Weeknight meals don’t have to be complicated or involve every. dish. in. kitchen. when they’re as simple as this One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples!
This post was created in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board.
Be the boss of busy weeknights.
When it comes to busy weeks, you basically have two choices: Roll with the punches and let the week’s activities dictate what you’ll throw together for dinner or have a (flexible) plan in place that allows you to call the punches.
After years of the former, I’m not a firm believer in the latter. Especially now that my kids are older and have after school activities most nights of the week. Despite working hard to not overschedule them, life is hectic during the week.
For that reason, I’ve become a super fan of meals you can prep ahead and cook when you’re ready – like this One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples.
The herbed-mustard rub can be prepped up to 3 days in advance as can the veggies so when it’s time to make dinner magic, everything just needs to be assembled on a sheet pan and popped into the oven to roast while you take care of more pressing issues. Or just stop for a big in-breath.
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Lean protein for the win.
Since bacon comes from pigs, many people assume that all cuts of pork are high in fat which just isn’t true. In fact, certain cuts of pork are quite lean and are a great alternative to chicken when you want to change things up a bit. Pork is so flavorful on its own but when combined with an herbed-mustard rub, earthy Brussels and sweet apples it’s the perfect dish for fall and winter (and spring…and summer!)
So if it’s a lean, versatile protein that you’re after, look for these cuts the next time you’re at the store:
- Sirloin pork chop
- Bone-in rib pork chop
- Bone-in center pork chop (Porterhouse chop)
- Boneless top loin hop (New York pork chop)
- Boneless top loin roast (New York pork roast)
- Pork tenderloin
Keep in mind that lean, whole cuts of pork like those listed below are best when cooked to an internal temperature of 145℉. So get yourself an inexpensive instant-read thermometer for perfectly-cooked pork every time.
Winner, winner, One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples is your new go-to dinner!” #realfood #sponsored Share on X
One-pan = Easy cleanup
When I’m cruising the web for recipes, more often than not, I’m looking for words like ‘one-pan’ or ‘sheet pan’ because one-pan = easy cleanup in my book. Which is just another reason you should add this One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples to your meal plan this week. You’ve got enough to do already, piles of dishes don’t need to part of that list!
Serve it as is or with your favorite side dish.
Here we’ve paired this One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples with a side of mashed sweet potato but other great sides would be: Butternut Squash Homefries, Crispy Garlic Ranch Roasted Potatoes, Garlic Roasted Root Vegetables, or just good ol’ mashed potatoes with a pat of butter or ghee.
Bottom line: Don’t let busy weeknights boss you around.
Take the upper hand and prep this One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples ahead of time so you can call the shots (rather than call for pizza delivery!)
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One-Pan Pork Loin with Brussels and Apples
Lean pork tenderloin gets coated with an easy maple-mustard sauce and bakes together on a sheet pan with veggies and diced apple for a complete meal that’s full of complementary flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 ¼ lb. pork loin*, patted dry (It works best to use a loin that isn’t super thick – about 3 inches in diameter works best to get meat and veggies done at the same time)
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard (Whole30-compliant, if needed)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional, omit for Whole30-friendly option)
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (may substitute 1 tsp. dried rosemary, lightly crushed)
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (may substitute 3/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves)
- ¾ tsp. salt, divided
- ¾ tsp. black pepper, divided
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half if large
- 2 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady/Cripps), cut into ¾-inch chunks
- 1 small red onion, cut into ½-inch thick slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- To make the rub, combine mustard, 1 Tbsp. oil, maple syrup (if using), garlic, rosemary, thyme, ½ tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper in a small bowl.
- Place the pork loin in the center of the baking sheet and rub with the mustard mixture, coating all sides.
- Add Brussels, apples, and onions to the baking sheet around the pork loin. Drizzle vegetables with 1 Tbsp. oil, sprinkle with ¼ tsp. each of salt and pepper and toss well to coat.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, tossing vegetables halfway through cooking time. Pork loin is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 140℉ when inserted into the thickest part.
- When pork is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven, tent loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing pork and serving with roasted veggies.
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Notes
*A thick pork tenderloin may also be used in place of a pork loin though it may cook faster and you may need to remove it from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to finish cooking depending on the size of the tenderloin.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe
- Calories: 343
- Fat: 13g
- Sodium: 606mg
- Carbohydrate: 20g
- (Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 12g)
- Protein: 36g
Dietary
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
This post was made possible by our friends at the Minnesota Pork Board. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.
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Kelsey Wiley says
Absolutely tasty!
Diana says
This was absolutely delicious! I had to take out the veggies at 30 minutes so they wouldn’t burn and popped the pork loin back in until it reached 140 degrees, about another 10 minutes and it was delicious and not dry at all! Definitely keeping this recipe! And prep was easy as well as the clean up!
Stacie Hassing says
Awesome Diana! Thank you for sharing this feedback and 5-star review!
Chris says
Delicious. Didn’t have fresh rosemary, substituted fresh sage. As some other have said, the loin did not get to 140 degrees in 30 minutes. Took about 45. Also, made some mash potatoes of my husband. He loves this.
Pork loin is so lean, it can dry out easily, the rub in this recipe solved this issue.
Jessie Shafer says
We’re so glad this resulting in nice, tender, and juicy pork loin for you!
Janet says
I adjusted the recipe a bit, tossed veggies in a mixture of about 1/4 cup Olive oil mixed with 1 tblsp mustard, 2tblsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp rosemary and 1tblsp thyme. Took 45 minutes at 400 to cook not 30 min. Delicious! I also added 1 sweet potatoe and 1 carrot to the veggies.
Jessie Shafer says
Thank you for the thorough notes, Janet! We appreciate it!