Amazing Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin 8 minutes

Ugh, those nights when you get home late and the thought of a complicated dinner makes you want to just eat cereal? I know that feeling! That’s why I live and breathe by my trusty Instant Pot for weeknight miracles. This recipe, my friend, is the absolute champion for busy folks. I promise you, following these steps means you get a perfectly cooked, unbelievably tender **Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin** on the table in less than 30 minutes total time. Seriously!

We aren’t messing around with bland meat here either. This isn’t just about speed; it’s about flavor that packs a punch. We are diving headfirst into minced garlic heaven so every single bite is savory and rich. By using the pressure cooker, we lock in all that juiciness. You won’t believe how tender this pork gets just from a quick 8-minute cook time. Trust me, this one is going straight into your permanent rotation.

Why This Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin Recipe Works So Well

If you’re tired of dry, sad weeknight dinners that take forever, you’re going to love this approach. My Instant Pot garlic pork tenderloin is all about maximizing flavor in the absolute shortest amount of time. It just turns out perfect every single time, which is why I keep coming back to it. For those super frantic evenings, you might even want to check out what I do for amazing quick and easy recipes in 15 minutes!

• Incredible Speed: We’re talking maybe 10 minutes of prep and then the pot does all the heavy lifting. Dinner is served before your kids finish their homework!
• Guaranteed Tenderness: That pressure seal? It locks in moisture like nothing else. Say goodbye to chewy pork tenderloin forever.
• Garlic Punch: We don’t shy away from the good stuff. The minced garlic permeates the meat beautifully during the short cook time.

Essential Ingredients for Your Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This list is super short, which is one of the major selling points! You probably have most of this stuff hanging out in your pantry already. Grab just one pork tenderloin, make sure it’s about 1 to 1.5 pounds—that’s the sweet spot for this timing. The most important part is that garlic; it needs to be freshly minced, don’t reach for the jarred stuff here, okay?

• One pork tenderloin (1 to 1.5 lbs)
• One tablespoon of olive oil
• 4 glorious cloves of garlic, minced super fine
• Salt and black pepper—just a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper.
• Half a cup of chicken broth. Any kind will do!

Expert Tips for the Perfect Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin Sear

Okay, so the main cooking time is just 8 minutes under pressure. That’s super quick, which means we don’t develop that deep crusty flavor naturally. That’s why I *always* tell people to use the Sauté function first. Seriously, don’t skip this if you have an extra three minutes! That gorgeous browning builds tons of savory depth that pressurized steam just can’t replicate on its own. If you want to see what I mean about that sizzle power, check out these sizzling garlic butter pork chops for inspiration!

When you do this for a couple of servings, it’s easy. But if you decide to double up and cook two tenderloins at once? Watch out for overcrowding the pot! If the meat is just sitting on top of itself, it steams instead of searing. You want space between the pieces so they turn that beautiful mahogany color.

Building Flavor: Searing the Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode, and give the olive oil about a minute to get thoroughly hot—you want it shimmering. Gently place your rubbed pork tenderloin right in there. We are looking for a rich, golden-brown color on every side, so use tongs to turn it every two or three minutes. You’ll see some lovely brown bits sticking to the bottom of the pot—that’s called the fond, and it’s pure flavor gold!

Once it’s lovely and browned everywhere, hit Cancel immediately. Before you add the broth for the pressure cooking step, grab a wooden spoon and scrape up every last bit of that browned goodness. That action—the deglazing—is what transfers all that intense flavor into the cooking liquid you’ll use later!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Okay, now that we’ve prepped it (hopefully you seared it!), here is the actual magic part of this quick dinner. Honestly, once you get the hang of this timing, you won’t even need to look at the recipe card. It really is foolproof, which is why I rely on it so much when I need something fast, like when I’m trying to whip up a side dish like instant pot potato salad!

1. First things first: Pat that pork tenderloin really dry with paper towels. It helps the seasoning stick better, trust me.
2. Now, rub every surface of that tenderloin with olive oil, all that gorgeous minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Make sure it’s coated evenly!
3. Get your trivet inside the liner of your Instant Pot. Then, pour in that half cup of chicken broth. This is important—the liquid needs to be at the bottom so the pot can build pressure!
4. Gently set the seasoned pork tenderloin right on top of that trivet.
5. Seal up the lid nice and tight, and make absolutely sure the vent is set to the Sealing position.
6. Set it to Manual or Pressure Cook on High and cook it for exactly 8 minutes. That’s the magic number for a perfect medium-rare inside.
7. When the 8 minutes are up, do not rush it! You need a 5-minute Natural Pressure Release (NPR). Let the machine sit there quietly for those five minutes.
8. After the 5 minutes, carefully switch the vent to Venting to release any remaining steam. Be careful of the hot steam that comes out!
9. Pull the gorgeous pork out, put it on a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes before you slice into it. This resting time is when the juices redistribute, keeping it super moist.

