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Pork Tenderloin and Acorn Squash Traybake with Paprika and Caraway

Pork Tenderloin and Acorn Squash Traybake with Paprika and Caraway

By Diane UngerApril 23, 2024

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Rating

Pork tenderloin cooks quickly because of its slender shape, and its mild flavor pairs well with a wide variety of ingredients. This dinner-on-a-baking-sheet is seasoned with a combination of caraway seeds (grind them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle) and sweet paprika, plus brown sugar to aid with browning. Acorn squash and red onions get a head start in the oven, then the tenderloins are added halfway through roasting. The browned bits left on the baking sheet after the pork and vegetables are removed supply depth of flavor to a simple sauce made with apple cider, mustard and butter.

Ingredients
  • 1½ to 2

    pound acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 2-inch wedges

  • 2

    medium red onions, root end intact, each cut into 8 wedges

  • 4

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons caraway seeds, ground

  • 2

    tablespoons sweet paprika

  • 2

    tablespoons packed brown sugar

  • 2

    1¼ pound pork tenderloins, trimmed of silver skin

  • ¼

    cup apple cider

  • 1

    tablespoon cider vinegar

  • 1

    tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 3

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 3 pieces

  • 2

    tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Step 1

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the squash and onions on the baking sheet, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; toss, then distribute in an even layer. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the caraway, paprika, sugar and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Coat each tenderloin with 1 tablespoon oil, then sprinkle both on all sides with the spice mixture, pressing so the seasonings adhere.

Step 2

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the vegetables and push them to the perimeter of the baking sheet. Place the tenderloins in the center, evenly spacing them. Return to the oven and roast until the centers of the tenderloins reach 135°F and a skewer inserted into the squash meets no resistance, 18 to 20 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board; transfer the squash and onions to a platter. Add the cider, vinegar and mustard to the baking sheet, then scrape up any browned bits. Add the butter and chives; whisk until the butter is melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Slice the tenderloins and transfer them to the platter. Pour the sauce and any accumulated juices on the cutting board over the pork and vegetables.