Once you end up with leftovers, you’ll need to figure out how to reheat pork tenderloin that you had last night.
Pork tenderloin can be a great meal prep ingredient when you cook it in advance. Cut into medallions, shredded or chunked, you can warm up pork tenderloin the next day with no problems.
Pork tenderloin is an easy-to-prepare and hearty meal that you can serve at dinner parties or as a quick midweek dinner.
You can use the leftovers however you want.
You can reheat these leftovers and add them to sandwiches, shredded and made into tacos, or just eat them on their own with a side of roasted vegetables.
Whatever way you decide to consume them, remember you need to heat them properly to make the most of them.
Reheating pork tenderloin is challenging. This is because you can quickly dry the meat out or overcook it if you don’t warm it up properly.
For that reason, I’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on the best ways of reheating pork tenderloin.
You can reheat pork tenderloin in a microwave, skillet, oven, or slow cooker. Keep reading to find out how.
1. Prepare the meat
You will have to slice up your pork tenderloin so that it fits in your pan.
The thinner the slices, the less time it will take for them to heat, but the closer you have to watch it so it doesn’t overcook.
Once you are done slicing, warm up your pan or skillet on medium heat and add enough oil to cover the entire pan.
2. Heat the meat
Once the oil has heated, add the tenderloin slices and put the lid on top.
Make sure not to put layers of tenderloin slices on top of each other as that will prevent even heating.
Set burner to low.
Flip occasionally to make sure the slices are heated evenly.
The total time can vary depending on the quantity, but it usually takes 10 minutes on low.
How to Reheat Pork Tenderloin in a Microwave
Pork tenderloin can be heated in a microwave in less time.
Remember that the trick to microwaving is Time, Turn, Test. Heat a few seconds at time, turn the meat on the plate, test for your preferred temperature.
Here is how:
1. Prepare the meat
Slice the pork tenderloin and place it in a microwave-safe dish or plate.
2. Heat the meat
Place the dish in the microwave on a Reheat setting if you have it. Cover with another plate or microwave spatter-proof lid.
If not, use High, but start out at 30 seconds.
For a full plate of one layer of sliced pork tenderloin reheated, you may need to go to a full minute, but flip the pieces with tongs at 30 seconds.
Cooked pork tenderloin that needs reheating is kind of delicate. It’s lean meat, so you want to treat it with time and attention if you want the tastiest leftovers.
Pork tenderloin that is reheated for too long will become rubbery, especially in the microwave.
How to Reheat Pork Tenderloin in an Oven
Most people prefer heating pork tenderloin in an oven as it allows the meat to stay warm for longer. If you want to try out this method, here are the steps you will need to follow:
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat at 325°F and place the tenderloin in an oven-safe dish or baking tray.
In this method, you don’t need to slice the tenderloin; however, doing so will warm up the meat faster and more evenly.
2. Heat the meat
Add your cooked pork tenderloin to an oven-safe dish or pan. Cover with foil.
If you are reheating a whole pork tenderloin, you can use a meat thermometer, but it doesn’t need to be at 165°F like when it was first cooked.
An internal temp of 120°F is a warmed pork tenderloin.
Go by your preference, though.
And remember that if you are also reheating sides to make sure they are ready at the same time so your reheated pork tenderloin doesn’t cool before you get a chance to serve and eat it.
How to Reheat Pork Tenderloin in a Slow Cooker
Slow cookers and crock pots have become popular tools to use in the kitchen as they cook and heat the meat without drying it up.
Reheating pork tenderloin in a slow cooker tends to continue the cooking process, in my opinion.
And I think that’s okay, as long as you want pull-apart tender pork.
This is a great way to have pulled pork for tacos or to top potatoes.
So if you’ve roasted tenderloin and just aren’t sure what to do with the rest, pop it in a slow cooker for two hours on high, add more seasoning to taste, and your pork tenderloin will be super tender.
It’s not a quick method for warming up pork tenderloin, though. If you really want it just warmed, see below.
1. Prepare the slow cooker and meat
Set the slow cooker at the lowest or warm setting. If it does not have a warm setting, then set it to low.
Depending on your slow cooker’s size, you can slice your loin or add it whole or in chunks.
2. Heat the meat
Then, to heat the meat, add half a cup of water, half a cup of broth (if you have it on hand; a can of diced tomatoes would work, too) and your pork tenderloin. Adding the broth and water will help the meat stay moist and tender.
The bottom line
So, there’s no WRONG way of reheating pork tenderloin really, except leaving it outside in the sun. Don’t do that.
Depending on how much time you have, you can use any of these methods.
Here are some ideas about what to do with leftover pork tenderloin too!
Just remember that microwaves never need as much time as you think, especially for baked goods and precooked meat. Time, Turn, Test!
Be well, friends.
How To Reheat Pork Tenderloin
Reheating pork tenderloin in an oven is preferred as it allows meat to stay warm for longer. Here are the instructions.
Ingredients
- Oven
- Oven-safe dish or baking tray
- Foil
- Meat thermometer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 325°F and place the tenderloin in an oven-safe dish or baking tray.
- Add the cooked pork tenderloin to an oven-safe dish or pan, then cover with foil. When reheating a whole pork tenderloin, use a meat thermometer. Note, however, that it doesn’t need to be at 165°F as it was cooked originally.
- Serve and enjoy!
Thomas Gardner
Thursday 5th of May 2022
thanks. i live in southern mexico on the pacific coast and here we get smoked loin on the holidays. rhe oven method works best and i add a little stock to the pan and butter the meat.
Andi Reis
Monday 16th of May 2022
That sounds delicious, Thomas! Thanks for the note.
Paula
Wednesday 21st of July 2021
Thank you for this article. How long do you reheat the pork tenderloin in the slow cooker?
Andi Reis
Wednesday 21st of July 2021
Thanks for asking, Paula! I will revise the post too, but if you want it fall-apart, pulled pork type of tender, it will reheat for two to three hours on low, or 1.5 hours on high. If you just want it heated through, that will be about 30 minutes on low, depending on the size of the tenderloin, of course. Every slow cooker is different, but that's what I give it.