Pork Tenderloin
Pork in the Midwest · down 11% this week
Per a typical 140g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Pork, fresh, loin, tenderloin, separable lean and fat, raw).
- 1 NortheastCheapest $2.31/lb
- 2 Midwest $2.90/lb
- 3 Southeast $2.95/lb
- 4 Southcentral $2.99/lb
- 5 Southwest $3.49/lb
- 6 Northwest $3.99/lb
Buying pork tenderloin in the Northeast saves about 42% versus the Northwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- A small, narrow, very lean muscle, usually sold in pairs in a vacuum pack. Look for a pale pink colour and check whether it has been pre-marinated, which is common and usually a poor deal per pound.
- What a good price looks like
- Usually $4 to $7 a pound, so two to three times the price of a loin roast for a more tender and much smaller cut. Under $4.50 is a good price. It is frequently sold in twin packs, which are better value; it also freezes and thaws well because of its size.
- What you actually get
- A tenderloin is usually 1 to 1.5 lb and cooks to about 75% of that, serving three to four. Trimming silverskin costs about an ounce. Note that tenderloin and loin roast are different cuts with very different prices; the packaging looks similar.
- How to store it
- Three to five days refrigerated, or in its unopened vacuum pack until the printed date.
- In the kitchen
- A small, very lean muscle that cooks in fifteen to twenty minutes and is ruined in twenty-five. Sear it on all sides, finish it in the oven, pull it at 63°C. Remove the silverskin first — the shiny membrane along one side will not break down and will make the meat curl. It takes a marinade well because it is small and open-grained.
- Getting the most out of it
- The leanest cut of pork and the fastest to overcook — it needs high heat, close attention, and a thermometer. Remove the silverskin, the shiny membrane along one side, or it contracts and toughens. Cook to 145F and rest; a few minutes past that and it is dry.
- Easy Pork Fried RiceRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$0.89 / serving 3 in-season
- Grilled Pork TenderloinRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$1.18 / serving 2 in-season
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (Grilled or Baked)Recipe by Spend With Pennies~$1.18 / serving 0 in-season
- Pork Fried RiceRecipe by Well Plated~$1.58 / serving 3 in-season
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and ChermoulaRecipe by The Modern Proper~$1.68 / serving 3 in-season
- Sweet and Sour PorkRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$2.10 / serving 3 in-season
See all 44 recipes with pork tenderloin →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA weekly retail meat report (conventional, per lb). Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Pork Tenderloin — FAQ
What's the price of pork tenderloin this week?
As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of pork tenderloin in the Midwest is $2.90/lb, down 11% from last week. Prices come from the USDA's weekly retail meat report.
Which region has the cheapest pork tenderloin right now?
The Northeast has the cheapest pork tenderloin this week at $2.31/lb — about 42% less than the Northwest, where it runs $3.99/lb.
How much protein is in pork tenderloin?
A typical 140g serving of pork tenderloin has about 28.8g protein and 168 calories (4.9g fat), per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I cook with pork tenderloin?
SeasonSort indexes 44 recipes using pork tenderloin, each priced per serving from this week's data — starting from about $0.48 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.