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Grilled pork tenderloin with green romesco sauce is an alfresco dining treat. Juicy boneless pork is grilled to smoky perfection and balanced with cool and unusually peppery romesco sauce. Barbecue, elevated!

Not grilling season where you are? Then it must be roasting season! Don’t miss out on the lean and luscious tenderloin cut and try my bacon wrapped tenderloin. It’s the quickest roast dinner ever.

Close up image of pork tenderloin with green romesco on a dark plate.

There’s only so many burgers and bangers (sausages) I can eat before barbecue fatigue sets in. And it is only mid-July! But, without the kids around so much these days, I’m more inclined to ditch the traditional and blow the budget on something more sophisticated.

There can be something so elegant and romantic about dining outside on a long and light evening. The table set for two, the wine perfectly chilled, the calm of the back garden, and the grill ready for a single piece of meat designed to be shared.

And this pork tenderloin with green romesco sauce is just the thing. It’s a classy little lift to a stay-at-home summer date night.

Pork tenderloin on the grill

Pork has a reputation for being a fatty meat. Just imagine the thick, lardy layer on pork belly, chops, and bacon! Well, let me tell you, pork tenderloin (also known as pork fillet) is nothing like that. It is a lean dream; tender and juicy.

It’s because of the lack of fat and marbling that it’s so good on the grill. It cooks quickly and evenly over the intense barbecue heat while building up an irresistible smoky and caramelised crust.

I’ve sliced my fillet and laid it over a bitter-edged, green pepper romesco sauce, which balances beautifully with the mild and slightly sweet meat. A plate for alfresco perfection.

Slices of pork tenderloin on a bed of green sauce, on a plate with a dark wood background.

Green romesco sauce

Grassy and herbaceous, green romesco sauce is red romesco sauce’s cousin. The preparation is the same, the ingredients are similar, but the finished article tastes very different!

While red romesco is made with red peppers for sweetness and paprika for smokiness, and perhaps some red chilli flakes if you’re a fan, green is made from green pointed peppers, plenty of parsley, green chilli and heady cumin. Little swaps, big impact.

Both share romesco sauce’s trademark almonds for texture, luscious olive oil and tangy sherry vinegar making this recipe fall somewhere between sauce and go-with-anything condiment.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Use pointed green peppers. They might look like enormous chillies, but they’re harmless.
Green bell peppers are an accessible substitute.
Roasting time will vary according to pepper size. About 30 mins for pointed peppers, 45 for bells. Keep an eye on them though!
For me, one chilli gives enough heat. Double up if you like it hot.
I don’t remove the silver skin from the tenderloin- it’s a tricky manoeuvre and I’ve never had an issue with the joint bowing anyway.
Test the internal temperature of the grilled pork tenderloin at the thickest part.
This pork tenderloin recipe needs no flavourings, the green romesco sauce does the talking.
If you skip the sauce though, use a spice rub on the meat.

Four image collage showing how to prepare the romesco sauce and the pork tenderloin.

What goes with it

Simply seasoned pork tenderloin on the grill is charry delicious spread over the cool, green romesco sauce. Serve just as simply with buttery new potatoes, or a light potato salad, and a garden salad. Or if you’re on a fibre flex, like me, try Israeli chickpea salad or Turkish white bean salad.

Storage and leftovers

Leftover BBQ pork tenderloin will keep covered in the fridge for up to four days. Slice and top fried rice, a burrito bowl, or stuff in a sandwich with Asian slaw.

Keep the green peppers sauce too! It’s good for dipping, spreading and drizzling. Store in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container for up to five days.