Making a Quick Pan Sauce for Your Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

You know what I always say? Don’t let delicious liquid go to waste in that pot! After you pull out that beautifully cooked pork tenderloin, you’ve got this magnificent, garlicky chicken broth sitting there. It’s practically screaming to be turned into something spectacular. This is easily the best part of using the Instant Pot—we get a built-in base for a luscious pan sauce for the Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin!

It’s so simple; you don’t even need extra ingredients, but I sometimes like to cheat a little. If your sauce looks a bit thin for your liking after it simmers, I just drop in a tiny knob of cold butter right at the end and whisk like crazy. That makes it glossy and rich, instantly fancying up your quick dinner.

If you want to learn more about making incredible homemade sauces that elevate any dish, you absolutely have to check out my thoughts on the most beloved homemade sauces and the secrets for epic flavor. But for right now, let’s get this pork sauce done!

Using the Remaining Cooking Liquid

First, make sure the vent is completely open so the pot isn’t pressurized. Set the Instant Pot back to the Sauté function, but choose a lower heat setting if you can. We just want it to simmer gently, not boil furiously!

Let that broth just bubble away. It will naturally reduce down a little bit, concentrating all those delicious garlic notes we built earlier. This process takes maybe 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how much liquid you have left.

Thickening the Sauce Simply

If you want a thicker sauce, I highly recommend a cornstarch slurry. Don’t dump the powder straight in—it will just turn into sad white clumps! Instead, mix about one teaspoon of cornstarch with about two teaspoons of cold water in a tiny bowl until it’s totally smooth. That mix is what we call a slurry.

Pour that slurry slowly into the simmering liquid while stirring continuously. Watch it! It will thicken up right before your eyes. If it’s still too thin, just mix up a tiny bit more slurry and add it bit by bit. Once it coats the back of a spoon, hit Cancel, and your quick sauce is done!

Tips for Success When Making Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Even though this recipe is so fast, there are just a couple of extra things you can do to move it from “Good” status to “Wow, I can’t believe I made this!” status. The biggest concern people have with any pork tenderloin is dryness, right? I totally get it. That gorgeous moisture we locked in during the pressure cooking stage can all leak out if we aren’t careful at the end. If you want to dive deep into a common slip-up I see people make in the kitchen, check out my thoughts on the number one mistake to avoid for homemade perfection!

The secret weapon here, besides the garlic, is temperature control. You absolutely need an instant-read thermometer for this. Seriously, it’s worth the five bucks. Forget cutting into the meat to check—you’ll let all the juices escape!

Don’t Worry About the 8 Minutes, Focus on the Temperature

The 8 minutes cook time is calculated for a one-pound tenderloin, but the thickness matters way more than the length. When that timer goes off, open the pot (carefully!) and slide that thermometer into the thickest part of the pork. We are aiming for exactly 145 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s the safe internal temperature for pork, and it leaves you with meat that is just blush-pink and unbelievably juicy.

If you pull it out at 143°F, don’t panic! Leave it on the cutting board under a loose tent of foil while it finishes resting; it will keep climbing a couple of degrees. If you accidentally hit 150°F, well, it might be a little firmer, but that’s life! It usually happens if you skipped the searing or used a thicker piece of meat.

The Mandatory 5-Minute Rest is Non-Negotiable

Remember when I said the pressure cooking locks in the juice? Resting lets the meat fibers relax so they can soak those juices back up! If you slice into that pork the second it comes out of the liner, all that wonderful moisture will flood your cutting board instead of staying *in* the meat.

You must let it rest uncovered on the board—not covered too tightly, or it might steam and get a weird texture—for a solid 5 minutes. That short rest period is just as important as the pressure cooking time itself. It brings the internal temperature up slightly and guarantees you get that succulent, tender finish we are aiming for with this quick dinner.

Serving Suggestions for Your Flavorful Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Now that you have this perfectly tender, garlicky main dish ready in record time, you need some buddies to sit next to it on the plate, right? Since the pork itself is so fast, we want sides that match that energy—nothing that takes hours in the oven! The strong garlic profile here pairs wonderfully with things that are bright, starchy, or green to cut through that richness.

