Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Apples
On July 06, 2020 (Updated October 25, 2023)
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This Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin is amazingly juicy and tender with great flavor from crispy bacon. But the fun doesn’t stop there. The whole tenderloin is wrapped around sweet apple pie filling for the most satisfying pork tenderloin meal ever.
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
My dad was the first to introduce me to the perfect flavor combo that is pork and apples. I even used it on my Apple Cider Brined Pulled Pork and my Apple Jalapeno Smoked Ribs. He always ate his pork chops smothered in apple sauce, and I used that concept of sweet and salty flavor marriage with this grilled bacon wrapped pork tenderloin recipe.
This pork tenderloin aims to please. After all, you get all of the best flavors in every single bite! Sweet apples with just a hint of cinnamon are nestled into a juicy grilled pork tenderloin, seasoned with my Sweet BBQ Rub and wrapped in salty, crispy bacon.
This tenderloin makes for a great weeknight meal because it comes together quickly, only uses 4 ingredients, and grills up in just a few minutes!
How to Grill Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
The best cooking method for this pork tenderloin is definitely grilling it over direct heat. The tenderloin cooks very quickly because it is a fairly thin and lean cut of meat, so you don’t want to overcook it while trying to crisp up that bacon. Here’s what you’ll need to do to assemble and grill up this awesome pork:
- Preheat the grill. Turn on your grill of choice and allow it to preheat to 425-450 degrees F.
- Season the pork. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon on Sweet Rub (available for purchase from Patio Provisions, or you can make it yourself using my recipe for Best Sweet Rub) on all sides of the pork.
- Stuff the pork with apple pie filling. Cut a slit lengthwise in the pork, ensuring you do not cut through the bottom of the tenderloin (your goal here is to make a nice pocket for the filling). Next, spoon the apple pie filling into the pocket.
- Wrap with bacon. Carefully wrap the tenderloin in bacon, making sure the strips overlap so then don’t come unraveled. Secure with toothpicks.
- Grill the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. Place the tenderloin on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping a quarter turn each time. Remove when the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Rest and serve. Allow the meat to rest for 8-10 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips for Making Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
I love making this pork for dinner because it’s so fast and easy. If you have this on the menu tonight, here are some tips to ensure it comes out cooked to perfection.
- Monitor temperature with a reliable thermometer. Pork is done at an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, so make sure you have a great instant read thermometer to keep tabs on the temperature while it cooks. You want that apple pie filling nice and bubbly, the pork perfectly juicy, and that bacon nice and caramelized!
- Use toothpicks or skewers to hold the bacon into place. This will help keep the apple pie filling from leaking out too much (a little bit will get out and that’s totally okay). Make a note of how many toothpicks you put into the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin so when it’s finished and you’re ready to eat, you can make sure you get every single one out. Nobody wants to bite down on a runaway toothpick.
- Cook to your preferred bacon crispness. This recipe (over direct heat) will result in very crispy bacon. If you like softer bacon, cook the pork tenderloin over indirect heat the entire cook time.
More Pork Tenderloin Recipes
Whether you stuff it, smoke it, or grill it, pork tenderloin is an extremely delicious and tender cut of meat. Check out more great recipes from Hey Grill Hey below:
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Apples
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1 1/2-2 pound pork tenderloin
- 1 Tablespoon Homemade Sweet BBQ Rub link in recipe notes
- 1 21-oz can apple pie filling
- 6-8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your grill for direct heat grilling to 425-450 degrees F.
- Season the pork. Sprinkle about a teaspoon and a half of the sweet BBQ rub on all sides of the pork tenderloin and rub lightly to ensure even coverage.
- Make a pocket in the tenderloin. Using a sharp knife, start about an inch from the end of the tenderloin and carefully cut a slit lengthwise into the pork tenderloin, stopping an inch from the other end. Cut down as deep as you can but, do NOT slice all the way through the bottom of the tenderloin.
- Stuff the pork with apple pie filling. Spoon the apple pie filling into the slit you cut into the tenderloin. You may have a little bit of the pie filling left behind depending on the size of your tenderloin.
- Wrap with bacon. Starting at one end, slowly wrap the stuffed tenderloin with bacon. Wrap the strips so the edges just barely overlap, creating a nice seal for the apple pie filling. Secure the ends of the bacon with toothpicks. Sprinkle the exterior with the remaining sweet BBQ rub.
- Grill the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. Carefully transfer the wrapped tenderloin to the grill. Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes, flipping only a quarter turn each time. Try not to flip more than once per side to help keep things together.
