Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Potatoes and Gravy

When you want to do a lot with very little, making pork tenderloin in a cast iron skillet is the way to go. It's an affordable cut of meat, and when you cook it right, it comes out beautifully seared on the outside with a tender, juicy center.

If you're wondering how to cook pork tenderloin on the stovetop without it drying out — this is the perfect recipe for you! You will need to finish cooking this skillet pork tenderloin in the oven, but it's so easy and hands off, I just know you're going to love it.

I learned to appreciate pork tenderloin later in life — my family didn't keep kosher growing up, but pork just isn't something many Jewish families cook with a lot. Now it's one of my favorite cuts of meat to work with, because there's just so much you can do with it and it's really easy to make.

These days, I almost always have a pork tenderloin in our freezer for easy, last-minute dinners because they're such a great blank canvas for whatever spices or herbs I have on hand. And since there's plenty of room to spare when you cook pork tenderloin in a skillet, I like to save time by cooking my vegetables right along with it.

I know pork has a reputation for ending up dry, but using a meat thermometer and giving it time to rest before slicing means it ends up perfectly cooked every time.

I purposely kept this pork tenderloin recipe really simple. Exceedingly simple. I used as few ingredients as possible to really focus on the technique. Which means you can definitely take this recipe and run with it. Use it with any of your favorite seasoning blends.

My favorite pork tenderloin seasonings are two of my ride-or-die pantry staples: paprika and garlic powder. Everything cooks in the same cast iron skillet on the stove to get a nice sear. Then the whole pan goes in the oven to finish cooking.

Pork tenderloins usually come in packs of two; If I'm not planning on using both within a few days of opening, I usually freeze the second one.

The gravy is super simple, made of the fond in the pan (the browned bits stuck to the bottom after you remove the meat and vegetables) with a bit of chicken stock, garlic, shallot, and flour to thicken it. I usually add some minced fresh rosemary, but if you don't have it on hand it won't make or break the gravy. Simply leave it out!

How I Cook Pork Tenderloin in a Cast Iron Skillet

I start by mixing the seasonings together in a large bowl and placing the tenderloin in the bowl to coat it with the seasonings. Then, while the pork tenderloin is searing in the skillet, I toss the cut potatoes and carrots in the bowl with the remaining seasoning blend.

Searing the pork tenderloin on all sides before transferring it to the oven starts the cooking process to speed things up in the oven. It also gives the outside of the tenderloin a really nice crust and browning.

Once the pork tenderloin is seared on all sides, I add the potatoes and carrots directly to the skillet on either side of it. You don't have to be fussy about this, but I usually try to flip the potatoes so they each have at least one cut side facing down.

Then, I transfer the whole skillet into my preheated oven.

If the pork is done before the potatoes, remove it to a cutting board. Stir the potatoes and carrots in the skillet and check them again in 5 minutes. Once the potatoes and carrots are done, I remove them from the skillet so I can make the gravy while the pork rests.

Simple Gravy for Pork Tenderloin Medallions

To make the gravy for these cast iron pork tenderloin medallions, I use the same cast iron skillet I cooked the pork in. Using the pan drippings from the pork means all those flavors will carry right through into the gravy.

Then I add the flour, which soaks up all the oil in the pan. Things get very clumpy, the pan will look dry. This is where I have to remind myself not to panic. This is normal. Keep stirring.

When the flour is a toasty golden brown color, I whisk in the chicken stock (and rosemary, if I'm using it) and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it boils I know the starch molecules in the flour have burst, and the gravy will begin thickening.

Variations & Other Seasonings

This cast iron skillet pork tenderloin and potatoes recipe is super versatile and can be made with whatever spices you have in your pantry. You can also use this technique with wet marinades instead of dry rubs! Here's some other seasonings that are great with pork medallions:

• Spicy Pork Tenderloin - For a spicy pork tenderloin, add ¼ teaspoon cayenne to the garlic and paprika mixture and use a smoked paprika instead of a sweet paprika. Or use a spice blend with a mild heat like Berbere which combines a lot of great flavors like paprika, coriander, ginger, cumin, cayenne, and allspice.
• Pork Tenderloin Marinade - You can marinate the pork tenderloin up to 24 hours in advance (as long as the marinade isn't too salty!) using olive oil, crushed garlic, and rosemary (or other herbs), Italian dressing (popular in the 90s!), or even using a pre-made marinade.
• Pork Tenderloin Glaze - For a sweeter pork tenderloin, glaze it by brushing it with fruit jam (apricot, spiced cranberry, and orange are popular) after searing but before placing it in the oven. Thin out the jam with a bit of honey or maple syrup and some sort of acid — lemon or lime juice, dijon mustard, or even sherry or wine vinegar. The sugar in the jam means it will caramelize and brown more intensely.
• Pesto Pork Tenderloin — My dried basil pantry pesto rub is perfect for making cast iron pork tenderloin! One tablespoon of the pesto blend should be plenty.

👩🏻‍🍳 Practical Tips & Recipe Notes

• ***IMPORTANT*** Uuse a thin flexible knife (called a boning knife) to remove the silverskin from the pork tenderloin before seasoning it. It's super easy to do. The silverskin is a patch of what looks like fat on one side of the tenderloin. Slide the boning knife under the silver skin and slice it off. If you don't remove it, it will tighten while it cooks, causing your tenderloin to curl up.
• My favorite instant read meat thermometer is my Thermapen. It's super fast and very accurate and I like that the dial lights up and rotates automatically — perfect for checking things in the oven!

📖 Recipe