This herb-crusted pork tenderloin with mushroom risotto is an easy dinner recipe that tastes like it came from a restaurant. The pork tenderloin is coated in a simple dry rub of rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic, and ground fennel seed, then seared in a cast iron or oven-safe skillet and roasted in the oven until it reaches a juicy 145°F. While the pork roasts, you’ll make a creamy mushroom risotto on the stovetop with browned mushrooms, shallots, fresh fennel, arborio rice, white wine, and Parmesan. A quick Dijon white wine pan sauce, made right in the skillet, brings the whole pork tenderloin dinner together.

The secret to this recipe is fennel, which shows up in the pork rub, the mushroom risotto, and a fresh fennel frond gremolata with toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, and Parmesan. That bright gremolata topping balances the rich, creamy risotto, and a side of lemon roasted asparagus rounds out the plate. This oven-roasted pork tenderloin recipe serves four with generous portions, making it a perfect date night dinner, Sunday dinner, or special occasion meal. If you’ve been looking for the best way to cook pork tenderloin with a side that feels just as impressive, this complete dinner is one you’ll come back to again and again.

Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Risotto

Quinn Alt

Herb-crusted pork tenderloin with creamy mushroom risotto, Dijon pan sauce, and fennel frond gremolata. An easy, restaurant-worthy dinner for four.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Course Main Course

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins about 3 lb total
2 tbsp high smoke point oil such as avocado or canola
1½ tsp fine table salt or 3 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt / 2¼ tsp Morton kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried rosemary crushed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fennel seed ground

Pan Sauce

½ cup dry white wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Risotto

2 tbsp olive oil plus more if needed
16 oz sliced mushrooms
2 shallots finely diced
½ fennel bulb finely diced (reserve the fronds for the gremolata)
6 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth, plus up to 1 cup more as needed
2 oz Parmesan grated (about 1 cup)
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed
Salt and black pepper to taste

Fennel Frond Gremolata

2 tbsp pine nuts
½ cup fennel fronds finely chopped (top up with flat-leaf parsley if your fennel is sparse)
2 tbsp Parmesan finely grated
Zest of ½ lemon
¼ tsp black pepper
White wine vinegar a few drops

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ¼ to ½ lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Gremolata

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan often, until just golden, 3–5 minutes. Watch closely, since pine nuts go from golden to burnt quickly. Transfer to a plate right away to stop the cooking.
Once cool, roughly chop the pine nuts. In a small bowl, combine the pine nuts, fennel fronds, Parmesan, lemon zest, and pepper. Set aside. Wait to add the vinegar until just before serving so the fronds stay fresh.

Prep the Pork

Pat the tenderloins completely dry with paper towels. Mix the rub ingredients and coat the pork evenly on all sides. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you prep the risotto.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then toss the spears on a parchment-lined sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Start the Risotto

In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth to a bare simmer (steaming, but not bubbling) and keep it there over low heat.
In a large, wide pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and let them sit without stirring for 2–3 minutes. Then stir occasionally until their liquid has cooked off and they’re well browned, 8–10 minutes. Season lightly with salt. If your pan is crowded, brown the mushrooms in two batches.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the shallots and diced fennel, plus a little more oil if the pan looks dry, and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds.
Add the rice and stir to coat it in the oil. Toast for 1–2 minutes, until the edges of the grains look translucent.
Pour in the white wine and simmer, stirring, until it’s reduced by about half.

Sear and Roast the Pork

In a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers and just begins to smoke. Sear the tenderloins until deeply browned on all sides, 2–3 minutes per side. If they don’t fit, tuck the thin tail ends under or cut each tenderloin in half. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the thickest part reads 140°F, about 12–18 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the warm broth to the risotto one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next. The stirring releases starch from the rice, which is what makes it creamy, so don’t rush this step. Expect 18–25 minutes total. You may not need all the broth. Never add cold liquid, since it stops the cooking.
When the pork reaches 140°F, move it to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest while the asparagus roasts. It will climb to 145°F as it rests.

Roast the Asparagus

Slide the asparagus into the same 350°F oven and roast until bright green and crisp-tender, 12–15 minutes for medium spears (less for thin, more for thick). While it roasts, make the pan sauce, finish the risotto, and slice the pork.

Make the Pan Sauce

Carefully set the skillet over medium heat, using an oven mitt since the handle will be very hot. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the Dijon, then turn off the heat and swirl in the butter until melted. Add any juices from the resting pork, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finish the Risotto

The rice is done when it’s tender with a slight bite in the center and loose enough to slowly spread when spooned onto a plate. Turn off the heat. Gently fold in the Parmesan and butter; stirring hard makes it clump. Taste, then adjust the salt and pepper.

Assemble

Slice the pork against the grain into ½-inch medallions. Stir a few drops of white wine vinegar into the gremolata, just enough to make it look glossy, not wet.
Spoon risotto onto each plate and lay the pork slices alongside. When the asparagus comes out of the oven, squeeze the lemon juice over the spears and add them to the plates right away. Top the risotto with gremolata and spoon a little pan sauce over the pork.

Keyword dinner, mushroom risotto, pork tenderloin

Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Risotto