Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Sliced pork tenderloin on a cutting board with a pastry brush coated in barbecue sauce.

5 from 14 votes

This Smoked Pork Tenderloin recipe turns this lean cut of meat into the most flavorful, tender pork! It's coated with a slightly sweet and smoky rub, smoked to juicy perfection, and slathered with BBQ sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Equipment

pellet grill and smoker

Ingredients

2 to 2.25 pounds pork tenderloin 2 tenderloins
½ cup BBQ sauce

Pork Spice Rub

1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

Instructions

Preheat your pellet grill/smoker to 225 F with the pellets or wood of choice.
Combine the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Trim the pork tenderloin of any silver skin, if needed. Generously rub the spice mixture all over the meat.
Place the tenderloins on the grill, close the lid, and smoke until the internal temperature of the tenderloins reaches 135 degrees F., approximately 1½ hours.
Baste the tenderloins on all sides with BBQ sauce, close the lid, and continue to cook until the internal temperature of the thickest tenderloin reaches a minimum of 145 degrees F., approximately 20 to 30 minutes more.
Remove the pork from the smoker and transfer it to a cutting board. Let it rest for about 5 minutes then slice it into 1-½-inch medallions and serve.

Notes

How to Trim Silver Skin from Pork Tenderloin

If your pork tenderloin has not been trimmed, you should remove the silver skin. It is a silvery sheath of connective tissue that does not break down or soften during cooking. It's easy to trim silver skin with a sharp knife. Just cut into it and lift it up, carefully slicing down along the tenderloin to remove it. If you don't see silver skin, it just means that it was trimmed by the seller.

For Sandwich Meat

Use a sharp knife to slice the pork tenderloin as thinly as you can and store it in an airtight container for sandwiches through the week. Smoked Pork Tenderloin is delicious cold from the fridge or reheated in sandwiches.

Nutrition