Sweet 'N' Smoky Pork Tenderloin
with Apple Carrot Slaw, Mashed Potatoes & Cherry Sauce
- Eggs
- Milk
If you’re craving something that’s good and hearty, this recipe has got you covered. Pork tenderloin is rubbed with cinnamon and smoked paprika, which brings a layer of warm aromatics to the meat. It’s then roasted and drizzled in a cherry jam sauce that adds sweetness to all that savory. The mashed potatoes on the side stay creamy and classic, but there’s also a crisp apple and carrot slaw to keep things snappy.
Ingredients
2 unit
Scallions
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
5 teaspoon
White Wine Vinegar
4 ounce
Shredded Carrots
12 ounce
Yukon Gold Potatoes
12 ounce
Pork Tenderloin
1 tablespoon
Smoky Cinnamon Paprika Spice
1 unit
Apple
4 tablespoon
Cherry Jam
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon
Olive Oil
2 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim and thinly slice scallions. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and 4 tsp vinegar (you’ll use the rest later). Add carrots and toss to coat. Set aside.
Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Place in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower heat to medium. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot.
Meanwhile, rub pork with a large drizzle of olive oil. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Reserve ¼ tsp Cinnamon Paprika Spice in a small microwave-safe bowl for the next step; rub pork all over with remaining spice. Place pork on a baking sheet and roast on middle rack until cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes after removing from oven.
While pork roasts, quarter, core, and thinly slice apple; add to bowl with carrots and toss to combine. Stir in half the scallions and season with salt and pepper. To bowl with reserved Cinnamon Paprika Spice, add jam and remaining vinegar; stir to combine. Microwave until warm, 45 seconds. Stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
Mash drained potatoes until smooth; stir in sour cream, 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings), and remaining scallions. If needed, add reserved potato cooking liquid a splash at a time until potatoes are creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice pork crosswise. Divide pork, potatoes, and slaw between plates. Drizzle sauce over pork and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the sweet and smoky combination, especially praising the cherry sauce as delicious and unexpected with pork 🍒
- Ease of prep: Most found it quick and easy to make, though some noted it took longer than expected or was hands-on
- Suggestions: Consider reducing cooking time for more tender pork; some preferred roasting potatoes instead of mashing
- Leftovers: Several mentioned the dish reheated well, with flavors holding up nicely the next day
- Spice level: Some found the chili flakes on carrots too spicy; others loved the kick - adjust to taste
Reviews from our home cooks
This was surprisingly delicious! The Cherry glaze on the pork tenderloin was brilliant. Slightly sweet with a spicy smokiness. For me, the apple carrot slaw was the star! Super refreshing and acidic...the perfect balance to the meal.
This is the best meal I have ever tasted! The crunchy sweet/sour apple carrot slaw was perfect paired with the sweet jam on the tender pork. Potatoes were perfect using sour cream instead of milk like I usually did. I have learned a lot about cooking, but this meal is #1!
I didn't make the slaw (but I had the apple the next day for lunch) but the mashed potatoes and sweet & smoky pork tenderloin were amazing. I made it on a weeknight too and was pleased at how it came together. I'm adding this recipe to my list of meals to make again!
This was very good combination of foods. The potatoes were fine. The tenderloin was tender, and with the cherry sauce was wonderful! For the slaw, I shredded both the carrot and the apple and scallions and it was delicious and I make this now at least once a week--sweet and tart and healthy treat!
I've made pork loin dishes before, but have to say with the cherry sauce and cinnamon smoked paprika . . . Oh, so good! And, the apple, carrot slaw is a great side. I would recommend to chop carrots and apples into smaller bite size pieces, which would make eating it a bit easier. Great recipe!
The smoky flavor of the pork with the sweet/tart cherry sauce was amazing! The crunchy apple carrot slaw was a great addition along with the potatoes which went great with the cherry sauce as well.
This recipe was perfect. Excellent blend of sweet and smoky. The cherry on the top, excuse the pun, was the cherry sauce for the pork. Delicious. The centerpiece of this dish was the mashed potatoes. My children couldn't get enough.
This is now one of our favorites. The cherry sauce was fantastic. We didn't care for the dressing for the Apple Carrot slaw. It would have been better with a vinaigrette dressing. The pork tenderloin was so lean and tender, that it melted in your mouth.
Loved the smoky pork tenderloin with the cherry sauce. That really surprised us. But the dressing on the carrot slaw was too vinegary. Otherwise, the rest of the meal was 5-star.
The pork tenderloin was perfect. The cherry sauce was amazing and the meat quality was exactly where I like it. I also really loved the spice rub for this meat. The potatoes were good, though I really did not like the texture of the chives in the mash. Everyone at the table loved the apple carrot slaw but me. It must have been good, but for me personally, it was a weird flavor combination.
