This is the way to go when you have pork and need to decide on the dish to make for dinner. And that polenta is so creamy and delicious!






      Reply
    8. Amanda

      February 21, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      This was so great serving to friends! It took so little hands-on time to put together, and everyone loved it. Perfect meal for entertaining!






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        February 21, 2020 at 4:40 pm

        Thank you Amanda! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    9. Tatiana

      February 21, 2020 at 7:06 am

      I love when I find a recipe that has polenta on it, it will be my dinner tonight!






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        February 21, 2020 at 4:43 pm

        Enjoy Tatiana!

        Reply
    10. LaKita

      February 20, 2020 at 9:51 am

      This dish is definitely being added to my list of date night at-home meals! It looks amazing and I love a good bowl of cheesy polenta anytime!






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        February 21, 2020 at 4:54 pm

        So perfect for date night! I hope you and your date love it!

        Reply
    11. David

      February 20, 2020 at 3:04 am

      Oh wow! I love pork tenderloin and this is such a delicious version. I haven't tried making polenta in a while either, your tasty version is inspiring me to do so soon.






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        February 21, 2020 at 4:55 pm

        Polenta is sometimes the forgotten grain, right?! Have fun cooking this up!

        Reply
    12. Nicoletta and Loreto

      February 19, 2020 at 5:14 am

      Quick, pretty easy and so flavorful, this herb-crusted pork tenderloin with polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes can easily become a weeknight favorite!






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        February 21, 2020 at 4:56 pm

        So glad to hear you think so as well Nicoletta & Loreto!

        Reply

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