This Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin recipe barely made it to the dinner table at my house.

Generally, when I’m cooking for the blog, I can restrain myself, trying a small portion for quality control (obviously) but then saving the rest for dinner with the family later in the day.

This tenderloin was SO delicious, I found myself snagging pieces of it while I was shooting the recipe! After I was done, I looked down and I had eaten about two full portions of the tenderloin! Whoa is it good!

The marinade has just the right mix of savory cumin and fresh lime. The pork stays really tender as long as you don’t overcook it and gets some nice char on the grill.

You could serve this tenderloin in a handful of different ways. It goes with all types of grilled veggies or on a sandwich. I served mine on top of a quick Spanish rice. Any way you serve it, it goes perfectly with a hefty pour of HERDEZ® Roasted Salsa Verde on top with some needed heat from jalapeños.  Fire-roasted tomatillos add a rich, tangy flavor that goes really well with the marinade! Pick up this roasted salsa verde along with other HERDEZ® products in the Mexican food aisle of your local grocery store for an extra kick to your next dinner or cookout.

Add this to your summer grilling menu and it will be sure to be a hit! You most likely won’t have leftovers, but if you do they keep really well and make for great weekday lunches!

Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
This Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin is crazy delicious when grilled and topped with a big drizzle of Roasted Salsa Verde! Perfect grill out entree!

Ingredients 

  • 2 limes, juice only
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, 2 small tenderloins
  • Salsa Verde
  • Fresh cilantro, garnish

Quick Spanish Rice (optional):

  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 can 14-ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Add lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, pepper, and salt to a bowl and mix together. Add pork tenderloins to marinade, cover, and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill pork tenderloins for 4-5 minutes per side. The tenderloins will need 15-20 minutes to cook through, depending on thickness. Use a meat thermometer to ensure they are cooked through. The thermometer should reach 135 F˚ in the thickest part of the tenderloin.
  • Remove tenderloin and let rest for five minutes. Then slice tenderloin into ½-inch coins.
  • Serve pork over rice and top with HERDEZ® Roasted Salsa Verde and fresh cilantro.
  • Cooked pork tenderloin keeps great in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat gently in a 300 F˚ oven until warmed through.
  • To make quick Spanish rice:
  • In a medium pot, add rice and rinse well with cold water a few times until the water runs clear. Drain off any extra water, then add 1 cup of water and diced tomatoes along with spices.
  • Cover pot and place over medium-high heat. Bring rice to a simmer, stir once to prevent sticking. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
  • Stir rice a second time and test for doneness. If rice is still crunchy but water is absorbed, add another 1/3 cup of water and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until tender. If rice is mostly cooked and not crunchy, remove from heat, cover and let steam for five minutes. Then fluff with a fork.

Nutrition

Serving: 1plate | Calories: 1126kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 159g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 491mg | Sodium: 1368mg | Potassium: 3193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 9mg
Course: Main Course, Main Dishes
Cuisine: Tex-Mex

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Tag @crunchtimekitchen

Cumin Lime Marinade for Pork Tenderloin

This marinade only has a few ingredients but it has big flavors. You can leave your garlic pretty chunky or you could toss everything in a food processor if you wanted. I went the chunky route.

Cumin Marinade - Pork Tenderloin
Good marinade.

Add your pork tenderloins and let them marinate for at least 30 minutes. Ideally you could store them overnight in an airtight bag to really let the marinade soak in, but do at least 30 minutes.

Cumin Lime Marinade for Pork Tenderloin
Overnight is best!

Cooking the Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin

If you don’t have a grill, I would sear these tenderloins in a hot cast iron skillet for a few minutes per side and then roast them in a 350 F˚ oven until they hit 135 F˚ in the thickest part of the tenderloin.

This time of year though, the grill is really where it’s at! Toss these guys on and let them cook over medium high heat for about 18-20 minutes until they have some nice char on all sides.

Again, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to tell when they are done (135 F˚ is what I shoot for for pork tenderloin).

Grilling - Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin
On the grill.

Serving the Pork Tenderloin

This Roasted Salsa Verde is absolutely amazing paired with pretty much anything off the grill.

Herdez Roasted Salsa Verde
The only topping you need.

When the tenderloin comes off the grill, let it rest for about five minutes. If you cut into it right away all the juices will just run out. It needs to cool off slightly.

Then you can slice it up into coins for serving!

Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Salsa Verde

A perfect tenderloin will have some slight pink in the center and I daresay this one was pretty perfect!

I couldn’t stop snagging pieces!

Spooning Salsa - Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin

Serving this Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin with some quick Spanish rice made for an awesome early summer meal and my whole family loved it!

Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin Sliced

Here are a few other great pork recipes!