Tender, juicy pork medallions are served with a creamy wine sauce to create a mouthwatering meal. This whole recipe comes together in just about 20 minutes!
Pan-frying pork medallions is a terrific way to cook pork tenderloin. It only takes a minute and the meat turns out juicy and delicious every single time.
This recipe for Pan-Fried Pork Medallions with Creamy Wine Sauce has become a reader favorite from my first cookbook, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.
Side note: If you haven’t yet grabbed your copy of that cookbook, get it now. It’s on sale and the reviews are consistently awesome. I am so glad that you all are enjoying it!
Back to this recipe though, I’m thrilled to finally be sharing my tips for how to cook pork tenderloin with you today. This post was written in partnership with The National Pork Board and I could not think of a better recipe to celebrate the awesomeness that is perfectly cooked pork.
Pork Medallions
To create pork medallions, a tenderloin is sliced into 1-inch thick pieces. To the best of my knowledge, you can’t buy the meat sliced this way in the store, but fortunately, it only takes about two minutes at home to create perfect pork medallions.
Once you’ve sliced the tenderloin, you’ll pan fry the pork for just a few minutes. Use the drippings in the skillet to make a creamy pan sauce, and you’re done.
The greatness of this method is seen in both how quickly the pork cooks and how juicy the results are. Roast some broccoli or asparagus while cooking the pork, or boil baby potatoes, and you’ll have dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.
Alternative to Wine for Cooking
I tend to use Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay for most cooking. If you aren’t a big wine drinker, the small bottles that are sold in a 4 pack in most grocery stores are a great way to keep wine on hand for cooking without opening a full bottle for a recipe.
If you’d prefer not to cook with wine at all, chicken broth may be substituted for the wine in most recipes. The flavor will be different, but the recipe will work the same way. In this particular case, it works well and the sauce is delicious when made with chicken broth.
How To Cook Pork Tenderloin Medallions
- Slice the pork tenderloin into 1-inch medallions and lightly sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Warm a large stainless skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is shimmering, add the pork to the skillet. Let the pork cook without touching it for 3 minutes. Set a plate next to the stove along with a piece of foil to cover the pork.
- Use a metal spatula to get underneath each one and flip them over. Don’t worry if they stick a bit. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Lift each medallion with the spatula and transfer to the waiting plate. Cover lightly with foil to keep warm.
- Place the empty skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the wine to the hot skillet and use a spatula to scrape up the little browned bits of meat and deglaze the pan. Add the chicken base (this is the chicken base I keep on hand), whisk to combine, and cook for about 2 minutes.
- In a small cup, whisk the cornstarch, and paprika into the cream until smooth. Add the cream into the saucepan slowly, whisking until combined. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the pork, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Pan Fried Pork Medallions with Creamy Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken base
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 dash paprika
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Slice the pork tenderloin into 1-inch medallions and lightly sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Warm a large stainless skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is shimmering, add the pork to the skillet. Let the pork cook without touching it for 3 minutes. Set a plate next to the stove along with a piece of foil to cover the pork.
- Use a metal spatula to get underneath each one and flip them over. Don’t worry if they stick a bit. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Lift each medallion with the spatula and transfer to the waiting plate. Cover lightly with foil to keep warm.
- Place the empty skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the wine to the hot skillet and use a spatula to scrape up the little browned bits of meat and deglaze the pan. Add the chicken base, whisk to combine, and cook for about 2 minutes.
- In a small cup, whisk the cornstarch, and paprika into the cream until smooth. Add the cream into the saucepan slowly, whisking until combined. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the pork, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 10/5/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/3/22}
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about pig farming in general, you can find more information at Pork.org.
Disclosure: I partnered with National Pork Board to share this information with you. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Denise C says
Sounds delicious! I wonder what adding mushrooms to this dish would taste like.
Joyce says
This recipe is amazingly good!! The cream wine is has a delicate yet gourmet flavour that is really quite simple to make. This recipe would be fabulous for entertaining special friends for dinner!
Ellen says
My husband said this was the best thing I ever made.
Alex says
This was really good. I fried bacon lardons first and used the grease instead of oil to fry the pork in but followed the rest of the recipe exactly. I served the bacon with the pork drizzled in sauce. My husband and my picky 4 year old devoured it.
Christine says
Wowzers! The sauce was simple yet sophisticated. Medallions were juicy and tender. When my love shakes his head yes, every time he takes a bite, I know I’m #winning!
Mary says
That’s awesome, Christine! I am thrilled that you both enjoyed the recipe so much. Thanks for taking the time to tell me!
