Red Wine Marinade for Pork Tenderloin

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Use this Red Wine Marinade for Pork Tenderloin and follow our tips for cooking it. You'll end up with tender, juicy slices of meat every time.

Make Red Wine Pork Tenderloin on Sunday, and you'll have dinner options the rest of the week if you plan to have leftovers. And you should! The aroma will pull you in. But the layers of flavor from the wine, ginger, and brown sugar, plus the crusty outer skin, will keep you coming back for more.

We're big fans of this particular protein source. It's a lean cut of meat that's comparable to chicken in terms of calories, fat, and cholesterol, according to the Pork CheckOff.

Two pieces of meat normally are often packaged together. If you don't want to cook them at the same time, then freeze one of the pork tenderloins in the marinade. It's the perfect make-ahead meal strategy.

Or, try out a different pork marinade, such as Molasses Marinade, with the second one! If you're in a hurry, make air fryer pork loin. No marinating necessary!

Ingredients in Red Wine Marinade for Pork Tenderloin

The recipe yields about ¾ cup of marinade, which easily covers 1 to 1.5 pounds of pork. Double the recipe if you have more meat to cover.

• Red wine - use a variety that you would drink (not the super salty kind you find on the grocery aisle.) Any type will work. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Moscato wines are slightly sweeter, so we tend to use one of these.
• Soy sauce - use a low-sodium sauce.
• Brown sugar and honey - the two sweeteners work perfectly together!
• Cinnamon
• Ginger - use fresh ginger if you can.
• Garlic - press or mince fresh garlic or use about ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder!

How to Marinate Pork Tenderloin

Since the tenderloin is a tender cut of pork, marinating doesn't tenderize the meat so much as impart big flavor. Here are a few tips for this part of the process:

• Marinate meat in a resealable plastic bag or glass baking dish. Don't use an aluminum container because it may react with the marinade.
• Marinate pork for at least 2 hours This is not a highly acidic marinade so there's not much harm in a longer period of time.
• Turn the tenderloins over several times during the marinating process so that the marinade touches all sides of the pork tenderloin at some point.

How to Freeze Pork Tenderloin in Red Wine Marinade

Once you have all the ingredients out, it's so easy to mix up an extra batch of the marinade.

1. Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag and place an uncooked pork tenderloin inside.
2. Remove excess air from the plastic bag and seal. Place the plastic bag with the meat inside another resealable bag...just in case.
3. Store the bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
4. Move the frozen bag to the refrigerator and defrost it when you're ready to cook it.

Take it out of the freezer the night before, and it should be ready to go for dinner the next day. It doesn't marinate in the freezer, but it does marinate before it's fully frozen and while it's defrosting.

Don't forget to label and date the bag! By the way, that's a little bit of green onion in the bag.

Tips for Perfect Pork Tenderloin

There are a few things you can do to ensure that you end up with a perfect pork tenderloin every time:

• Cook pork tenderloin to the proper temperature, which is 145 °F. It will be slightly pink in the center. Use a reliable thermometer to keep track of the temperature and remove it from the oven or grill when it reaches the magic number.
• Turn the meat over halfway through the cooking process for even browning and a crust on all sides. Spoon juices from the pan over the top when you turn it.
• Allow the pork tenderloin to rest for about 5 minutes so that the juices settle back into the meat before cutting it.
• Bring excess marinade to a vigorous boil for 5 minutes and pour it over the meat to keep it moist.

Note: Always discard marinade that has been in contact with raw meat unless it has been cooked to remove harmful bacteria.

What to Serve with Red Wine Marinated Pork Tenderloin

This red wine marinade flavoring allows lots of flexibility for selecting side dishes to round out the meal. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Any vegetable! I can't think of one that won't work. Look to our Seasonal Produce Guide for inspiration. A few of our favorites:
  • Green Beans
  • Sugar Snap Peas
• Add sliced or diced pork to a salad like Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad.
• Serve sliders topped with Southern Coleslaw with vinegar dressing.
• Make this Pork Fried Rice by Self-Proclaimed Foodie.

More Marinade Recipes

The marinades used in these recipes are great for pork too:

• Garlic and Rosemary Red Wine Marinade for Shish Kabobs
• Molasses Marinade for Grilled Pork Chops
• Best London Broil Marinade
• Bourbon Marinated Salmon

📋 Recipe