Instant pot pork tenderloin recipes with apples

Instant Pot Pork and Apples is the perfect fall dinner. It requires only a few ingredients and it is finished in 30 minutes!

Table of Contents Show

Why This Recipe Works
How To Make Pork and Apples In The Instant Pot
Recipe Notes
How To Cook Frozen Pork In An Instant Pot
How To Make Instant Pot Pork Chops
Keep Apples From Turning Brown
What Types Of Apples Are Good For Cooking
Differences Between Apple Juice and Apple Cider
Why Does It Take My Instant Pot So Long To Heat Up
FAQ About Pork Tenderloin
Best Instant Pot Recipes
Fall Apple Recipes
Does pork and apples go together?
What is the best apples to use with pork chops?
How long does it take for pork to cook in an instant pot?
How long do you cook a pre packaged pork tenderloin?

Why This Recipe Works

Pork and apples seem like such an unlikely pair, don’t they? Savory meat and delicious, juicy apples? It might seem a bit crazy, but pork and apples is one of my favorite sweet and savory food combos EVER and if you’ve never paired these foods together, you have to give it a try.

One of the things I love about apples is that they are SO versatile. They’re a great solo snack, they taste amazing with baked goods and they also pair well with savory dishes.

Pork and apples is one of my favorite sweet and savory food combos EVER and if you’ve never paired these foods together, you have to give it a try. Use your Instant Pot to make this pork and apples recipe for an extra dose of flavor.

The flavors will blow your mind and the ease of making the recipe makes it even better. This is a perfect recipe to make in the fall when apples are aplenty. Grab your apple peeler and get this delicious dinner cooking!

How To Make Pork and Apples In The Instant Pot

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix well and rub over all surfaces of tenderloin.

Set Instant Pot to saute. Heat the olive oil and add the tenderloin to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes per side. Keep turning the tenderloin until all sides are browned.

Step 2

Add apple cider, apple juice or water and deglaze the pot (scrape bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon). Add the onion and apples. Cover and cook on high pressure (pressure cook setting) for 25 minutes. It will take the pot approximately 12 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking. Do a quick release.

Step 3

Open the lid and transfer pork tenderloin to a cutting board using tongs. Thicken sauce with corn starch slurry if you’d like a thicker sauce. Slice pork, place on a serving platter and drizzle sauce over the top!

Recipe Notes

To increase the amount of apple flavor in the recipe, use juice or cider for the liquid. For a bit of extra non-apple flavor, chicken broth would work great, too!
Use a 1.5- or 2-pound pork tenderloin for this recipe OR two 1-pound tenderloins work great, as well.
To save some time, skip sauteing the tenderloin toward the beginning of the recipe and throw it into the pot with the rest of the ingredients and get cookin’!

How To Cook Frozen Pork In An Instant Pot

If you don’t have time to thaw your tenderloin, throw it in frozen! Pressure cook for 45 minutes with a 5-minute natural release. One note about going this route is that your apples and onions will have a soupier texture with the longer cook time. Still super delicious, though! Also, if you cook from frozen, skip the rub and sauteing step at the beginning of the recipe.

How To Make Instant Pot Pork Chops

I don’t recommend replacing the tenderloin with chops in this recipe, but if you are looking for a perfect and delicious pork chops recipe to make in your pressure cooker, check out this perfect pork recipe.

Keep Apples From Turning Brown

When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.

Use an apple corer/peeler if you have one because they will make this process go super fast. If you don’t have one, use a potato peeler and a knife to get the job done. You’ll need to peel, core and chop the apples. Place them into the water-lemon juice mixture as you work.

What Types Of Apples Are Good For Cooking

I recommend using a variety of apples and at the very least, use two kinds: one sweet and one tart. My favorite combo is Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples.

Sweet/Softer Apple Brands

Fuji
Honeycrisp
Red Delicious
Golden Delicious
Cortland
Gala

Tart (or a little Sour) Apple Brands

Granny Smith
McIntosh
Ida Red
Braeburn
Empire
Jonathan

Differences Between Apple Juice and Apple Cider

There are a few differences between these two delicious apple drinks but on the outside, they don’t appear very different. They have similar coloring and some companies even interchange the names cider and juice.

But while your toddler might love a little apple juice in the day, apple cider just signifies fall and outdoor crisp air and a special flavor brought out in the process of making it fresh early in the season with the first batches of apples.

Apple Juice is pasteurized and filtered to remove pulp and sediment. This helps apple juice stay fresh longer. Whereas you don’t usually see a clear juice when you’ve had a cup of of cider. You’ll notice it’s opaque, cloudy looking and there’s a little texture to it with spices added to enhance the drink.

Why Does It Take My Instant Pot So Long To Heat Up

The time leading up to actual cook time may seem long and even confusing (“What is going ON in there?!”), but it’s an important part of the process! The Instant Pot is working on building up the appropriate amount of pressure that it will be cooking the food at.