My go-to simple pairing lately has been roasted asparagus. It takes about 15 minutes in the oven while the pork is resting, resulting in a beautiful green side that complements the garlic perfectly. If you want an amazing way to season your veggies that works with meat like this, you have to try my recipe for flavorful roasted garlic parmesan broccoli!

Starchy Comfort Sides

You absolutely need something starchy to soak up any of that glorious pan sauce we made! Creamy mashed potatoes are always a winner here. Just use instant or pre-made ones if you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for time. They are comforting and soak up that garlic broth beautifully.

Another great choice is simple egg noodles. You boil them up while the pork is resting, toss them with a little butter, salt, and maybe a tiny pinch of pepper, and you have an amazing, neutral base for the main event. It feels fancy but takes maybe 10 minutes total!

Quick Vegetable Pairings

To keep things light, you can’t go wrong with quickly steamed green beans or quick-blanched broccoli florets. If you use the steamer basket on your Instant Pot while the pork is resting beside it, you can knock out both the meat and two veggies quickly!

If you want roast veggies but don’t want to wait for the oven to heat up, toss some carrots or small potatoes with oil and roast them right alongside the asparagus in a faster preheated oven. Anything with a little bit of texture contrast balances out the soft, tender meat wonderfully.

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Let’s be real, sometimes cooking a quick weeknight dinner means you end up with leftovers! And that’s awesome because this **Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin** is actually fantastic the next day. The garlic flavor deepens overnight, I swear. The most important thing is keeping that moisture locked in so you don’t end up with dry meat when you reheat it.

For storage, you need an airtight container. Slice up any leftover pork tenderloin—slicing it first actually helps it reheat more evenly later. Pop it into the container, make sure it’s sealed tight, and pop it in the fridge. It should stay great for three to four days. If you try to keep it longer than that, things get a bit sketchy, so plan to eat it within that window!

Microwaving for Speed

When you’re in a rush, the microwave wins, but we have to treat the pork kindly. If you just nuke a big hunk of meat, it’s going to seize up and get tough. Instead, take just the slices you need for your meal.

Put the slices in a microwave-safe dish. Here is my must-do step: pour maybe a teaspoon or two of plain water or—even better—a little splash of chicken broth right over the meat. Cover the dish loosely with a paper towel or a lid with a vent hole. This creates a little steamy environment that keeps things moist while the microwave works its magic. Heat it in short bursts, like 30 seconds at a time, until it’s warmed through.

Gentle Reheating in the Oven

If you have a little more time and want the absolute best texture, the oven wins every time, though it takes longer. This method is perfect if you are making this for a weekend meal prep and have a couple of hours to spare.

Preheat your oven to a super low temperature, maybe 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pork slices in a shallow baking dish. Just like with the microwave, adding a tablespoon or two of broth to the bottom of the dish is key—we are essentially simmering it very gently.

Cover the dish tightly with foil. You want to trap all that heat and steam inside. Let it sit in the low oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. You don’t want it to reach a high internal temperature again; we just want it warmed through gently. Pull it out when it feels hot to the touch, and it will be just as juicy as when it was freshly cooked!

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin

I get so many questions bouncing into my inbox about this recipe because it’s such a lifesaver on a busy weeknight, especially when people are new to pressure cooking. Since we’re aiming for an amazing quick dinner, people sometimes wonder about deviating from the script. If you want more amazing 30-minute inspiration, check out my amazing garlic chicken pasta recipe too!

Can I use a larger pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin recipe?

You totally can! That’s one of the great things about the Instant Pot—it handles slight variations well. If you’re using a piece that’s maybe a half-pound heavier, you’ll want to add about 1 to 2 extra minutes onto that high-pressure cook time. But here’s the real deal: always trust your thermometer over the clock in this case! Pop it in and check for that 145°F target temperature.

What is the best way to ensure the pork tenderloin is not dry?

This is the million-dollar question! It really comes down to two things we covered: the 5-minute Natural Pressure Release (NPR) is crucial—don’t quick release it right away! After that, you must let it rest for 5 minutes outside the pot before slicing. That resting period lets the meat fibers calm down and reabsorb all those lovely juices. And if you nail that 145°F internal temperature, you honestly can’t go wrong.

Can I skip the searing step for a faster Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin?

Look, if you are late, the baby is screaming, and you need dinner *yesterday*, you can technically skip the searing. It will still cook perfectly well because of the pressure. However, you will lose a huge amount of flavor complexity! Those browned bits we scraped up from the bottom of the pot? That’s where the deep savory notes come from. Your pork will be moist, yes, but it will taste mostly just like boiled meat instead of that robust, intensely garlicky pork tenderloin we are aiming for.

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