It can be tricky deciding what to serve with pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is juicy and has a slightly sweet flavor as well. You want a side dish that compliments these flavors of the pork without overpowering the main course.
We have found tons of exciting side dish recipes for you to serve with pork tenderloin. Picking a side will never be hard again
Homemade Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Orange
Contents
Best Side Dishes for Pork Tenderloin
Pork can be served with light side dishes like salad or with heartier sides like potatoes. You can also keep the seasons in mind when choosing sides. Bright, vibrant sides are great in the summer, while heartier, richer sides are delicious in the winter.
There are so many ideas to choose from on our list that you are sure to find something perfect!
1. Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
Serving roast pork with a veggie is always a good idea. Vegetables help complete your pork dinner in a healthy, tasty way. Our simple sauteed Brussels sprouts are the perfect side for pork tenderloin.
Use olive oil in place of coconut oil for a more mild flavor. Try tossing the Brussel sprouts in oil and seasoning and roasting them in the oven alongside the pork.
Brussels sprouts taste best when they are golden brown and crispy. The crispy leaves are the best part of the tasty brussels sprouts! Be sure to let them cook until browned.
2. Green Beans
Green beans are another fantastic vegetable side dish to serve with pork tenderloin. The bright green color and fresh flavor will be perfect next to your roast pork.
Image Source: Cafe Delites
We love this recipe for parmesan green beans from Cafe Delites. You only need five ingredients to make this fantastic side. The roasted green beans can cook in the oven alongside the pork roast. This is an easy way to make a complete pork roast dinner!
3. Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the best sides to serve with pork tenderloin. The sweet flavor of the potatoes is perfect with the juicy, sweet meat. These sweet potatoes from Chelsea’s Messy Apron are going to be one of your new favorite side dishes.
Image Source: Chelsea’s Messy Apron
The sweet potatoes are cubed and tossed with coconut oil, brown sugar, and a little salt and pepper. Choose to make the seasoned sweet potato option by adding garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and ground cumin.
4. Mashed Potatoes
Make the best mashed potatoes ever using this recipe from Gimme Some Oven. Yukon gold potatoes are baked until tender.
Image Source: Gimme Some Oven
Cream cheese, butter, whole milk, and garlic cloves are added to the potatoes. These are so creamy and rich that you will fall in love with just one bite.
Mashed potatoes are a classic side to serve with roast pork. Pork and potatoes is an ideal winter dinner.
5. Honey Roasted Apples
Pork is often served with apples. The sweet taste of the meat and the sweet apples go well together. This recipe from Dinner, Then Dessert for honey-roasted apples is so good you may want to eat it as a dessert.
Image Source: Dinner, Then Dessert
Try replacing the honey with maple syrup for a richer flavor. Use two different types of apples to get a more interesting flavor. Be sure to let the apples brown and caramelize in the pan. The browned apples are perfect next to a golden pork roast.
6. Arugula Salad
Arugula has a natural peppery taste that pairs well with the natural sweetness of pork tenderloin. This arugula salad recipe from Well Plated By Erin is one of our favorite side dishes to serve with pork.
Image Source: Well Plated By Erin
Fresh arugula, carrots, and fresh tomatoes are tossed together. Parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds are added as a garnish to the arugula salad.
Homemade lemon balsamic vinegar dressing is the perfect addition to the salad. Try adding some fresh herbs to the dressing to make the salad even tastier. Some red pepper flakes would make the salad even zestier.
7. Roasted Broccoli
We love this easy broccoli recipe from Simply Recipes. Fresh broccoli florets are tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. The broccoli is then spread on a sheet tray and roasted in the oven alongside your pork roast.
Image Source: Simply Recipes
Sprinkle the hot broccoli with parmesan cheese so that the cheese melts over the veggie. This is a veggie recipe that your whole family will love.
8. Honey Glazed Carrots
We love serving juicy roast pork and pork chops with sweet side dishes. These honey-glazed carrots are fantastic next to flavorful pork. They are also very easy to make with this recipe from Downshiftology.
Image Source: Downshiftology
The carrots are roasted in the oven until slightly browned on the edges. A sweet honey sauce is poured over the carrots making a beautiful glaze. Try making extra honey glaze and pour it on top of the pork tenderloin, too.
9. Homemade Creamed Corn
Homemade creamed corn is a wonderful and rich side dish to pair with pork tenderloin. A nice slice of pork and a scoop of creamed corn is comfort food at its finest.
Image Source: Spend With Pennies
We like this recipe from Spend With Pennies which starts with canned corn kernels. Canned corn is much easier than cooking corn on the cob, and it tastes just as good.
Fresh thyme sprigs add a nice herby taste to the corn that also pairs well with the pork. This rich corn and hearty pork loin make for a perfect winter meal.
10. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes are creamy and sweet, so they pair wonderfully with juicy pork. We adore these savory mashed sweet potatoes from Cookie and Kate that are made with fresh herbs and a touch of sugar.
Image Source: Cookie and Kate
Be sure to blend the mashed potatoes until very creamy. The smoother the potatoes are, the better they will taste. Try using a stand mixed fitted with a paddle attachment to make the perfect mashed potatoes side dish.
11. Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted butternut squash is a great side dish to make in the fall. Butternut squash is a true fall and winter food. This recipe from Love and Lemons is very easy to make, but the taste is restaurant-worthy.
