There’s a reason why pork is such a popular protein in the islands – this versatile meat has the ability to work exceedingly well with sweet and spicy undertones.
That’s why this Cajun-Pineapple Pork tastes so fantastic – the blend of these seasonings, fruit, and meat brings a diner straight to the Caribbean, where they can enjoy fun, Cajun flavor while still adhering to Paleo standards.
This dish is fairly simple to put together, low-cost and works well as part of a larger meal themed around the tropical tones in this dish.
A few notes about one of our favorite ingredients, pineapple. The sauce requires chunked pineapple, which you can find pre-cut in the frozen fruits section. Despite this convenient option, consider buying fresh fruit and trying your hand at cutting it yourself.
While this can seem intimidating, prepping fresh pineapple is actually really easy. Just cut off the top and bottom portions of the fruit about one inch in, cut away the prickly skin, and remove the soft fruit surrounding the core.
If needed, use kitchen shears for any pesky, sharp bits before you get to work to prevent cutting yourself. The resultant fresh pineapple is a juicy, scrumptious treat, so definitely challenge yourself and pick one up for this dish!
This distinctive dish works well as a dinner main course, so it pairs with sides that complement the flavors and really transport you through a tropical experience.
Some great options include the Cauliflower with Lime and Cilantro paired with the lighter Fall Vegetable Salad. For a real treat, use your leftover pineapple chunks in our Banana Mango Smoothie – just replace some or all of the mango with pineapple.
Cajun-Pineapple Pork Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 30 min
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small pork tenderloins
- 2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pineapple Sauce Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup pineapple, diced
- ½ cup fresh pineapple or orange juice
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Season the pork to taste with salt and pepper; rub the pork with Cajun seasoning.
- Melt some cooking fat (about ½ tbsp.) in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the pork on all sides until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes per side).
- Place the pork in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until desired doneness.
- In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the pineapple sauce; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Let the pork rest for 4 to 5 minutes before slicing.
- Serve the pork topped with pineapple sauce.
📖 Recipe
Cajun-Pineapple Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small pork tenderloins
- 2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cup pineapple diced
- ½ cup fresh pineapple or orange juice
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Season the pork to taste with salt and pepper; rub the pork with Cajun seasoning.1 large or 2 small pork tenderloins, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
- Melt some cooking fat (about ½ tbsp.) in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the pork on all sides until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes per side).Cooking fat
- Place the pork in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until desired doneness.
- In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the pineapple sauce; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.1 ½ cup pineapple, ½ cup fresh pineapple or orange juice, ¼ cup pure maple syrup or raw honey, 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp. coconut aminos, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
- Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Let the pork rest for 4 to 5 minutes before slicing.
- Serve the pork topped with pineapple sauce.
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