This pork tenderloin with cherry salsa is the kind of dish that turns a simple summer dinner into something special. With a cocoa-chile rub on the pork and a juicy, spicy cherry salsa on top, it’s an unexpected flavor combo that’s worth firing up the grill for.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This pork tenderloin with cherry salsa combines bold, contrasting flavors: smoky cocoa and chile on tender, grilled pork, balanced by the sweetness of cherries and the brightness of herbs. It’s a dish that feels elevated but is surprisingly easy to prepare. Perfect for warm nights when you want to impress without the stress.
This spicy cherry salsa is a favorite around here because it’s sweet, spicy, tart, and herby, and can be made in just a few minutes. No, it’s fast (so long as you have a cherry pitter, of course).
And though cocoa-rubbed pork is as ’90s a trend as the Backstreet Boys, it’s a perfect pairing here. The earthy cocoa flavors, the spice of the chiles, and the sweetness of the cherries make this Cocoa-Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa recipe a serious seasonal winner.
Recipe Ingredients
To make pork tenderloin with cherry salsa, you’ll need:
- Pork tenderloin and a simple cocoa-chile rub made with cocoa powder, chile powder, sugar, and olive oil
- Sweet cherries, jalapeño, shallot, and pomegranate molasses for the salsa
- Fresh basil, salt, and pepper to round out the flavors
How to Make This Recipe
Start by making the cherry salsa: just toss together the cherries, jalapeño, shallot, molasses, basil, and seasoning, then chill. Butterfly and flatten the pork, then rub it with the cocoa-chile mixture and marinate for a few hours. Grill over high heat, then slice and top with the cherry salsa for a knockout pork tenderloin dish with cherry salsa.
What to Serve With This
This pork tenderloin with cherry salsa pairs beautifully with grilled vegetables, a fresh arugula salad, this French carrot salad, or herbed quinoa. Add a glass of dry rosé or a bold Pinot Noir to elevate the whole experience. However you serve it, this pork tenderloin with cherry salsa is a guaranteed showstopper at your next cookout.
Get A Personalized Travel Itinerary
Cocoa-Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Cherry Salsa:
- 2 cups sweet cherries pitted and halved (about 12 ounces)
- 1 jalapeño stemmed and finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 shallot finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For The Pork:
- 1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground chile powder
- 1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar
Instructions
- Make The Cherry Salsa: Toss cherries, jalapeño, shallot, pomegranate molasses, basil, and a pinch of salt and a crank of pepper together in a large nonreactive bowl. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Butterfly The Pork: To butterfly the pork, place the tenderloin on a cutting board with one end pointing toward you. Slice lengthwise down the center, almost but not quite cutting through the tenderloin, leaving about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness of meat intact. Open like a book and push on it to flatten.
- Starting on the left side, with the blade of the knife parallel to the cutting board and the blade facing left, slice down the length of the seam, maintaining the 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. Pull the meat open and press down to flatten. Continue cutting and flattening until the entire left half is 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. Rotate the tenderloin and repeat on the other half.
- Make The Cocoa-Chile Rub: Combine the olive oil, cocoa, chile powder, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a small mixing bowl until well combined then coat the pork all over with the mixture. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. When ready to grill, remove the pork the fridge and set aside at least 20 minutes at room temperature before grilling.
- Grill The Pork: Heat an outdoor grill to high (about 450°F to 550°F) and rub the grill grates with a kitchen towel dipped in vegetable oil. Place the pork on the grill, and cover the grill. Cook, flipping once, until grill marks appear and the pork registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes total. Remove to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest a few minutes. Slice thinly and serve with cherry salsa.