- Rest and serve. Once your pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F and the bacon is crisp, remove to a cutting board and allow the tenderloin to rest for 8-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published in September 2017. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
I made this for a dinner party that we had a couple of days ago. We don’t have a charcoal grill, so I decided to do it in the oven. I followed the recipe exactly, and since I was making 4 of these for the crowd I decided to not chance guessing on the cooking time and opted to use a thermometer to make sure that it was cooked to the temp I wanted it. I was a little uncomfortable with the 145 degree internal temp and opted for 155 instead. I baked on a rack inside a baking sheet pan at 425 degrees F, it took almost an hour for them to be done. (I think the cooking time would be less if you were just making a single tenderloin). It was PERFECTION! I’ve never had so many compliments on a main course before! Moist, tender and such great flavor! This has already cemented itself a place on our favorites list! Great recipe!
So happy it turned out so good for you!! Thanks for coming back and leaving such a kind review!
Well, that went awful. Used a 2# loin as the recipe suggests. The bacon does wrap around a 2# loin as your video shows. Had to use 2# of bacon and a half a box of toothpicks.
When it came time to turn the loin the filling fell out all over the grill and into the fire.
Setting it back down on the grill, the bottom burnt, the top was raw.
Needless to say I now have a mess to clean up in the BBQ and we had hot dogs for dinner.
A tip…. suggest the loin be laced up with butcher thread to the apple filling comes out when cooking.
Then wrap the bacon around the loin.
I have only glanced at your store. If you don’t have it, you might want to sell butcher thread and needles so one can ace up the pockets on items such as this.
I’m so sorry this happened to you!! That does sound like a mess to clean up. I really haven’t had others complain about having the same issue, not saying it hasn’t happened. I always find that overlapping my bacon really helps with holding it tight and keeping the filling inside. Hope the hot dogs turned out better. ????
I can’t wait to try this!! I’m not a big fan of apples, do you think using fresh pears from my pear tree would be as good? I’m really excited to see why my family thinks of it!
Absolutely! Pears would be a perfect substitute!
What about peaches?
I say YES!! Give it a try!
What about using a turkey tenderloin? Same procedure?
Yes, I would just follow the recipe the same and make sure you internal temperature comes up to 165F
could you use fresh sliced apples mixed with cinnamon and sugar and a squirt of lemon juice?
Yes!! That would work great!
Do you think I can do this in crockpot?
I haven’t tried this one in a crockpot. I think your best option if you don’t have a grill would be to do this in the oven following the same time and temperature instructions as the written recipe. I think the bacon would not be able to crisp up if you cooked this in a crockpot.
This is now my go to for company! Yummmmmm! Use I could post a photo of my tenderloin
Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a comment!!
Not for me! I like my meat/main dishes savory, not sweet. To me, sugar alters and ruins the real taste of the meat. Give me bacon and tenderloin first (no sugar), then give me an apple pie for dessert (the sweeter the better!).
I’m just wondering how you can give a review of a recipe you haven’t actually tried. I would love for you to try this and then come back and give a review.
Love this response… always someone out there that wants to be a critic… thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
Haha, gotta love the haters! I’m getting ready to make this in the oven… I’m sure it will be great!
So sick of the trolls that critique with out even trying it! I LOVE this response. (I’d also love to know if you had to edit/re-write a few times to tone it down LOL)
Stuff it with veggie of choice and some cheese. If it’s wrapped well enough with bacon and then cooking string, it’ll hold up to turning.
If you dont like sweet just use her concept but adjust the sweetness! Instead of apple pie filling use a can of the fried apples and when you make her rub cut back on the sugar! I prefer savory too, but I am learning to try things at least once before I decide to not like it because sometimes you might just find something you love! I NEVER thought I would put dry ranch seasoning in Taco Soup, but now I NEVER COOK IT WITHOUT!
Dude, leaving a review for something you haven’t even tried is just worthless input, especially if it’s just based on personal preference from the outset. Don’t be that guy.
I used chunky applesauce the first time I made this in the oven and it was utterly AMAZING!!!!
I’m wondering what happens when you turn it over to cook the top, so it’s actually laying on the bacon and apples…. directions say to turn it a quarter turn each time.
It should be wrapped tightly in the bacon, so all you have on the outside is bacon while you are turning it to cook.
If you don’t have a grill can you cook this in the oven and if so at what temperature, for how long?
I have tried this in the oven, but I would follow the same time and temperature as the written recipe and cook in a roasting pan.