This pork tenderloin marinade is the University of Illinois Extension’s Grilled Pork Tenderloin recipe, followed as written: soy, vinegar, lemon, mustard, and pepper, 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, then about 30 minutes on a medium grill. We use it on our pork tenderloin, whose product page says the cut “absorbs marinades and seasonings beautifully.”
Below are the recipe, the marinating safety rules from Clemson Extension, and a table of the two cited grill guides. One note on temperature up front: the Illinois recipe’s endpoint is 155°F, USDA’s minimum is 145°F with a rest, and we label each one so they are not blended.
- The marinade recipe (Illinois Extension)
- How to marinate safely
- Grill times from two sources
- The recipe’s 155°F and USDA’s 145°F minimum
- Questions people ask
Pork tenderloin marinade recipe, from Illinois Extension
The recipe is Grilled Pork Tenderloin from University of Illinois Extension. It is written for a 1 lb tenderloin and makes 4 servings of 4 ounces. Our product page lists no weight, so weigh yours and let the thermometer decide when it is done.
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- Combine all ingredients except the tenderloin in a plastic food storage bag.
- Add the tenderloin and turn to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, turning the tenderloin occasionally.
- Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and discard the marinade.
- Grill on a medium grill about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 155°F, turning halfway through.
- Rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
We have not changed an amount or a step. The soy sauce carries the salt, so there is no separate salt in the list. The recipe’s own nutrition line puts sodium at 262 mg per serving.
Time, as the recipe card counts it: 4 hours marinating (the source’s stated prep time and the low end of its 4 to 6 hour range), about 30 minutes on the grill, and a 10 minute rest, 4 hours 40 minutes in all. Marinate 6 hours and the total is 6 hours 40 minutes.
It is a grilling season recipe, and the tenderloin is the cut we reach for first when the grill comes out. The hogs are Heritage Duroc, raised crate free with no antibiotics ever on family farms, per our product page, and the cut ships frozen with the rest of our fresh cuts.
How to marinate a tenderloin safely
Clemson Extension’s Food Safety for Outdoor Cookouts gives three rules. “Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.” If you want some marinade for basting or as a sauce, set a portion aside before the raw meat goes in.
And if you want to reuse marinade that touched raw meat, bring it to a rolling boil for at least one minute first. Clemson says that boil is what kills harmful bacteria.
The Illinois recipe simply discards the marinade, which is the easiest way to follow all three rules. Clemson also notes that the acid in a marinade breaks down connective tissue. That is the tenderizing people mean when they say a marinade “works.”
Grill times for the marinated tenderloin, from two sources
| Method | Heat | Time | Endpoint | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grill, this recipe | Medium grill | About 30 minutes, turn halfway | 155°F (the recipe’s endpoint), rest 5 to 10 minutes | Illinois Extension |
| Grill, general guide | Grill, 1/2 to 1 1/2 lb tenderloin | 15 to 25 minutes total | 145°F to 160°F | Clemson Extension table |
Both lines are grill guides. We do not give an oven version of this marinated tenderloin, because neither source tests one; our product page’s own oven method (400°F, 18 to 20 minutes to 145°F) is written for a plain seasoned tenderloin and is described in pork tenderloin vs pork loin.
Pick one line and stay on it. Clemson’s line is the general check on the recipe’s clock; the thermometer is the finish either way.
The recipe’s 155°F endpoint and USDA’s 145°F minimum
The Illinois recipe cooks to 155°F. USDA’s safe minimum internal temperature chart puts fresh pork at 145°F with a rest of at least 3 minutes, and our product page uses 145°F too.
We do not rewrite the source, so the recipe above says 155°F, and following the recipe means cooking to 155°F. USDA’s minimum is a separate rule: fresh pork is safe at 145°F with a rest of at least 3 minutes. A tenderloin pulled at 145°F meets USDA’s minimum; it does not follow the Illinois recipe as written.
A thermometer settles it either way. The tenderloin is thin, so check early. USDA’s fresh pork page says cooked pork can still be pink at 145°F and be safe.
Questions people ask about pork tenderloin marinade
What’s the best marinade for pork tenderloin?
The one we can cite is the Illinois Extension recipe above: oil, reduced sodium soy sauce, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, garlic powder, parsley, dry mustard, and black pepper. We have not ranked others.
Which is better for pork tenderloin, a marinade or a rub?
They do different jobs. A marinade adds acid and time; a rub is seasoning applied right before cooking, which is what our product page describes. Our older post on heritage breed pork marinades and rubs covers both.
What’s the best way to marinate a tenderloin?
In a sealed bag in the refrigerator, turned now and then, for the recipe’s 4 to 6 hours. Never on the counter, per Clemson Extension, and discard the marinade afterward.
How long do you grill a marinated pork tenderloin?
The Illinois recipe says about 30 minutes on a medium grill, turned halfway, to 155°F. Clemson’s general table gives 15 to 25 minutes total for a 1/2 to 1 1/2 lb tenderloin to 145°F to 160°F. Use a thermometer.
One cited pork tenderloin marinade, three cited ways to cook it. Four to six hours in the refrigerator, then the grill or the oven, and a thermometer at the end.
Order the pork tenderloin, or browse the other heritage pork fresh cuts for the grill.