Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Gravy is the perfect weeknight one-pot meal made with creamy mashed potatoes and a rich gravy. For the most fork-tender pork tenderloin roast, use fresh or thawed tenderloins. Everyone will clean their plates with this delicious pork roast and potatoes recipe. Make this pork recipe a keto-friendly version by replacing the potatoes with a low-carb vegetable side.
This Instant Pot pork tenderloin recipe is a quick and easy pressure-cooked dinner. The pork is incredibly tender and savory. Since it’s a one-pot dish, the cut potatoes go in at the same time as the pork so they all cook together.
The gravy is made by using the concentrated juices at the bottom of the pot adding corn starch and water and simmering until a thick sauce forms. It’s amazing drizzled across the top of the meat, potatoes, and a vegetable side, like green beans.
Pressure cooker pork tenderloin is best made with fresh, and not frozen, pork. If it’s frozen, make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator (defrosting it overnight works best) before putting it in the pot.
After it’s cooked, place a sprig of rosemary as a garnish on top to give this comfort food an elevated appearance.
Content Covered Here
What is a Pork Tenderloin?
Pork tenderloin is a long, narrow, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. It is an extra-lean cut of pork.
Pork Loin vs. Pork Tenderloin
You might think that Pork loin and pork tenderloin are the same cut of pork, but they’re the same, but they aren’t. Here’s what you need to know before you cook either meat and how to tell the difference between pork tenderloin and pork loin.
Pork tenderloin is one of the leanest, most tender cuts of meat, so it can be a little pricey at the grocery store. It’s always boneless and usually comes with two (one pound) tenderloins in a package.
Pork tenderloins do well with fast, high heat. Think quick roasting, broiling, grilling, sautéing, and braising. They’ll remain tender and juicy when cooked properly.
A pork loin is wider and flatter and can be a boneless or bone-in cut of meat. Pork loin comes from the back of the animal.
Pork loins need low and slow heat. Consider searing to brown it in a sauté pan, then finishing it in an oven and shredding it. Or grill it over medium, indirect heat. Cut a big pork loin into thick, meaty chops for a barbeque. They’re great for feeding a crowd.
Both of these cuts of pork tend to turn dry and tough if not cooked properly.
Love pork recipes? Try our pork loin and potatoes (with veggies), Crockpot ranch pork chops, Instant Pot pork chops recipe, buttermilk brine for pork chops, oven baked pulled pork, and recipe for baked pork steak.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pork tenderloin (thawed, see notes below about frozen)
- All-purpose seasoning
- Olive oil
- Chicken broth or stock
- Potatoes (Russett, red, or Yukon)
- Milk, cream, or half-n-half
- Butter
- Garlic powder
- Cornstarch (optional)
I prefer to use Smithfield or Swift pork tenderloin for consistency in size and quality.
For all-purpose seasoning, I recommend one of McCormick’s all-purpose seasonings shown above.
Recipe Variations
Pork tenderloin Instant Pot variations are easy to incorporate into this dish. Here are a few examples:
The best potatoes for this recipe are Yukon, but if you don’t have them, you can use red or russet instead. The key is to cut them to all the same size so they cook evenly.
You can also use garlic seasoning to make a garlic pork tenderloin by adding minced garlic to the pot.
If you’d rather use a lighter version of a sauce, drizzle a balsamic reduction on top instead of the gravy. You can make this reduction yourself or buy a bottle at your local grocery store.
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in An Instant Pot
Searing the tenderloin
- Cut pork tenderloin in half to fit in your Instant Pot and cook evenly. Rub all-purpose seasoning over all sides of the pork.
- Brown the pork tenderloin on all sides. Remove the pork roast and let rest on a plate. Add the broth to the pot and stir to deglaze the pan.
Pressure cooking the roast and potatoes
- Add potatoes to the bottom of the pot and place the pork tenderloin on top. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When pressure cooking is complete, do a natural release for 10 minutes (let the pot rest undisturbed), then perform a quick release (turn or twist pressure valve).
