Aldi Premium Boneless Pork Tenderloin

When it comes to marinated meats that help you get a head start on dinner prep, Aldi is king. The discount grocer sells several options in the fresh meat department, including a BBQ flavored boneless pork shoulder roast, pork carnitas, Mediterranean herb seasoned salmon, and chicken breasts with cilantro lime, tomato and basil, or southwest style seasonings. These all attempt to strike a balance between homemade and ready-made convenience meals, since they do the work of seasoning for you. All you have to do is cook them.

If you’re looking for an affordable and easy-to-cook cut of meat that’s pre-marinated, one option is the pork tenderloin at Aldi. Pork tenderloin (not to be confused with pork loin) is a long and skinny cut of meat that comes from along the spine.

Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat, so you have to be careful not to overcook it and dry it out. Marinating it actually helps it retain some moisture as it cooks. It’s not a large piece of meat, so it cooks faster than some other cuts, and you can slice it into medallions and serve it alongside rice or mashed potatoes, or it’s good cut into smaller pieces and served in a stir fry. Because it’s not a big cut, keep in mind this is good for serving a small family but may not be enough for a larger crowd.

Aldi sells marinated pork tenderloin in three different flavors: Italian, teriyaki, and peppercorn.

Aldi Pork Tenderloin is a Regular Buy, which means you should be able to find it at Aldi year round. It’s stocked in the fresh meat case.

This cost $3.79 per pound at my local store at the time of writing. The tenderloins I bought weighed anywhere from just over one pound to 1.805 pounds, and they each cost between $4.28 and $6.84.

They had a use-by date of at least a couple of weeks out from my purchase date, but one of the packages I initially bought swelled up (a sign of spoilage) after sitting in my fridge for more than a week, and I had to toss that flavor and buy a new one. I should have frozen the original package soon after buying it, but the label didn’t say anything about freezing if you don’t intend to cook them right away. I highly recommend freezing if you don’t plan to cook one of these tenderloins within a few days of purchase.

The packages have directions for cooking these in a conventional oven or on the grill. The directions warn not to overcook these no matter what method you use.

To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the tenderloin from the package and place it in a shallow uncovered baking dish. Roast for approximately 20 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Let rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing and serving.

To grill, remove the meat from the package and place it directly on a preheated grill. Grill over indirect medium-high heat for approximately 20 minutes per pound, turning occasionally. To ensure proper doneness, a meat thermometer should read 160 degrees. Let rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing and serving.

I chose to bake these (separately) in my oven. Mine all took a little longer than the 20 minutes per pound indicated in the directions to reach an internal temperature of 160. For instance, the Italian seasoned pork tenderloin I bought was 1.805 pounds and took about 45 minutes to cook thoroughly. After about the 35-minute mark, I checked the pork’s internal temperature every five minutes to ensure I didn’t over cook it, and it came out moist and tender.

These are all good, although my family found them to be decent but a bit plain if served on their own. They go best with a side such as rice, couscous, quinoa, or mashed potatoes. Or slice or dice them and serve them with alfredo pasta or in a stir fry.

I also noticed these all contain some processed ingredients, including carrageenan. That tends to be the tradeoff when you aren’t making your own marinades at home from scratch.

Keep reading for more information about each tenderloin flavor.

Aldi Italian Pork Tenderloin:

Italian pork tenderloin, sliced and ready to serve. This one turned out particularly juicy, as you can see.

This has good flavor and went well with mashed potatoes. It’s not spicy; just well seasoned.

Aldi Italian Pork Tenderloin nutrition information, ingredients, and cooking directions. (Click to enlarge.)

This contains pork, water, seasoning rub (dextrose, spices [including parsley], salt, paprika, dehydrated onion, garlic), vinegar, sodium phosphate, pork flavor, salt, and carrageenan.

One 4-ounce serving has 120 calories, 3 grams of total fat (4% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 230 mg of sodium (10% DV), 1 gram of total carbohydrates (0% DV), no dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of added sugars (1% DV), and 21 grams of protein.

Aldi Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin:

Teriyaki pork tenderloin, sliced and ready to serve.

I liked this flavor. It doesn’t have a strong teriyaki flavor, but it’s not bland. This would go well diced and served with some fried rice or in a stir fry.

Aldi Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin nutrition information, ingredients, and cooking directions. (Click to enlarge.)

This contains pork, water, seasoning rub (hydrolyzed corn protein, sugar, maltodextrin, pineapple juice, xanthan gum, garlic, spice, salt, caramel color, potassium sorbate), vinegar, sodium phosphate, pork flavor, salt, and carrageenan.

One 4-ounce serving has 120 calories, 3 grams of total fat (4% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 320 mg of sodium (14% DV), 1 gram of total carbohydrates (1% DV), no dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of added sugars (1% DV), and 21 grams of protein.

Aldi Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin:

Peppercorn pork tenderloin, sliced and ready to serve.

Sometimes foods that are seasoned with pepper are too spicy, but that was not the case with this peppercorn tenderloin. It has definite pepper flavor, but it’s not overpowering.

Aldi Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin nutrition information, ingredients, and cooking directions. (Click to enlarge.)

This contains pork, water, coating seasoning (spices, dehydrated garlic), vinegar, sodium phosphate, pork flavor, salt, and carrageenan.

One 4-ounce serving has 120 calories, 3 grams of total fat (4% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 190 mg of sodium (8% DV), 2 grams of total carbohydrates (1% DV), no dietary fiber, no total sugars or added sugars, and 21 grams of protein.

The Verdict:

Aldi Pork Tenderloin is sold in the store’s fresh meat section and comes in three flavors: Italian, teriyaki, and peppercorn. We like the Italian and teriyaki the best, but what flavor you prefer might depend on what you’re serving these with. They’re a little plain on their own but go well with rice pilaf, fried rice, stir fries, pasta, or other sides.