Who knew you could turn pieces of pork tenderloin into tender, flavorful cutlets? This Creamy Pork Tenderloin Mushroom Marsala delivers golden pan-fried pork topped with a silky mushroom, Marsala and cream sauce. Once you taste one of these juicy cutlets smothered in that sauce, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this sooner.
If you’re organized, this can be ready in under an hour — just long enough to roast some potatoes alongside it.
- Start by preparing the meat.
- Remove the white, fibrous outer layer (the silverskin) from the tenderloin before cutting it into sections.
- Slide a knife under the silverskin and run it along the meat to lift the membrane without removing meat.
- This silverskin won’t break down during cooking and can make the meat tough if left on.
- Trimmed and ready, a 1½‑pound tenderloin can be cut into six equal pieces.
- If you have smaller tenderloins, use two and cut each into three pieces.
- Butterfly each piece by slicing down the middle without cutting through, then open like a book.
- Flatten each piece by placing it between plastic wrap and gently pounding with a meat mallet to an even 1/4–1/2″ thickness.
- Dredge the flattened pork in seasoned flour.
- Quickly sauté the cutlets in a mixture of butter and olive oil until golden and crisp.
- Set the browned cutlets aside and keep them warm while you make the sauce.
With a simple flour swap this dish is easy to make gluten-free, so it suits a variety of dietary needs.
While the cutlets cook, prep the remaining ingredients — the sauce comes together quickly.
For finely minced garlic I often grate it on a lemon zester to avoid larger chunks; it blends into the sauce nicely.
- Add the mushrooms to the same pan with the meat drippings and sauté until softened and browned.
- Cook the mushrooms until they lose moisture and develop color.
- Add shallots and garlic with a little more oil and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in a tablespoon of flour and cook briefly to remove the raw taste.
- Deglaze the pan with Marsala wine, scraping up browned bits to flavor the sauce.
- Reduce the wine over low heat, then stir in the half-and-half and simmer until slightly thickened.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to suit your preference.
Finish by adding half-and-half for a rich, creamy sauce; if you want it lighter, replace part of the half-and-half with beef broth.
This sauce is rich and velvety. Reducing the half-and-half with a splash of broth is a good option if you prefer a lighter sauce.
The ideal sides are crispy roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli — simple, classic and picture-perfect.
It makes a beautiful weeknight or weekend dinner.
Creamy Pork Tenderloin Mushroom Marsala
Thinly pounded pork tenderloin cutlets are pan-fried until crisp and topped with a creamy mushroom‑Marsala sauce. A flavorful, family‑friendly weeknight meal.
Ingredients
FOR THE PORK
- 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved (or quartered if large)
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons minced or grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
FOR THE PORK
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Cut the trimmed tenderloin into six equal pieces. Butterfly each piece by slicing down the middle, stopping before cutting through. Open like a book, place between plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4–1/2″ thickness.
-
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
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Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge pork and shake off excess. Sauté half the pork in the oil‑butter mixture until lightly browned, about 2–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Add remaining oil and butter and sauté the rest; keep warm on the plate.
FOR THE SAUCE
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Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and sauté until softened and browned, about 5–7 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook 2–3 minutes more. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook about 1 minute.
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Deglaze with Marsala, scraping up brown bits. Reduce until liquid is about half. Stir in half-and-half and simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
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Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pan and heat through. (Alternatively, serve the sauce separately to preserve crispiness.)
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Plate the pork, spoon sauce over the cutlets and garnish with minced parsley.
Recipe Notes
FOR A GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour for regular flour.
ALTERNATIVE SERVING METHOD: To keep the coating crisp, transfer the mushroom sauce to a bowl, wipe the skillet clean, reheat the cutlets briefly and spoon a small portion of sauce over each when serving.
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