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Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Tenderloin

🐷🍴🙌🏻 Pork tenderloin is coated in a sweet and tart cranberry glaze before being slow cooked to TENDER and JUICY perfection! The whole berry cranberry sauce in the glaze adds so much texture and FLAVOR! Serve this EASY Crockpot recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or for an elegant tasting meal during the holiday season. Tip - This is a great recipe to use up leftover cranberry sauce you have on hand!   

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 hrs
Resting Time
10 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 852 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American , International

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless pork tenderloins about 3 to 3.5 pounds total (a good rule of thumb is figure about 1/2 pound pork per person, approximately)
  • 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce (from one can; can be whole berry or jellied; or use homemade cranberry sauce - about 1 3/4 cups, leftover cranberry sauce is great here)
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed (granulated sugar and/or dark brown sugar may be substituted)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons minced dried onion
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground thyme or to taste
  • fresh parsley optional; finely minced; for garnishing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Trim any fat from the pork tenderloins, if desired. Spray a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker basin with cooking spray and place the tenderloins in it; set aside momentarily.
  2. To a medium bowl, add all remaining ingredients (except the parsley), stir to combine, and I recommend tasting the mixture now. Tips - If desired, add more salt, pepper, Dijon, sugar, etc. as desired to taste. You can also add orange or lemon zest, a couple tablespoons of orange juice or lemon juice, a bit of orange marmalade, rosemary sprigs; there are lots of flavor variations; see blog post as well for ideas.
  3. Evenly pour the cranberry sauce mixture over the pork.
  4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours, OR cook on HIGH for about 2 1/2-3 hours. If desired, you can baste some of the cranberry sauce mixture over the pork as it cooks, although it's not obligatory. Cooking Tips - All slow cookers vary in their heat output, as do all kitchens in their ambient temperature, as well as the exact thickness of the pork, and so forth. Cook until done, whatever that means given your circumstances. Pork is done when it reaches 145F, as measured by a thermometer. Resting (mandatory) - However, in order to avoid DRY pork, I suggest pulling the pork from the slow cooker when the temp reaches 135-140F, set it on a plate, cover it with foil, and allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes, at which point the internal temp will come up to 145F (safe to consume), the natural juices will redistribute, and you'll have perfectly cooked, juicy pork tenderloins.
  5. Optionally garnish with parsley, slice, and serve.
  6. Optional: If you’d like to thicken the juices from the slow cooker, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, add it to the juices in the bottom of the slow cooker, and cook on high for 20-30 minutes uncovered, or until thickened as desired. A quicker way to do this (because the slow cooker, is slow), is to transfer it all (the juices + the cornstarch/water) to a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook until the desired consistency is reached; whisk frequently. It will likely not take more than 5-7 minutes for it to thicken up nicely.

Notes

  • Nutrition Stats: While this is a more decadent meal, the calorie count does seem artificially high to me. It's likely because of the cranberry sauce, but since not every last drop of the cranberry sauce mixture will be consumed, I would like to think that the stats are less than the computer generated program is suggesting. My guess only here. Additionally, I think you could feed more than 6 people here, given there will be sides, too. But I never want to be skimpy in my serving estimates, especially for holiday meals.
  • Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 852kcal (43%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 126g (252%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 393mg (131%) Sodium 614mg (26%) Potassium 2480mg (71%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 24g (48%) Vitamin A 49IU (1%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 55mg (6%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 852

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 852kcal 43%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 126g 252%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 393mg 131%
Sodium 614mg 26%
Potassium 2480mg 53%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 24g 48%
Vitamin A 49IU 1%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 55mg 6%
Iron 7mg 39%

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