Smoked pork tenderloin is a delicious and easy recipe that will become a family favorite. Smoking pork tenderloin on a pellet grill is an easy meal to prepare and can be served as the main course for a dinner party, as an appetizer for a football game, or as part of an outdoor barbecue. The preparation is simple: rub the smoked pork tenderloin with oil and seasoning before putting it on the grill. The smoky flavor of this dish will be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. I recommend serving it with a side of corn, salad, or mashed potatoes.
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This is the best smoked pork loin recipe, and it is delicious any time of year. It is just as delicious served on Christmas Eve as on the 4th of July.
This pork loin in an electric smoker is juicy, tender, and easy to make. It is easy enough for a weeknight meal and impressive enough to serve dinner guests.
Everyone will love this recipe. Serve it with smoked corn on the cob and oven-roasted potatoes for a meal everyone will love.
If you want more pellet grill recipes, be sure to check out my delicious smoked salmon, smoked chicken legs, smoked chicken wings, smoked pork chops, and smoked queso dip. Go check out a complete list of my easy and delicious smoker recipes.
Jump to:
- What is pork tenderloin?
- What are the best wood pellets to smoke a pork tenderloin?
- Why a pellet grill?
- How long to smoke pork tenderloin on a pellet grill?
- How much do I need per person?
- Why this recipe works
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to cook smoked pork tenderloin on pellet grill
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Top tips for smoked pork tenderloin on a pit boss grill
- What to serve with smoked pork tenderloin?
- What to serve with leftover smoked pork tenderloin?
- Recommended
- 📋 Recipe
- Food safety
- More Recipes
- 💬 Comments
What is pork tenderloin?
Pork tenderloin is a cut of meat from the center of the animal's back. It's known for being lean and flavorful with a milder flavor than most pork cuts. It is extremely tender and quick cooking, perfect for weeknight dinners.
What are the best wood pellets to smoke a pork tenderloin?
Maple, Apple, Hickory, and Cherry Wood are all widely desired to smoke pork because they create a deep, rich flavor. Fruitwood pellets give a darkly sweet smoke that some people like.
The Competition Blend has a perfect mix of maple, hickory, and cherry, giving it its uniquely delicious flavor.
Why a pellet grill?
Pellet grills are a great option for those who want a hassle-free way to grill. Pellets are made from compressed sawdust, and they burn hot, meaning that you can cook your food more quickly and evenly.
Pellet grills are also more efficient than other grills because the pellets can be poured into the grill and then burned at a low temperature for hours without using any additional fuel.
You can make smoked tenderloin on any grill, a Pit Boss or Traeger pellet grill, gas grill, Big Green Egg, or charcoal grill. This recipe is for an electric pellet grill.
Pellet grills make this succulent pork tenderloin the perfect dish for any grilling enthusiast. The meat, so moist and bursting with flavor, makes for super easy prep on your electric pellet grill.
How long to smoke pork tenderloin on a pellet grill?
It depends on the size of the tenderloin, but it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours to smoke pork tenderloin on the smoker at a temperature of 225 degrees F.
How much do I need per person?
A 2-pound pork loin will serve 2-4 people. If it's 4 pounds, 6-8 people should be able to enjoy it. I recommend making more servings than you think may be needed so that you can enjoy the leftovers the next day or later in the week.
Why this recipe works
EASY: Smoking a pork tenderloin is one of the easiest cooking methods. It requires very little time and effort from you - all you have to do is add a little bit of wood to generate smoke. In addition, you can smoke your food hands-off, which means you'll have more time to chat with your guests!
DELICIOUS: The smoky flavor is gently infused into each tender bite of pork. Smoking the pork produces a great smoky taste that will make your mouth water!
SUPER MOIST: I'm not kidding when I tell you the pork is SO juicy and tender! I took my first bite and OMG, so good!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You can prepare this delicious, juicy, flavorful smoked pork tenderloin on the electric smoker with basic ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- Pork tenderloin. I used two tenderloins that were about 1-pound each. Carefully remove the silver skin with a sharp knife before preparing.
- Olive oil. I used olive oil to rub on the outside of the pork so the spice rub had something to stick to.
- Smoked pork tenderloin rub. I used homemade spice rub. It is fantastic on chicken and pork. It contains brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, roasted garlic and peppers seasoning, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper. I also made a dry rub for pork that goes fantastic on pork tenderloin. You can also use your favorite dry spice rub instead.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to cook smoked pork tenderloin on pellet grill
Preheat your smoker. Set the temperature to 225 degrees F. Make sure you top up the pellet grill with wood pellets.
