Amazing Pork Loin In The Crock Pot Every Time

Juicy and easy, this recipe will teach you how to cook pork loin in the crock pot that is a hit with the whole family. This recipe makes a sizeable amount for dinner and is super simple to throw in your slow cooker with just a few ingredients. Prep your juicy pork loin roast and come home to dinner ready to go with this slow cooker recipe.

How To Cook Amazing Pork Loin In The Crock Pot Every Time

*This post was originally sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council, but all opinions are my own.

 

Delicious Pork Loin In The Crock Pot Is Perfect For Dinner

When it came to cooking a large roast such as this pork loin, most of my food memories come from when I would meet up with my Italian extended family as a kid. I remember my Great Aunt pulling out all the stops when we were there for a Sunday dinner. It didn’t happen often as they didn’t live close, but those visits sure made an impression.

I’m not sure if she made these gigantic feasts just because we were there, or if every Sunday was a giant feast, but man were they delicious. I think they always thought I was just playing, but secretly I was watching every move they made in the kitchen.

One of my favorite feasts other than pasta (Italian blood!) was when she made juicy pork loin roast in the crock pot, fresh garden green beans, and fresh bread picked up from the bakery made that day. The whole family ran to the table to dive in.

What I didn’t realize when I didn’t know how to make pork loin in the crock pot, is that it is so simple you don’t have to wait until Sunday.

Pork loin prepped ahead in your slow cooker makes a great recipe to go all day so you come home to the smell of dinner almost completely done.

How To Make Absolutely Amazing Pork Loin In The Crock Pot

Start off by picking up a pork loin at the store or butcher. I prefer boneless for this meal as it is fast and delicious without tons of prep.

Add your cooking spray and onions to the crockpot before you add your cut of meat with the fat side up. Then coat your pork in spices, add some broth and close the lid.

When you come back you want to make sure you check your meat with a meat thermometer that it is cooked to 145 degrees, that’s when you know it is done for sure. If it finishes earlier than you expect, you can always switch your crock pot to the warm setting.

What’s The Difference Between A Pork Tenderloin And A Pork Loin

These are two different cuts of pork and both are super flavorful pieces of pork for your roast but they work a little differently. Pork loins are wide cuts of meat, large enough you can cut a full slice from it similar to a steak. Pork Loin is a sold both with and without bones.

Pork tenderloin is smaller and thinner, and when cut makes more of a medallion size, and is always boneless. Pork tenderloins generally are one to two pounds, and most pork loins in the stores are two to five pounds.

Pork Loins generally lend themselves to a slow cooker recipes or roasting for a longer period of time, while pork tenderloin can be quickly cooked over higher heat.

My Kid Is A Picky Eater, Will They Like Pork Loin In The Crock Pot

All kids are different and for some kids, it takes a while to try new foods. Pork loin in the crockpot is lean and a soft meat dish though, which lends itself to kids liking this recipe.

It easily can be sliced into bite-sized pieces, or shredded which makes it fairly easy to chew for even toddlers and preschoolers.

You can also take leftovers and shred with some bbq sauce for an easy quick sandwich for kids (or you know, the whole family!), and it’s also great with roasted potato wedges or mashed potatoes.

How Long To Cook Pork Loin In The Crock Pot

How long you cook your pork loin roast in the crock pot can vary depending on both the size of your pork loin and the age of your crock pot. Most pork loins vary between three to five pounds, and that can affect cooking time.

A four-pound boneless pork loin is usually done in about six hours when cooked on low. To make sure your roast pork loin is cooked to perfection, use a meat thermometer. The inside of the meat should register at a temperature of 145.

You can leave your meat on the warm setting for a little while after it is finished cooking, the pan liquid will help keep it from drying out.

Can I Put Frozen Pork Loin In The Crock Pot?

You can put frozen pork loin in the crock pot and it will be delicious! To cook a frozen pork loin in the crock pot first season your meat just as you would if it was fresh. Allow the frozen pork loin to cook in the slow cooker for four hours on high or eight hours on low.

Check your meat to make sure the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Your final cook time may vary depending on the size of your pork loin. This timing is based on a frozen five-pound pork loin.

What Size Slow Cooker Should I Use?

I’ve edited this section as I’ve received a few emails from people having varying success with different size crockpots. I recommend a 4, 5 or 6-quart crockpot. It holds the right amount of liquid to meat ratio. Crockpots cook best if they are at least 3/4 full so you may want to adjust based on your machine and how big your meat is.

If you choose to cook it in a smaller crockpot (and I really only recommend this for a pork loin closer to 3 pounds) you may have to adjust the liquid in your pot down and check your meat sooner. A smaller crockpot sometimes means it cooks quicker because it’s fuller, so check carefully.

