Crock Pot Pork Loin (Super Juicy & Tender)
This Crock Pot Pork Loin is easy to prepare, super juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth-tender, making the perfect comfort family dinner meal (like our slow cooker pork stroganoff ) or holiday main dish. Just brine it, season it, sear, and throw it in the crock pot with flavorful honey balsamic sauce, Italian-style. I’ve included simple instructions, useful tips, and everything else you need to know to cook the BEST crock pot pork loin roast ever!
Servings 12 slices
Calories366 kcal
Cost $ 1.25 per slice
Equipment
- Crock pot
- bowls
- spoon
- pan
Ingredients
BASIC INGREDIENTS
- 4.5 pounds pork loin roast trimmed of excess fat (NOT pork tenderloin)
- 4 tablespoons butter sliced into 4-5 pats
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or more to sear the pork
BRINE
- 8 cups tap warm water or enough to immerse the loin
- ½ cup salt preferrably kosher (or use ⅓ cup of table salt)
- ½ cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves OPTIONAL
- 1 cup ice cubes or more to bring the water temp down
SPICE RUB
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon ground pepper
HONEY BALSAMIC SAUCE
- ⅓ cup honey or pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple jelly or peach/apricot preserves
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- A good pinch of salt or you can use 1-2 tablespoon soy sauce
ADD LATER
- 3 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Brine: In an oven roasting bag or large pot, mix salt with warm water until dissolved. Whisk in brown sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, and ice to bring the water temp down. Then add the pork loin. Brine it in the fridge for 90 minutes to up to 8 hours (overnight).
- Rinse: Remove the loin from the brine and discard the brine. Then make sure to rinse the loin throughout to remove excess salt. Pat dry well with a paper towel.
- Season: Mix together all the spices in a small bowl. Place the pork onto a baking sheet and season all over with the spice mixture, pressing down with the palm of your hand for the seasoning stick to the surface.
- Sear: Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium high heat until smoking hot. Add the pork loin and sear each side until golden brown. Immediately transfer it to the slow cooker. If the loin is too long, arrange it by laying down the loin curved along the sides of the crock pot.
- Cook in the crockpot: Lightly grease a 6-qt. or larger slow cooker. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl, except the water and cornstarch. Pour the sauce over the pork loin and place pats of butter on top.
- Cook on LOW for 2 – 3 ½ hours or until the internal temp of the pork loin reaches 140°-145° F (60° to 63°C) at the thickest part of the loin. Start to check the temp immediately after the pork has cooked for 2 to 2 ½ hours to prevent overcooking it.
- Let it rest: Transfer cooked pork to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Thicken the sauce: Meanwhile, pour all of the liquid into a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with water until smooth and homogeneous. Add to the liquid and let it simmer until thickened, constantly mixing (about 5-7 minutes). Adjust the salt if needed. It should be savory, mildly sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy.
- Serve: Slice pork and serve with sauce. Spoon some of the sauce on top and serve the rest on the side.
Recipe Notes
What other pork cuts can I use to make a pork roast in crock pot?
- Pork Shoulder and Scotch Fillet– They contain more marbled fat and stay moist when cooking in the slow cooker. The fat melts during the cooking process and bathes the meat. Because the SHOULDER is a tougher pork cut, it REQUIRES A LONGER TIME to cook (around double the time to cook a pork loin roast of the same weight) in order to break down the fibers.
- Tenderloin– You can use our recipe to cook pork tenderloin in the slow cooker, although making a few adjustments. TENDERLOIN doesn’t demand brining, but if you do, just reduce the time to 20 minutes. Also, cook the tenderloin on low for LESS TIME than you’d cook our pork loin roast.
- Size/weight/width of the pork loin
- Size/type/age of the slow cooker
- Whether you brined it or skipped the brining process
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. It is a make-ahead easy freezer meal!
- Reheat: You can reheat leftovers in a microwave-safe dish, loosely covered, for about 1 minute and then continue to reheat in 20-second intervals until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 5417mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 434IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg
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