Simple Pork Tenderloin With Creamy Mushroom Sauce (35 minutes!)
Those nights where I kind of want something sorta fancy, but I don’t want to remortgage my house, I make this Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce. Tender pork medallions are seared and then simmered in a luscious mushroom and parmesan sauce with fresh sautéed mushrooms added in.
It’s ‘fancy’ without serious effort and can be ready faster than if you were to order and wait for takeout. (Plus it’s way cheaper!)
You’ll need basic pantry staples and a few extras like Parmesan cheese and a can of condensed mushroom soup. This recipe serves four hungry folks and keeps well for leftover lunches!
🛒Ingredient Highlights
- ✅ Pork Tenderloin: No tenderloin? Totally fine! – Use pork loin, steaks, or pork chops and chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
- ✅ Mushroom Soup: We want canned condensed here, not ‘ready to heat’ soup so we can control the thickness of the sauce. Feel free to use lower sodium or low-fat. (But fat means flavor, so keep that in mind!).
- ✅ Mushrooms: Fresh, cleaned mushrooms. White button mushrooms are what I used today. Baby Bella (crimini), portabella, and shiitake can also be used for more complex flavors. Canned mushrooms would go well, just be sure to drain them (reserve the juice – I’ll explain in a bit!)
- ✅ Seasonings and Aromatics: Onions, salt, pepper, garlic and dried thyme. (all optional).
- ✅ Parmesan cheese: I used freshly grated, but use what you have on hand. Green top grated Parm is fine, or even swap it out for shredded Swiss or provolone.
How This Pork Tenderloin Recipe Comes Together
This pork medallions recipe comes together in one skillet, with simple steps that layer flavor at every stage.
- Start with a Sear
Slice into medallions and season. Give them a quick sear in a hot skillet for color – No need to cook them through here; they’ll finish in the sauce later. - The Veggies
Remove the pork, sauté chopped onions and mushrooms in the same pan. - Whip Up the Sauce
A quick stir of condensed mushroom soup and sour cream makes the creamy base. I also add back the veggies at this time too. - Melt in the Cheese
I like to add the cheese in 2 batches so it melts nicely and not in a big blob in the sauce. - Finish in the Sauce
The pork goes back into the pan to soak up all that flavor. Simmer until the pork is tender and perfectly cooked.
Please refer to the printable recipe card below for exact amounts, detailed instructions, and helpful tips to make this recipe perfect every time.
Salty Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe Tips
- Try and cut the medallions as close to the same thickness for even cooking.
- If you’re watching your sodium, buy low-sodium condensed soup or skip adding the extra salt to the medallions.
- Pork tenderloin is very lean, so for the searing step, make sure you sear over high heat, and just long enough to get some color. The pork is cooked further in the sauce, so there are no worries about it being undercooked.
- Don’t soak your mushrooms in water, they’ll get waterlogged and tasteless. Just run them through a quick stream of water to remove any dirt and pat dry.
- If you decide to use portabella mushrooms, be sure to remove the ‘gills’ from the mushroom or it will make the sauce dull and grey looking.
- When searing the pork, only do a few pieces at a time. When I sear it, I’ll sear about 5-6 pieces in one go so I don’t overcrowd the pan. If too much meat is in the skillet at once, you could ‘steam’ the meat, and you won’t get a nice sear on the medallions, and it will look grey and anemic (as my Mom would say).
- If you’re feeling a bit saucy (pun intended!), add a splash or two of white wine that you really love. I’ve tried adding just a bit in the past, and it levels up the sauce just a tad. I don’t do it all the time, but once in a while is great!
- Whatever mushroom you choose, make sure they’re nicely sautéed before adding to the sauce. It brings out their best yummy flavor!
Suggestions for Sides
I have a recipe similar to this that’s called Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops. When I make both those dishes, I think that rice and potatoes are the usual sides that I go for.
Green sweet peas (what I grew up with because they’re Mom’s favorite!), and hot honey carrots or some hot buttered noodles would be awesome with it too!
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and a ***STAR *** rating in the recipe card below. Thanks for stopping by The Salty Pot, and I hope you have a great day!
Simple Pork Tenderloin Medallions in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1.5 pounds.
- 1 can mushroom soup, condensed, 10 ounces.
- 1 cup mushrooms, fresh, sliced
- 1/2 cup onions, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp dried thyme (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the pork tenderloin into 3/4"-1" medallions. Pat dry.
- Season the pork on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- In a hot skillet, pour some oil and sear the medallions on both sides to gain some color, approximately 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the pork to a dish. Add the fresh mushrooms and onions (if using) and sauté until softened. (Approximately 3-4 minutes). Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms to a separate plate.
- While the mushrooms are frying, in a small bowl, combine the soup and the sour cream well. When the mushrooms are done and removed, add the sauce to the skillet to begin heating through.
- When the sauce is heated through, add the thyme (if using) and add half of the parmesan cheese, melt it into the sauce, then add the remaining cheese and melt it through the sauce. If you find the sauce is too thick, add water (or broth) in 1/4cup intervals until the sauce has loosened up to a nice consistency.
- Add the mushrooms back to the sauce, along with the pork medallions, being sure to add any extra juices that accumulated on the plate.
- Let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork has reached 145°F. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to pat dry the medallions before seasoning so the spices stick nicely, along with getting a nice sear on the pork in the skillet.
- Feel free to use water or broth to loosen up the sauce if it becomes too thick in the skillet.
- I've used half sour cream and half Greek yogurt when making the sauce, and it's delish!
- Make sure to sear the pork in batches so you can get good color on the pork and it doesn't steam in the skillet.
Storing:
Fridge - This pork with cream sauce will stay great in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Freezing - Freeze in silicone souper cubes or in freezer-friendly containers for up to 3 months. I have also added the rice under the sauce, and it heats up well for a quick dinner or lunch. The sauce is not quite as saucy, but the flavor is there when reheated.
Reheating - Take out a portion the night before and thaw in the fridge. Reheat covered in the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 754mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
