This sweet and savory pork tenderloin marinade produces the juiciest pork every time! A simple 5-ingredient marinade of brown sugar, soy sauce, Dijon, lemon juice, and garlic takes no time to whisk together and infuses the lean cut of meat with so much flavor. Marinate for as little as 30 minutes or up to 12 hours, then grill or bake, either method works beautifully.

Overhead shot of a white bowl with a serving fork and sliced, grilled pork tenderloin topped with fresh parsley. Bowl is surrounded by lemon wedges, blue towel, and a jar of red sauce.

5 star review

“So easy and so tasty! A total hit at dinner. If you’re looking for something special and quick to cook, look no further.”

– Maria
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Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin Marinade for the Grill or Baking

Since it’s lean, pork tenderloin can tend to be dry and flavorless, however, this effortless, 5-ingredient marinade completely changes that! The ingredient list is surprisingly simple, yet the results are AMAZING, producing a sweet and savory marinade that turns into a glaze when cooked. Plus, there’s no chopping involved!

All you have to do is whisk together the oil, soy sauce, brown sugar (or honey), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and salt; and let the marinade do all the hard work transforming the pork. And like many of my other easy marinade recipes, you can let pork tenderloin marinate longer because it’s a larger piece of meat, meaning you can prep it in the morning, and it’s ready for cooking on the grill or in the oven when you get home for the day. In fact, the pork turns out better the longer you marinate (up to 12 hours) as it allows the flavors to deepen.

Once it’s cooked, don’t forget to let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes to allow the juices to reincorporate into the meat, as this is key to juicy meat! And for a completely hands-off way to cook pork tenderloin, my 5-star slow cooker bbq pulled pork tenderloin is a great set-and-forget option for busy weeknights. Or, for another quick marinade that works across multiple proteins, my flank steak marinade uses a similar sweet and savory base and comes together in minutes.

Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Pork Tenderloin Marinade

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: raw pork tenderloin, oil, salt, garlic cloves, brown sugar, mustard, lemon, soy sauce.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of a glass bowl with oil, soy sauce, mustard, minced garlic, and salt.
Whisk marinade ingredients.
Overhead shot of a large glass bowl with red sauce and a small glass bowl with red sauce.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade.
Overhead shot of an open zip top bag with red sauce. Bag is surrounded by a small bowl of water and a baking sheet with pork tenderloins.
Pour remaining marinade in a zip-top bag.
Overhead shot of pouring water into an open zip top bag filled with red sauce. A baking sheet with pork tenderloin is in the corner.
Add water to marinade.
Overhead shot of poking raw pork tenderloins with a fork.
Poke holes all over pork.
Overhead shot of a zip top bag with pork tenderloin in a red sauce.
Add pork to marinade & let marinate.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with two grilled pork tenderloins, a knife, and a jar of red sauce.
Grill or bake & let pork rest.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with sliced, grilled pork tenderloin, knife and fork, bowl of chopped herbs, and jar of red sauce. A bowl of lemon wedges is in the corner.

Testing Tips for Juicy Marinated Pork Tenderloin

  • Soy Sauce: Adds a rich umami flavor, but you can use tamari for gluten free.
  • Brown Sugar: I love the deep, caramelized flavor the brown sugar adds and I preferred it in testing. I have tested this marinade with honey for a honey soy pork tenderloin marinade and it works well, too.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is preferred, but bottled will work in a pinch.
  • Pork Tenderloin: I call for 2 pounds of pork tenderloin in this recipe. One tenderloin is usually about 1 pound, so you will need 2 tenderloins. If you only have 1 pound of tenderloin, you can half the marinade recipe.
Closeup overhead shot of a white bowl with a serving fork and sliced, grilled pork tenderloin topped with fresh parsley.
Overhead shot of a white bowl with a serving fork and sliced, grilled pork tenderloin topped with fresh parsley. Bowl is surrounded by lemon wedges, blue towel, and a jar of red sauce.
5 stars (5 ratings)

Pork Tenderloin Marinade (with Brown Sugar)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Marinade Time: 30 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
A sweet and savory pork tenderloin marinade with brown sugar, soy sauce, Dijon, and garlic. Just 5 ingredients and perfect for grilling or baking.
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Ingredients

  • ¼ cup avocado oil, or any neutral flavored oil
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 pounds pork tenderloin, silver skin removed

Equipment

Instructions 

Marinade Instructions

  • Add the oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
  • Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade.
    • You will use the reserved marinade to drizzle over the cooked pork at the end.
  • Pour the remaining marinade along with 2 tablespoons of water into a 1-gallon zip-top bag or baking dish.
  • Using a fork, lightly poke holes all over the pork tenderloin, then add to the bag or dish, press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover with plastic wrap (if using a baking dish).
  • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours, flipping occasionally.

Grilling Instructions

  • Heat a grill to medium-high. Allow to preheat for 15 minutes. Remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade, shake off any excess, and discard any remaining marinade from the bag or dish.
  • Grill, with the cover down, until the internal temperature registers 145F (medium rare) or 160F (medium), about 5-7 minutes per side.
  • Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice against the grain into 1 inch slices, or dice into pieces (if using for taco), serve, drizzled with reserved 2 tablespoons marinade, and serve.

Baking Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. Add the pork tenderloin along with marinade to a medium baking dish. If you have a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, omit the marinade as it will spread and possibly burn.
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 145F (medium rare) or 160F (medium).
  • Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into 1 inch slices, or dice into pieces (if using for taco), serve, drizzled with reserved marinade, and serve.

Notes

  • Check to make sure your pork is done with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 145° F for medium rare and 155° F for medium with a 3 minute rest time.
  • Yields ⅓ cup marinade.
  • Use tamari for gluten-free.
Course: dinner, grilling, Main Course, Marinade
Cuisine: American, Barbecue, Grilling

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 379mg, Potassium: 476mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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