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Enjoy a gourmet meal at home with this pork tenderloin piccata recipe! It’s fast and easy and features juicy pork medallions smothered in a sumptuous lemon caper sauce.
Try my Easy Chicken Piccata or Easy Creamy Pork Marsala next.
Why you’ll love it
Regular readers around here are familiar with my Pork Piccata that uses pork chops, so I thought I’d make a similar version with pork tenderloin! It’s another nice alternative to chicken that’s cost friendly, lean, totally irresistible, and ready in just 25 minutes.
Here we’ve got a creamy sauce with the bright citrusy quality of lemons paired with briny capers. It’s a classic combo, making it an Italian American favorite. The best part is that this quick and simple sauce for pork tenderloin is made with everyday ingredients!
What you’ll need
- Pork tenderloin – as always, please don’t confuse this cut of meat with pork loin! They’re not the same thing and can’t be swapped.
- Garlic powder – to give the pork medallions themselves lots of flavor directly (along with salt & pepper)
- Flour – to dredge and getting that fantastic golden crust!
- Butter – for pan searing and making the base of the piccata sauce
- Chicken broth – another layer of flavor. Or use a dry white wine like sauv blanc, pinot grigio, etc. for a special touch
- Lemon juice plus zest – for plenty of brightness
- Capers – these pickled little delights give the sauce its hallmark tangy, briny flavor
- Heavy cream – while not strictly necessary, I love the silky/luxurious texture and taste!
Pro tip
Pork tenderloin is lean and cooks swiftly. There’s no reason why it needs to be dry and chewy, though! These days pork is optimal when it’s 145F in the middle, a little pink inside, and remains tender and juicy.
How to make pork tenderloin piccata
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Prep your pork, and cut it into rounds. Season with salt & pepper and the garlic powder, then dredge in flour. Heat up half the butter, then pan fry the medallions until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate, and remove the pan from the heat.
To the skillet, add the broth, lemon juice and zest, rest of the butter, and capers. Scrape up the browned bits, pour in the cream, and return to the heat. Let it bubble, then add the pork back. Simmer until the pork is 145F, and serve with parsley and fresh parm if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Get a terrific sear on meat using a cast iron skillet (and a splatter guard if needed).
- Here’s my handy dandy instant read thermometer. It’s a game changer!
- Store your butter in this butter dish with measurement markings on it for where to cut. No more guesswork.
Substitutions and variations
- If you’re not feeling the cream, I highly recommend just leaving it out vs. using a lower fat alternative. It’s very likely to curdle with half-and-half, etc. Simply increase the chicken broth quantity to make it without the cream.
- Throw in some spinach near the end of cooking time for some greens!
- Even more riffs on this recipe are my Salmon Piccata or Quick Shrimp Piccata.
What to serve with piccata pork tenderloin
- My thick and creamy Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes or classic Garlic Mashed Potatoes are great with the sauce. Rice or my Hot Buttered Noodles works too!
- For vegetables, try my Easy Glazed Carrots or this easy Stovetop Asparagus recipe.
- Make a delightful side salad with this restaurant-style Italian Dressing and these easy Homemade Croutons.
Leftovers and storage
- You can store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days no problem.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat, preferably on the stove. Keep an eye on it so that the meat doesn’t dry out/overcook.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one, especially if you’re using the cream.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this pork tenderloin with piccata sauce! I’m excited to hear from you. Or tag me on Instagram to be featured in my stories!
Pork Tenderloin Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour (for dredging)
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon brined capers drained
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Garnish: chopped parsley and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste
Instructions
- Trim off excess fat and silver skin and slice the pork tenderloin into about 1" thick pieces (rounds). Season generously with salt & pepper and sprinkle with garlic powder. Coat the pork pieces in flour.
- Add half the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pork and cook for about 3 minutes/side until golden. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the pork to a plate.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining butter, and capers to the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the cream and return the pan to the heat. Once it's bubbling again, add the pork back into the skillet.
- Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to your liking (you may need to turn down the heat if it's bubbling too much).
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and/or parmesan cheese if you like.
Notes
- If you don’t want the cream in it, I recommend leaving it out vs. using something lower fat like half-and-half because the sauce is likely to curdle and not thicken as well. To make this recipe without cream, increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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