Smoked BBQ Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is a fantastic cut of meat to cook up and is very versatile to different types of flavors. If you’re new to smoking, it is a great cut of meat to begin learning on (I have a recipe for that, by the way). In this post, I’m mixing it up by using some teriyaki for both a marinade and a glaze. The process is simple and the finished product will win over your taste buds!

Prepping the Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin usually comes in a pack of two. They are about 12 inches long and 2-3 inches thick. There will be a good amount of silver skin on them, so grab a boning knife and trim it off. Do this by using the tip of the knife to poke under the filmy skin you see, push through, and push the blade forward to trip along it longways. See video below for full process.

The Teriyaki Marinade

With the tenderloins prepped, now it’s time to make the marinade. Doing this is fairly simple. Take 1/2 Cup of teriyaki sauce and pour into a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add 1/4 Cup of Worcestershire sauce, three cloves of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.

Mix around in bag and then place pork tenderloins in. Mix around again to make sure the tenderloins get covered. I recommend marinating for 4 to 5 hours.

Smoking, Searing, Slicing

Preheat your grill to 250 degrees over indirect heat. Pork lends itself well to different flavors of smoking wood, but cherry wood is the one I’m using for this recipe. Once the grill is up to temp, place the pork tenderloins on the grill and close the lid. After 30 minutes, check the temps with a digital meat thermometer. Pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees, which is good for medium doneness. But we want to pull these off at around 140 degrees because the internal temp will go up as it gets seared.

Speaking of searing, temps usually start at 500 degrees. If you’re using a pellet grill to smoke, make sure to have another grill hot and ready with direct heat. If cooking indirect on a charcoal grill, then get the coals hotter and move the pork tenderloin directly over the coals. Sear about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove when internal temps reach about 145. When you’ve placed them on your cutting board, brush with teriyaki glaze and sprinkle on some sesame seeds. Let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

When cooking meat, its recommended to let it rest before slicing. The reason for this is to let the juices build up inside and help the flavor and tenderness. If you slice too soon, you can lose those juices and the meat can dry out a little. I like to serve the slices of this smoked teriyaki pork tenderloin on a bed of rice with a side of broccoli. But these slices are amazing by themselves, so it’s okay to sneak a few to sample before serving.

Smoked Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 4 hours

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Pork tenderloin lends itself well to many different variety of seasonings and styles. Marinating in teriyaki, smoking on the grill with cherry wood, and searing provide an excellent way to eat this excellent cut of meat!

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Ingredients

• 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 1/2 C teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 C Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 2 T rub of your choice
• 1/4 C teriyaki glaze
• 1 t sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Trim silver skin from pork tenderloins. In a gallon sized resealable plastic bag, Mix teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and ground ginger. Place tenderloins in bag. Mix around and place in refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Preheat grill to 250 degrees using indirect heat and cherry wood for smoke flavor. Season tenderloins with rub, then place on grill, put lid on, and cook until internal temp reaches 135-140 degrees. This may take about 40 minutes.
3. Remove and sear on a hot surface (grill, cast iron, etc) for 1-2 minutes on each side. Or until internal temp reaches 145 degrees. Remove and place on cutting board. Glaze with teriyaki. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Rest 10 minutes before slicing to get maximum flavor out of meat.

Notes

1. You can do a faster method and marinate for one hour. You will still get some good teriyaki flavor, but 4-5 hours is recommended.

2. If using a charcoal grill for smoking, you can cook directly over the coals for the sear.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: 5 oz
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 500mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 36g

Note: Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.