🍎🌿 Maple Dijon Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples, Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes
September in Arizona is basically fall in theory.
The calendar says we're getting closer.
Football is back. Pumpkin everything has started showing up. And somewhere, people are apparently putting on sweaters.
Here in Phoenix?
We're still waiting. 😂
Last week, we dipped our toes into fall with apple cider, honey, and sweet potatoes. This week, we're leaning in just a little further.
Not soup-and-sweater weather.
But definitely roasted apples and maple weather.
This Maple Dijon Pork Tenderloin is one of those dinners that looks like you put a lot more work into it than you actually did.
Juicy pork tenderloin gets coated in a sweet and tangy maple Dijon glaze, then roasted alongside caramelized sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red onion, and crisp apples.
Everything cooks together.
The vegetables pick up those savory juices from the pork.
The apples soften and caramelize around the edges.
And that maple Dijon glaze ties the entire plate together.
It's simple enough for a weeknight but good enough that I'd happily serve it when friends or family come over.
And, of course, we're keeping the whole thing gluten-free and dairy-free.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
✔️ Gluten-free & dairy-free
✔️ Naturally sweetened
✔️ High in protein
✔️ Mostly one-pan
✔️ Family-friendly
✔️ Great for meal prep
✔️ About 45 minutes start to finish
🍁 Maple Dijon Pork Tenderloin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Total Time: About 45 minutes
Serves: 4–5
For the Pork
1½–2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, optional
Maple Dijon Glaze
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of sea salt
For the Roasted Vegetables & Apples
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes
3 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
1 crisp apple, cut into thick wedges
½ red onion, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith apples all work well here. You want an apple firm enough to hold its shape while roasting.
Step 1: Give the Vegetables a Head Start
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Add the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts to a large sheet pan.
Toss them with oil, thyme, garlic powder, and sea salt.
Spread everything out into a single layer.
We're going to give these about a 10-minute head start before adding the pork and apples.
Why?
Because nobody wants beautifully cooked pork sitting next to half-raw sweet potatoes.
Roasting the vegetables first lets everything finish around the same time.
Step 2: Make the Maple Dijon Glaze
While the vegetables start roasting, combine:
Maple syrup
Dijon mustard
Coconut aminos
Apple cider vinegar
Garlic
Fresh thyme
Sea salt
Whisk until smooth.
Taste it.
You should get sweetness from the maple first, followed by the tang of Dijon and vinegar, with garlic and thyme underneath.
Set about one-third of the glaze aside before it touches the raw pork.
We'll use that clean portion for finishing later.
Step 3: Season the Pork
Pat the pork tenderloin dry with paper towels.
Removing that extra moisture helps it develop better color.
Rub it with avocado oil, then season all over with garlic powder, thyme, salt, and black pepper if using.
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pork and sear for approximately 2 minutes per side, turning until you have some nice golden-brown color around the outside.
We're not trying to cook it through.
We're just building flavor.
Step 4: Bring Everything Together
After the vegetables have roasted for about 10 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven.
Add the red onion and apple wedges.
Give everything a quick toss.
Create some room in the center and add the seared pork tenderloin.
Brush the pork generously with the maple Dijon glaze.
Return the pan to the oven.
Step 5: Roast
Roast everything together for another 15–20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pork.
About halfway through, brush the pork with another layer of glaze.
The pork is ready when the thickest portion reaches 145°F.
That's the number to pay attention to—not whether the center looks completely white.
Pork tenderloin is extremely lean, and overcooking it is the fastest way to turn a beautiful piece of meat into something dry.
Step 6: Let It Rest
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 8–10 minutes.
Don't skip this part.
While it rests, return the vegetables to the oven for another few minutes if you'd like a little more caramelization.
Those Brussels sprouts should have browned edges.
The sweet potatoes should be tender.
And the apples should be softened but still holding their shape.
🍽️ Put It All Together
Slice the pork into thick medallions.
Arrange it on a platter with the roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, apples, and red onion.
Now grab the clean maple Dijon glaze you reserved earlier and drizzle a little over the sliced pork.
Finish with fresh thyme or parsley.
That's dinner.
And it looks pretty impressive for something that mostly happened on one sheet pan.
🍎 Don't Be Afraid of Apples at Dinner
If you've never cooked apples alongside savory food, this is a great place to start.
We're not making apple pie here.
As apples roast, their natural sugars caramelize and their flavor becomes deeper.
Pair that sweetness with:
Savory pork.
Slightly bitter Brussels sprouts.
Tangy mustard.
Garlic.
Thyme.
And suddenly it makes complete sense.
The key is choosing a crisp apple and cutting it into thick wedges so it doesn't disappear while roasting.
Make It AIP-Friendly
This recipe is easy to modify.
Because mustard is seed-based, omit the Dijon.
Instead, make the glaze with:
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
2 cloves garlic
Fresh thyme
Pinch of sea salt
You lose some of the mustard bite, but you still get a delicious sweet-and-tangy glaze.
Also omit the black pepper.
Make It Work for the Kids
Here's where this meal gets surprisingly family-friendly.
You don't need to serve everyone a perfectly composed plate.
Put the components on the table:
Pork.
Sweet potatoes.
Brussels sprouts.
Roasted apples.
Extra raw apple slices if you have them.
Glaze for dipping.
Maybe your kid isn't touching a Brussels sprout today.
Okay.
Pork + sweet potatoes + apples is still a pretty great dinner.
Exposure matters, and having the vegetables on the table without making them the center of a dinner-table negotiation is sometimes enough.
Meal Prep Tips
This is a fantastic recipe to make extra of.
Slice the leftover pork and portion it with the roasted vegetables.
Keep a little extra maple Dijon glaze in a separate container.
For lunch the next day, you can reheat everything as-is or turn the leftovers into a completely different meal.
Try sliced pork over mixed greens with roasted apples, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, avocado, and a simple apple cider vinaigrette.
Dinner becomes tomorrow's lunch without feeling like you're eating exactly the same thing twice.
🍂 We're Getting Closer...
Last week it was apple cider.
This week we're adding maple, roasted apples, and Brussels sprouts.
We're slowly getting there.
But I'm still not turning on the slow cooker and pretending it's 65 degrees outside. 😂
One of the things I love about seasonal cooking is that it doesn't have to happen all at once.
We can start bringing back apples.
Then maple.
Then roasted vegetables.
And eventually, when Arizona finally gives us something resembling fall weather, we'll bring out the soups and comfort food.
Until then, this Maple Dijon Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples, Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes feels like the perfect middle ground.
A little bit of summer simplicity.
A little bit of fall flavor.
And one really good dinner.
Happy cooking!
– Matthew