It handles liquids and solids differently and also fresh and frozen differently, so the time can vary. Most recipes take between 10 and 25 minutes to build up pressure.

FAQ About Pork Tenderloin

What cut is pork tenderloin?

Not to be confused with the similar Pork Loin, these two cuts of meat come from the same animal but appear different and have several important differences, as well. Pork Tenderloin is thin and small. It’s known for being tender, as its name suggests. It also has a finely grained texture to it.

Should pork be at room temperature before cooking?

It is not a necessity to bring pork to room temperature before cooking it. However, if you allow it to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, it will cook more evenly and the end product will be juicier and more flavorful.

Should pork tenderloin be cooked fast or slow?

Pork tenderloin does not need to cook slow. You want it to remain tender by not overcooking. Otherwise the meat can get tough and is not enjoyable to eat.

Can pork tenderloin be served pink?

Pork tenderloin is often pink in the middle when finished cooking. Even when cooked to the desired internal temperature of 145, it’s normal to see pink when served.

Will pork tenderloin shred?

Pork tenderloin will shred after cooking. It is a lean pork cut so you don’t need to cook it “low and slow” to get it to be shreddable.

Is pork tenderloin healthy?

Pork tenderloin is a healthy cut of meat and a lean meat just like a skinless boneless chicken breast.

Best Instant Pot Recipes

Make comforting, hearty Goulash in your Instant Pot! This American version of Goulash could not be easier or more delicious.
Make a batch of Chicken Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot! Using a pressure cooker will save you time and will produce the most perfectly cooked soup you’ll ever taste.
Mashed Potatoes are creamy, smooth, delicious and easy to prepare in a pressure cooker. No boiling or saucepan/stovetop cleaning required with this side dish.
Chili made easy in your pressure cooker is THE BEST! This recipe is the absolute perfect comfort food, packed with flavor, texture, color and a tiny bit of spice. Perfect dinner or party food!

Fall Apple Recipes

Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce is fun to prepare because it’s so easy to make. Use an assortment of green and red apples and you’ll have a flavorful snack you can enjoy; better than the store stuff!
This is the best Apple Coffee Cake recipe you’ll find. Enjoy as an indulgent breakfast treat or an any-time snack or dessert!
Easy Baked Apples – The smell of baking apples swirled in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon will make your house smell AMAZING. Enjoy the smells as you anticipate a delicious fall treat that is easy to prepare.
You have just met your new favorite fall drink! Instant Pot Apple Cider will warm you up on those chilly fall days. It is super easy to make, requiring just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort and cleanup.
Instant Pot Applesauce – Make your next batch of applesauce in your Instant Pot for an added touch of delicious flavor! This recipe requires only a handful of ingredients and takes just a few minutes to make.

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▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ 1 tsp pepper
▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
▢ 2 lb pork tenderloin or two 1-pound tenderloins
▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
▢ 1 cup apple cider apple juice or water
▢ 3 apples peeled, cored and chopped
▢ 1 yellow onion sliced
▢ 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup corn starch (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix well and rub over all surfaces of tenderloin.
Set Instant Pot to saute. Heat the olive oil and add the tenderloin to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes/side. Keep turning the tenderloin until all sides are browned.
Add apple cider/juice and deglaze the pot (scrape bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon). Add the apples and onions. Cover and cook on high pressure (pressure cook setting) for 25 minutes. It will take the pot approximately 12 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking. Do a quick release.
Remove the lid and transfer pork tenderloin to a cutting board using tongs. Thicken sauce with corn starch slurry if you’d like a thicker sauce. Slice pork, place on a serving platter and drizzle sauce over the top!

To increase the amount of apple flavor in the recipe, use juice or cider for the liquid. For a bit of extra non-apple flavor, chicken broth would work great, too!
Use a 1.5- or 2-pound pork tenderloin for this recipe OR two 1-pound tenderloins work great, as well.
To save some time, skip sauteing the tenderloin toward the beginning of the recipe and throw it into the pot with the rest of the ingredients and get cookin’!

If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

Does pork and apples go together?

Pork and apples go hand in hand. That image of a whole spit-roasted pig comes to mind with the apple stuck in its mouth. There is something special about the sweet taste of apples and the full flavor of pork that work so well together in a dish.

What is the best apples to use with pork chops?

An apple can be the perfect complement to cut the salt from any pork dish and if you're entertaining, it can be a nice little surprise when your guests dig in! For pairing with the saltiness of pork, we recommend sweeter varieties that hold their shape while baking, like Golden Delicious, Piñata^®, and Honeycrisp.

How long does it take for pork to cook in an instant pot?

Using a HIGH setting, 40 minutes is how long you cook pork in the Instant Pot (using pork loin). If you're using pork shoulder/butt, you'll cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Transfer the pork and onions to a bowl.

How long do you cook a pre packaged pork tenderloin?

Heat oven to 425°F. Heat a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sear the tenderloin on all sides until well browned. Place entire pan in the oven and roast for 8–10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.