If I see a Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich on a menu, I order it. It’s what I call my must-order! Well, that and French onion soup! In all my orders only ONE has ever truly nailed it, and I’ll never forget it. It had breading that was crispy and full of flavor, the pork was tender and just as flavorful, and the toppings were spot on; a crazy generous amount of horseradish mayo, white onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, and (maybe) dill pickle slices. THAT is the sandwich I’ve been chasing ever since.
So I got to work making my own…. the secret to this fried pork sandwich is in three places: the cut of pork, the marinade and the seasoned breading.
- I use pork tenderloin sliced into rounds and pounded thin.
- Then I soak it in a seasoned buttermilk marinade, which keeps the pork juicy and helps the breading cling to every bite.
- For the crust, I skip standard breadcrumbs and opt for crushed saltine crackers, the same trick that makes my chicken fried steak so good.
The result is a homemade pork tenderloin sandwich that tastes like it came straight from a country road diner in Iowa; crispy, juicy, and flavorful all the way through!
Jump to:
- What is An Iowa-Style Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
- You Will Love This Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich!
- Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
- Building The Perfect Sandwich
- Variation Ideas
- Momโs Recipe Tips
- Serving Side Dishes
- Storing
- Recipe FAQs
- More Iowa Pork Recipes
- WATCH SUSIE ON FOOD NETWORK!
- Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Recipe
- Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
What is An Iowa-Style Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches are a Midwest classic, especially in Iowa where it can be called an Iowa Skinny. It’s also really popular in Indiana. It starts with pork tenderloin that's pounded very thin, breaded in crushed saltines, and then fried. It gets slapped on a regular hamburger bun that can look crazy because the fried pork hangs so far past the edges. The garnishes are simple, but important… some kind of mayo or horseradish mayo, shredded iceberg lettuce and sliced onion.
You Will Love This Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwich!
- Nostalgic Midwest diner classic, right in your kitchen – the kind of sandwich you'd drive a back road for, but made at home.
- Crispy outside, juicy and tender inside – The Saltine cracker crust gives it the iconic craggly, crunchy texture that breadcrumbs just can't replicate.
- Approachable recipe – not necessarily a quick weeknight meal, but not complicated either.
- Make-ahead friendly – marinate overnight, bread up to an hour ahead, fry when ready.
- Crowd-pleaser for game days, weekend lunches, and family dinners.
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Recipe Ingredients
The full list of ingredients is in the recipe card, but this section highlights the main ingredients and appropriate substitutions.
- Pork tenderloin – you can swap with pork loin, but know that it won't quite be the same. Different cut, different texture, different cooking methods. I consider tenderloin essential to making this right.
- Prepared horseradish – mixed up with mayo is SO good! You can also use plain mayonnaise, or stir a small amount of yellow mustard into mayo for a milder tang.
- Buttermilk – you can make your own by combining 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice, stir, and let sit 5 minutes before using.
- Saltine crackers – crushed oyster crackers or plain panko breadcrumbs also work. The texture will be slightly different but still crispy.
- Lawry's seasoned salt – any all-purpose seasoned salt or grocery store house-brand season salt blends.
- Iceberg lettuce – green leaf lettuce or romaine, shredded thin, are decent subs.
- Hamburger buns – soft white kaiser rolls or potato buns also work well. The bun is meant to be intentionally small to emphasize the overhang.
Why Saltine Crackers Make the Best Crust
Saltines might seem like a simple ingredient, but they’re one of the secrets behind a truly great Iowa-style (and Indiana) pork tenderloin sandwich. Midwestern cooks relied on inexpensive pantry staples for many of their recipes. Saltines were almost always on hand and produced consistent results. Their texture, flavor, and frying performance combine to create the kind of crust that’s crispy, light, and absolutely irresistible.
- They’re light and crisp – Unlike traditional breadcrumbs, crushed saltines create an irregular coating with lots of little peaks and crags. As they fry, those flakes become shatteringly crisp without turning thick or heavy.
- They brown beautifully – Saltines contain flour, fat, and a touch of sugar, which helps them develop a deep golden color and rich toasted flavor in the fryer.
