Pork Medallions with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

In the mood for a dinner that feels a little fancy and insanely delicious, but is secretly super easy to make? Look no further: tender pork medallions in a creamy peppercorn sauce!

This is pure comfort food at its finest, and totally quick enough to whip up after a long day at work.

In my easy recipe below, complete with simple step-by-step instructions, I’ll show you how to pull off this restaurant-quality dish in no time flat!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Melt-in-your-mouth, ultra-tender pork
• Incredibly rich and velvety cream sauce
• Packed with bold, irresistible flavor
• Comes together much faster than you think
• Super easy and foolproof to make
• A restaurant-quality meal made right at home
• Uses simple, everyday ingredients
• Perfect for date night or a quick weeknight dinner
• Pairs easily with almost any side dish
• Pure comfort food in a skillet

Pro Tips for the Best Pork Medallions

Grab a good-quality pork tenderloin—it makes all the difference when it comes to getting that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

Cut your medallions about 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick (around 2 cm). This keeps them super juicy on the inside while you get a gorgeous sear on the outside.

Get your skillet and oil nice and hot before dropping in the pork. A hot skillet is the secret to building a delicious, deep golden crust fast.

Don’t overcrowd the skillet! If you cram too many medallions in at once, the temperature drops and the meat will steam instead of sear. Sear them in batches if needed.

Letting the meat rest loosely tented in foil after searing (and after the oven) is key! This gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it tender and juicy. Whatever you do, don’t skip this step!

The oven time (about 15 minutes) is just a rough estimate. It really depends on your specific oven and how thick your medallions are cut. You’ll want them to still be slightly pink in the center!

Be sure to give the finished sauce a quick taste at the end and season with a bit more salt if needed. Sometimes all it takes is one final pinch to make those flavors pop!

Can You Make This Ahead and Store Leftovers?

You can totally make the creamy peppercorn sauce ahead of time! Just whip it up according to the recipe, let it cool, and pop it into an airtight container or pot in the fridge.

As for the meat, I personally recommend making it fresh—pork medallions are at their absolute tenderest right after cooking and resting.

Any leftover cooked medallions and sauce can be stored separately in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.

To reheat, gently warm the sauce in a saucepan over low heat. For the medallions, give them a quick reheat in a skillet or oven just until warm—be careful not to overcook them, or they’ll dry out!

Can you freeze it? The meat on its own freezes fine, but the sauce isn’t ideal for freezing because of the cream. It tends to split or curdle as it thaws. If you want to freeze leftovers, stick to freezing just the cooked meat!

Fun Recipe Variations

Extra Kick: If you love a punchier pepper flavor, add a few extra green peppercorns or toss in a generous pinch of freshly cracked black pepper.

Try a Peppercorn Blend: Instead of using just green peppercorns, try a mix of green, black, white, and pink peppercorns. It adds amazing depth and a wonderfully complex flavor!

Add a Splash of Booze: Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine (white or red) or a dash of cognac right after sautéing the onions. Let it simmer down for a minute before pouring in the broth—it takes the sauce to a whole new level!

Mushrooms: Sauté a handful of sliced mushrooms right along with the onions in the butter before adding the broth. It tastes amazing!

Other Herbs: Toss a small sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme into the skillet while searing the medallions for an extra pop of flavor.

Here’s What You’ll Need for Pork Medallions with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

• 1.5 lbs pork tenderloin (cut into medallions)
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

For the sauce:

• 1 tsp green peppercorns (in brine)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup half-and-half (or light cream)
• 1 tbsp brown gravy thickener (or cornstarch)
• Salt, to taste

How to Make Pork Medallions with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

For the Pork Medallions:

First, slice the pork tenderloin into 3/4-inch thick medallions and season them generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the medallions for about 2 minutes on each side until they get a gorgeous golden crust.

Wrap the medallions in aluminum foil and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes—this helps lock in all those delicious juices.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Transfer the medallions to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.

Once they’re done baking, let them rest for another 5 to 10 minutes.

While the pork is in the oven, you can whip up the sauce!

For the Creamy Peppercorn Sauce:

Peel and quarter the onion.

Drain the green peppercorns.

Add both to the mixing bowl and chop for 5 sec / Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and repeat.

Add the butter and sauté for 3 min / 120°C (250°F) / Speed 1.

Add the beef broth, heavy cream, and gravy thickener, then cook for 5 min / 100°C (212°F) / Speed 2.5.

Finally, season to taste with a pinch of salt. Pour the sauce over your pork medallions and serve with Duchess potatoes, rice, pan-fried potato dumplings, or creamy mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

By the way, the prep times listed are just averages. Everyone cooks at their own pace, and sometimes things take a bit longer or shorter than expected.

I hope you love making this!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also love my prosciutto-wrapped pork medallions with creamy pan sauce 🙂

Happy cooking,
Christoph

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