This grilled pork loin with herb pesto is a simple and easy meal that makes great use of the grill. The pork tenderloin is marinated in a Mediterranean style rub, grilled to perfection, and then topped with charred herb pesto.
I love it when the weather is perfect for grilling, and this is one of my favorite ones to make. It is simple, takes minimal effort, and tastes great. The pork tenderloins are marinated in a Mediterranean style rub and goes perfectly with the charred herb pesto. The best part is you can make this pesto at the same time as you cook the pork tenderloins. Slice it into medallions and it makes an easy dish that is sure to disappear quickly.
Table of Contents
What’s in the rub?
What is awesome about this rub is that many of these ingredients are already in your kitchen. The other thing is it goes well on chicken too.
Fennel seeds: these will provide a light licorice flavor to the pork, these are also found in Italian sausage.
Smoked paprika: this will add smokiness to the pork loin
Ground coriander: this is the secret weapon that ties all of the other spices together and adds an earth flavor to the pork loin.
Prepping the pork tenderloin
One of the best things about this is that the pork loins can be prepared in advanced. I personally love to prepare it the night before. That way it will give the herbs and spices plenty of time to allow all of the flavors to develop. If you are short on time, you can do a 30-minute marinating time, but you will thank me by letting it sit over night if you can. Also, by pouring the spice rub over the tenderloin in a plastic bag it makes it easier to spread it all over the pork.
Making grilled pork loin with herb pesto
When you are ready to grill it will go by pretty quickly. You want to make sure that you have an accurate meat thermometer. I will use an instant probe or wireless and they both work well. Place the pork loins over direct heat and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. You will need to rotate the loin 3 times to get all 4 sides. You will want the internal temperature to reach 140°F/60°C. It will continue to cook and reach the proper 145°F/63°C. When taking the temperature, it should be in the thickest part of the loin.
Don’t have charred herb pesto?
The best part about this recipe is that you can make the pesto in the time that it will take for the pork to rest. Here is the recipe for the Charred herb Pesto. Once you have taken the pork loins off of the grill and tented them, put all of the herbs on the grill in a basket over direct heat until they start to char. You can then add everything to a food processor and by the time you are done the pork loins will be rested and ready to slice.
Looking for other grilled pork recipes?
Grilled Pork Loin with Herb Pesto
Equipment
- Grill
- Sheet pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Tongs
- Meat thermometer
- Ziploc bag
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds pork tenderloins 2 tenderloins
- ½ cup charred herb pesto
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the olive oil, salt, thyme, pepper, lemon zest, garlic, fennel, paprika, and coriander.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Place the pork tenderloins into the bag and pour the marinade on top of them. Seal the bag and gently massage the tenderloins to spread the marinade to coat them completely. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.2½ pounds pork tenderloins
- Preheat the grill to medium high, 400°F or 200°C.
- Place the tenderloins over direct heat and cover. Rotate every 3-4 minutes to get a nice sear on each side. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140°F or 60°C, it will continue to cook to get to 145°F or 63°C.
- Tent and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Spoon the herb pesto over the sliced pork loins.½ cup charred herb pesto
Nutrition
