Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin
This brown sugar spiced pork loin is a cinch to prepare yet makes an elegant, unique dinner that would be great for entertaining.
Pork tenderloin may be one of my favorite cuts of meat. It is tender and succulent and if cooked well, it can nearly melt in your mouth.
This recipe that my brother and sister-in-law sent me is far and away the best method I’ve ever used for preparing pork tenderloin.
Initially I was nervous about trying it because I’m not crazy about using cinnamon in savory main courses. But am I ever glad I gave in and tried it!
This dish is absolutely amazing (and not overpowering with cinnamon at all). The combination of warm spices results in perfection when rubbed on the pork loin.
And the glaze? Oh, the glaze. I could have eaten it by the spoonful.
The cooked pork is mouthwatering in it’s velvety, slightly spicy, slightly sweet sauce and this has become my go-to recipe for pork.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it is a cinch to prepare yet makes an elegant, unique dinner that would be great for entertaining…or better yet, simply for a nice weeknight meal.
Served with simple baked brown rice and a steamed vegetable, and you are set for dinner.
Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin
Ingredients
Rub Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 pork tenderloins (2.5 pounds total), cut each tenderloin into two chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Glaze ingredients:
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic, about 6-8 cloves
- 1 tablespoon tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat the pork with the spice rub.
- Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet that is ovenproof (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in the skillet. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, brown the pork in a skillet and transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan (like a 9X13-inch). I’ve done both and either method works great.
- Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140, about 25 minutes.
- Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 155 while standing. Slice on the diagonal and serve, spooning the sauce from the skillet on top of the pork.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Nate and Kylie
98 Comments on “Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin”
I don’t normally comment but this recipe is amazing! My teenage boys declared this the best meat they have ever eaten. I made the recipe exactly as written, using Frank’s instead of Tabasco cuz that’s what I had. Perfect amount of sweet and spice but not spicy. So so so delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Love this! It’s fast, delicious and not much clean up, if you use an oven proof skillet. I didn’t have Tabasco, so I used Texas Pete’s hot sauce.
This is so delicious! My husband and I love it!! It’s our favorite for pork tenderloin.
I have made many of your recipes with great success however my husband has officially declared this his favorite. “If I got this at a restaurant I’d be raving!” “Please serve this the next time we have someone over!” I reduced the tabasco a little bit and it was perfect for my husband and I. Even my 2, 4 and 6 year old enjoyed this and didn’t complain that it was too spicy (I didn’t spoon extra glaze onto theirs.) I’m always happy to find a new recipe for our meal rotation!
This recipe is amazing !! I only used 1.5 tsp of Tabasco because I don’t like extremely spicy food and it turned out perfect! A little spice, sweet and salty…pork loin was tender and I served with fingerling potatoes and a nice fruit and goat cheese spinach salad ♥️
This is the best pork loin recipe I’ve ever made! So quick and easy too. This will become a regular on our meal rotation. I can also see serving this to company. Thanks for the great recipe!!
We’ve been making this for quite awhile and even my pickiest eater loves this! It is perfect for any occasion, fancy or casual. We all LOVE it!
Our family’s new favorite for pork tenderloin! I followed the recipe as written and it was amazing!
Can I use a 4 lb pork loin for this recipe? Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch:)
Sure! Pork loin isn’t always quite as tender as pork tenderloin, but it should work – just keep an eye on cooking time and if you have an instant-read thermometer, I’d use it to make sure the pork is cooked properly (but not overcooked)
Thanks!!!
Wonderful recipe!! Take care not to burn the spices on the neat when browning!
This pork is amazing! Thanks for a recipe that is simple and delicious. I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand (besides the pork), which I love. I actually feel a little guilty about how impressed people are when I make this. A total lifesaver!
Would this recipe work in an electric roaster oven?
I think it’s definitely worth a try – I haven’t made it that way myself.
Have you tried this in a pressure cooker? I just got an Instant Pot and have made a few things in it, but not pork so far. 🙂
I haven’t tried this recipe in particular but I’ve made a lot of other pork recipes in the pressure cooker – this should work just fine!
I was planning on making this for the first time tomorrow for company. I had pork in the freezer and thought it was pork loin, but I just got it out and it’s pork shoulder. Would it be absurd to try it anyway?
Nah, I say go for it. 🙂
This recipe is perfection! We’ve made it in my house so many times. I really think it could be in Mel’s “Best” recipes!
This is a new family favorite! I halfed the hot sauce and it was just a bit spicy for the kiddos so I may cut back a tad more next time. Thank you for another fabulous keeper!