- They season without overpowering – Saltines bring just enough salt and subtle buttery flavor to enhance the pork rather than compete with it. The result is a crust that complements the meat instead of stealing the show.
- They stay crunchy – Their structure helps them resist moisture better than some breadcrumb coatings, keeping that coveted crispness from the first bite to the last.
The key is leaving some larger cracker bits in the mix. Pulverizing them into dust gives you something closer to breadcrumbs, and you lose that distinctive craggy crunch that makes a great pork tenderloin sandwich..
How to Make a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
This is a very basic outline for how to make a fried pork tenderloin sandwich, for more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts pop down to the recipe card.
Step 1
Make the horseradish mayo.
Step 2
Trim, cut and flatten the pork tenderloin. Make the marinade, add the prepared cutlets, seal, and refrigerate.
Step 3
Remove the pork from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes.
Step 4
Bread the marinated pork pieces and fry, working in batches of 2 cutlets at a time.
Step 4
Toast the buns (optional) and assemble the sandwiches.
How to Pound Pork Tenderloin Thin Without Tearing It
To help the pork tenderloin flatten evenly without tearing, start by slicing a few shallow X-shaped cuts (about ยผ inch deep) in the center of each piece before you begin. These small cuts release tension in the muscle fibers and encourage the meat to expand more evenly as it’s pressed thinner.
Start in the center and work outward rather than flattening from the edges inward, which helps create a larger, more uniform cutlet. A good tip is holding one end and pounding outward at an angle to give the best round shape.
Don’t worry about achieving a perfect circle. The goal here is simply to create a piece large enough to extend beyond the bun while still leaving enough thickness around the edges so it stays tender and juicy.
Building The Perfect Sandwich
This is where things get interesting, and a little controversial. Especially if you're from Iowa and Indiana. Either way, the key to the condiments is to keep them simple. The meat is the star of the show here and shouldn't be overshadowed by tons of toppings.
The classic Midwest diner toppings include shredded iceberg lettuce, dill pickle rounds, sliced raw white onion, horseradish mayo or mustard. Ketchup is sometimes added but never by traditionalists, same with tomato.
If you're serving a coleslaw, put it on the side rather than on the sandwich so the moisture doesn't degrade the crunchiness.
Variation Ideas
- Spicy Version – Add ยฝ teaspoon cayenne to both the buttermilk marinade and the cracker crumbs, and stir 1 teaspoon hot sauce into the horseradish mayo.
- Extra-Tangy Marinade – Add 2 tablespoon dill pickle brine to the buttermilk soak for a subtle tang that works its way into the meat.
- Game Day Spin – Serve the cutlets sliced into strips with horseradish mayo as a dipping sauce.
- Oven-Fried Option – Arrange breaded cutlets on a wire rack set over a sheet pan, spray generously with cooking spray on both sides, and bake at 425ยฐF for 18-22 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and the pork reaches 145ยฐF internally.
Mom’s Recipe Tips
- Don't marinate the pork longer than 24 hours. The acidity in buttermilk starts breaking down the meat after that and gives a soft, mushy texture.
- Let the pork sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before frying. Cold pork drops the oil temperature and makes the breading greasy.
- Crush saltines right in their sleeve by pounding with the side of your fist, then squeeze to a mix of fine crumbs + larger pieces. That texture variation IS the craggly crust.
- Use Lawry's in both the marinade and in the breading. The double-seasoning is what makes it taste like it was built with flavor, not seasoned as an afterthought.
- Three rules for breading that doesn't fall off: let excess buttermilk drip off before dredging, press cracker crumbs firmly into the surface, and rest the breaded cutlets 5 minutes before frying.
- Use a fork, not tongs, through the entire breading and frying process. Tongs tend to scrape the coating off.
- Fry at 350ยฐF. No thermometer? No problem. Drop a pinch of cracker crumbs into the heated oil; if they sizzle and float immediately, the oil is ready.
- Fry only 2 cutlets at a time. More than that drops the oil temperature and results in soggy, greasy breading.
