Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin

July 28, 2026
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Pork tenderloin in always fairly reasonably priced, it cooks quickly and soaks up flavors beautifully, but what if you want to dress it up a little? Then let’s wrap it in bacon and make a little pan sauce to pair it with…

You technically need 3 main ingredients for this one – the tenderloin/tenderloins, some bacon and spices.

- - Tenderloin – we are using pork here today, but you can absolutely swap a beef tenderloin in instead. I am using 2 narrow tenderloins equalling 2 pounds, but you can use a larger single tenderloin if you can find one.
  - Bacon – use thin bacon here, not the thick cut stuff. We want the bacon to have both the elasticity to easily stretch around the tenderloin, but also be thin enough to get nice and crisp in the oven.
  - Spices – we are using a combination of 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder or paprika and a pinch of black pepper. The brown sugar helps create a caramelized finish on the tenderloin and the garlic, salt and chili powder help to balance out the sweetness perfectly.

Prepare the tenderloin by drying it completely using paper towels and rubbing the seasoning mixture over the entire exterior.

Lay your bacon strips in a single layer overlapping each slice just a teeny bit to ensure there are not gaps.

Place the tenderloin in the center of the bacon slices and beginning at the bottom, wrap the ends of the bacon over the tenderloin, alternating left and right.

Transfer the bacon wrapped tenderloin into a lightly oiled cast iron skillet seam side down.

Make sure you place it seam side down! This will prevent the bacon from opening up as it cooks.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees and the bacon is nice and crisp.

Transfer the tenderloin onto a cutting board and place the skillet over medium heat.

Note: If you have some burnt bits at the bottom of the skillet, use a fork to carefully discard them so they aren’t included in the pan sauce. Leave all of that great bacon fat in there, just remove any black burnt bits before you start making the pan sauce.

Sauté a small finely diced yellow onion until translucent and then add 2 cloves of garlic and cook for about 60 seconds while stirring. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and stir to combine with the onions and garlic.

Add a cup of chicken stock and 1/4 cup of heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste and then transfer it off of the heat.

The tenderloin should be rested enough to slice once the sauce is done, so slice it into inch thick slices and nestle it into that glorious sauce….

The tenderloin is super juicy and tender (don’t bake it past 145 degrees or it may dry out!), the bacon is salty and crisp and that sauce is so flavorful and comforting… you aren’t gonna want to leave one drop of it behind.

If you are looking for a really fabulous dinner that is ready in under an hour, but also looks pretty enough to present to friends then this bacon wrapped tenderloin should be added to your future dinner plans.

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