Asian Instant-Pot Pork Tenderloin

The bold flavors of sesame, soy sauce, ginger, and honey come together in an irresistible Asian Instant-Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe!

From the day my grandma first showed me the dent in her ceiling caused by her stovetop pressure cooker in 1992, I had been deeply afraid of the things. And not just the stovetop varieties, but the modern electric ones, too. Why bother with a potentially exploding object in your kitchen to make broth when you could just slow-simmer it on your stove? I vowed to never use a pressure cooker, and I kept that vow—until shortly after I moved to a high-altitude city. For the life of me, I could not slow-cook black beans long enough to get the crunch out of them.

I’m not exaggerating when I say the Instant Pot changed my life. Getting one of these gadgets not only made it easier to cook things like brown rice and dried beans, but it also let me cook chunks of meat in a short timeframe, such as a frozen-solid whole chicken or a beef brisket. It also allowed me the freedom to decide not to grill things that I traditionally only grilled, such as ribs and pork tenderloin.

This Asian Instant-Pot pork tenderloin recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare pork these days—something I never thought I’d say! A quick sear of the tenderloin gives the meat a beautiful browning and flavor, while the delectable, sweet-and-salty ginger sauce drizzled over the top gives it a whole different level of flavor on the plate. Thanks to the Instant Pot, this dish comes together in a very short timeframe, and you don’t have to go outside to grill it—nor heat up your kitchen with a hot oven!

Is This Asian Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Healthy?

This dish is healthy due to the leanness of pork tenderloin and the minimal ingredients used in the recipe. Believe it or not, pork tenderloin is nearly as lean as chicken breast, and it provides plenty of protein, B vitamins, and important minerals like selenium. The ginger adds some anti-inflammatory properties to the sauce, and honey is an unprocessed natural sweetener. The only thing that might be concerning in this recipe is the amount of sodium. If you are sensitive to sodium, consider using an even lower-sodium soy sauce substitute, such as coconut aminos.

Overall, this recipe is low in calories and fat, and if you pair it with a healthy vegetable side, it becomes the center of a pretty healthy meal!

Pork Tenderloin Cooking Temperatures

If you learned to always cook pork to well-done, the pink middle of the pork tenderloin in these pictures may be unsettling to you. I’m happy to tell you that it’s okay to cook pork tenderloin to a “pink” level of doneness! According to the Food & Drug Administration, pork roasts and pork chops can be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, with a three-minute resting time afterward. Pork tenderloin tastes absolutely perfect when it’s slightly pink in the middle, and that quality deteriorates if you cook it far past that point.

Now, if you’re cooking ground pork, do not go for medium-rare. Always cook ground pork to a safe temperature of 165°F.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your Asian Instant-Pot pork tenderloin alongside healthy side dishes, such as brown rice, Grilled Broccoli, or Air-Fryer Baby Potatoes. You could also serve it with a salad on the side, like this Spring Salad or a Healthy Grated Cauliflower Salad. Personally, I add my pork tenderloin to a bowl of brown rice with sliced cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and green onions, and it’s so satisfying and simple.

Recipe