Chinese BBQ Pork Tenderloin – Pork tenderloin is marinated in a sweet Chinese BBQ sauce and then roasted in the oven to tender perfection. It’s finished off with the broiler to give the outside a sticky glaze.

Pork tenderloin is one of the easiest proteins to make. It’s shocking to me that I only started cooking it after moving in with my now-husband years ago. We never had it even once while growing up. But now we make it almost every week and I love it. It’s tender like filet mignon, lean like chicken, and actually quite affordable.

So I guess it’s not surprising that I have yet another pork tenderloin recipe for you today. It’s for this incredibly flavorful Chinese BBQ Pork Tenderloin. I stumbled upon this recipe when researching a recipe for bao buns. This recipe was suggested for filling those bao buns once they’ve been steamed.

And man was it delicious! The pork is sweet, yet beautifully spiced. Plus, it is even more tender due to the marinating time.

I’m still working on perfecting my bao buns so I’m not ready to share any recipe for those yet. However, there’s no need to keep you from this Chinese BBQ Pork Tenderloin. It tastes incredible on it’s own, served along rice and some pickled cucumbers.

Before we get to the recipe, let’s gawk at some photos, shall we?

Marinating the pork

The key to flavor for this pork tenderloin is marinating it. The marinade is easy to throw together but it does involve a few ingredients. But the good news is, once you make the marinade, you don’t have to add anymore ingredients into the mix.

All the marinade ingredients are added to a plastic storage bag and then the pork tenderloin is added. The bag is placed in the refrigerator and left there for 4-8 hours.

Roasting the pork

Once the pork is marinated, it’s time to roast the pork. The pork is removed from the marinade and roasted in the oven until mostly cooked through. It’s placed on a rack and then on a baking sheet with raised edges. Lifting the pork from the pan ensures it’s cooked evenly. Additionally, we add in some water to the pan to help create steam, which will add in moisture to the pork.

Don’t discard the marinade! You’ll add it to a small saucepan with a little more honey and boil until thick and sticky. It’s going to be used in the broiling phase, which is up next.

Broiling the pork

Once the pork have roasted for about 30 minutes, it’s broiled to achieve a beautiful, roasted coating on the outside. Broiling also turns the marinade into a thick, BBQ glaze.

Set your oven to broil and let your pork cook under the broiler for about 10 minutes. The marinade glaze we made will be basted over the pork every few minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Tips and Tricks

1. Don’t skip the marinating time. It really helps deepen the flavor in the pork.
2. The water in the pan is important for two reasons: it keeps the pork moist and it keeps the pork juices from smoking when they hit the pan.
3. Make sure you use a pan that can be broiled. Many non-stick pans CANNOT because the coating will start to burn off. Special broil pans can be purchased. I just use my aluminum pans because they are safe for high heat situations.
4. Do not take your eye off the pork as it broils. The broiler is sooo hot and can easily burn food. If you notice the pork starting to burn before the 10 minutes are up, add a little more glaze.

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