Asian Pork Tenderloin With Peanut Sauce And Stir-Fried Noodles

Tender pork tenderloin topped with peanut sauce and served alongside Asian stir-fried noodles is a combination of savory flavors that creates a colorful and delicious meal that’s simple to prepare. It’s better than ordering take out and might become one of your favorite go to meals…it’s that good.

Not one or two but three easy and adaptable recipes that can be prepared separately or served together for a delicious meal. What is nice is that you will probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen so you won’t have to go shopping for hard to find ingredients.

Pork Tenderloin With Peanut Sauce And Stir-fried Asian Noodles

Pork Tenderloin 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs.), trimmed of all silver skin
• 2 Tbsp. peanut or canola oil (divided)
• 1 Tbsp. Chinese five spice powder
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• a pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste 

Mix the dry rub ingredients together well. Rub the pork tenderloin with 1 Tbsp. oil then cover with the spice rub and pat so the rub adheres. Let the pork marinate for at least 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Heat the remaining oil in an ovenproof sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the pork and sear on all sides (about 1 to 2 minutes each side). Transfer to the preheated oven and roast until the pork registers 145 degrees (about 10 – 15 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloin). Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes (the temperature will continue to rise) so the juices redistribute into the meat before slicing. Serve with peanut ginger sauce.

Peanut Ginger Sauce (About 3/4 cup)

• 2 tsp. peanut oil
• 1 tsp. sesame seed oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (approx. 2-3 tsp.)
• 1/4 c. natural peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. sweet Thai chili sauce
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/4 c. or more water for thinning the sauce
• 1 tsp. sriracha (optional)

Heat the oils in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add all the other ingredients except the water and cook until the peanut butter is melted and smooth. Slowly add the water a little at a time until the desired consistency. 

Asian Stir-Fried Noodles

• 12 oz. fresh Chinese noodles or spaghetti
• 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
• 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (sriracha may be substituted)
• 3 additional tsp. peanut oil
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 3 scallions, white parts thinly sliced, save tops for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and garlic sauce then set aside. Cook the noodles or spaghetti in a pot of boiling water according to package directions then drain. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil to prevent sticking.

Heat the additional oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onion, red pepper and ginger then cook, stirring frequently, until tender crisp. Add the water chestnuts, noodles, scallions and sauce then cook until sauce is absorbed, about 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter, garnished with the green tops of the scallions. 

Asian Pork Tenderloin With Peanut Sauce And Stir-fried Noodles

When making the spice rub for the pork, if you don’t have Chinese five spice powder you can make a mixture with 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.

In warm weather, the pork tenderloin can be prepared on the grill just adjust the cooking times accordingly until you reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

For a creamier peanut sauce, you can substitute the water with coconut milk.

The peanut ginger sauce recipe makes about 3/4 cup of sauce. Any remaining sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. Thin with water, if necessary, after being refrigerated. 

The peanut ginger sauce is delicious on chicken, pork and seafood. It is also great used as a dip, tossed with noodles or used as a salad dressing.

If you can’t find fresh Chinese noodles, you can use spaghetti, rice noodles, udon, lo mein or other pasta noodle of your choice.

If you don’t like water chestnuts, add thin sliced carrots, snow peas or bok choy. If you like your food extra spicy, double or triple the amount of chili garlic sauce to your own taste.

For extra flavor, texture and color to this dish, you can add some chopped peanuts, cilantro or sliced limes when serving.

Cook’s Notes

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I’ve shared three recipes with you, the pork tenderloin that I serve with an easy peanut ginger sauce and quick Asian style stir-fried noodles. They go well together or can be served separately. The meals are easy to prepare with ingredients you may already have and adaptable to your own family’s tastes and dietary restrictions. I think you can forget about ordering takeout for one of your weeknight meals…enjoy!