Pork Tenderloin With Figs and Onions

Pork tenderloin, seared in butter, is roasted and served with caramelized onions and sautéed fresh figs for a flavor-packed meal.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 20, 2022
Elise Bauer
Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Onions
Elise Bauer

Figs! When they're in season, well the box fill-eth over.

If you have ever had a fig tree, you know what I mean. Fig trees rain figs. (Oddly they rain leaves too. When it comes time, one day you have leaves on the tree, the next day, none. They all drop at once.)

My parents have a green fig tree, Hank has a Mission fig tree, so we are doubly blessed. Personally I prefer the mission figs; the flavor is more intense.

Hank brought over some of his figs, with which we made a fig galette, and with which we made this awesome caramelized onion, balsamic, rosemary, fig accompaniment to pork tenderloin.

I liked the fig onions so much I made them again today for lunch and ate them all, with a few slices of leftover tenderloin. Yum!

Pork Tenderloin With Figs and Onions

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 pork tenderloins, about a pound each

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 white or yellow onion

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

  • 8 to 10 Mission (dark) figs, quartered

  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven:

    Preheat the oven to 300°F.

  2. Salt the pork tenderloins:

    Season the pork tenderloins with salt and leave them out at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Slice the onion:

    Slice into strips from the top to the root end. Cutting the onion this way helps keep the pieces hold their shape.

  4. Sear the tenderloins on all sides:

    Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels. Place the tenderloins in the pan and sear on all sides, until nicely browned.

    Elise Bauer
  5. Finish cooking the tenderloins:

    Remove the tenderloins to an oven-proof pan, and place in the oven at 300°F. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the tenderloins reaches 140°F. Then remove from oven and let rest.

  6. Sauté the onions, add sugar and balsamic:

    While the tenderloins are roasting, add the onions to the sauté pan along with the other tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with salt. Toss to combine and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar, and toss to combine again. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes.

  7. Add the rosemary and figs:

    Once the onions have softened and browned, add the rosemary and figs. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir to combine. Sauté 2 minutes, stirring often.

  8. Remove from the heat. Mix in the parsley and lemon juice:

    Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Elise Bauer
  9. Slice the pork tenderloin:

    Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices and serve alongside the onions and figs.

    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
333 Calories
14g Fat
9g Carbs
40g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 333
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 19%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 121mg 40%
Sodium 171mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 754mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.