Barbecue Pork Tenderloin Sliders are a speedy version of pulled pork. A homemade vinegary barbecue sauce and cool crunchy cole slaw make this a delicious slider recipe.
why you'll love this recipe
I have a confession to make. I don't like making dinner at dinner time. Instead of rushing around the kitchen to get supper on the table, I want my dinner waiting for me.
My kind of dinners are the ones that are ready ahead of time; similar to the ones I prepare for my personal chef client families.
With a quick reheat on the stove top or in the microwave, dinner can be ready in no time. Barbecue Pork Tenderloin Sliders is one such meal.
the ingredients in pork sliders
- pork tenderloin
- extra virgin olive oil
- barbecue seasoning
- ketchup
- brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder
- mustard
- hot sauce
- sugar
- poppy seeds
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- green cabbage
- carrots
- slider rolls
the recipe details
Slowly cooking pork shoulder or butt is my usual pulled pork recipe. This cooking method produces super tender pork. But it is an all-day affair.
I give my pulled pork recipe a jump start by substituting quick cooking tenderloins for the slower cooking pork shoulder or butt.
In less than 30 minutes, a just as tasty and quick version of barbecue pulled pork is ready. In the time it takes to roast the pork tenderloin, I make a sweet, tangy and vinegary 10-minute barbecue sauce and a cool and crunchy cole slaw.
Serve the pork sliders with cheddar stuffed potatoes, a chickpea salad with fresh herb vinaigrette and any extra cole slaw.
cooking tips and suggestions
- Take the pork tenderloin out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before roasting it. It will cook more evenly if the pork is close to room temperature.
- Make sure the oven preheats for at least 15 minutes.
- Line the baking sheet with foil for quick clean up.
- With the many high quality spice rubs available, I season the pork tenderloins with a premade barbecue seasoning mix.
- Pork tenderloins can be uneven in thickness. If your pork tenderloin has one end that is thin, tuck it under so it is the same thickness as the rest of the tenderloin.
- Before slicing the tenderloins, let the pork rest for about 10 to 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the pork.
- Be sure to thinly slice the tenderloins with a sharp knife. The thin pieces for pork tenderloin make for the most delicious sliders.
- Make quick work of shredding the cabbage and carrots by using a food processor.
Served on slider rolls (many bread companies are now making these mini rolls and these Martin's Potato Rolls are my favorite!) along with a crunchy cole slaw, these 3-bite sandwiches are great for tailgates, parties, picnics, lunch or dinner.
tips for making pork tenderloin sliders in advance
- Roast and slice the pork and store in an storage container in the refrigerator. Put the barbecue sauce in another storage container. Store both either in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing for the cole slaw, place in a storage container and store for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Toss the dressing with the shredded cabbage (it's best to shred the cabbage right before serving or up to 4 hours in advance) right before serving.
more slider recipes to try
Big Batch Cheeseburger Sliders
Mini Greek Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Tzatziki
just one more thing
If you make this delicious barbecue pork sliders recipe, I’d love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
recipe
Barbecue Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Tangy Cole Slaw
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 sliders 1x
Description
A speedy and delicious version of pulled pork sandwiches using pork tenderloins and a homemade barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
- for the pork -
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds of pork tenderloin
- Olive oil
- Barbecue seasoning
- for the barbecue sauce -
- 2 cups ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- ¼ cup hot sauce
- for the cole slaw -
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- a few shakes of hot sauce
- 8 cups of thinly shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 16 slider rolls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Rub the tenderloins with olive oil and generously sprinkle with the barbecue seasoning. Place the tenderloins on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is about 145 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool.
- To make the barbecue sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ingredients for the barbecue sauce. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the stove top.
- To make the cole slaw, in a large bowl, whisk the oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Turn the heat to low under the saucepan with the barbecue sauce.
- Thinly slice the tenderloin.
- For each of the pork slicers, place some of the pork tenderloin on the bottom half of a roll. Drizzle with some of the barbecue sauce. Top with the cole slaw and the top half of the roll.
Notes
- Take the pork tenderloin out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before roasting it. It will cook more evenly if the pork is close to room temperature.
- Line the baking sheet with foil for quick clean up.
- With the many high quality spice rubs available, I season the pork tenderloins with a premade barbecue seasoning mix.
- Make sure the oven preheats for at least 15 minutes.
- Pork tenderloins can be uneven in thickness. If your pork tenderloin has one end that is thin, tuck it under so it is the same thickness as the rest of the tenderloin.
- Before slicing the tenderloins, let the pork rest for about 10 to 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the pork.
- Be sure to thinly slice the tenderloins with a sharp knife. The thin pieces for pork tenderloin make for the most delicious sliders.
- Make quick work of shredding the cabbage by using a food processor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: appetizer or entree
- Method: oven and stove top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slider
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 695 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
NChapin
Is it ok to grill the tenderloin instead?
Amy Casey
Yes you can! It'll add a great smoky flavor to the pork.
JENNIFER
Delicious I had already made my pork tenderloin the other night so a quick warm up.. made the amazing slaw and sauce and voila! Definitely a keeper
Amy Casey
That's awesome Jennifer! I love when leftovers transform into a new delicious meal. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Christine Allen
Question: if you roast and slice the pork and store in a storage container in the refrigerator beforehand, how do heat up the pork before assembling the sliders? Or do you serve them at room temperature?
Amy Casey
Christine ~ You can heat the pork in the sauce in the microwave on 60% power for 1-2 minutes. Continue heating at 30 second intervals until heated through. Or heat the pork and sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Or heat in a 350 degree F oven covered for 15 - 20 minutes.
Erin
Hi Amy!! Love this recipe! Quick question - what would you recommend serving as a side with these?
Amy Casey
I'm so glad you enjoy my recipe Erin. I love these crispy oven fries with them. Or this potato salad.
Mandy Z
I was wondering how this could be modified into a crockpot version? It sounds amazing!
Amy Casey
I haven't made this one in my crockpot because pork tenderloin cooks up so quickly and tender.
Brianna
I had a couple of pork tenderloins in the fridge and loved how much more quickly this comes together than pork shoulder. My family absolutely loves this homemade sauce!
Amanda
These sliders were a hit! The tangy slaw added such a nice touch, and the pork came out mouth-wateringly perfect.
Linda
Made this for dinner last night and everyone was amazed by how flavorful this is. Love the flavor combination and extra hot sauce for me
anna
These pork sliders were absolutely amazing! We made this last weekend and the whole family loved them! The meat was so tender and juicy, and the slaw was just perfect. Definitely making this again!
Kyleigh
These sliders were so tender! I just loooove the slaw! Great recipe!