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A changing of the season calls for fresh flavors. Maybe there’s room for a little spice, something fruity, and of course something easy to make. Say hello to this Jamaican-style pork tenderloin complete with rice and homemade mango salsa. These flavors scream for warm weather!
While the rice bakes in the oven… yeah, you heard that right… the pork is prepared. Pork tenderloin is rubbed with a mixture of warm spices that are full of strong flavor. The pork roasts alongside the rice, and in the same amount of time, a quick fresh mango salsa can be stirred together. And just like that, a weeknight meal is born!
The ingredients in this Jamaican-style pork tenderloin
- Brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, allspice, cayenne, and cumin are all mixed together and rubbed on the pork to infuse the meat with flavor. This dry rub acts as both a marinade and a dry brine.
- Pork tenderloin is easy to find in the grocery store and that’s why I love to use it for so many meals! As the name implies, the meat is tender and roasts quickly, so it’s easily a weeknight staple.
- Rice can be tricky for some people and easy for others. To take the guesswork out of the equation, bake it in the oven. Simply use some water, add some butter with the rice, and it’ll turn out perfect every time. Seriously, game changer!
- Fresh mango is, obviously, necessary for mango salsa. If you’re not accustomed to buying mango, making sure they’re ripe is important. To check if a mango is ripe, look for when they’re beginning to become soft. The color will turn to more of an orange and yellow color. Once ready to use, I find peeling them and then cutting off the pit to be the best method.
- Red onion gives the salsa a sweet onion flavor without the sharpness of a yellow onion.
- Red bell pepper provides color and fresh crunch to the salsa, both of which are very welcome in my book!
- Cilantro helps to drive home the salsa flavor. For those that do not like cilantro, it can be left out.
- Cayenne, salt, and lime juice round out the mango salsa by adding some balance to the sweetness of the fruit.
This meal has a few components but is super simple and satisfying. The best part is the flavors, which are robust and exciting. The best part is that any leftovers can be used for lunches and dinners throughout the rest of the week!
Watch how to make this pork tenderloin recipe
Jamaican-Style Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
For the meat and rice
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¾ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 cup rice rinsed and drained
- 1 ¾ cup hot water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
For the mango salsa
- 2 cups diced fresh mango
- ½ cup red onion
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
For the meat and rice
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, allspice, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove 2 tsp of the dry rub and set aside. Sprinkle the remaining rub all over the pork tenderloin until it is completely covered. Cover the tenderloin and set it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.1 tbsp light brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ¾ tsp ground allspice, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp cumin, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 lb pork tenderloin
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a 9x 13-inch baking dish, combine the prepared rice, boiling water, butter, and reserved 2 tsp of dry rub. Stir and cover tightly with foil. Place in preheated oven. Once the rice is cooked, the liquid will be absorbed and the rice will be tender, 27-33 minutes. Remove the rice from the oven and remove the foil. Use a fork to fluff the rice. Cover again with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.1 cup rice, 1 ¾ cup hot water, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- While the rice is baking, place the pork tenderloin on a preheated cast-iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) and place it in the oven alongside the rice. Roast until the tenderloin reaches 140°F, 20-25 minutes. Once at 140°F, remove the tenderloin from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
For the mango salsa
- While the rice and tenderloin are baking, prepare the mango salsa. In a medium bowl, combine the prepared mango, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, cayenne pepper, salt, and lime juice. Stir to combine and set the salt in the refrigerator until it is time to serve. The salsa can be made up to 1 day in advance.2 cups diced fresh mango, ½ cup red onion, ½ cup red bell pepper, ⅓ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
To serve
- Slice the tenderloin and place it on a bed of rice. Top with the mango salsa and enjoy.
This is a great weeknight meal or anytime meal even for special occasions. It’s fresh delicious in the presentation is amazing. This recipe is another winner from Kaleb.
Very easy. Very good. While I like mango I’ve always thought it is a bit of a pain to cut up. Peeling it as suggested and then cutting around the pit with a boning knife wasn’t bad at all I very rarely make the same recipe twice but this one is a keeper.
This is a great recipe. The rice and the mango salsa were easy to do. It made a very flavourful meal.
We made this Jamaican style pork tenderloin tonight and it was fantastic! We also made the brown rice and it was delicious but a word of warning… brown rice takes twice as long in the over to fully cook so adjust time accordingly! Thank you Kaleb, we had a wonderful dinner!
This was REALLY good. A huge hit for my boyfriend and I. Super light yet BIG flavor. Second recipe of yours I’ve tried and I’m super impressed so far.
Simple to make and super flavorful!
You didn’t mention oil in the cast iron pan or time to heat? So am doing avocado oil and about 10 minutes? Really enjoy following along with your stories!
OMG this was absolutely delicious This along with fresh peas amazing. Thank you Kaleb I have just found you recently and I am so looking forward to making more delicious meals. You are awesome