Instant Pot Balsamic Apple Pork Tenderloin is a quick, flavorful pressure cooker dinner with a sweet, tangy, lightly spiced sauce. Tender pork medallions are served with a rich balsamic apple gravy made with apples, herbs, honey, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It is simple enough for a weeknight meal, but elegant enough to serve when you want something special.
Instant Pot Balsamic Apple Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin cooks very quickly in the Instant Pot, which is both a benefit and something to watch carefully. When cooked properly, it turns out moist, tender, and easy to slice into beautiful medallions. When overcooked, it can become dry, so the timing in this recipe is important.
This Instant Pot pork tenderloin recipe is designed to keep the meat juicy while building a deeply flavored sauce in the same pot. The onions, garlic, apples, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, thyme, and honey come together to create a savory-sweet gravy that pairs beautifully with the mild flavor of pork.
Pork tenderloin is one of the best cuts for fast pressure cooker meals. It is lean, naturally tender, and easy to serve. Once cooked and rested, it slices neatly into medallions that can be spooned generously with the balsamic apple sauce.
It is important to use pork tenderloin for this recipe, not pork loin. Pork tenderloin is long, narrow, and tubular, usually weighing between 1 and 2 pounds. Pork loin is wider, flatter, and shaped more like a roast. Because these cuts are different in size and texture, they do not cook the same way.
This recipe uses the long, thin tenderloin cut. After pressure cooking and a natural release, the pork rests while the sauce is finished and thickened. The result is tender slices of pork coated in a glossy apple balsamic sauce with a balanced sweet and tangy flavor.
The apples and honey bring natural sweetness to the sauce, while balsamic vinegar adds brightness and depth. This is also a great way to use apples that are a little too soft for snacking. Once cooked into the sauce, they help create body, flavor, and a comforting texture.
Apples and pork are a classic combination, and this Instant Pot version makes the pairing especially easy. The sauce is made directly in the pressure cooker, so there is no need for a separate pan or complicated steps. Everything builds in layers, starting with browning the pork and ending with a lightly thickened gravy.
Instant Pot Balsamic Apple Pork Tenderloin is a lovely choice for dinner guests, a quiet date night at home, or a meal that feels a little more special without requiring a long cooking time. Serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, roasted vegetables, or a simple green salad.
You might also like:
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Autumn Apple Pork Chops
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Instant Pot Balsamic Apple Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil, neutral, such as canola or sunflower
- 1 ½ lbs pork tenderloin* (not pork loin roast)
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 2 ½ Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (good quality vinegar makes a difference)
- ½ cup apple juice or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 apples, chopped, any variety
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt, or ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 sprig rosemary, about 3 inches long
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
To Finish
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 ½ teaspoons corn starch
Instructions
-
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on normal or medium heat. When the display reads Hot, add the oil.
-
Place the pork tenderloin in the pot and brown it for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness, without moving it. Turn and brown the other sides.
-
Transfer the browned tenderloin to a plate and set it aside.
-
Add the sliced onion and cook until softened, stirring often. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If needed, add a small splash of broth or juice to help loosen them.
-
Add the garlic and stir briefly.
-
Pour in the balsamic vinegar and stir.
-
Add the apple juice or broth, chopped apples, salt, rosemary, and thyme. Stir well.
-
Return the pork tenderloin to the pot and nestle it into the apple mixture.
-
Lock the lid in place and set the steam release knob to Sealing.
-
Cancel the Sauté function.
-
Select Pressure Cook or Manual, set to Low Pressure, and cook for 2 minutes. For a smaller 1-pound tenderloin, cook for 1 minute.
-
When the cooking cycle ends, turn the pot off or unplug it so the warming function does not activate. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Then turn the steam release knob to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
-
When the pin drops, open the lid. Check the internal temperature of the tenderloin with a meat thermometer. If it reads 137°F or higher, remove it to a plate and cover loosely with foil to rest. It will continue rising toward the desired 145°F temperature.
-
If the pork is not yet up to temperature, remove it while you complete the next steps. Then return it to the sauce for a few minutes, turning once, and check the temperature again before resting.
-
Turn the Sauté function back on.
-
Add the honey and stir until fully incorporated.
-
Add the butter and stir.
-
Simmer for about 5 minutes so the sauce reduces slightly and the flavors become more concentrated.
-
Scoop about ⅓ cup of the hot liquid into a cup and whisk in the corn starch. Pour the mixture back into the simmering sauce and stir until thickened.
-
Turn off the pot.
-
Slice the tenderloin into medallions and serve with plenty of balsamic apple sauce.
-
Garnish if desired. The photos show thyme and pomegranate arils.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.