Pork Medallions with Apples

Try these amazing Pork Medallions with Apples! The sliced pork tenderloin medallions come out perfectly tender and served with delicious caramelized cinnamon apples. This simple yet flavorful 30 minutes dinner recipe is super easy to make and will be great for a busy weeknight dinner or a fancy family gathering.

If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe that is full of flavor, try these pork medallions with caramelized cinnamon apples. While it takes very little time to make this meal, it’s packed with delicious sweet and savory flavors.

It is one of the easiest recipes I have on the blog. While the meat is cooking, just prep the apples. Then transfer the cooked pork on the plate and cook the apples with sugar and spices. The dinner will be done in less than 30 minutes.

What are Pork Medallions?

Pork medallions are simply a pork tenderloin that is thinly sliced (about ½ inch thick). Because of their small size, it takes very little time to cook them.

Pork Tenderloin vs Pork Loin

While they might sound similar, pork tenderloin and pork loin are completely different cuts of meat.

Pork tenderloin is a boneless, thin, and narrow cut that comes from a muscle that runs along the backbone. It tastes best when cooked quickly over medium/high heat.

Pork loin, on the other hand, is wider and flatter cut, that can be bone-in or boneless. It comes from the back of a pig, between back fat and ribs. Because of it’s size, it’s usually slowly roasted in the oven or grilled for a longer period of time.

Ingredients and Substitution

• Pork tenderloin. Make sure to cut out silverskin from the sides of the meat to ensure that it will come out nice and tender.
• Apples. You can use pretty much any apples you have on hand. Although, I usually prefer to use Honeycrisp variety, as they have a good balance of sweet and tart flavors.
• Butter. Good unsalted butter helps to create smooth and creamy caramelized sauce.
• Sugar. While I like to use light brown sugar for it’s caramelized flavor, you can easily substitute it with regular granulated sugar.
• Cinnamon. Don’t be afraid to add some ground cinnamon. It will make all the difference in this delicious recipe.
• Apple cider vinegar. Just a little bit of apple cider vinegar adds a touch of sharpness to the sauce and enhances the flavors.
• Sage. I highly recommend to use fresh sage leaves in this recipe. If you don’t have it, you can use ½ tsp dried sage.

How to make it

Slice pork tenderloin into ½-inch medallions. Season them with salt and black pepper and set aside.

Preheat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Sear the medallions in two separate batches for a few minutes on each side until they are golden outside. Measure the internal temperature with a food thermometer, it should read at least 145F.

When done, transfer them to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium/low and melt 2 tbsp butter.

Add 3 diced apples. ½ tsp cinnamon, and 2 ½ tbsp light brown sugar. Stir, cover with a lid and let it simmer for few minutes.

Then add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, stir, cover with the lid and let them cook for about 5-10 more minutes until the apples are soft.

Take off the lid, add finely sliced sage leaves and cook for a couple of more minutes until the liquid starts to caramelize.

Serve the pork medallions and top them with caramelized apples.

Tips for best results

• Sear. The best way to get a good sear on the meat is to cook it in a cast iron skillet or a stainless steel skillet.
• Cooking. When searing the meat, you need to let it cook for a couple of minutes without moving it. This way it it will get a perfect golden crust and will be easy to release from the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas:

• Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe
• Vegetables Teriyaki
• Cast Iron Chicken Breast
• Creamy Vegetable Pasta
• Margherita Flatbread Pizza
• Pork Milanese with Arugula Salad
• Chicken Broccoli Ziti
• Hawaiian Chicken Recipe