Cocoa-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Sauce

See how to make an incredibly easy pork tenderloin with black cherry sauce. See more

READY IN 40 mins

Cocoa Cherry Pork

Read Reviews (13)

"My favorite candy growing up was the chocolate covered cherry. The way that thin, crisp chocolate would break away to reveal the florescent red maraschino cherry suspended in the clear syrup was intoxicating. What about a savory dish that celebrated the same basic flavors?" — Chef John

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Whisk cocoa powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, black pepper, and chipotle pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
Generously season tenderloins with salt, then coat in the cocoa powder mixture. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place tenderloins in the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook until browned on each side, about 4 minutes.
Transfer tenderloins to a baking dish; cook in the preheated oven until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
Whisk cherry preserves, vinegar, and oregano in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork tenderloin and serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 5 mins
COOK 35 mins
READY IN 40 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Jun 12, 2012

Very good! The taste of the spices with the succulent pork made for a great dinner.

—Baking Nana

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Oct 14, 2012

This was delicious. Yum, Yum Yum Tested it out to use for my menu for a dinner party I have every year around Christmas for 16 of my girlfriends. Still smacking my lips! Don't like cumin, so I left it out and used finely chopped rosemary in the Cherry sauce instead of Oregano. Make plenty of sauce! Now I just have to decide what to have for accompaniments

—sharosam

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18 Ratings

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Jul 17, 2012

Very good and easy. Plan on making this again in the future.

—Trvs91

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Oct 18, 2012

always looking for new ways to cook pork tenderloin..will be doing this the next time i go to the grocery store..Thanks Chef!!

—michelle wangler- szameitat

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May 12, 2013

Chef John Rocks! Everything one of his recipes that I've tried has been outstanding. Another winner here! Noteworthy that this was the first pork dish I've made that didn't come out dry. Sweet and juicy, and the spices were a perfect pairing with the cherry sauce. Mmm, mmm good :)

—KMak

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Apr 24, 2013

the tenderloin was amazing! the spice rub combo was wonderful. The cherry sauce was a little too tart though. It could've used a little less white vinegar!

—J-Lynn

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Apr 02, 2013

it was really delicious and not that hard to make.

—bingolia22

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Jan 29, 2013

Really tasty! I browned and baked the roast in a skillet. When the meat finished baking I let it rest on a plate. I then added the cherry preserves and vinegar to the drippings, warmed it through and it was fabulous - spicy and sweet sauce for the pork. Thank you for the great recipe!

—JADALBEY

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Nutrition

Calories
240 kcal
12%

Carbohydrates
15.4 g
5%

Cholesterol
82 mg
27%

Fat
6.4 g
10%

Fiber
1.3 g
5%

Protein
30 g
60%

Sodium
135 mg
5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Cocoa Cherry Pork

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 240
Calories from Fat: 58

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.4g 10 %
Saturated Fat 1.9g 10 %
Cholesterol 82mg 27 %
Sodium 135mg 5 %
** Potassium 559mg 16 %
Total Carbohydrates 15.4g 5 %
Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5 %
Protein 30g 60 %
** Sugars 0g
** Vitamin A 6 %
** Vitamin C 5 %
** Calcium 3 %
** Iron 23 %
** Thiamin 105 %
** Niacin 105 %
** Vitamin B6 55 %
** Magnesium 16 %
** Folate 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.