- Drain the fried pork on a wire rack set over a sheet pan, NOT on paper towels on a plate. The rack lets steam escape, whereas paper towels trap it and soften the breading.
- Keep finished cutlets warm in a 250ยฐF oven on a wire rack while you fry the rest. They’ll stay crispy for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serving Side Dishes
The best sides for this sandwich are crinkle-cut or steak fries, kettle chips, skillet mac and cheese, homemade coleslaw, corn on the cob, potato salad, or cucumber & onions in vinegar. I also love a big side of fresh applesauce or ambrosia salad with anything pork, but that's just me. A cold beer or classic root beer float is the diner-classic drink pairing.
Storing
In the fridge – Cool cooked cutlets completely before covering or placing in a storage bag. Store cooked cutlets in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep separate from buns and toppings to prevent sogginess.
Reheating – First off, avoid the microwave. It ends up steaming the breading and making it soft. A 400ยฐF oven on a wire rack set over a sheet pan is the way to go. 10-12 minutes for crispiest results.
Freezer Instructions
- Freeze fried cutlets in a single layer on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheat from frozen: 400ยฐF oven on a wire rack, 15-18 minutes.
Make-ahead Option
Marinate up to 24 hours; or bread cutlets up to 1 hour ahead and hold on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the fridge. Let breaded cutlets sit at room temp 20-30 minutes before frying.
Repurposing Leftovers
- Pork Tenderloin Biscuit – Set a leftover cutlet on a split buttermilk biscuit with a drizzle of hot honey for a next-morning breakfast.
- Country Gravy Plate – Skip the bun and serve a reheated cutlet over mashed potatoes with white country gravy poured over the top.
- Diner-Style Dinner – Serve a cutlet alongside green beans, a scoop of buttered corn, and a biscuit or dinner roll for a "meat-and-three" style plate.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can swap the tenderloin for pork loin, but know that it won't quite be the same. It is a different cut that has a different texture when cooked through. I consider tenderloin essential to making this right.
Saltines give the iconic craggy, light, shatter-crispy crust that defines an Iowa/Indiana pork tenderloin sandwich. Breadcrumbs (panko especially) give a uniform crust that's perfectly fine but not authentic. The texture variation from hand-crushed saltines is the whole point.
About ยผ inch thick and 5-6 inches across, much wider than your bun. Not paper-thin. You want enough thickness that the pork stays juicy after frying.
You can, but the texture won't be as tender. The buttermilk's mild acidity is what keeps a very lean cut juicy through the high heat of frying. If you're short on time, even 1 hour helps.
Yes, you can! See the Oven-Fried variation in the section above. Arrange breaded cutlets on a wire rack over a sheet pan, spray generously with cooking spray on both sides, and bake at 425ยฐF for 18-22 minutes, flipping once, until golden and 145ยฐF internal.
Three common reasons: too much wet marinade clinging on (drip well before dredging), not pressing the cracker crumbs firmly enough into the surface, and not letting the breaded cutlets rest for about 5 minutes before putting them in the oil.
Any neutral high-smoke-point oil like vegetable, canola, peanut, or refined avocado oil. Avoid olive oil (it has a low smoke point) and butter will burn before the pork is done cooking.
More Iowa Pork Recipes
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Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
HORSERADISH MAYO
- ยฝ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish - or to taste
PORK
- 1 – 1 ยผ lbs pork tenderloin - trimmed of silver skin
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
BREADING
- 1 ยฝ sleeves saltine crackers - about 60 crackers
- ยฝ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
- Vegetable oil - or canola oil; for frying (about 2 to 3 cups)
FOR SERVING
- 4 hamburger buns
- iceberg lettuce - shredded
- White onion - sliced into rings (optional)
- Dill pickle slices - optional
Instructions
Prepping and Pounding
- Start by making the horseradish mayo. Stir together the mayonnaise and prepared horseradish in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and add a little more horseradish if you like a stronger kick. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.ยฝ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- Trim the pork tenderloin of any silver skin, which is the thin, shiny layer of connective tissue running along the outside of the meat. To remove it, slide the tip of a sharp knife under the silver skin, angle the blade slightly upward, and use short strokes to slice it away. Discard the silver skin.1 – 1 ยผ lbs pork tenderloin
- Cut the pork tenderloin crosswise into 4 equal rounds, each about 2 to 3 inches long. Make thin end pieces slightly longer than middle pieces, since there's less meat to work with.