If you choose a bigger crockpot, adding a little more liquid is a good idea. A bigger crockpot can also work well if you decide to add extra vegetables (like carrots or potatoes) to the bottom of the crockpot.

Why The Onions?

By putting a layer of onions on the bottom of the crock pot, not only do you add flavor but it helps keep the meat from sticking to the crock pot. Win-win! This helps even more if you switch your crockpot to the warm setting after it’s finished cooking.

Do You Cook A Pork Loin Fat Side Up Or Down

Most people recommend cooking a pork loin fat side up. This ensures as the fat renders, it drips down the meat and adds flavor. You can also trim the fat before cooking the meat, but it will lose some flavor.

Pork Loin tends to be a fairly lean cut of meat, I recommend trimming any fat after cooking your roast.

Do You Need To Brown A Pork Loin Before Cooking It In The Crock Pot

Browning a pork loin before cooking your recipe adds lots of flavor to your meat, and is a great way to give your finished meat more depth of flavor. For busy parents like me though, it’s not mandatory to make sure your pork loin is flavorful.

I generally skip browning a pork loin because the cut of meat is large and I’m often in a hurry, but you can absolutely brown it before you cook it in the slow cooker if you choose.

Can Pork Loin Be Used For Pulled Pork?

You can use pork loin for pulled pork but it will make a large amount of pulled pork if you shred all three to five pounds! I use the estimate that one pound of pork will feed three people when shredded. If I shred pork loin for pulled pork I’ll usually do this with the leftovers after eating one meal as boneless pork chops like above.

To make pulled pork from your cooked pork loin cook your meat then remove the pork and the cooking juices from the crockpot. On a cutting board using two forks, shred the meat.

Put your meat back in the crockpot. Add roughly a half cup of either pan drippings OR broth for  every cup of meat and a half cup of BBQ sauce for every pound of meat.

Allow the shredded pork to cook on high in the slow cooker on high for a minimum 30 minutes or until bubbly and juicy.

Can I Add Potatoes Or Other Vegetables To My Crock Pot Roast Pork Loin?

You can add potatoes, carrots and even celery to the bottom of the crock pot with your pork line. We like yukon potatoes or red potatoes.

When adding potatoes, or other vegetables to the bottom of the crock pot I recommend adding an additional half cup of broth to make sure there is enough liquid in your crock pot.

When you cut your vegetables I like to leave them in large chunks as they will be in the crock pot for a while. I like to cut my potatoes and carrots down to the size of about half a golf ball but pieces that are a little larger are fine too. Keep your vegetable pieces all about the same size so they cook evenly.

I recommend removing the cooked vegetables from the slow cooker first before adding BBQ sauce if you are turning part of your pork loin into pulled pork. Simply keep the vegetables covered and warm until dinner.

Do You Put Meat Or Vegetables In The Crock Pot First?

The best way to cook additional vegtables such as potatoes and carrots is to put them under your meat with the onions. When the pork cooks it will drip down.

If you put your potatoes or carrots on the sides of the pork loin, they will still be tasty and delicious. I try to avoid having the vegetables all on top of the pork loin as they don’t always cook as evenly then. You also don’t benefit from the pork dripping down on top of the vegetables which adds flavor.

What Other Sides Should I Cook With Pork Loin?

Cooking a pork loin in the crock pot couldn’t be easier, and your family will love this for dinner. We serve it up as slices of pork alongside quickly roasted vegetables or a nice green salad. Corn, roasted potato wedges or mashed potatoes, cornbread muffins or rice also work nicely as a side. Sometimes we also serve this crock pork loin recipe with homemade gravy.

I like to sometimes make a larger pork loin so we have plenty of leftovers. These can be eaten as is of course, but also can be added to rice or even stir-fry. You can also shred part of the meat and add BBQ sauce to make pulled pork with the leftovers.

HELP My Meat Cooked Really Fast/Turned Out Dry, What Happened?

Crockpots do vary from model to model, unfortunately I can’t account for every variation in equipment. Some of the new models have a venting slit that can affect cooking time. Some of the models also just cook hotter, which I know can be super frustrating.

To avoid this, any time you cook a new recipe I recommend checking it a little early. I usually start checking around 4 hours for a large chunk of meat like this recipe.

Some crockpots also have a built-in thermometer that can help you to check the temperature which is nice because you can check without opening the crockpot. But if your crockpot doesn’t have that feature, just check your meat with a meat thermometer as quick as you can to avoid lowering the temperature in the crockpot too much.