Image Source: Love and Lemons
Olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little fresh parsley are all you need to make this delicious side dish. Try drizzling a little maple syrup over the roasted squash for a sweeter taste. A few dried cranberries mixed with the squash will make an even more colorful side dish.
12. Slow Cooker Grits
Sliced pork tenderloin on top of a pile of cheesy grits is a perfect meal. We especially love this recipe for slow-cooked grits from A Spicy Southern Kitchen.
Image Source: A Spicy Southern Kitchen
All of the ingredients for the cheesy grits are added to a slow cooker and set to cook over low heat. Come back a few hours later to perfectly cooked grits with a wonderfully smooth consistency. Easy side dishes are the best!
13. Strawberry Spinach Salad
Our strawberry spinach salad is perfect for summer parties when you are cooking your pork roast on the grill. The salad is healthy, light, and can easily be made ahead of time.
Fresh strawberries, spinach, and goat cheese pair perfectly together. A homemade dressing ties all the flavors together. This fresh, bright salad and hearty sliced pork roast are the perfect summer meal.
14. Baked Mac and Cheese
There is nothing quite as delicious as creamy, homemade mac and cheese. We adore this recipe from The Chunky Chef, which is the best mac and cheese we have ever tried. It is so delicious that everyone in your family will love it.
Image Source: The Chunky Chef
Tender pasta is tossed with a homemade cheese sauce. The mac and cheese is sprinkled with some breadcrumbs and then baked in the oven. The crispy topping and creamy pasta is pure culinary perfection.
15. Lemon Garlic Cabbage
Cabbage is often overlooked as a veggie. It can be tricky to cook perfectly and has a very powerful flavor that can be hard to tame. This lemon garlic sauteed cabbage from Inspired Taste is our go-to recipe for a healthy, flavorful cabbage dish.
Image Source: Inspired Taste
Fresh chopped garlic and freshly squeezed lemon are the keys to this cabbage recipe. The cabbage is fully cooked when it is wilted and tender. Be sure to serve this side dish hot alongside a warm piece of pork roast.
16. Smoked Paprika Roasted Potatoes
Potato side dishes are always delicious with pork tenderloin. These smoked paprika roasted potatoes from Tori Avey are a fun twist on a classic starchy side dish.
Image Source: Tori Avey
Smoked paprika adds lots of deep, spicy flavor. We like to sprinkle a little hot sauce on the potatoes to make them even spicier.
17. Garlic Bread
Homemade garlic bread is truly incredible. The melted butter, fresh chopped garlic, and sprinkle of parsley all pair well with pork roast.
Image Source: Simply Recipes
This easy recipe from Simply Recipes helps you create the perfect garlic bread side dish. It only takes a few minutes to whip up this bread, but it tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen!
18. Apple Cranberry Slaw
Coleslaw is always a great side dish idea for pork. We love this recipe from Cooking Classy, which makes coleslaw more of a fall-themed side dish.
Image Source: Cooking Classy
Adding apples, cranberries, and almonds instantly makes the coleslaw perfect for the fall season. Try using lemon juice in place of apple cider vinegar to give the slaw a brighter taste. You can’t go wrong with citrus, apples, and pork!
19. Mashed Cauliflower
Mashed cauliflower is a new twist on the classic mashed potato side dish. Using cauliflower instead of potatoes makes this side low carb and keto friendly. This perfect recipe from Skinny Taste will show you how!
Image Source: Skinny Taste
Cauliflower is a healthy veggie that has a powerful, great flavor. It is also a very easy veggie to prepare. Add extra butter to make this cauliflower nice and smooth.
20. Sauteed Spinach
Sauteed spinach is often served as a side for pork loin. Go to any fancy restaurant, and you are sure to find sauteed spinach on the menu! No need to go to a restaurant for delicious spinach when you can simply use this recipe from A Couple Cooks.
Image Source: A Couple Cooks
You only need a few ingredients to make this recipe. Spinach, garlic, olive oil, and salt are the perfect, easy combination. Add some red pepper flakes, onion powder, or even cayenne to give the spinach different flavors.
21. Onion Rings
Homemade, crispy onion rings are one of our favorite sides to serve with pork loin. The crispy exterior and warm onions in the center are so incredibly flavorful.
Image Source: Real Housemoms
Try this recipe for fried onions from Real Housemoms. Be sure to eat a few when they are hot out of the fryer. They definitely taste best when warm!
22. Farro with Tomatoes and Kale
A large, warm bowl of farro is a delicious side for pork. Farro is a wonderful, healthy grain.
Image Source: Pinch of Yum
It does take a little bit of time to cook farro perfectly. This recipe from Pinch of Yum will show you exactly how to make a tasty farro side dish.
23. Couscous
Many people think that couscous is a grain. It is actually small little balls of semolina flour. This means couscous is more like pasta than a grain.
Image Source: Once Upon a Chef
No matter what couscous technically is, it sure tastes great when you follow the tips and tricks from Once Upon a Chef. The couscous recipe is fairly basic, so feel free to add your favorite spices and herbs. A little butter and some herbs are our favorite way to spice up this recipe.
Roast Pork Tenderloin Side Dish Ideas
Which one of these recipes catches your eye? We know that one or two on our list will wow you!
Let us know which side dishes you try. Send us any other side dish ideas you may have! We love adding to our list.
Leave a Reply