Mastering the Art of Cooking Pork Tenderloin on an Electric Grill

If you follow these tips, you can always get perfectly grilled pork tenderloin, whether you grill outside or inside.

I really enjoy how quickly the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill cooks. For example, it only takes minutes to grill pork tenderloin to a perfect medium rare, and it stays juicy and tender.

You can make this on any outdoor grill or even in the oven if you don’t have an indoor grill. The key is to control the heat and cook the pork to the right temperature.

When grilling pork tenderloin or other muscle cuts like pork chops or pork loin, the most important thing is not to cook it too long. Pork is a lean meat and, when grilled to well done, it tends to get dry and tough.

One thing I love about pork is that it can be cooked in a lot of different ways. Because I was making Cuban Sandwiches with the tenderloin, I rubbed it with a Cuban-style rub. You can use any dry rub you like, or try mine!

The USDA used to say that pork tenderloin should be cooked until the internal temperature reached 160℉/71℃. Thankfully, that rule has been changed. The USDA now says it is safe to eat pork that has been cooked to 145°F/63°F and given three minutes to rest. The only exception is ground pork, which needs to be cooked to 160°F/71°F. Even if your pork is slightly pink, it is completely safe as long as you reached those temperatures. The pink color and juices in meat are not blood; they are myoglobin. You shouldn’t use the color to tell if the meat is done.

I wish I could just say “no” to this question and leave it at that. However, that isnt the truth. Of course, you can grill a pork tenderloin straight from the freezer, but I don’t think you should. #1. It’s not possible to season a frozen piece of meat, and I think seasoning is one of the most important parts of grilling meat. #2. It’s hard to keep the meat at a low temperature while grilling it from frozen. You have to keep an eye on the temperature the whole time. I recommend always thawing meat before grilling for the best outcome.

There are two main reasons to let your pork tenderloin rest before slicing. The tenderloin will finish cooking to the right temperature if you let it rest for at least 5 minutes. This also gives the meat’s juices a chance to redistribute and be absorbed by the fibers, making for a juicier slice of meat. Some people say that pork tenderloin should rest for at least three minutes, but I usually let mine rest for ten minutes.

Cook Pork Tenderloin to Temperature Not Time.

It doesn’t take long for pork tenderloin to cook; in this recipe, it was done in about 12 minutes with a 10-minute rest. However, this will depend on a number of factors.

Instead of focusing on time, the focus should be on the temperature. I cannot stress enough the importance of a reliable and accurate thermometer. Every kitchen should have one.

I used to buy inexpensive instant-read thermometers and would have to replace them every 6-12 months. I was so excited when my husband gave me a (affiliate link)Thermapen MK4 for Christmas. It is a top-of-the-line thermometer that I use every day and it is going strong well after a year.

If you would rather have a dual-purpose thermometer, the (affiliate link)Pampered Chef Instant-Read with a probe also works great. The only thing I dont like about it is the on/off switch. It can be hard to push sometimes.

How long a pork tenderloin (or any other meat) takes to cook also depends on how hot it is before it’s cooked. Without a doubt, a frozen tenderloin will take longer to cook than a thawed one. But it takes even longer than that, and I think a lot of people forget this when they follow a recipe.

Skip the step where the meat should have been taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. If you don’t, the meat will take longer to cook, and if you don’t watch the heat properly, the outside can get very tough before the inside is done.

The size and style of oven or grill can also impact cooking time. It cooks so quickly on the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill because it is small, which means it loses less heat, and it has a fan that moves the air around. The larger the grill or oven, the more heat loss you have and that affects cooking times.

Meat should never be cooked by time but by temperature because there are so many things that can go wrong when cooking it. If you dont have a thermometer yet, get one. It will make cooking meat so much easier.

You should check the accuracy of any thermometer you already have or use, like the one that comes with the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill.

If the thermometer is off by more than 1-2°, it can really change how some foods turn out, especially lean meats like chicken breasts or pork tenderloin.

This is an article I wrote about how to quickly check your thermometer to see if it’s correct. The Ninja Foodi Grill’s built-in probe was off by about 4 to 5°, so I have to change my target temperature to account for that.

Check out the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill integrated probe and let me know what you think! You can tell me in the comments or email me at [email protected]. com.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin on an Outside Grill

When grilling a pork tenderloin, the only real differences between an outdoor and an indoor grill are where the heat source is located and how the hot air is moved.

The Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill’s heat source is at the top, while most outdoor grills’ heat comes from the bottom. This used to bother me because I liked how I could change the temperature on an outdoor grill by lifting the lid to let heat escape. But now that I’m better at controlling the temperature inside, it’s not as much of a problem.

There is a fan in the indoor grill that moves the heat around. Most outdoor grills don’t have those. When the grill lid is down, heat rises until it hits the lid and gets trapped. This gives you heat from both the top and the bottom. However, there is more heat loss without a fan to actually push the air back down.

These are not negatives, but things to consider when grilling outdoors. Charcoal and propane grills are very different in the way the temperature can be regulated. For propane grills, it’s easy to lower or turn off the heat. But for charcoal grills, the heat comes from the coals themselves.

If you want to cook lean meat on an outdoor grill, you should keep an eye on the heat. Whenever I cook meat, I like to sear it over high heat and then turn down the heat so the outside doesn’t get burned.

If you have a charcoal grill, you can do this by putting the hot side above the coals and the cooler side below them. If my propane grill has at least two knobs that can be turned, I set one to the hottest setting and the other to medium. For smaller grills, I may set the other knob to low or off completely.

You can also control the heat by opening the grill lid and letting the heat escape. However, if the grill grate is very hot, the pork tenderloin will still get charred and get a tough outer layer.

If you want to grill the perfect pork tenderloin outside, use a probe-style thermometer that you can trust and heat one side of the grill to the highest setting to make the grate very hot.

Make sure to take your pork tenderloin out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. You can season it however you like, but if you use a wet marinade, make sure it’s dry before putting it on the grill so it doesn’t burn and leave an unpleasant taste.

Place the probe into the pork tenderloin at its thickest part through the side, not the top. Place the tenderloin on the hot grate and let it sear with the lid open. When the pork releases easily from the hot grate, turn it and sear the other side.

Watch the temperature inside, because sometimes searing both sides is enough to get it to 135℉/57℃, which is the temperature I like to take my pork out of the oven and let the residual heat finish cooking it. For more information about carryover cooking, see the frequently asked questions in the above section.

If the temperature drops below 135℉/57℉, move the pork tenderloin to the cooler side of the grill and cover it. This will make a gentle heat that will cook the pork tenderloin just right without getting that tough, burnt crust that is too chewy for a lean cut of meat.

When I use a gas grill, I usually turn down the hot side a bit so that when the lid is closed, the grill isn’t quite as hot. Because every grill cooks a little differently, you may need to make some changes to get the pork tenderloin just right for you. But these tips should help you get started.

When the pork tenderloin reaches 135℉-140℉/57℃-60℃ remove it from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Make sure the meat stays at least 145℉/63℃ for three minutes by leaving the probe in it while it rests. This will keep the juices from leaking out of the hole where the probe is.

From what I’ve seen, the tenderloin can get up to 15° hotter during the carryover cooking that I talk about above.

Cooking Corn and Pork Tenderloin, Weber Lumin Electric Grill

FAQ

What is the best temperature to grill pork tenderloin?

Is pork tenderloin better in the oven or on the grill?

Do you close the lid when grilling pork tenderloin?

How to cook a pork tenderloin on a grill?

Combine the garlic powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground thyme, and salt in a small bowl. Then, rub the seasoning in on all sides of the pork tenderloin. Place your seasoned tenderloin on the grill and let it sizzle with the lid shut for 7 minutes. Flip and shut the lid. Then, let it cook for 5-6 more minutes.

How to cook pork loin on an electric grill?

Keep the pork loin on a large platter or baking dish to collect any juices that may have accumulated. Turn the grill on to bring it up to the temperature of at least 400 degrees. Most electric grills can maintain this heat, but only if you keep the lid on. It might take as much as 15 minutes to reach this point.

What temperature should a pork tenderloin be grilled?

The best temperature to grill pork tenderloin is 350 to 375 degrees F. Grill until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, flipping once halfway through. Twelve to 15 minutes is how long it takes to grill pork tenderloin. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

How do you cook pork tenderloin on a Max Grill?

Preheat on Max Grill. When it is finished preheat and prompts you to add the food, place the pork tenderloin either diagonal or on one side of the grill and press the meat down so it makes contact with the grate for the best sear. Close the lid and decrease the temperature of the grill to medium grill and set the time for 12 minutes on medium heat.