First thing, remove the pork tenderloin from the package. Next, rinse the pork with cold water and dry it with a paper towel.
Pour olive oil on the pork tenderloin, coating the top, bottom, and sides. Sprinkle spice rub evenly on the pork tenderloin. Make sure you cover all sides of the pork.
Place tenderloins on the preheated smoker. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
If desired, apply your favorite BBQ sauce 30 minutes before they are done.
When the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, remove the pork tenderloin from the smoker. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Slice into smoked pork tenderloin medallions and serve. Enjoy!
Hint: For even cooking, flip halfway for even smoking.
Variations
Change the flavor of the pork tenderloin by changing the spice rub ingredients. So go ahead, have some fun with it!
- Spicy - add cayenne pepper or chili pepper flakes
- Sweet - Add extra brown sugar to the spice rub.
- Less Sweet - Decrease the amount of brown sugar in the BBQ rub.
- Saucy - Add your favorite BBQ sauce 30 minutes before the end of cook time. If you add it any earlier, the sugar in the sauce may burn.
Equipment
Smoker: Our smoker is an electric smoker, a Pit Boss smoker 8-1 grill that uses 100% wood pellets as fuel instead of gas or propane.
Wood pellets: We like the Competition Blend, Hickory Blend, and Applewood Blend.
High-quality temperature probe: This is a must-have item if you own a smoker. We invested in a ThermoPro Wireless Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer with Dual Probes as soon as we bought the smoker; it's an absolute necessity!
Storage
Fridge: Leftover smoked pork tenderloin can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Leftover smoked pork tenderloin can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Wrap it in plastic wrap before placing it in a container or Ziploc bag to prevent freezer burn.
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, slice up the pork and place it in a Ziploc bag, and pop it in the freezer for meal prep for school or work lunches.
Top tips for smoked pork tenderloin on a pit boss grill
- Invest in a reliable meat thermometer. We use the ThermPro-Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer. For instance, you just set the probes in the meat, set what kind of meat it's for, and it will let you know when it reaches that temperature.
- Cook with the thermometer, not the clock. All grills cook differently, and there are so many variables that play a part in the cooking time, such as weather, different types of grills, etc.
- Make sure you add your wood pellets before you start the grill. Check during the cooking time to make sure you don't run out.
What to serve with smoked pork tenderloin?
Our favorite side dishes to eat with pork tenderloin Smoked Corn on the Cob, Extra Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes, Carrot Salad, Coleslaw, Baked Beans mashed potatoes, peas, Carrots, and of course, a fresh green salad with homemade dinner buns.
What to serve with leftover smoked pork tenderloin?
If you are lucky enough to have leftover tenderloin, use it for breakfast the next day in Oven-Baked Omelet Casserole, an easy recipe that feeds a crowd.
Leftover smoked pork tenderloin is also excellent in Spinach And Mushroom Omelet, or breakfast sandwiches served with Air Fryer Bacon and fried eggs served on my popular Air Buns.
Recommended
I hope you enjoyed this Smoked Pork Tenderloin. If you try it out and like it, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a star rating below. Also, please leave a comment below saying how much you enjoyed it and what other types of recipes/ingredients would be interesting for me to write about in the future.
You can also Follow Me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Don't forget to tag me in your photos @windingcreek_ranch!
📋 Recipe
Easy Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- Electric Pellet Grill
- ThermPro Wireless Remote Digital Thermometer
- Competition Blend wood pellets or your favorite kind
Ingredients
- Two 1-pound whole pork tenderloins
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon dry spice rub link for homemade rub is down below in the notes
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker. Set the temperature to 225 degrees F. Make sure you top up the pellet grill with wood chips.
- Rinse the pork with cold water and dry it with a paper towel.
- Pour olive oil on the pork tenderloin, coating the top, bottom, and sides. Sprinkle spice rub evenly on the pork tenderloin. Make sure you cover the entire tenderloin.
- Place tenderloins on the preheated smoker. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- If desired, apply your favorite BBQ sauce 30 minutes before they are done.
- When the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, remove the pork tenderloin from the smoker. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Invest in a reliable meat thermometer. We use the ThermPro-Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer. For instance, you just set the probes in the meat, set what kind of meat it's for, and it will let you know when it reaches that temperature.
- Cook with the thermometer, not the clock. All grills cook differently, and there are so many variables that play a part in the cooking time, such as weather, different types of grills, etc.
- Make sure you add your wood pellets before you start the grill. Check during the cooking time to make sure you don't run out.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 145 °F
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Amy Liu Dong
The meat looks so tender and tasty. I will definitely make this at home.