Chili and Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

photo by Tara Donne

Chili and Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

reprinted from 365 Slow Cooker Suppers, page 199

I wanted to share a recipe with you that is perfect for any entertaining you may be doing this long weekend. Although I know Memorial Day is synonymous with backyard grilling, I prefer to slow cook my roasts or ribs all day long and spend the "extra" time I have enjoying my day off and my guests!

You will love this tenderloin -- it's moist, tender, and packed with lots of flavor. I used Sambal Oelek for the chili pepper sauce, but you can substitute that easily with the mini-recipe included below.

The Ingredients

serves 4 (can easily be doubled or tripled!)

2 pounds pork tenderloin, quartered

2 tablespoons all-natural maple syrup

1 tablespoon prepared chili pepper sauce (sambal oelek)

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1/2  teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Homemade "cheater" sambal oelek:

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon chopped garlic cloves (approximately 2 cloves)

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the pork into the insert, and add the maple syrup, chili sauce, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to disperse the spices. Toss in the green onions. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or until the pork has reached desired tenderness.

The Verdict

This moist, sweet pork has a tiny bit of lingering heat from the chili pepper sauce. Pork tenderloin has a tendency to dry out, but cooking in the slow cooker really traps in valuable steam. If you find that your cooker releases a lot of steam while cooking, you can wrap the pork in a piece of aluminum foil to keep it nice and juicy.

other great recipes you might really like:

potluck beans

8 Great Rib Recipes

potluck favorites

pork, pork, and more pork

and we have vegetarian dishes, too!