- Before pounding, make 4 shallow cuts (just about ยผ inch deep), outward from the center of the round like an "X". These cuts release the tension in the muscle fibers and allow the meat to spread outward in all directions.
- Place one round "X" side up in a zip-top bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet over a cutting board, pound the pork from the center outward until it is about ยผ inch thick and roughly 6 to 7 inches across.
Marinating
- In a shallow dish or large zip-top bag, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, Lawry's seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the pounded pork cutlets, making sure each piece is fully coated.1 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt, ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder, ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- Seal or cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and no longer than 24 hours. Mom's Tip: Beyond 24 hours, the acidity in the buttermilk begins to break down the surface of the meat, giving the finished pork a soft, mushy texture instead of a juicy, tender bite.
- When you are ready to cook, remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes. Frying cold pork causes the oil temperature to drop, which can make the breading greasy instead of crispy.
Breading
- While the pork rests, set up your breading station. Mom's Tip: use a fork from this point forward, through frying. Tongs can tend to scrape that crispy breading from the pork.1 ยฝ sleeves saltine crackers
- Plate 1: Crush the saltine crackers right in their package by pounding along the row of crackers with the side of a fist a few times. Then squeeze the package with your fingertips until you have a mix of fine crumbs and some slightly larger pieces. Pour the crumbs into a wide shallow dish.
- Plate 2: Combine the flour, Lawry's seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt. Stir to combine.ยฝ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt, ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder, ยฝ teaspoon onion powder, ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
- Using a fork, remove one piece of pork from the buttermilk marinade and let the excess drip off. Dredge both sides in the seasoned flour, pressing lightly so it adheres. Be sure to press flour to all areas, including the thin sides.
- Dip the floured pork back into the buttermilk marinade briefly, then press both sides firmly into the cracker crumbs, making sure the coating covers the entire surface. Mom's Tip: The finer cracker crumbs are great to fill in any areas where the larger cracker crumbs didn't adhere.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces. Let the breaded cutlets rest for 5 minutes before frying. This short rest helps the breading bond to the meat so it stays put in the skillet.
Frying
- Pour about ยฝ inch of oil into a large, heavy skillet, such as a cast iron or stainless steel pan. Heat over medium to medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350ยฐF. If you do not have a thermometer, drop a small pinch of cracker crumbs into the oil. If they sizzle immediately and float to the top, the oil is ready. If they sit there without bubbling, give the oil another minute or two.Vegetable oil
- Working in batches of 2 cutlets at a time, carefully lower the pork into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the breading is deep golden brown and the pork feels firm when pressed lightly in the center. Mom's Tip: Do not crowd the pan, too many cutlets at once will drop the oil temperature and lead to soggy breading. Use a fork to flip each cutlet only once.
- Transfer the finished cutlets to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels rather than a plate lined with paper towels. The wire rack allows air to circulate underneath, which keeps the breading crispy.
- Repeat with the remaining cutlets, returning the oil to 350ยฐF between batches.
Assembly
- Optionally toast the buns with a little softened butter or non stick spray. This helps the bun not fall apart as you eat the sandwich. It also elevates the sandwich and makes it more restaurant quality!
- To assemble, spread the horseradish mayo generously on both the top and bottom buns. Place a fried pork cutlet on the bottom bun. The cutlet will hang over the sides of the bun, which is part of what makes this sandwich so satisfying. Top with white onion rings, pickle slices, and a generous pinch of shredded iceberg lettuce. Mom's Tip: rinse the white onion rings in a little cool water so they aren't as strong!Set the top bun in place and serve immediately with napkins and maybe even a fork and knife.White onion, Dill pickle slices, iceberg lettuce
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