Part of our 5-Ingredient Costco Dinners series – real weeknight meals built almost entirely from your Costco haul.
This one is loosely inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe, which means it’s fast, it’s a one-pan situation, and it has no patience for fussiness. We swapped a few things to make it work with what’s actually on Costco shelves, and somewhere in the process it got even better. That happens sometimes.
Pork tenderloin is one of the most underrated proteins in the Costco meat case. It’s lean, it cooks fast, and it takes on flavor well. A lot of people save it for “special occasions” which is a shame, because it’s a Tuesday night dinner waiting to happen.
What you need from Costco:
- Pork tenderloin (Kirkland Signature, boneless – grab a pack from the meat case)
- Roasted red peppers (jarred, in water or brine – when your warehouse has them; more on this below)
- Kirkland Signature Organic Power Greens (the spinach/chard/arugula blend in the big clamshell)
- Kirkland Signature Garbanzo Beans (canned – and save the liquid from the can, you’ll need it)
- Kirkland Signature Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
From your pantry: Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic (Christopher Ranch Colossal Garlic if you’ve got it – frozen works great here), and a small pat of Kirkland Grass-Fed Butter to finish if you want to feel fancy about it.
About the roasted peppers: Costco carries these intermittently. When you spot them, grab a couple of jars – they keep forever and they’re in half a dozen recipes. If you can’t find them today, roast your own (halved red bell peppers, 425°F for 25-30 minutes) or sub in a few fresh red peppers sliced thin and sauteed down in the pan first. Either works.
🍌 The Cheat – Want to Take It Over the Top?
A heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds goes in with the peppers and greens, and it completely changes the dish. Slightly anise-y, slightly sweet, and they toast up in the hot pan before everything else gets added. You won’t necessarily know they’re there, but you’ll know something is. Fennel seeds aren’t reliably stocked at Costco, so this is a pantry or grocery store grab – but it’s worth having a jar around.
How to make it:
Serves 4. About 30 minutes start to finish.
1. Sear the pork. Cut your tenderloin into a size that fits your pan – you can leave it whole or cut it in half crosswise. Season generously with salt and pepper. Get a large, wide pan hot over high heat, add a glug of olive oil, and sear the pork for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until it’s got real color on both sides. Don’t skip this part. That brown crust is flavor you can’t add back later.
Pull the pork out and set it on a plate to rest while you build everything else.
2. Build the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-high. In the fat left in the pan, add 2-3 minced garlic cloves (or a frozen cube) and – if you’re using The Cheat – the fennel seeds. Let them sizzle for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Then add your drained and roughly chopped roasted peppers. Stir and let everything cook for about 2 minutes.
Add a big handful or two of power greens. They’ll look like way too much at first. They’re not. Stir them into the peppers and watch them start to wilt down.
3. Add the garbanzos. Open your can of garbanzo beans and pour in the whole thing – beans AND liquid. The liquid is key. It creates a light, starchy broth that ties the whole dish together and gives the pork something to finish cooking in. Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle boil.
4. Finish the pork. Nestle the pork tenderloin back into the pan so it’s sitting right in the garbanzo mixture, touching the base of the pan. Pour over any resting juices from the plate. Cover the pan and simmer on medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, turning the pork once halfway through, until it’s just cooked through. Aim for an internal temp of around 145°F – a little pink in the middle is completely fine and keeps it juicy.
5. The balsamic finish. Pull the pan off the heat. Drizzle a good splash of balsamic vinegar over everything – maybe a tablespoon or so. Stir it in. Taste the garbanzo mixture and adjust salt and pepper. Add that small pat of butter now if you want a little richness. Let the pork rest for 2 minutes before slicing.
Serve sliced pork over a big spoonful of the peppers, greens, and garbanzos. That’s it.
The Happy Accident
If your power greens wilt down into what looks like a dark, slightly chaotic pile when they first hit the pan, that’s exactly right. Don’t try to fix it. Once the garbanzos and their liquid go in and everything loosens up, it transforms into something that looks genuinely intentional. The mess is part of the process – and honestly, slightly uneven wilting means you get bites that are more greens-forward and bites that are more pepper-forward, which makes the whole bowl more interesting.
Swaps & variations
- No pork tenderloin? Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully here. Same method, just add 3-4 minutes to the covered simmer time.
- Can’t find roasted peppers? Two fresh red bell peppers, sliced thin and cooked down in the pan for 5 minutes before adding the greens, is a solid substitute.
- Want more heat? A pinch of red pepper flakes in with the garlic and fennel seeds is a great addition.
- Make it heartier: Serve over toasted crusty bread (Costco’s sourdough is perfect) to soak up the garbanzo broth. This is the move.
Nutrition (per serving, approx.)
Calories: 380 – Protein: 42g – Fat: 10g – Carbs: 26g – Fiber: 6g – Sodium: 480mg
Based on 1.5 lb pork tenderloin, one 15 oz can garbanzo beans, one 12 oz jar roasted peppers, 4 oz power greens. Pantry staples not included.
Have you tried this one? Drop a comment below and let us know how it went – especially if The Cheat made the difference. 👇👇👇