Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This instant pot honey garlic pork tenderloin is one of those dinners that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but really takes almost no time at all.

The sauce is a sweet and savory mix with a tiny kick of heat. It coats the pork perfectly and thickens up into this glossy glaze that looks and tastes incredible.

Pork tenderloin is naturally lean and tender, and cooking it in the Instant Pot keeps it juicy without any guesswork. No dry, overcooked pork here.

If you need a solid weeknight dinner that the whole family will enjoy, this is it. Simple ingredients, minimal effort, and seriously good results.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Incredibly Fast for Such a Fancy Result – A full pork tenderloin with glossy homemade sauce is ready in under 30 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot.

That Sauce Is the Real Star – The honey garlic sauce gets thick and glossy from the cornstarch slurry and clings to every single slice.

Perfect Sweet and Savory Balance – The honey and soy sauce combo with a kick of sriracha hits every flavor note without being overpowering.

Ingredients

• 2 lb Pork Tenderloin
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
• 3 tablespoons Ketchup
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons Cold Water
• 2 Green Onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Directions

Step 1

In a bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, minced garlic, rice vinegar, sriracha, and ground ginger until smooth. Set aside.

Step 2

Pat the pork tenderloin dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. If it is too long for the pot, cut it in half. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat the olive oil. Sear the pork for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown, then remove.

Step 3

Pour the chicken broth into the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Pour in the honey garlic sauce and stir to combine. Return the seared pork tenderloin to the pot and spoon the sauce over it.

Step 4

Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

Step 5

Remove the pork to a cutting board and tent with foil. Check that the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees F.

Step 6

Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water, then stir this slurry into the sauce. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

Step 7

Slice the pork tenderloin into 1/2-inch thick medallions and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle the thickened honey garlic sauce generously over the top and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Pro Tips

Sear It Properly

Make sure you pat the pork really dry with paper towels before it goes into the pot. If there’s moisture on the surface, it will steam instead of sear, and you won’t get that golden brown crust.

Also, let the Instant Pot get fully hot on saute mode before you add the oil. You want the oil to shimmer before the pork goes in. If the pot isn’t hot enough, the meat will stick and you’ll lose that nice crust.

Don’t move the pork around while it sears. Just let it sit for the full 2 minutes per side so the browning can actually develop.

Deglaze the Pot Well

After you sear the pork and remove it, those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot are packed with flavor. Pour in the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape every bit of it up.

This step isn’t just about flavor – it’s also about preventing a burn notice. If those bits stay stuck to the bottom, the Instant Pot can detect it and stop building pressure, which will mess up your cook time.

Take an extra 30 seconds here to make sure the bottom of the pot is completely clean before you add the sauce and pork back in.

Don’t Skip the Natural Release

The 10-minute natural release is doing a lot of the work here. Pork tenderloin is lean, and if you quick release right away, the sudden pressure drop causes the muscle fibers to tighten up fast. That gives you dry, tough meat.

During natural release, the pork continues to gently cook and the juices redistribute back into the meat. That’s what keeps it tender and juicy when you slice into it.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Short Ribs

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a pork loin instead of pork tenderloin?

Pork loin and pork tenderloin are actually very different cuts, so you can’t just swap them directly. Pork loin is much thicker and larger, which means it needs a longer cook time under pressure – usually around 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size.

If pork tenderloin isn’t available, you can use pork loin, but make sure to adjust the pressure cooking time and always check that the internal temperature hits at least 145 degrees F before slicing.