Recipe Snapshot
- Dish: Pork tenderloin medallions in a creamy apple curry sauce
- Flavor Profile: Mild curry spice balanced by tart apple, cider, and cream
- Key Ingredient: Granny Smith apples add brightness that balances the warm spices
- Method: Pork is seared first, then finished in a skillet sauce made with apples, cider, and cream
- Servings: 4
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Effort Level: Simple
Global Flavor from Everyday Pantry Ingredients
This recipe is a good example of how a few familiar ingredients can be used to create flavors inspired by cuisines from around the world. In this dish, yellow curry powder and ground ginger provide fragrant warmth, while apples and apple cider add a subtle sweetness that balances the spices.
Briefly searing the pork develops flavor, finishing it in the curry sauce keeps it tender, and cooking the spices in butter enhances flavor by releasing their aromatic oils. This combination of simple steps results in a richly flavored weeknight pork dinner that comes together quickly and doesn’t require specialty ingredients.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
A few key ingredients make this recipe work – here’s what to know. A complete list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
- Pork tenderloin: Pork tenderloin is the best choice for this recipe because it cooks quickly and stays tender when sliced into medallions. Thin-sliced, boneless pork chops could be substituted, but they won’t take on as much of the curry flavor.
- Yellow curry powder & ground ginger: These spices provide the dish’s warm, fragrant flavor without making it overly spicy. Yellow curry powder can vary in strength, so start with the recommended amount and add a little more if you’d like more curry flavor.
- Granny Smith apple: The tart flavor of Granny Smith apples balances the sweetness of the cider and cream. Other firm apples such as Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp can be substituted, though they will produce a slightly sweeter sauce.
- Apple cider: Apple cider reinforces the apple flavor and forms the base of the sauce. For a more savory profile, replace up to half of the cider with low-sodium chicken broth.
- Cream or half-and-half: A small amount of cream gives the sauce a smooth, silky finish. Half-and-half works well if you prefer a lighter sauce, though the finished texture will be slightly less rich.
A Quick Look at Preparation
How to Make Pork Curry with Apples
Here’s how this dish comes together, along with a few tips for the best results. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Start by slicing the pork tenderloin into medallions and giving them a quick sear in a hot skillet. Browning the pork before making the sauce adds flavor and creates a fond in the pan that helps build depth in the finished dish. Once browned, set the pork aside while you prepare the sauce.
Using the same skillet, sauté the onion and garlic until softened, then stir in the curry powder and ginger. Add the apples and cider and simmer until the apples are tender and have infused the sauce with their sweet-tart flavor.
Finish the sauce with a splash of cream, then return the pork to the skillet to finish cooking gently in the sauce. Let the pork rest briefly before serving with pearl couscous, steamed rice, or mashed potatoes to soak up the creamy curry sauce.
Tested Tips
- Avoid crowding the skillet – If the pork medallions don’t fit comfortably in a single layer, sear them in batches. Overcrowding traps moisture and prevents the surface from browning properly.
- Bloom the spices – Cooking the spices briefly in the butter before adding liquid helps release their aromas and gives the sauce a more developed flavor.
- Let the pork rest before serving – A short resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and helps keep the tenderloin moist and flavorful.
Sweet Meets Savory: More Recipes to Try
If you like the combination of fruit and warm spices in this pork and apple curry, here are a few more pork tenderloin recipes that balance those sweet and savory flavors in different ways. Caribbean Pineapple Pork Skillet features tender pork medallions in a lightly spiced pineapple and dark rum sauce; Maple-Thyme Pork with Apples and Squash combines bacon, herbs, apples, and butternut squash in an easy one-pan dinner; and Jerk Pork Tenderloin Rice Bowls pair boldly seasoned pork with rice and fresh toppings for a Jamaican-inspired meal with a little more heat.
Creamy Pork Curry with Apples
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 lb pork tenderloin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half
Instructions
- Trim any silver skin and excess fat from the pork tenderloin. Cut into 3/4-inch medallions and gently flatten with the back of a spatula. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork in a single layer, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Sear until lightly browned, about 1-1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same pan. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the curry powder and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the apple and apple cider.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until the apples are tender but still hold their shape, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the cream or half-and-half.
- Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Turn the medallions to coat them in the sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.
- Remove from the heat and let the pork rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving. The temperature will continue to rise slightly as it rests. Serve with rice, couscous, or mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dish is so easy and I love the fall flavors! I actually found a Malaysian ginger curry spice blend and use that in place of the separate curry and ginger powders, and it’s absolutely delicious.