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.
This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but will share some commission.
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!)
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
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.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
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
Pin it now and make it later!
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.
All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Lynda says
I just found your website. I never leave reviews, but this was so good! Used Gala apples. The pork was so juicy! So looking forward to trying other recipes. Thank you!
Jessie Shafer says
Hi Lynda, we’re so glad you found us! Thank you for leaving this review and we can’t wait for you to try more of our recipes!
Jan says
This turned out delicious! The pork was delicious and moist. Finally found a pork loin recipe I love. I also used frozen small Brussel sprouts instead of fresh and it turned out perfect!
Jessie Shafer says
Hi Jan, we’re so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for the feedback and 5-star rating!
Sue says
Delicious and easy! The apples, sprouts, and onions combo were a perfect accompaniment to the juicy pork. Rave reviews. Will definitely make again and again.
Jessica Beacom says
We’re so glad you enjoyed that combination of flavors!
Jennifer says
This sounds amazing! I will squeeze this into this week’s menu bc I have everything on hand! Well I’m going to try using pork chops since that’s what I have but I enjoy seeing ideas for marinades, ribs and Seasonings to change things up (I tend to revisit the same seasonings, I know there’s so many profiles to explore!) Thank you for this recipe!
Samantha says
Perfect weeknight dinner! The most challenging part was returning to the grocery store to get the rosemary I had forgotten.