- Transfer the pork roast to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil.
Mashing the Potatoes
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, and seasoning.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or mixer. Cover with foil.
Make the gravy
- Set the pressure coooker to sauté.
- Mix the cornstarch and cold water.
- Using a whisk, stir the mixture with the broth until smooth and continue stirring until the gravy is thick and bubbly.
Make this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Keto
For keto pork tenderloin, use keto-friendly vegetables like turnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, or green beans instead of potatoes. Replace corn starch with your preferred keto thickener.
Since the goal is to limit carbohydrates, other options would be asparagus, zucchini, spinach, and tomatoes. Since these vegetables aren’t as thick as potatoes, it might be best to cook them on the side so they don’t overcook in the Instant Pot with the pork.
Recipe FAQs
Cooking in a pressure cooker is a two-part process. The time of the actual cooking with the heat on and the time it takes to rest and naturally release the pressure. In this recipe, there is a 5-minute cook time and 10-minute natural release time for 1 pound of pork.
Pork tenderloin is known for its drier white meat and should be cooked fast rather than slow. It’s even better when cooked with liquid of some kind so it can stay moist.
Pork needs to get to an internal temperature of 145 degrees using an instant-read thermometer, unlike chicken, which needs to get to 165 degrees. It’s acceptable for pork to be slightly pink in the middle, while it’s not acceptable for chicken.
Refrigerate the pork and the potatoes in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Be sure to completely reheat the pork up to 145 degrees to kill any latent bacteria.
After cooking, you can freeze the pork by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then putting it into a freezer bag. Make sure to label the bag with what it is, the date, and any thawing or cooking directions you want to add.
You can also freeze the mashed potatoes, however, it’s not a good idea to freeze the cooked vegetables if you plan to eat them as a side. They tend to get mushy after freezing and thawing.
More Easy Dinner Recipes To Love…
- Chic Fil A grilled nuggets
- Lazy Lasagna
- Chicken Breast Recipes in Cast Iron Skillet
- Quick Marinade for Pork Chop
If you tried this pork tenderloin with potato recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
Equipment
- Instant Pot - or other electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
For the Pork Roast
- 1 (16-24 oz) pork tenderloin (thawed, see notes below about frozen)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups chicken broth or stock, low sodium
- 6 potatoes (Russett, Red, or Yukon Gold), cut into 3" quarters (about 2 lbs)
For the Mashed Potatoes
- ⅓ cup half-n-half, milk, or cream
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoons garlic powder
- salt and black pepper
For the gravy
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
Instructions
For the Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes:
- Cut pork tenderloin in half to fit in your Instant Pot (if needed) and cook evenly. Rub all-purpose seasoning over all sides of the pork.
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode by pushing the sauté button. Add olive oil. When the pot is ready, brown the pork tenderloin on all sides, about 5 minutes total. While the pork roast is searing, I prepare the potatoes.
- Remove the pork roast and let rest on a plate. Add the broth to the pot and stir to deglaze the pan.
- Press the cancel button. Add potatoes to the bottom of the pot and place the pork tenderloin on top. Twist on the Instant Pot lid, turn the pressure lever to seal (if needed), then press the high-pressure button and set for 5 minutes.
- When pressure cooking is complete, do a natural release for 10 minutes (let the pot rest undisturbed), then perform a quick release (turn or twist pressure valve).
- Transfer pork roast to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil.
For Mashed Potatoes:
- Using a slotted spoon, add the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, and seasoning. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or mixer. Cover with foil.
For the gravy:
- Press the sauté button until it says HIGH. In a cup, mix the corn starch and cold water. Using a whisk, stir the mixture with the broth until smooth. Continue stirring until the gravy is thick and bubbly.
Serving
- Slice tenderloin roast into 1" slices before serving. Drizzle gravy over. Add a sprig of rosemary to serving platter for garnish.
Carrie Robinson says
We make pork tenderloin at least twice a week in our house. I will have to try this recipe the next time we make it. ๐