Let's be honest. If you wrap something in bacon, it's probably going to taste better. Prime example: Pork tenderloin is really good, but smoked bacon wrapped pork tenderloin is AMAZING. It's amazing because of how great it tastes, and it's amazing because of how easy it is to make.
I'd love to write a long post and tell you about all of the intricacies of pork, but that's not this post. This post is about the simplicity of making smoked bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. Thre are just a few things you'll need to make this recipe.
- 1-2 Pound Pork Tenderloin
- 1-2 Tbsp of your favorite BBQ Rub
- 1 lb of bacon sliced thin
- 1-2 Tbsp of Maple Syrup
Prepping the Pork Tenderloin
Place a grill rack over a lined baking sheet. Put your pork tenderloin on top of the grill rack. Remove the silverskin and any abnormal fat pieces on the pork tenderloin. Lightly season the entire service of the pork tenderloin with your rub.
Let the pork tenderloin sit on the grill rack for about twenty minutes to absorb the rub before starting to wrap with bacon. Use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place, and get it as tight as you can. I used thicker slices of bacon when I cooked this for the recipe pictures, and although it was still super tasty, bacon that is cut thin works better because it crisps up a little more.
How to Smoke Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
After you've prepped the pork tenderloin it's time to cook it! Set up your smoker to smoke at 225 degrees using indirect heat. I used cherry wood, but apple or oak would work great here as well. One the smoker is up to temp place the pork tenderloin in the smoker. I keep the pork tenderloin on the grill rack over the baking sheet to reduce the mess. You'll understand what I'm talking about soon...
Let the pork smoke for about 30 minutes and then adjust the heat up on your smoker to 400 degrees. Drizzle maple syrup over the top of the pork tenderloin and then close the lid. If you don't use the grill rack over the baking sheet you'll create a mess on the drip tray of your smoker.
Use your smoke or another good leave-in thermometer to monitor temps, and pull the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin off the smoker when the internal temp hits 145 degrees. It should take about 30 minutes for the pork tenderloin to come up to the proper temp. Let the tenderloin rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
See how I prep a pork tenderloin in the video above.
We served this smoked bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with Traeger's Apricot BBQ sauce, but we found that the sauce really wasn't necessary.
Looking for other ways to make pork tenderloin? Check out this recipe.
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 Tbsp BBQ Rub
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Lb Bacon sliced thin
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil and then place a grill rack over it.
- Put your pork tenderloin on the grill rack and lightly season all sides of the pork tenderloin.
- Using toothpicks to keep the bacon secure, wrap the entire pork tenderloin with bacon.
- Smoke the pork tenderloin at 225 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Adjust the temperature on your smoker up to 400 degrees.
- Drizzle maple syrup over the pork tenderloin and continue cooking the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin until the internal temperature hits 145 degrees. (about 30 additional minutes)
- Let the tenderloin rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
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