Pork Bites In Gravy
Make juicy, tender bites of pork simmered in a rich homemade gravy in just over a half hour with this easy Pork Bites In Gravy recipe!
A Filling Pork Dinner Recipe
I often get asked for ideas to make with pork tenderloins. I have some great recipes on here already but I am always experimenting with new recipes! These Pork Bites In Gravy are the ultimate comfort food. It’s a simple meal that goes with so many side dishes and is pretty quick to toss together. Great for when you need a filling protein dish on the table without a bunch of fuss!
This recipe was great! I made it on the fly and had everything on hand. Perfect use for pork and a nice addition to my rotation of dinner meals 🙂
– Leah
Frequently Asked Questions
These Pork Bites were absolutely delicious with the egg noodles I showed them with. They’re great for soaking up all that tasty gravy. You could also serve with steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, or rice.
You can substitute thick bone-in pork chops or pork loin cut into bite-sized pieces. This is also great with turkey, chicken, or beef. Just make sure to use a more tender cut of meat, since we’re cooking it quickly.
To reheat, you may need to add a splash of stock to the gravy to loosen it back up. I would reheat in a skillet.
Sure. Although it will take longer, it can be done. This recipe is best with stovetop searing for that rich flavor, but you could adapt it for a slow cooker by searing the pork first to lock in the flavor and juices, making the gravy separately, then combining everything to cook on low for 3–4 hours.
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- pork tenderloin – cut into bite-sized pieces. You could also use thicker cut pork chops. They can overcook easily though and dry out so I would consider brining them first.
- garlic powder
- herbs de Provence – Instead of Herbs de Provence you could use Italian seasoning or your favorite fresh or dried herbs. Most grocery stores carry Herbs de Provence now, but if you need to buy some Herbs de Provence (paid affiliate link) online, you can.
- unsalted butter – there is already plenty of salt in this recipe so I go with unsalted. If you only have salted, that is fine.
- sweet onion– I think a shallot would be heavenly here instead of an onion if you feel inclined. Shallots have a very mild onion/garlic flavor that is great for folks who may not love onions.
- garlic – try to use fresh here if you can instead of the jarred stuff.
- all-purpose flour
- beef stock – or you can use beef broth. If you need to tone down the sodium, just pick up the low or no sodium option.
- balsamic vinegar– it brightens up the dish, I highly suggest adding it but if you don’t have any you can keep it out. I wouldn’t recommend trying to make a substitute unless you have a magical homemade version that you know you enjoy.
- beef Better than Bouillon – You don’t have to use the better than bouillon, but it does give it a richer flavor to the gravy. You can find it where all the other bouillon cubes are in your grocery store. You can also buy Better than Bouillon online (paid affiliate link.)
How To Make Pork Bites In Gravy
Place the pork bites, salt, herbs de Provence, and black pepper in a large bowl. Toss to combine and coat with the spices.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 Tablespoon of the oil, then add half of the pork bites. We are looking to get a sear (browning) on all sides but not to cook all the way through. Set them on a plate while you sear the other half of the pork bites with the remaining Tablespoon of oil. Once all of the pork is seared, place it on the plate and set it aside. Do not wipe out the pan; lower the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk it into the butter. Cook for 1 minute.
Slowly stream in the stock while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in the vinegar and Better Than Bouillon. Bring to a simmer and add the pork bites and any drippings that came off the meat to the skillet, coat in the gravy.
Continue simmering for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened, and serve immediately.
Craving More Recipes?
Pork Bites In Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, cut into bite sized pieces (see notes below)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons oil (divided use)
For the gravy:
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef stock or broth (can use low or no sodium)
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons beef Better than Bouillion
Instructions
- Place 2 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into bite sized pieces, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Toss to combine and coat with the spices.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add 1 Tablespoon of oil, then add half of the pork bites. We are looking to get a sear (browning) on all sides but not to cook all the way through.
- Set them on a plate while you sear the other half of the pork bites with the remaining Tablespoon of oil. Once all of the pork is seared, place it on the plate and set it aside.
- Do not wipe out the pan; lower the heat to medium and melt 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter.
- Add 1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced and cook until translucent, 8-10 minutes.
- Add 2 garlic cloves, minced and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and whisk it into the butter. Cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly stream in 1 cup beef stock or broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Stir in 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons beef Better than Bouillion.
- Bring to a simmer and add the pork bites and any drippings that came off the meat to the skillet, coat in the gravy.
- Continue simmering for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened, and serve immediately. (Note: pork bites should have an internal temperature of at least 145F degrees when ready.)
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Pork tenderloins are generally sold in packs of two. So you will use both pork tenderloins for this recipe (try to look for a pack that has a weight of about 2 – 2 1/2 pounds.)
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This recipe was great! I made it on the fly and had everything on hand. Perfect use for pork and a nice addition to my rotation of dinner meals 🙂
Does this recipe make enough gravy to coat the noodles as well? If not, can you just double all the ingredients (except the pork)?
The noodles are just a serving suggestion and not part of the actual recipe since you can serve these by themselves or not or with something else. I didn’t measure the amount of noodles used here and I didn’t try to coat them all completely with gravy so I can’t tell you the answer – I’m sorry
No worries, thank you for the reply! I will experiment!
Delicious! I added mushrooms to the gravy. Pork was very tender.
These were amazing. The gravy really made the pork nice and juicy.