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Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin

posted by Liz Berg on October 2, 2016 (updated 10/24/23)

The marinade for this Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin is outrageously delicious! Sweet, salty with piquant mustard and rosemary, it’s the perfect way to jazz up your grilled pork!

This Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe can be made the night before, then tossed on the grill for an easy impressive dinner!

Sliced Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin with apples and green beans on a white dinner plate

Table of Contents hide

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 You May Also Like:

7 Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Why You Must Make

Sundays are designated grilling days in the summer. If it’s not burgers, it’s usually beef, pork or chicken that I’ve marinated overnight. I had pork tenderloin in the freezer, so I found an old copy of this Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin recipe in one of my binders that sounded scrumptious.

Pork tenderloin can be dry if overcooked. Marinating helps keep it moist as well as adding delicious flavor.
This sweet, salty, tangy, herby combination of flavors worked perfectly with pork.
The addition of maple syrup along with a side of sauteed apples made this perfect for autumn entertaining.
I sauteed some apples and added our favorite crispy smashed potatoes to the menu (these always disappear in a red hot minute). Tom stopped by for dinner and the male carnivores were all pleased with their meat and potatoes. This pork marinade will become a regular on our meal rotation!

Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin Ingredients on a metal sheet pan with labels.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Butter, Sugar
Pork Tenderloin – Have the butcher trim off any silverskin
Dijon Mustard – I use Grey Poupon brand
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Lemon Juice – Don’t use bottled juice found on the store shelves.
Maple Syrup – Use real maple syrup, not imitation.
Apples – Peel, core, and slice. I used Granny Smith apples

How to Make

Recipe Tips

The first time I made pork tenderloin, I was a young mom with two toddlers. I had purchased a couple from the meat market, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and roasted them in the oven. Boy, they were not impressive. Extremely bland with little fat and little flavor!

From then on, I made certain to at least marinate this lean cut of pork for a few hours or up to overnight.
Besides pork tenderloin, this fabulous, flavorful pork marinade would be fabulous on a pork loin roast or pork chops.
Definitely marinate the pork overnight to ensure the flavors have a chance to be absorbed by the meat.
The acid in the lemon juice will help keep the pork tender.
Grill when possible to add even more flavor from the browning of the meat. This is known as the Maillard reaction which is a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugar that gives browned meat its delicious flavor. The smokiness imparted from a charcoal grill also contributes wonderful nuances to the meat.

Maple Grilled Pork Tenderloin slices on a white plate with green beans and sauteed apples.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Keep Pork Moist?

Having oil in the marinade will help, but more importantly is not to overcook the pork. Use a meat thermometer and pull off 10° before your goal temperature and cover with foil. 10 minutes of resting time under the foil will help the juices redistribute and bring up the internal temperature about 10°. The salt in the marinade also helps keep the pork moist.

What Temperature is Pork Done?

Pork should be cooked to 145° F. Since there will be some carryover cooking time as the pork rests, you can pull it off the grill 5-10° early. It’s OK for the pork to have a pink interior, but it should not look pink and raw, but instead, pink and cooked.