I made this recipe tonight; and next time I think I will either add less cumin or sub in Garam Masala for it. I found the amount of cumin a little overpowering, but over all, I really enjoyed the sweet and spiciness of this dish. Will be making again!
This is a GREAT recipe. Spicy but oh so delightful! I did decrease the hot spices (chili powder and Tabasco sauce) by half and it was still very full of kick. We had it with baked brown rice and the Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Rolls, and a salad, corn and apple slices. A seriously satisfying meal. I cut up the leftovers into small pieces and stirred them through the leftover sauce in the skillet, then bagged it for the freezer – we’ll use it later for fajitas. Which I’m already dying to make, just to have the pork again. AWESOME!
This was wonderful! I am already looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch with the leftovers! Thanks for such great recipes. I discovered your site about a month ago and have made and thoroughly enjoyed many recipes.
I tried this recipe last night and I have to say, this is right up there as one of the best meals I have ever made! I am a recent college graduate and newlywed, with only fledgling cooking skills but this was SO simple to make. I had never tried doing a spice rub before, but now I am sold. The pork was packed with flavor! Thank you for sharing this –I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
This was soooo good! Your and cinnamon and chili pork loin with apple salsa and this are my two favorite ways to make pork loin!! My husband and I were arguing about which one was better, but came to the conclusion it was impossible to decide because they were both so delicious. I used Frank’s Red Hot instead of Tabasco, because it was what I had on hand. Thanks for another amazing dinner!
Wow. This was amazing. So tender and juicy. My husband is a super picky eater,I was a little apprehensive,to make this for him. But he loved it! And when I asked if I could make it again,he said “Absolutely!!” He was so busy eating meat,he didn’t even touch vegetables! Thank you Mel,you are my hero!
I made this last night, served it with roasted acorn squash slices, and it was delicious! But the “sauce”/glaze in the skillet was more like molasses. I tried to spoon it over the top, but it hardened like candy as it cooled. Do you cook the pork with the glaze for the entire baking/roasting time? The flavor of the pork was still amazing, but I’d love to figure out what I did wrong with the glaze. Any ideas?
HeyBeckyJ – yes, I cook the pork with the glaze the whole time but it hasn’t hardened up like that. If it happens again, do you think it would work to pour the glaze in a pan before it hardens up and keep it warm? That might help. Otherwise, you could stir a bit of hot broth into the glaze which should help.
I made this last night and it was fabulous! I really liked the sweet and tangy taste of the glaze – it was a nice combination of flavors. I did use Frank’s Red Hot only because we don’t like Tabasco and I thought that was a good substitution for anyone else interested in swapping it out. Thanks for sharing another great recipe – your pork tenderloin recipes have never disappointed! (the citrus soy marinated one is a favorite in our house too)
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delightful!! It was probably the moistest (is that a word?) pork I have ever had. Thanks Mel for all your fabulous recipes.
SUCCESS!!! I just made this for the first time and it absolutely mouth watering delicious!!! Flavors married well together and I could eat the whole pan up by itself =). Thank you so much for sharing!
I love u and am so grateful that you are helping me be a better cook for my family!
Delicious as always! It’s definitely a strong flavor combination and a nice change from the milder flavors I usually associate with pork tenderloin.
I made this tonight and it was sooo good!!! It had the perfect amount of sweet, salty, and spice with a nice kick from the tabasco. It had a nice crust from the sear and the baked on glaze, but was so tender and juicy inside. I served it with baked sweet potatoes and an Asian coleslaw. The perfect meal!
I used a pork loin but cut it down the center to make two skinnier pieces. We had no leftovers, but just curious if you have used the leftovers in any creative ways. I plan to cook more the next time I make this!
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. My usually picky eater ate every last bit, and my husband said it was the best tenderloin he has ever eaten. Thank you!
Stephanie – I’m not familiar with that cut of meat…I’ve only ever made this with pork tenderloin. I’m not sure the roast you have would be tender enough.
Mel- I have never cooked pork. I have a Roast Pork Sirloin in my freezer. I want to try this recipie and am wondering if I can with the meat I have. Most of my family and I fav recipies have come from you!!!!
I made this for dinner for my boyfriend and he loved it! He’s a very picky eater and this recipe is going in the (short) stack of recipes he likes! I loved the sauce. Yum! And, there’s a bit of a kick which is nice. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made this a few times, including today for Christmas dinner, and no one who tries it can stop talking about how wonderful it is! The preparation couldn’t be easier and the taste is amazing!