Pork Tenderloin with Nectarine Avocado Salsa

Pork Tenderloin with Nectarine Avocado Salsa is marinated, seared and then finshed in the oven. Wonderfully juicy, it is covered in a sweet fruit salsa. Wonderfully healthy and tasty way to enjoy pork. No lack of flavor here!

We are already getting into back to school mode and I hate that. Seems like the summer just started. School doesn’t start for another few weeks, but my daughter has already begun her high school swim practice, which makes it seem like the school year has started. (NOTE: This post was originally published in 2013.)

Being a parent is of course always a challenge. But it’s interesting how the challenges change so much with the age of your children. Now that my kids are both teenagers, I have so many more freedoms, but at the same time they have more freedoms too, which makes planning things ahead of time extremely difficult. I am no longer completely in charge of their schedules making it especially hard to plan meals ahead of time. There’s just no telling who is going to be around for dinner.

Cooked pork tenderloin covered in salsa and a bowl full of salsa.

A nicely marinated pork tenderloin paired with a flavorful fruit salsa is one of my favorite weeknight meals. It’s healthy, appealing to a wide range of tastes, and super easy to make. Even better, it can be saved and reheated for those times you thought your kids would be home for dinner, but it turns out they had plans. I especially love this salsa with super sweet nectarines paired with silky, smooth avocado. Nectarines and avocados are 2 of my very favorite ingredients.

Marinate For Extra Flavor

The pork gets marinated for 6 to 8 hours for extra flavor in a soy-based marinade. It’s ok if you marinate it a little longer than 8 hours. When you remove the pork from the marinade, blot it dry with paper towels. This will help you get a better sear on it.

Sliced Pork Tenderloin covered with salsa.

How To Cook Pork So It Is Juicy

Pork tenderloin, if cooked correctly, can be a wonderfully tender, juicy cut of meat. The trick is cooking it correctly. The number one mistake when it comes to cooking pork tenderloin is overcooking. A couple of years ago, the US Department of Agriculture lowered the safe cooking temperature for pork from 160º to 145º. That means the pork should still be a little pink in the middle when it is cooked.

To ensure you cook the pork properly, use a kitchen thermometer. Note: Ground pork should still be cooked to 160º. No one likes overcooked, dry, chewy pork tenderloin. Today’s pork is so much leaner which means you have little margin for error when it comes to pork doneness.

Make It Spicier

Of course we love spicy food at Spicy Southern Kitchen, but we recognize that not everyone does and as I’ve entered my 50s, I’ve had to tone it back considerably. As written, there is only a tiny bit of heat in this recipe. For additional heat, double the amount of crushed red pepper flakes in the salsa and add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade.

Can I Use Peaches Instead of Nectarines?

Yes! You absolutely can use fresh peaches instead or nectarines.

Whole pork tenderloin covered with fruit salsa.

More Amazing Pork Recipes

Pork Tenderloin with Nectarine Avocado Salsa

Pork Tenderloin with Nectarine Avocado Salsa is marinated, seared and then finshed in the oven. Wonderfully juicy, it is covered in a sweet fruit salsa.

Course Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pork

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Marinate 6

Servings

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 nectarines, pitted and diced
1 avocado, pitted and diced
½ red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch of salt

Instructions

Place soy sauce through garlic powder in a medium bowl and whisk together. Place in a large zip top bag along with tenderloin. Marinate in refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 400º.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork tenderloin, discarding marinade, and sear on all sides. Place in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
Combine nectarines through pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
Let pork rest for 10 minutes and then cut into slices and serve with salsa.

Notes

To make spicier, double the amount of red pepper flakes in the salsa and add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the marinade.

To keep the pork juicy, be sure to not overcook it. Pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. It is helpful to have an instant-read thermometer. Keep in mind the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees after being removed from the oven so shoot for 142 to 143 degrees when you take it out.