This grilled Thai pork tenderloin turns an ordinary weeknight into something special.
One look and you’ll understand—this is a total flavor bomb.
We love pork tenderloin for dinner. It’s a welcome change from chicken: familiar, but with a distinct, satisfying flavor. It’s also quick to prepare and keeps the meal feeling light and approachable.
What makes this tenderloin stand out is the marinade: a creamy peanut-and-coconut sauce that’s been a favorite on the blog for years. It’s versatile—great as a marinade, dressing, or dipping sauce. For this dish we split the sauce: half to marinate the pork, and the other half simmered and used as a drizzle for the plated pork and as the dressing for the soba noodle salad.
Not stuffed — just marinated
I love stuffed pork tenderloins, but they’re higher-maintenance. This version skips the stuffing, so it’s perfectly suited for weeknights. Marinate the tenderloin, grill it quickly, and you’ve got dinner that feels special without a lot of fuss.
The soba noodle salad
The soba salad adds brightness and crunch. Toss cooked and cooled soba noodles with a few tablespoons of the peanut-coconut sauce and add matchstick carrots, sliced red pepper, cucumbers, arugula microgreens, fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts and a squeeze of lime. The salad is flexible: use more or less sauce to taste, and finish with sliced hot pepper if you like heat.
If you prefer a lighter meal, skip the noodles and serve the pork with a Thai avocado salad or zucchini noodles—the leftover sauce keeps well in the fridge and is great for other dishes throughout the week.
That sauce looks almost like gravy—call it peanut-gravy if you want. I won’t argue.
I grill the tenderloin—it’s faster, it keeps the oven off on warm nights, and it adds a lovely smoky char. Depending on your grill, the tenderloin takes about 20–25 minutes total; rotate it a couple of times and aim for an internal temperature around 140–145°F, then rest before slicing.
Leftovers are fantastic: cold over a salad, warm in a wrap, or sliced for lunch the next day. This is the kind of recipe that becomes a reliable go-to.
Grilled Thai Pork Tenderloin + Soba Noodle Salad
Grilled Thai Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup lite canned coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoon-sized knobs of ginger, grated
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 boneless pork tenderloin (1 to 2 pounds)
Soba Noodle Salad
- 1 9-ounce package soba noodles
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 2 small cucumbers, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup arugula microgreens
- 1/2 cup torn fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 2 limes, cut into wedges for serving
- 1 hot pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the chili sauce, rice vinegar, coconut milk, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Reserve half of the sauce for serving.
- Place the pork tenderloin in a resealable bag or baking dish and pour half of the sauce over it, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Bring the remaining sauce to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce to a simmer and cook 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high (the surface should be hot). Let it heat for at least 15 minutes.
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
- Toss the cooled noodles with a few tablespoons of the reserved peanut-coconut sauce. Add arugula microgreens, carrots, peppers, cucumbers and cilantro. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and allow excess to drip off. Grill the pork 20–25 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the internal temperature reaches 140–145°F. Use a thermometer for accuracy.
- Transfer the pork to a sheet pan or plate and let it rest 20 minutes before slicing.
- Serve by placing sliced pork over the soba salad or alongside it. Drizzle with extra peanut sauce, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro, add sliced hot pepper if desired, and serve with lime wedges.
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That plate can just be mine.