Learn the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin once and for all, and never make that mistake of bringing home a wrong cut of meat! It’s ok, we’ve all been there. And if you’re stuck with a wrong cut of meat, we’ve got you covered with quick and easy recipe ideas!
In popular Instant Pot recipe groups on Facebook, I see a lot of questions about how long to cook pork tenderloin in an Instant Pot. And people reply with vastly different answers, from 0 minutes to 50 minutes! I swear I’m not exaggerating!
Part of the problem is that some people don’t realize that “pork tenderloin” and “pork loin” are two very different cuts of meat and each require different length of cook time.
PORK TENDERLOIN
Pork tenderloin is a long thin boneless cut of meat from sides of spine, and it usually weighs 1-1.5 pounds. Tenderloin is a very tender, lean meat that takes minutes to cook! If overcooked, pork tenderloin will turn out dry and tough.
TIP: Make sure to remove tough silverskin from pork tenderloin before cooking.
Quick and Easy Pork Tenderloin Recipes:
- Spicy Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Apple Balsamic Sauce
- Honey Garlic Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Mustard, Garlic and Herbs
- Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Marsala Sauce
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Pork Loin
Pork loin, on other hand, is a wide, flat cut of meat that comes from the back of animal. It also known as center cut pork loin roast, and weighs anywhere between 2 to 5 pounds. You can also buy bone-in or boneless pork loin roast. Because this cut of meat is also pretty lean, they can easily turn dry if overcooked.
TIP: When buying pork loin, look for a nice fat cap on top.
Quick and Easy Pork Loin Recipes:
- Ultimate Garlic Pork Loin Roast
- Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Pork Loin
- Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe
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Reader's Reviews
Debbie says
Ok. I gave a pork loin fillet. So it looks more like a tenderloin cut. How should I treat it?
Shinee says
Hi, Debbie. So you have pork loin that looks like tenderloin? I’m afraid I didn’t understand what cut of meat you have. Anyway, I’ve included a few recipes for both pork loin and pork tenderloin. And any of those recipes are great to try.
Michael Kane says
I came to this page because I bought 2 packages of “Hormel Always Tender Pork Loin Filet” and am trying to figure out if it is loin or tenderloin. I think that’s what Debbie is asking. For me, I found that Hormel also sells “Hormel Always Tender Pork Tenderloin” so it is confusing. It looks like a tenderloin, so I’m going to cook one as if it is and find out!
Shinee says
Hi, Michael. Sorry for late response. I just googled “Hormel Always Tender Pork Loin Filet” and it does look like a loin. Pork Loin is flatter and wider cut, whereas pork tenderloin is narrow, no wider than 2-inch in diameter. Hope this helps.
Michael Kane says
Shinee, I still don’t know what it really is, but I cooked it as if it were a tenderloin and it came out great! I monitored the temp with a digital thermometer, it was done much quicker then a regular loin roast. But I realized that the Hormel packaged meat has too much added stuff, esp. sodium. I will stick to unprocessed mat from now on! Thanks!
Shinee says
Yeah, can’t go wrong with digital thermometer!! Thanks for your feedback!
Barbara Karr says
I tried to pin this article multiple times for future reference but I’m not allowed, I like to keep this kind of thing for future information. Is this article anywhere else? Gmail won’t let me pin it. Thanks
Shinee says
Hi, Barbara! Thanks so much for letting me know. I was able to recreate the issue, but I’m not sure what is causing it. I’ll talk to our developer and will let you know once it’s fixed. Thanks again!