Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Brussels Sprouts
Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin roasted until juicy, sliced over caramelized Brussels sprouts tossed with butter and garlic, and finished with fresh thyme and toasted pecans.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a hearty, low-effort dinner that feels like a special occasion but comes together on a weeknight. It suits anyone who wants a protein-forward plate with real depth of flavor and very little on the side to fuss over. Because the pork and the sprouts roast at the same temperature, you can slide both into the oven together and have the whole meal ready at once.
The bacon is doing a job here, not decorating. As the pork roasts, the bacon renders and bastes the tenderloin, keeping the surface rich and browned while the Dijon underneath adds a tangy backbone. Searing first browns the bacon so it crisps rather than turning flabby in the oven, and pulling the pork at 145°F (63°C) followed by a rest gives you rosy, tender slices instead of dry ones. Roasting the Brussels sprouts cut side down is what gives them those caramelized, nutty edges that a steamed sprout never gets.
Juicy pork, crackly bacon, tender-crisp sprouts, and toasted pecans stack textures and richness that keep you full. The pork tenderloin is a tender, high-quality protein, the Brussels sprouts bring fiber and vitamins, and the olive oil, butter, and pecans supply the kind of fat that makes a plate feel complete and keeps hunger away for hours. One tenderloin stretches across four plates, so it is a generous dinner without being an expensive one.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 8 slices bacon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pat the pork tenderloin dry and trim off the silvery membrane (silverskin) with a sharp knife. Halve the Brussels sprouts through the stem, mince the garlic, and strip the thyme leaves from their stems. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and lightly darkened, about 4 minutes, then roughly chop and set aside.
- Wrap the pork: Brush the pork all over with the Dijon mustard. Lay the bacon slices side by side on a board, slightly overlapping, set the pork across them, and roll the pork up so the bacon spirals around it and the ends tuck underneath. Rub the outside with the thyme leaves and a generous grind of black pepper.
- Sear the pork: Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the wrapped pork and sear, turning with tongs, until the bacon is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. This builds color and flavor on the bacon before roasting.
- Roast the pork: Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145°F (63°C), 20 to 25 minutes. Move the pork to a cutting board and let it rest, loosely tented with foil, for about 10 minutes so the juices settle before slicing.
- Roast the Brussels sprouts: Melt the butter and toss it with the halved Brussels sprouts and minced garlic on a rimmed sheet pan, then spread them out cut side down in a single layer. Roast alongside the pork until the cut sides are deeply browned and crisp and a knife slips easily into the centers, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Slice and serve: Slice the rested pork crosswise into thick medallions. Spread the roasted Brussels sprouts on plates, arrange the pork on top, and garnish with the toasted chopped pecans.
Variations
- Swap the herb: Trade the thyme for chopped fresh rosemary or sage, which stand up well to the bacon and the roasted sprouts. Both are woodier, so use a slightly lighter hand.
- Prosciutto wrap: Wrap the pork in thin prosciutto instead of bacon for a saltier, more delicate cure that crisps in the oven. It renders less fat, so add a little extra olive oil to the pan.
- Cheesy sprouts: Shower the roasted Brussels sprouts with crumbled blue cheese or grated Parmesan in the last few minutes of roasting. This adds dairy and a sharp, savory finish.
- Different nut: Use toasted walnuts or hazelnuts in place of the pecans for a slightly more bitter crunch. This keeps the nutty finish while changing the character of the plate.
- Balsamic finish: Drizzle the finished sprouts with a little balsamic vinegar for brightness against the rich bacon. Note that balsamic adds a small amount of sugar and carbs.
Storage & Leftovers
Store leftover sliced pork and Brussels sprouts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Keep the pecans separate if you can, so they stay crunchy rather than softening against the warm vegetables.
Reheat gently to keep the pork from drying out: warm slices in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water, or in a 300°F (150°C) oven just until heated through. The Brussels sprouts crisp back up nicely under the broiler for a minute or two if they went soft in the fridge.
To get ahead, you can wrap the pork in bacon and refrigerate it up to a day in advance, and halve the sprouts and mince the garlic the night before. Toast the pecans ahead too and keep them in a jar at room temperature. With the prep done, dinner is just searing and roasting.
Notes & Tips
- Buy the right cut: Make sure you have pork tenderloin, not the larger pork loin roast, which is a different, thicker cut that needs longer, lower cooking. The tenderloin is slim and cooks quickly.
- Trust the thermometer: An instant-read thermometer is the difference between juicy and dry with tenderloin. Pull the pork at 145°F (63°C); it will climb a few degrees as it rests. Don't roast by time alone, since thickness varies.
- Choose thin bacon: Regular-cut bacon wraps and crisps better than thick-cut, which can still be chewy by the time the pork is done. If your bacon is very thick, sear a little longer to render it.
- Pick tight sprouts: Look for firm, tightly closed Brussels sprouts of similar size so they roast evenly. Halve any large ones again so every piece browns at the same rate.
- Give them room: Spread the sprouts in a single layer with space between them, cut side down. Crowded sprouts steam and stay pale instead of caramelizing, so use a second pan if needed.
- The pecans are flexible: The toasted pecans are there for crunch and can be left off for a nut-free plate, or doubled if you love the texture. Toast them just until fragrant, since they scorch fast.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- The pork, the sprouts and the pan sauce are built to be eaten in the same forkful. The meat is mild and tender, the sprouts are dark and a little bitter, and the mustard and thyme sauce sits between them and reconciles the two.
- Tenderloin wrapped in bacon roasts in the drippings of its own wrapper, which is what keeps a fine-grained cut like this juicy, and it slices into rounds with a crisp smoky edge and protein enough to anchor the plate.
- Brussels sprouts halved and laid cut side down in the hot pan go deeply browned and nutty, and the outer leaves that come loose turn into crisp chips at the edges. They bring fiber and vitamin C to a plate that is otherwise all meat.
- Pecans toasted in the butter until they smell like a bakery are what the sprouts have been waiting for, giving the dish a soft crunch and a sweetness, and they carry unsaturated fat and manganese along in the same handful.
- Dijon, garlic, thyme and a heavy hand with black pepper make up the sharp end of this. The mustard cuts the richness, the garlic goes sweet as it cooks, and the thyme is what you smell before any of it reaches the table.
- As you eat, build a forkful with a slice of pork, a browned sprout half and a pecan, and notice how the mustard keeps lifting the rich part, then let the meal take as long as it wants to take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my bacon soft instead of crisp?
Two things help: sear the wrapped pork well on all sides before it goes in the oven, and use regular-cut rather than thick-cut bacon. If it is still soft when the pork hits 145°F (63°C), run the whole skillet under the broiler for a minute, watching closely.
Can I use a different cut of pork?
Stick with tenderloin here. A pork loin roast is thicker and squarer in shape and would need a longer, lower roast, so the bacon and the pork would finish at different times. The slim tenderloin is what lets everything cook together quickly.
My Brussels sprouts came out soft and pale. What went wrong?
They were probably crowded or turned the wrong way. Spread them cut side down in a single layer with space between them so the flat sides make contact with the hot pan and caramelize. A crowded pan traps steam and prevents browning.
Can I make this on a single sheet pan instead of a skillet?
Yes. Sear the wrapped pork in a skillet first for color, then move it to one side of a sheet pan and add the buttered sprouts alongside. Just be sure the pork is not sitting on top of the sprouts, so the bacon stays exposed and crisps.