LORI burkart says
Hi, can you tell me what you mean by chicken base? Cant wait to try! THanks
Mary says
Chicken base is a product similar to bouillon. This is the chicken base I use: https://amzn.to/2udil26
Lisa says
I made this exactly as written. It was so quick and easy. Served it with rice and a salad, It was SO good! My husband even commented, which rarely happens. I cut my medallions a bit thicker as they smashed down a bit when turned on end. The three minutes per side was perfect! The still looked pink around the middle but by the time the sauce was ready and I put them back in the pan a few minutes off the heat, they were just done and succulent. This goes right into my favorites!
Mary Younkin says
I am so very happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Lisa! Thanks for taking the time to tell me.
Julie says
So good – what is the best way to heat leftovers?
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy you liked the medallions, Julie! I typically reheat these in the microwave, taking care not to overheat.
Julie says
Excellent thanks so much. Making for company again today.
Tina says
New favorite low sodium, low carb recipe! Super quick (good weeknight option) and looks like it came out of a fancy restaurant! I ditched the salt and substituted with Mrs. Dash lemon pepper and table seasoning and Paul Prudhomme no-salt Magic seasoning! I switched out the wine with no-salt chicken stock. The only semblance of salt/sodium is the chicken base of which it wasn’t much in the recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipe, Tina!
Shirley says
I served this with white rice and just wish I had made more of the sauce to scoop over the rice. This recipe for pork medallions was simply excellent!! Extremely easy to make and I could have eaten the whole thing myself. I was able to slice my tenderloin in 11 pieces which was more than plenty for 2 people. I usually kind of over cook my pork to my liking but I did the 3 minutes per side and it was tender and perfect. My husband does not like foods like this but I served it to him, he devoured it and went back for more. This will become a staple in my recipe box for sure!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so very happy that you both enjoyed the recipe, Shirley!
Alice says
I made this and the pork was so tender and juicy. The only thing I did was used a red wine instead, bc that’s all I had. Lol. Next time I would double up on the sauce., bc everyone loved it. Cudos.
Mary Younkin says
I bet it was awesome with red wine as well, Alice!
Judy Haas says
Hey Mary, This sounds wonderful but I can’t have dairy. Any suggestions for an alternative to the cream?
Mary Younkin says
I honestly am not sure, Judy. I’ve been told by a reader that coconut cream works well in this recipe, however, I haven’t tried that myself. So, I can’t speak to the resulting flavor. I think that it would also be a great sauce with more wine / chicken broth in the mix, though it won’t be as creamy in the end.
Mumsie H says
I made this without dairy. I used some (home-made) soy yoghurt and just a bit of vegan cream. Tops!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you were able to make it work for you.
LindaB says
I wish I had tried this recipe instead of a different one with balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. Oh well, next time …
Mary Younkin says
Be sure to let me know what you think when you try it, Linda!
Kathy says
OMG – what a delicious meal! I made some basmati rice, and some crisp fresh green beans. I checked out the reviews and what stood out to me was the comment a cook wished she’d prepared this recipe instead of the mustard sauce one she’d made (I was leaning in that direction) and the other : that the cook wished she’d made more sauce, So while I prepared maybe half the pork tenderloin, I made the full recipe of sauce. I’m still swooning. This recipe is a keeper and dang, so impressive!
Mary Younkin says
I am thrilled to hear that you love the pork medallions, Kathy!
Elena says
I wonder if you could tell me what the internal temperature of the pork should be when the medallions are done. I prefer not to cut into pork medallions, or any kind of meat or roast, to check for doneness so I tend to rely on my meat thermometer. Thanks!.
Mary Younkin says
145°F is safe for pork. I hope that helps, Elena!
Kim says
Cooked this tonight and it was delicious! Cooking time on the pork is spot on. I like mine medium rare so I backed off a minute and let it sit under the foil afterwards. Also I did not have cream so I used whole milk. It was thinner but still tasted great. served it with mashed sweet potatoes and peas. Thanks for the recipe!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the pork, Kim!
Kim Oates says
Can you replace the wine with something non-alcoholic?
Mary Younkin says
Sure, Kim. You can almost always swap chicken broth for white wine in recipes.
Paul says
Absolutely delicious! I used half of a chicken bouillon cube In place of the chicken base and that was plenty. Followed times exactly. Some of my pork was thicker so I put those in the pan first to cook just a hair longer. Served with a yellow rice the kids loved. I’ll definitely put this on my list to make again. So easy! Thank you!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, Paul!
Pattern Thinker says
So good! So fast!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
David says
I made this recipe with chicken broth instead of white wine and it was delicious. Also, I did not have chicken base so improvised by reconstituting a cube of chicken bouillon with a small amount of boiling water. It created a very concentrated chicken base type liquid. The flavor of the finished product was delicious.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear that you love the recipe, David.