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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!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Additional Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 366 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Let it rest: Transfer cooked pork to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes.
  8. 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.
  9. Serve: Slice pork and serve with sauce. Spoon some of the sauce on top and serve the rest on the side.

Notes

  • What other pork cuts can I use to make a pork roast in crock pot?
  • How long does the pork loin cook in the crock pot?
  • A 3-5 pound pork loin roast takes around 2.5-3.5 hours to cook on LOW in the crock pot. NEVER cook it on HIGH because it will make the loin dry (it is a lean cut of meat).
  • If you didn’t brine the pork loin first, it may take longer to cook.
  • The cooking time will vary according to:
  • But one thing is for sure: All pork loin roasts are ready when the internal temperature reaches 140°-145° F in the thickest part of the loin. Use a meat thermometer to determine that! But as a rule, start checking the temp right after the loin has cooked for 2 to 2.5 hours.
  • Can I make slow cooker pork roast ahead?
  • Yes! Brine, season, and sear the pork loin one day ahead. Let it cool and wrap in plastic wrap. Then keep in the fridge until ready to cook. In addition, you can mix the ingredients for the sauce, cover, and refrigerate as well.
  • Bring the loin out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Cook it in the crock pot with the sauce and pats of butter.
  • What to do with leftover pork roast
  • You can chop it and use your leftover pork roast to make these breakfast chilaquiles (replace the beef with pork), use in sandwiches, wraps, casseroles, pizza, easy omelette, salads, soups, and more.
  • Storage
  • 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 Information

Calories 366kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 39g (78%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 117mg (39%) Sodium 5417mg (226%) Potassium 716mg (20%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin A 434IU (9%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 366

% Daily Value*

Calories 366kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 39g 78%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 117mg 39%
Sodium 5417mg 226%
Potassium 716mg 15%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 15g 30%
Vitamin A 434IU 9%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.