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Pork tenderloin smoke time and pull temp

Smoke at 250°F for 60 min, and pull at 145°F.

Time60 min
Pull at145°F
  1. Smoke1 hr
  2. Rest5 min
Cook at250°F
Rest5 min
Typical size1 to 1.5 lb
Safe at (USDA)145°F
  • Cook to the temperature, not the clock: pull at 145°F, or 140°F and let the rest carry it. The time gets you close; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you when.
  • A pellet grill swings around its setting, within about 25°F either way on a good day (Traeger), so the range allows for it. A new or freshly cleaned grill runs long: Traeger says an extra 1 to 2 hours on a 4 hour cook.

What are you smoking?

MeatPork tenderloinChange

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Lamb

How big is it?

Units

Timed for a typical piece, 1 to 1.5 lb, rather than by the pound, so there is no weight to enter. Two or three at once take about as long as one, with room for air between them.

Your smoker

Cook at
Cooker

How long to smoke pork tenderloin

Smoke pork tenderloin at 250°F for about 60 minutes, and pull at 145°F, or 140°F and let the rest carry it. That is for pork tenderloin (whole), at the heat shown; the calculator above has each heat a source gives a time for.

Rest 5 minutes before slicing or pulling. USDA counts pork tenderloin safe at 145°F with a 3 minute rest; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you more than the clock.

Pork tenderloin

Questions

What temperature do you pull pork tenderloin at?

145°F, or 140°F and let the rest carry it. Cook to that temperature rather than to the clock.

How long should pork tenderloin rest?

5 minutes, loosely covered or wrapped, before slicing or pulling.

Should I cook to time or to temperature?

To temperature. The time tells you when to start and when to start checking; the meat is ready when the thickest part reaches its pull temperature.

Does my smoker change the time?

Not at the same temperature, as far as any cooker maker or test says. What changes is how steady it holds: keep the lid or door shut and the fire even, and the time holds too.