Smoked Pork Tenderloin (Smoker, Gas Grill or Traeger Grill)

Delicious, tender and perfectly seasoned, this smoked pork tenderloin recipe has directions on how to make in a traditional smoker, a gas grill or a Traeger brand grill.

A TENDER AND JUICY PORK LOIN

I get a lot of recipe questions when it comes to pork tenderloin. It’s often a relatively inexpensive cut of meat but a lot of folks just don’t know what do with it or the best way to cook it. Pork Tenderloin doesn’t have much fat on it and it’s easy to overcook and become dry. So I want to share with you a way to make it that will keep it super moist but will add amazing flavor! Scroll down to the very bottom of this post for a printable recipe.

TIPS FOR MAKING SMOKED PORK TENDERLOIN

• The mustard is to add flavor and help tenderize the meat, but to also help hold on the seasonings. So, you can use the mustard of your choice. I just prefer regular ole yellow mustard since I always have it on hand.
• To make this keto-friendly, you simply need to swap out the brown sugar for a brown sugar substitute such as Swerve Brown Sugar or Splenda Brown Sugar.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

• Pork Tenderloin
• Paprika
• Brown Sugar
• Coarse Ground Pepper
• Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Yellow Mustard
• Apple Cider VinegaR

HOW TO MAKE SMOKED PORK TENDERLOIN:

(DIRECTIONS FOR A TRADITIONAL SMOKER:)

Items needed:

• Small metal baking dish
• Chimney Starter
• 6 Pecan Wood Splits
• Charcoal Briquettes
• Newspaper
• Meat Thermometer
• Spray Bottle

1. Begin by placing some newspaper in the bottom of the chimney starter. Fill the starter the rest of the way with charcoal briquettes. Light the newspaper on fire and let it catch to the charcoal. This can take around 30 minutes.

2. Place about ½ a cup apple cider vinegar in the spray bottle. You most likely won’t end up using all of this, but it’s better to have more than not enough.
3. Fill the small metal dish with water and place it in the offset smoke box, or if your smoker doesn’t have an offset box, place it in on the grill rack with the meat wherever it will fit.
4. While your charcoal is heating up, rub the tenderloin down, all over, with the yellow mustard. You just want a thin coating. There’s no exact amount to this.
5. Mix together all the seasonings in a small bowl.
6. Season the tenderloin on every side and rub it into the meat.

7. At this point, the charcoal should be ready. Place it in the smoke chamber and place two of the pecan logs on top.
8. Place the tenderloin on the grate and close the lid. Once every hour, coat the tenderloin by spraying it with the apple cider vinegar. This should be about 5 squirts each time.

9. Keep temperature at around 225 degrees fahrenheit for 3 hours. Add logs as they burn out.

10. At the 3-hour mark, use your meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. It needs to reach at least 145 degrees fahrenheit. Once it reaches that temperature, it’s set to go and can be removed from the smoker.

SMOKER TIPS:

• You want the smoke coming from the smoke stack to appear bluish instead of whitish. Whitish means the fire isn’t getting enough air. If this is happening, open the damper or smoke chamber and let some air in. This will happen as you add a new log on, more than likely.
• You can check the temperature of the meat before the 3-hour mark if desired. You don’t have to wait until 3 hours has passed to do so.

(DIRECTIONS FOR A TRAEGER GRILL:)

• A Traegar Grill makes this super easy since all you have to do is put your wood pellets in the smoker box. Preheat your grill. Follow directions 2,4,5,6,8 and 9. Use the probe thermometer on the Traeger Grill to keep an accurate temperature of the pork tenderloin.

(DIRECTIONS FOR A STANDARD GAS GRILL:)

• If you don’t have a smoker and are making this tenderloin over a gas grill, follow these steps. You’ll need a wood chip box. You can find these on Amazon or at your local home improvement store.
• Soak the wood chips in water then place them in the box. One burner needs to be lit and the box will go over this burner.
• Place the meat over the burners that aren’t lit.
• Follow steps 2,4,5,6,8 and 9 except keep the wood chips smoking instead of adding more logs.

CRAVING MORE? GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY:

• Smoked Pork Steaks
• Smoked Beef Ribs
• Smoked Pulled Pork
• Smoked Rump Roast
• Smoked Cajun Smashed Potatoes
• Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin