Summer is in full swing, and so is the grilling season. It is always nice to spend an afternoon around the fire cooking some delicious food with family. I have a ton of amazing recipes for people who want to do this, but nothing really beats the flavor, savoriness, and sweetness of this Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with a Maple Glaze. I have teamed up with the National Pork Board to showcase this ideal backyard recipe. Why is it ideal? Find out below.
Post Sponsored by the National Pork Board.
Pork is a crowd-pleaser. Whether you are smoking ribs, pork butt, or pork loin, it is always tender and delicious. I know I love my ribs and tacos, but this Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin can compete with the best of them. Why is that? Because it’s wrapped in strips of bacon!
Getting outside and making memories around the fire is all that Over The Fire Cooking is about! This Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin recipe with a dreamy maple glaze sets yourself up for just that. So make sure to grab some National Pork Board meat and smoke this pork tenderloin. You will thank me!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Ingredients
- How to Cook Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Wrap the Tenderloins in Butcher’s Twine
- Fire Up the Smoker
- Smoke the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloins
- Rest and Serve
- More Smoked Pork Recipes
- Tips for Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- How to Store Leftovers & Reheat
- What to Serve with a Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe Faqs
- What type of bacon works best for this recipe?
- What if I don’t have butcher’s twine?
- What other types of wood chips can I use besides cherry or hickory?
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Why you’ll love this recipe
Anything that has bacon is immediately 100x more delicious. But when you wrap a whole piece of meat in bacon, then it just becomes indescribably good. This recipe gives you the best of both worlds, too, because you will get a caramelized smoky bacon outside with a soft and tender pork tenderloin in the middle.
Smoked pork is the best pork. By smoking this Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, you will get a rich outer layer of smoky goodness that compliments the crispy bacon. I cooked this pork tenderloin at 250 degrees F for about 2 hours until it was 145 degrees F. This is my ideal temperature for cooked pork because it is both safe and tender at the same time.
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Ingredients
You’ll start off with two meaty pork tenderloins. You can get these at almost any grocery store, at your local butcher, or online at the National Pork Board.
Next, we’re grabbing some Dijon mustard to give those tenderloins a good rub down. The dijon mustard seeps into the meat, giving it a nice tangy flavor.
Now, let’s talk about the dry rub seasoning. This flavorful blend consists of sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar for the ultimate balance of sweet and spicy. This Sticky Bourbon Brown Ale Rub would also be bangin’ too.
Next, we’re wrapping the tenderloins in a bacon weave because, as we’ve established, bacon makes everything better! If you love anything wrapped in bacon, you’ll also love this Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon, Bacon Wrapped Salmon Bites, and Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dogs.
Lastly, we’re taking some maple syrup, the real stuff that comes from a tree, not Mrs. Butterworth’s. The maple syrup is for glazing over the almost-done bacon-wrapped tenderloin.
How to Cook Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Prep the Pork Tenderloins
The first thing you want to do is trim the white-ish silver skin and excess fat off your pork tenderloins. You don’t want to have that chewy outer layer ruining our dining experience. Trust me.
Then, rub the tenderloins with a generous coating of Dijon mustard for extra flavor. Next, grab your spice rub and coat the tenderloins. You’ll set that in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the tenderloin rest before we wrap it in bacon.
Add the Bacon Weave
The next step is the bacon weave, my favorite part. For the weave, you’ll layer 7-8 slices of bacon parallel to each other. Now, here’s the fun part: at the end of the bacon strips, weave a piece of bacon through the others, alternating between laying on top and going underneath. Keep going until you’ve got a beautiful bacon weave to wrap your pork tenderloin.
Pro Tip: Assemble your bacon weave on top of parchment paper (or plastic wrap works too) so that it’s easier to wrap the weave around the pork tenderloin.
Alright, time to get that pork tenderloin cozy in the bacon weave. Place it at one end of the weave and gently roll it up, using the parchment to help you out. But remember, once it’s started, leave the parchment behind. We don’t want it tangled in our bacon art!
For more bacon wrapped recipes, check out my Bacon Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burgers, Maple Bacon Bourbon Salmon Bites and Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Dogs.
Wrap the Tenderloins in Butcher’s Twine
Grab some butcher twine and tie up that bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin to keep everything snug while it’s on the grill. Then, pop the pork tenderloins in the fridge for a quick 15-minute chill session.
Fire Up the Smoker
Fire up your smoker or indirect grill to a toasty 250 degrees F, and throw in some cherry or hickory wood chunks/chips for that extra smoky flavor – trust me, it’s worth it!
Smoke the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloins
Now, place your smoked bacon-wrapped pork tenderloins on the grill rack and let the pork smoke for around 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Once your pork tenderloin is almost done, it’s time to whip out that pure maple syrup. Heat it up and brush it generously on top of the bacon pork tenderloin. Keep the pork on the smoker for a couple more minutes to let that syrupy goodness caramelize.
Rest and Serve
When your masterpiece is ready, take it off the smoker, but hold your horses – let it rest for about 8-9 minutes to keep those juices locked in. Now comes the best part – slice that baby up on a cutting board and serve it with your favorite side dishes!
More Smoked Pork Recipes
Tips for Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Use some wood chunks or wood chips in order to enhance that smoke flavor. I like to use cherry or hickory wood chunks/chips in this recipe. Cherry has a super sweet and mellow flavor for those that do not want overpowering smokiness. The hickory is smoky but in a good way. It is still subtly sweet with a nice smoky finish.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the tenderloins reaches at least 145 degrees F. We don’t want any uncooked pork over here!
How to Store Leftovers & Reheat
Store any leftover smoked pork tenderloin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Now, reheating pork tenderloin can be tricky because we don’t want to dry the meat out. Since pork tenderloins benefit from a slow smoking process with lower temperatures, we’re going to use that same method when reheating.
Grab a large cast iron skillet and turn the heat on medium-low. Once the skillet is heated, toss the tenderloin slices in. Then, grab some liquid – chicken stock would work here – and pour a little into the skillet. The liquid will help keep the pork slices moist without overpowering the flavor.
Next, grab a lid and place it over the skillet until the pork is heated through. Voila! Juicy pork tenderloin that tastes just as good as when you first smoked it!
Now, if you’re too lazy to do all that, I get it. I’m not judging. You can use a similar method for microwaving. Just grab a paper towel, dampen it, and add the slices of pork tenderloin to a small dish. Lay the paper towel on top and heat in 20-30 second intervals for perfectly reheated pork.
What to Serve with a Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
One of my favorite things about this delicious pork tenderloin is that you can serve it with almost anything, from coleslaw to a side of green beans. To complement the flavors of the maple and bacon in the pork, try pairing your smoked tenderloins with some baked beans or maple-glazed vegetables.
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe Faqs
What type of bacon works best for this recipe?
We recommend thick-cut bacon as it will fully cover the tenderloins when wrapping them. Thin-cut bacon may break and not hold as well.
What if I don’t have butcher’s twine?
You can use toothpicks instead to hold the bacon in place! Just don’t forget to take them out before serving, or you may have a few injuries!
What other types of wood chips can I use besides cherry or hickory?
Pork meat pairs really well with apple and pecan wood chips, which provide a milder, sweeter smoke flavor.
A spice rub can make or break a cut of meat. If you want to level up your spice game and elevate your meats, check out my spice line.
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Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Pork Loin:
- 2 Pork Tenderloins trimmed
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 lbs Bacon
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- ½ tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tbsp Onion Powder
- ½ tbsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tbsp Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Trim your pork tenderloins of any excess fat or silver skin.
- Lather them down with dijon mustard.
- In a bowl, mix the seasoning then cover the outside of the pork loins with seasoning.
- Set in the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.
- Next, create a bacon weave. Start by setting down a strip of parchment.
- Next, layer 7-8 bacon strips down parallel to each other.
- Next at the end of the bacon strips, weave a single bacon slice perpendicular to the other slices with every other slice laying on top and every other slice going underneath the strip. Continue this until you have a full weave that will cover your pork loin.
- Place your pork loin at one end of the bacon weave, and by using the parchment roll begin to wrap the bacon in the weave. Make sure to only start with the parchment, and not continue as it will become intertwined in the weave.
- Once done, truss the bacon wrapped pork loin with butcher twine in order to keep everything in place while it is one the grill.
- Once trussed, set the pork loins in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your smoker/indirect grill to 250F, and add cherry or hickory wood chunks/chips for additional smoke.
- Place your pork loin on the smoker to cook for about 2 hours or until it reaches 145F internal.
- When the pork loin is close to done, heat up your maple syrup and brush in on top of the pork loin.
- Keep on the smoker to caramelize for a couple of minutes.
- When pork loin is done, pull off and let rest for 8-9 minutes. Slice and serve!
this Dish was amazing. Takes a little more work and a little more time but pleases everyone’s belly! Good stuff man!
Making this beauty for the wedding rehersal!!!
Looks great
Will be making this next weekend! Looks amazing & super easy.
How can I adjust this recipe to make it indoors? I live in an apartment and hope I can do this in the oven. Any tips for doing this without a grill or smoker?
Temperature is temperature, what you’re getting with the smoker is the flavor, so you can still cook in your oven same temps, and then try mixing some liquid smoke (usually near the condiments at your supermarket) with your Dijon and/or maple baste. Don’t care about the smoke flavor? Then just cook it at 250 for the 2-3 hours and enjoy your juicy tenderloin.
Derek,
This looks amazing. What if you don’t have a smoker. Can you make this in the over? If so what temperature and for how long?
THanks
Made this, turned out magnitude.
Confused about the pork cut used. The size looks like loin, but both words loin and tenderloin are used throughout the article. Can you please clarify?
Yes, it is suppose to be a tenderloin. That was my bad on the writing.
Great recipe!! the bacon wrap is something else. At the end I tried it with homemade bbq sauce, everyone loved it for christmas dinner. Thanks!!
Made this last weekend. So easy, so juicy, so tasty. Loved this, a family favourite on the first try. Cheers.
This was the perfect recipe for a frozen tenderloin I had in the deep freezer. We love using our smoker all summer and I plan to make it next time we have company because I know it will be a hit again. Thanks for sharing the bacon weave, it worked out great!
Made this for dinner this evening. Had to do a couple substitutes, French’s mustard for the Dijon and a honey molasses mix for the maple syrup. It still came out amazing.
This was the first thing I made in our smoker. My husband said, “Man, this is so good!” After every single bite. I’m making it again today because he’s been begging!
Yes it did turn out great. My wife even liked it and she doesn’t like smoked meat. I did put together both tenderloins in one bacon wrap, I only had one pound of bacon.
Is this direct or indirect grill
Its both!