Traeger Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Smoked pork tenderloin is one of my favorite things to make on the Traeger, and this Mexican-inspired version will be one of your new favorites, too. You’ll be hard pressed to find a protein option that’s this tender and flavorful with 29 grams of protein and just 3 grams of fat per serving.

It’s easy to make and requires zero marinating, and we have great recipes for smoked charro beans and drunken pinto beans you can make right alongside the pork. But we’ll get to that later!

Traeger Smoked Pork Tenderloin Recipe Walkthrough

There’s a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but you’ll find extra tips and a visual walkthrough between here and there. If you have questions about ingredient substitutions or cooking method adjustments, there’s a good chance it’s covered in the post.

Preparing the Pork Tenderloin

You’ll want to take a moment to trim any excess fat and silver skin off the pork tenderloins. (The photo above shows pre-trimmed.) If you need some help with trimming, check out this guide on how to trim pork tenderloin before cooking.

The recipe calls for two pork tenderloins that weigh around 1.25 pounds each. If you’re using a larger pork loin, that should work fine as long as you adjust the cook time accordingly. And if you find yourself with unevenly sized pork tenderloins, you may need to pull one from the smoker a bit early. Just keep an eye on the internal temperature.

The Mexican Seasoning

Inspired by my popular Mexican Ninja Foodi Chicken, this smoked pork tenderloin recipe calls for a blend of Mexican spices like chipotle chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon in combination with the classic salt and pepper.

If you wanted to use another pre-mixed rub, go for it. My blend only has two teaspoons of kosher salt, for comparison. And if you wanted a more classic BBQ rub, check out my Traeger smoked chicken thighs.

Brown Sugar & Hot Sauce Glaze

A brown sugar based glaze may seem different, but I think it works perfectly in combination with the hot sauce. You get the caramelization from the sugar that makes for great eating and a spicy yet sweet flavor to make the Mexican spices pop.

I was thinking of something like chamoy (a sweet and salty Mexican condiment) when mixing these two together. So if you’re looking for an alternative, that’d be a great place to start. You could also use a chipotle BBQ sauce or some form of chili based sauce.

Also, I used Cholula hot sauce for glazing. If you’re a spice lover, you could something with more heat. We love local to Austin Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce, for example.

Perfectly Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Since every smoker and pork tenderloin is different, you’ll probably want to use the probe on your Traeger to keep an eye on things. You can go low and slow at 225ºF for just long enough to get a good smoke ring and develop the smoky flavor, but you don’t want to over cook pork tenderloin. It’s not going to hold up to the longer cook times like a pork shoulder would.

And if you have pork tenderloins that are different sizes (like mine in the photo above), you may want to glaze and pull the smaller one a bit earlier.

Side note: I used the Traeger Signature pellets, but you could use hickory, mesquite, or something along those lines.

Serving Your Mexican Pork Tenderloin

For the perfect side, you can make our smoked charro beans right alongside your smoked pork tenderloin. Both recipes cook at 225ºF, and you can get the beans on before you prep your pork for perfect timing.

If you’re going with a classic BBQ rub, you might swap the charro beans for BBQ baked beans.

Also pictured above is Mexican street corn salad or esquites. I used a Serious Eats recipe but swapped the fresh corn for frozen Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn. You can just throw it in a pan while you prep all the other ingredients. This is a super easy addition to make in the final 10-20 minutes before the pork tenderloin comes off the smoker.

Update: We know have a Traeger recipe for Mexican street corn salad, and it’s legit!

Other side dishes might include Mexican roasted zucchini, Mexican potatoes, or low calorie tortilla chips with spicy guacamole or creamy smoked salsa verde.

And if you need some ideas for repurposing leftovers, you could chop up your smoked pork tenderloin and swap it for the beef in our brisket fried rice or brisket kolaches.

Whether you use your smoked pork tenderloin for feeding a crowd, meal prep, or other recipes, I’d love to hear about it. Pop back in to let me know in a comment or recipe review. Those are always appreciated! And don’t forget to drop any questions you have in the comments as well.