3 Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

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This Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin is juicy and tender with a salty sweetness from an apricot jam glaze and crispy thick-cut, salty bacon. The juices from the bacon help keep the pork super juicy while roasting in the oven while adding awesome flavor.

Pair this tenderloin dish with easy-to-cook Orange Pecan Roasted Broccoli and steamed buttered rice for a delicious meal.

Three Ingredient Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin has been on sale a lot lately but many people really have no idea what they can do with it. This lean white meat is not only really versatile but great for making easy meals for your family.

This recipe is awesome because just three basic ingredients (not counting a few staple spices) are all it takes to get this apricot-glazed pork roast on the table in record time.

With very little work, and about ten minutes to prep it, this roasted tenderloin will make you rethink walking past this cut at the grocery store.

Groceries Needed

• Pork Tenderloin Roast – Pork tenderloin and pork loin are two different cuts. (See the difference below). They’re both lean pieces of meat, but they come from different areas of the animal.
• Apricot Jam – Feel free to use a jam that has chunks of fruit in it or one that has a jelly-like consistency. Both will work perfectly fine.
• Thick-cut Bacon – Hickory smoked or maple smoked bacon is fine. I prefer to use a thick cut because I find it wraps better without breaking and stays intact during cooking without burning.

Pantry Items: Salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Eazy Tip: Remember, salt, pepper, garlic, oil, and water don’t factor into the ingredient count because most people have those pantry items in their kitchen.

Is there a difference between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin?

Yes!

Pork tenderloin is a narrow cut of meat that comes from the muscle along the back over the ribs. On most animals, this is one of the best, most tender cuts of meat.

Keep in mind, pork tenderloin is VERY different than a pork loin roast. A pork loin comes from a different area on the animal, and it’s much wider and thicker than a pork tenderloin.

You can’t substitute a pork loin for pork tenderloin in recipes.

If you catch tenderloins on sale don’t walk past them! They freeze really well and you may soon discover they’re your favorite cut of pork. 

How to Make a Bacon Weave for the Pork Roast

This recipe is super easy and very quick to put together, just like my 4 Ingredient Stovetop Meatloaf. The majority of your prep time will be in weaving the bacon to make a wrap for your pork tenderloin. For this (I feel), you want to stick to thick-cut bacon.

Thinly cut bacon cooks much faster and could easily overcook while you are roasting in the oven. Also, weaving THIN bacon is not an easy task. Another tip is to use cold bacon. Don’t let the bacon come to room temperature because it’s softer in texture to move and flip around.

Thick-cut bacon can be woven in a quick and simple basket weave in just a couple of minutes.

To do this layout a few strips horizontally onto a cutting board, usually the length of the tenderloin. Place the pieces fairly close together.

Take the second piece of bacon from the left and fold it down (in half). Do this to the fourth piece from the left, then the sixth piece to the left.

Use another piece of bacon from the package and lay that piece going horizontally, laying it across the 1, 3, 5, (and so on), pieces of bacon at the top. Flip the pieces that you folded in half back upright, so they rest on top of the bacon.

The next step is to fold the opposite pieces you used the first time, but fold these pieces from the bottom up, covering the first piece of bacon you laid down going horizontally.

Grab another piece of bacon from the package, and lay that one down, horizontally, like you laid the first piece of bacon. Butt it up close as you can to the first piece. Unfold the folded pieces of bacon and lay them down again on top of the horizontal piece of bacon you just laid down.

Repeat this process until you’ve weaved enough bacon to reach the length of the bacon strips or that you have enough to wrap the tenderloin completely.

Now, if my explanation is a bit unclear, I’ve found a visual tutorial for you to use. Check out this handy tutorial on how to make a bacon weave.

When the bacon weave is wrapped around the roast, secure it with toothpicks to keep it in place while roasting.

Complete temperature and roasting times are in the recipe card below.

Ways to Make this Bacon Apricot Glaze Pork Tenderloin Even Better

You know I love easy recipes, and I love recipes that can be changed and turned into something new with minor tweaks.

I used Smuckers Apricot Jam with this roast, but a great way to switch up this recipe to fit your needs is to swap the apricot preserves for another jam/jelly option you have on hand.

I think apricot is amazing but you could easily use peach, apple, and even a classic grape jam/jelly and get an amazing, sweet, and savory combination. 

Also, switching the bacon to maple smoked bacon will also add fantastic flavor, especially when using preserves that complement the flavor, like apple jelly (or even apple sauce!).

Serving and Sides

This pork loin will go great served with a variety of different sides. I’ve served it with buttered rice, 3 Ingredient cheesy hashbrowns, or for a little tiny carrot kick, try these hot honey carrots!

Storing Leftovers and Freezing

If you happen to have any leftovers of this pork roast with apricot glaze, put them into a container with a tight-fitting lid. They will stay good for up to three days in the fridge.

To reheat, you could simply microwave, pan-fry quickly, or even air-fry it. For more even reheating I would slice the cold pork into medallions and reheat it that way.

Freezing the leftovers will be great as long as it is in a freezer-friendly container. When you thaw, the bacon may get a little soft, but I would remove the bacon, re-crisp it in the skillet or air fryer, and then serve it on top of the pork.

EAZY TIP: When reheating from frozen, remove the bacon to re-crisp it. At the end of crisping, add a few more spoons of apricot glaze to freshen up and re-enforce those flavors.

Questions You Might Have

Thanks for checking out the recipes here at EazyGrub! If you’ve tried this recipe already, please leave a comment and a star rating below! Have an awesome day!
~Joanne