Chinese Pork Loin with Honey Garlic Sauce

Now you can make super tender, flavorful Chinese Pork Loin at home! Restaurant quality and flavor, and so easy to make! The honey garlic sauce takes this classic Chinese dish over the top!

I am in charge of the food for our monthly women’s meeting at church. In the past, we have have things like this Coconut Chicken Curry Soup and these Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes. This past week, I made this amazing Chinese Pork Loin with Honey Garlic sauce. People cannot stop talking about it. I think it will go down in history as the most beloved dinner at these monthly meetings! And for good reason! The pork is so tender and flavorful, and the “secret sauce” elevates it to super-star status.

But don’t worry. I’m going to give you the recipe for the “secret sauce” so you can impress your friends and family, too 🙂

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I’m going to suggest you make two pork loins, because there is plenty of sauce for both. Plus, one pork loin will disappear so fast and you’ll be sad there isn’t more. I get my pork loins at Costco. They come in a combo pack with two loins in the same package. (It looks like there’s one large loin, but there are actually two put together).

The first thing you’ll do is rub the loins with a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon. The cinnamon is what gives it that distinct Chinese flavor. Let that rub rest on the loins for about 30 minutes.

About fifteen minutes in to that wait time, heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Also put a large frying pan or skillet on the stove and heat it to medium high.

Before you bake the loins, you’re going to sear them on all sides in the frying pan on the stove. Add a little vegetable oil to the skillet and just set the loins in, one at a time, and let them sizzle away, about 1-2 minutes on each side.

Then place the loins on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the internal temperature is between 145 and 155 degrees F. The lower end of the spectrum will give you some pink meat, but it is safe for eating at that temperature. I like a little less pink to my meat, so I cook it to 155 degrees. This still leaves the loin tender and juicy without overbaking it. You will need a meat thermometer for this. They are inexpensive and SUPER handy. I don’t know how I ever lived without one before! This is the one I have (this is an affiliate link):

Taylor Waterproof Digital Thermometer.

While the tenderloins are baking, it’s time to whip up the delicious honey garlic sauce. For that, you’ll need honey, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, hoisin sauce (a special brown sauce you can find in the Asian section of most grocery stores), minced onion and garlic, sesame seed oil, cold water, and corn starch.

All you do is add everything to a saucepan on the stove (except the cold water and corn starch, which you’ll mix together separately in a small bowl or cup) and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Then you’ll whisk in your corn starch  mixture and stir constantly until your sauce thickens. (It will thicken up even more as it cools, so don’t worry if it still looks a wee bit runny at first). Set the sauce aside.

Once you have removed the loins from the oven, let them rest for about ten minutes before slicing. Then pour the sauce over the top (you probably won’t need all the sauce) and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Voila! Perfect Chinese Pork Loin from start to finish!

Recipe inspired by Honey Sesame Pork Tenderloin on The Gunny Sack.

(Nutritional information is estimated only and is affected by whether or not you use all the sauce and/or substitute ingredients).

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5 from 4 votes

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Chinese Pork Loin with Honey Garlic Sauce

Prep Time

35 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Make perfect Chinese pork tenderloin at home! Super easy to make and tastes just like your favorite Chinese restaurant dish!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 10

Calories: 273 kcal

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

Pork Tenderloin

• 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Honey Garlic Sauce

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

For the Pork Loin

1. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with foil. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and ground cinnamon. Rub on all sides of both pork loins and let the pork loins sit for 30 minutes. (If you need to wait longer than 30 minutes, be sure to put the pork in the refrigerator).

3. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large frying pan or skilled on the stove over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

4. Add the pork loins to the pan, one at a time, and sear each side for 1-2 minutes, until nicely browned.

5. Put the pork loins on the prepared baking sheet and put into the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the temperature registers between 145 and 155 degrees F. on a meat thermometer.

6. Let the meat rest for ten minutes before slicing.

For the Honey Garlic Sauce

1. In a medium-size saucepan on the stove, add the honey, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, hoisin sauce, minced onion, minced garlic, and sesame oil. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to boil.

2. Mix the cold water and corn starch together in a small bowl or cup. When the sauce ingredients come to a boil, slowly whisk in the corn starch mixture, and continue to boil, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Remove from the heat to allow to cool slightly and thicken a little more. (You can add the red pepper flakes now if desired).

3. When ready to serve, slice the meat and arrange it on a platter. Pour desired amount of sauce over the top, and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish if desired.

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