Sheet Pan Balsamic Pork Tenderloinwith Brussels sprouts / apple chutney / quinoa
We love a sheet pan meal on a busy weeknight. Slide everything into the oven and it will cook together for maximum flavor with minimum hands-on effort. The chutney served over the pork is a unique way to serve apples that are tart and savory instead of super sweet.
Smarts: If you're short on time, skip the apple chutney or just serve the meal with apple slices on the side - you'll still benefit from the classic flavor combination of balsamic vinegar, pork, and apples.
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts - 1 1/2 lbs, trimmed and halved
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp + 1 tsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 1 Tbsp (use large grain if you have it)
- Brown sugar - 2 tsp
- Coriander, ground - 1 tsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Foil or parchment paper (opt) - for cooking
- Pork tenderloin - 1 1/4 lbs
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Shallots - 2 cloves, diced
- Apples, preferably a tart green variety - 2, peeled and diced
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Vinegar, apple cider - 1/4 cup
- Brown sugar - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
- Lemon zest - 1/2 tsp
- Quinoa, uncooked - 3/4 cup
- Stock, any type - 1 1/2 cups
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Quinoa - (Double if making Wednesday’s meal. If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating while quinoa cooks.) Combine quinoa with stock in a saucepan. Add some salt. Bring to a boil covered. Lower heat, keep covered, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Brussels sprouts / Shallots - Prep as directed. (Note: If the Brussels sprouts you bought are very large, you can slice them into quarters for more bite-sized pieces.) Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make balsamic-mustard glaze - Combine first part of balsamic vinegar (portion for pork), mustard, brown sugar (portion for pork), coriander, paprika, salt, and black pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Chutney - Peel and chop apples. Combine apples, shallots, water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar (portion for chutney), balsamic vinegar (portion for chutney), and lemon zest in a small saucepan.
Make
- Heat oven to 425F / 218C degrees.
- Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. (This is optional but will make clean-up easier.)
- Place pork tenderloin in the center of the sheet pan and tenderize with a fork.
- Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, second part of balsamic vinegar (portion for pork), and some salt and pepper. Spread around pork.
- Pour or spoon balsamic-mustard glaze over the top of pork tenderloin.
- Transfer to the oven and roast until Brussels sprouts are tender and pork is cooked through (reaches 145F / 63C), 20 to 30 minutes (depending on thickness of tenderloin).
- While pork and Brussels sprouts roast, place saucepan with apples over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Simmer until apples are soft but still hold their shape, 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: If the pan looks dry before apples are soft, add water as needed. The chutney should be thick and not watery when it’s done.)
- When pork is done, transfer to a cutting board and rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Reheat quinoa if made ahead (reserve half if doubled).
- Slice pork and serve over quinoa with Brussels sprouts on the side. Spoon apple chutney over pork. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
This meal has 34 reviews
This was something a little different for me. I didn’t even attempt to feed it to the kids. I love roasted Brussels sprouts, so that was the main draw. The flavors combined pretty well - it was good, but not sure it will be a repeat.
A rare miss for me. Maybe it was my oven, but the sheet pan method left me with burnt Brussels and pork that was underdone on top. I much prefer to sear the tenderloin in a pan and then transfer to the oven. I would have preferred a less vinegary apple sauce too. Eh, now I know
I liked this overall, and actually liked the way the acidity of the chutney contrasted with the other flavors - I did have to cook mine for longer than called for to get a thick chutney. The glaze on the pork was also pretty good, but I thought the coriander was really overpowering and detracted from the overall dish.
I loved it. Got mixed reviews from the kids, but they both ate it. I wish we had made the chutney, but we didn't. Maybe next time. Also, we subbed broccoli and potatoes for the Brussels sprouts and quinoa. Easy and delicious!
To me, smell is a key ingredient for make a dish great vs. just ok; I felt the chutney had an overpowering vinegar smell that detracted from the overall dish. Also, the glace's flavor was not to my liking because it tasted like soap, perhaps due to the coriander.
Having the apples on top was such a nice addition. Usually pork tenderloin is too dry for us but having the apples on top was perfect!