Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Pineapple, Grilled Veggies, and Garlic Herb Butter is my go-to summer grilling recipe. Pork is marinated in a sweet-savory pineapple-ginger mix, grilled, and drizzled with a soy-garlic herb butter sauce. It’s impressive yet easy—perfect for BBQs, parties, or potlucks.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Is My Summer Go-To
- Pineapple Marinade: I use fresh pineapple to both tenderize and flavor the pork—super juicy every time. It adds a subtle tropical flavor you don’t usually get with standard pork marinades.
- Grilled Fruit & Veggies: By grilling fresh pineapple and veggies (zucchini and bell peppers) right alongside the pork, I make sure you get a full serving of produce with your protein—this one’s truly a complete dish. My other favorite meat + fruit combo is grilled flank steak with mango-avocado salsa.
- Shoyu Garlic Herb Butter: I top everything with a quick, warm butter sauce that I whisk with soy sauce, garlic, and herbs. It melts over everything and brings the umami. This sauce will also pair well with my grilled pork chops.
- Perfect Summer Dinner: Minimal prep, quick grilling, and the marinade does all the work. Great for BBQs, cookouts, or an easy weeknight meal—definitely a warm-weather staple for me along with my grilled shrimp and grilled salmon. It works just as well for a crowd as it does for meal prep (sliced pork keeps beautifully for lunch salads!).
How to Grill Pork Tenderloin
- Gather your ingredients: The photo below shows everything you need.
- Make the marinade: Blend pineapple, oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth, then transfer to a zip-top or vacuum bag. Lightly crush the thyme and rosemary to release their flavor before adding them.
- Add pork: Poke the pork tenderloins all over with a fork to help the marinade penetrate, add them to the bag, seal, and massage to coat.
- Marinate in the fridge for 2–4 hours (not longer, or the pork texture may change), and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
- Prepare the veggies and pineapple: While the pork comes to temp, toss the bell peppers, zucchini, and pineapple with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high and oil the grates. Remove the pork from the marinade and wipe off excess for better browning.
- Grill the pork for 7–10 minutes per side, about 15–20 minutes total, until it reaches 140°F internally. Rest the pork for 10 minutes so juices redistribute and the temperature rises to a safe level.
- Grill veggies + fruit: While the pork rests, grill the veggies and pineapple until charred, 2–3 minutes per side.
- Make garlic herb butter sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan and add garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then remove from heat and whisk in soy sauce.
- Serve: Slice the pork, plate with the grilled veggies and pineapple, and drizzle generously with the herb butter. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes for a complete meal.
Serving Ideas
- Tacos or Burritos: You can slice the grilled pork tenderloin, veggies, and pineapple smaller, heat up some tortillas and make tacos or burritos! Serve with your favorite Pico de Gallo!
- Salad: Serve everything atop some fresh greens and top with your favorite dressing! I recommend this apple spinach salad or my plum spinach salad with honey-mustard dressing.
- Classic Sides: Steamed jasmine or basmati rice is a classic, especially with that shoyu garlic butter pooling on top. You can also try my cilantro-lime black bean rice. Or, serve grilled pork tenderloin with roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Substitutions
- Chicken: Swap out the pork tenderloin for the same amount of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, breasts, or other cut. Marinate them for about 1 hour up to overnight and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Firm Tofu = Vegetarian Option: Press out the liquid from the tofu before marinating. Follow the remaining instructions.
- Herbs: Sage, tarragon, oregano, and fennel are all great herbs you can add to or replace the ones I used.
- Veggies: Sweet potatoes, portobello mushrooms, corn, and asparagus are all great veggies to include or replace the veggies I used (zucchini and bell peppers).
- Miso: You can replace the soy sauce in the butter with miso if you like! It imparts an umami flavor while still adding salt and flavor.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Store the cooled pork, veggies, and pineapple in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the butter sauce in a separate airtight container.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing the pork, veggies, and pineapple. You can freeze the chilled butter by bringing it to room temperature, forming a log, and wrapping it with plastic wrap tightly.
More Pork Recipes
Grilled Pork Tenderloin (Best Marinade!)
Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Pineapple, Grilled Veggies, and Garlic Herb Butter is my go-to summer grilling recipe. Pork is marinated in a sweet-savory pineapple-ginger mix, grilled, and drizzled with a soy-garlic herb butter sauce. It’s impressive yet easy—perfect for BBQs, parties, or potlucks.
Ingredients
Pork Marinade
- ¼ large pineapple peeled, cored, and chopped
- ¼ cup neutral oil canola, avocado
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce regular or low sodium
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 lb pork tenderloin (2 tenderloins 1 pound each)
Veggies + Pineapple
- 2 large red bell peppers cut into eighths lengthwise
- 2 large zucchini sliced into lengthwise pieces
- ½ large pineapple cut into ½ inch thick half-moons
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil canola, avocado
- salt and pepper to taste
Shoyu Garlic Herb Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce regular or low sodium
Instructions
Marinate Pork + Season Veggies
- In a blender or food processor, blend the pineapple, olive oil, dark brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Pour the marinade into a gallon ziploc bag or vacuum seal bag. Lightly crush the thyme and rosemary to release their oils and add to the bag.
- Poke the pork tenderloins all over with a fork and to the bag, removing excess air, seal, and massage to coat well. Marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours. Remove 30 minutes prior to grilling.
- When you pull the pork from the fridge, toss the bell peppers, zucchini, and pineapple in oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Grilling
- Heat your grill pan or grill to medium-high heat and brush with oil once hot.
- Remove the pork from the marinade, squeezing the excess marinade off with your hands. Discard the marinade.
- Grill the pork for about 15-20 minutes, around 7-10 minutes per side depending on the thickness of your tenderloins. For medium rare, pull the pork tenderloins at 140 degrees and let rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests.
- While the pork rests, grill the veggies and pineapple until charred, around 2-3 minutes per side.
Make Shoyu Garlic Herb Butter
- In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the butter becomes fragrant with garlic.
- Turn off the heat and whisk in the soy sauce. Set aside.
Serving
- Slice the tenderloin into rounds and plate with the grilled veggies. Drizzle generously with the shoyu garlic herb butter. Serve alongside your favorite side such as jasmine, basmati, or plain white rice. Mashed potatoes are another great option. Enjoy!
Notes
- Marination time: Because the marinade has pineapple which contains an enzyme called bromelain, I don't recommend marinating the pork for more than 1 day. Bromelain breaks down proteins and tenderizes them, but over tenderization can make the pork mushy and mealy. In fact, don’t go over 4 hours with the marinade—pineapple is powerful and can actually start to break down the pork if left too long. 4 hours is my sweet spot.
- If using a grill pan indoors, don’t forget to turn on your vent to help remove the smoke while cooking the pork.
- If you’d like to lessen the smoke while cooking, you can always preheat your oven to 400 degrees, sear the pork on both sides in a grill pan until you have grill marks, then transfer the pan with the pork to the oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes or the internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees (medium). Let it rest with tented foil for 5-10 minutes.
- No grill pan or grill? Pan sear it! Just use a heavy bottomed skillet instead such as cast iron.
- The safe internal cooking temperature for pork tenderloin is 145°F (63°C) - according to USDA. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the tenderloin reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part.
- Let it Rest: Always pull pork at 140°F (for medium) internal temperature and let it rest. The temp rises as it sits—juicy, not dry! Letting the pork rest for 10 minutes makes a world of difference. It locks in all those juices!
- Crush Those Herbs: Crushing the thyme and rosemary before tossing them in the marinade helps release way more flavor than just throwing them in whole.
- Warm Herb Butter: I always make sure the herb butter is just warm when serving—it melts better and soaks into the pork and veggies perfectly.
You will need these supplies:
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- gallon ziploc bag
- mixing bowls
- small pan
- grill pan or grill
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Grilled Pork Tenderloin (Best Marinade!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
695
% Daily Value*
Fat
48
g
74
%
Saturated Fat
22
g
138
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
6
g
Monounsaturated Fat
17
g
Cholesterol
180
mg
60
%
Sodium
1581
mg
69
%
Potassium
1193
mg
34
%
Carbohydrates
33
g
11
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
25
g
28
%
Protein
36
g
72
%
Vitamin A
2991
IU
60
%
Vitamin C
146
mg
177
%
Calcium
75
mg
8
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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