Crusted Parmesan Pork Tenderloin

This simple Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin is inspired by a traditional Brazilian recipe. The pork tenderloin is one of the leanest and most tender cuts. Most pork tenderloin recipes keep it whole, but this one cuts it into pieces that are seasoned and roasted. Then the pieces are coated in irresistible parmesan cheese and finished in the oven to get an amazing crust. The result is a juicy, salty, slightly cheesy, and utterly delicious bite! It's easy to make in the oven so you can enjoy it at home anytime!

If you have ever been to a Brazilian Churrascaria, then you have likely seen or tried this delicious Parmesan Pork Tenderloin. As with all of the meats, it comes to the table stacked onto a giant skewer. It's tender, moist, and juicy and such a flavorful way to cook pork!

Ingredients and Swaps

• Pork tenderloin - I used a 1 pound boneless pork loin roast that had been trimmed. You can also use untrimmed pork tenderloin and trim off the excess. You can use pork chops, but you will not want to use tougher cuts, such as pork shoulder. You can also make this recipe with chunks of chicken breast.
• White wine vinegar - Vinegar brings flavor and helps to tenderize the meat. You can substitute with red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice.
• Water - Water helps by adding moisture so the seasonings can coat and marinate the pork. You can replace with broth or stock for more flavor if you like.
• Olive Oil - You can substitute with avocado oil, vegetable oil, or any other oil that you have on hand.
• Salt - For the salt, adjust according to preference.
• Black pepper - You can use coarse ground black pepper or fine.
• Garlic cloves - Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Onion powder - Same as with the garlic powder, you can substitute with onion flakes.
• Ground Coriander - Ground coriander is a traditional spice in Brazil. If you do not have it, you can use ground cumin.
• Parmesan cheese, grated - If you don't have parmesan, you can substitute in Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, Asiago, or other very dry cheese, such as aged manchego. You can also go the breadcrumb route if you want to eliminate cheese. Of course, this will have less flavor, but you can enhance the bread crumb mixture with garlic powder and salt.

Simple Equipment and Tools

Nothing special for this one! Just a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11)

Recipe Tips

As this recipe cooks, it gets a bit messy on the pan. For easy clean up, I recommend lining the pan with aluminum foil and then cooking the pork on the aluminum. Then when you're done, simply toss it in the trash!

How to Make this Parmesan Pork Recipe

Cut the pork tenderloin into 2-3 inch chunks/slices. This should yield about 7-8 pieces from the tenderloin.

In a large resealable bag or deep dish that can fit the tenderloin, add all of the marinade ingredients (vinegar, water, oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic, onion powder, and ground coriander).

Add the pork pieces to the marinade and let marinate for 10 minutes up to 24 hours in advance. It's a thick paste, so it will stick to the pork as it cooks later infusing it with flavor, so even a short marinating time will be great.

Place the marinated pork on an oiled sheet pan. (tip: I line the pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup). Cook the pork under the broiler for 7 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for 3 minutes on the other side. (or in a 450 F degree oven for 10 minutes).

While the pork is cooking, place the parmesan cheese and black pepper in a bowl. For 1 pound of pork, I used ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, so adjust up as needed for a larger amount. You can also add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for Garlic Parmesan crust if you like.

After 10 minutes cooking time, remove the pork from the oven. Roll the pieces of pork in the parmesan and place them back on the sheet pan.

Place back in the oven and cook for a final 8-10 minutes until the parmesan is golden brown and the internal temperature of the pork reaches 165 F degrees.

Recipe FAQs

What other cuts of meat can I used for this recipe?I used a 1 pound boneless pork loin roast that had been trimmed. You can also use untrimmed pork tenderloin and trim off the excess. You can use pork chops, but you will not want to use tougher cuts, such as pork shoulder. You can also make this recipe with chunks of chicken breast or chicken thighs. In terms of beef, beef tips or beef tenderloin would also be delicious.

Can I grill Parmesan Pork Tenderloin recipe?You can definitely grill this pork tenderloin on an outdoor or indoor grill. If you do this on an outdoor grill, you will want to skewer the pork pieces before grilling. Then just make sure to really stick the parmesan cheese and then shake off the excess before putting it back on the grill as it will just fall off.

Can I freeze this pork tenderloin?You can marinate this pork tenderloin recipe and then freeze raw. Or you can cook them for the first step and then cool and freeze them before adding the parmesan. Finally, you can make them completely and then freeze them. When reheating them fully cooked, first defrost them in the refrigerator overnight. Then heat them in the oven at 375 F degrees for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.

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