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 is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council, but all opinions are my own. This post has also been updated October 2019 and reposted to continue to offer the most helpful information.
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.
Related Recipe: How To Make Italian Sausage In The Instant Pot
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 then 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. 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.
Related Recipe: Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin With Honey Balsamic Sauce
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 or mashed potatoes.
Make My Favorite Gravy Recipe With The Drippings!: How To Make A Simple Pork Gravy In 10 Minutes (Or Less)
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.
Psst, you should also check out my Instant Pot Pork Carnitas. They are packed with flavor, moist and delicious just like this pork loin! Add it to your dinner list for Taco Tuesday to make tacos, burritos, nachos or bowls with rice.
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.
Making this recipe for the holidays? You should try my orange honey ham glaze too, it’s a crowd-pleaser!
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.
Want to make your pork loin in the oven? This moist oven-roasted pork loin recipe is my go-to recipe!
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.
Use the pan drippings from inside the crock pot and create a delicious pork gravy in ten minutes or less for your dinner.
Don’t miss The Video On This Page of How To Cook Amazing Pork Loin In The Crock Pot Every Time
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 shredded. If I shred pork loin for pulled pork I’ll usually do this with the leftovers after eatting 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 your shredded pork to cook on high in the slow cooker on high for minimum 30 minutes or until bubbly and juicy.
Make pulled pork and top it with my Creamy Classic Coleslaw on top, it’s super delicious together!
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 ae a little larger are fine too. Keep your vegetables 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 keeping the vegetables covered and warm until dinner.
If you don’t want to add the vegetables straight to the slow cooker, try my quick and easy roasted baby carrots with honey glaze. This side dish is delicious with pork loin.
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.
For a twist on this delicious pork loin recipe, try this Pork Loin With Pineapple In The Slow Cooker! Hawaiian-inspired pork that is sweet, savory and tender. Perfect over rice or with Hawaiian rolls!
Super Simple Boneless Pork Loin In The Crockpot Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 Pounds Boneless Pork Loin
- 1 large onion I prefer sweet onion or Vidalia
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups broth I prefer chicken broth but any broth works.
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Spray the bottom and sides of your crock pot with cooking spray.
- Slice your onion into round circle slices.
- Lay your pork loin on top of the onions, fat side up.
- Drizzle olive oil over the top of the pork loin.
- Sprinkle garlic, onion powder, black pepper, salt and paprika over pork loin. Give it a quick rub to ensure that the spices are distributed evenly.
- Add two cups of broth to the bottom of the crock pot.
- Close and cook the pork loin in your crock pot on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for four hours. Your meat should register at an internal temperature of 145 with a meat thermometer. .
Video
Notes
- I make this recipe in a four-quart crockpot that I was gifted (thanks little bro). You could make this recipe in a four, five or six-quart crockpot but see my notes in the article.
- If this is the first time you’ve made this recipe, I recommend checking your meat at four hours regardless of the temperature as sometimes crockpot temperatures can vary which can cause some to cook faster than others. Here are some great slow cooker tips if you think your slow cooker may not be cooking correctly. You can also test your slow cooker first if you think it may run too hot.
- Remember pork loin (different from pork tenderloin, see above for more info) is a large piece of meat that is best cooked low and slow. This helps to render the fat in the meat so it becomes tender. Not cooking the meat long enough can sometimes produce meat that “seems dry” but it actually just that the meat itself hasn’t cooked long enough to become tender. This means just because your meat hits the safe temperature, doesn’t necessarily mean it is finished cooking to become tender. Unfortunately, I can not account for every single person’s individual slow cooker and weight of meat to tell you exactly when your meat will be done. Using these tips consistently produces a delicious pork loin for most slow cookers.
- See notes in the article of how to turn this recipe (or the leftovers) into pulled pork, and how to add extra vegetables in the crockpot when making this recipe
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Other Recipes You Will Love
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin With Honey Balsamic Glaze
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Oven Baked Pork And Zucchini Meatballs
20+ Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes For Dinner
Have a question about how to make pork loin in the crock pot recipe? Leave your questions, or just tell me how much you loved the recipe in the comments!
Comments & Reviews
Joy says
Hi! Question regarding the onions. We don’t do onions in this house (blah!). Can you taste them when the roast is finished? The closest I get to onions are onion flakes lol. Would it work just to put potatoes and carrots under the roast and no onions? Thanks! Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Joy, You can put potatoes and carrots under the roast, I’d just make sure to cook it low and slow so the meat has time to tenderize and the potatoes and carrots cook all the way through. I’d leave at least a little of the onion powder in the recipe, but you could reduce it to half a teaspoon so you won’t have as much onion flavor coming through at the end with the roast. If you’re super sensitive to onion flavor then chances are good with a full teaspoon of onion powder the finished roast may still taste a little onion-y to you. Hope that helps! -Kristy
Sue says
My 3 # pork loin (not a tenderloin) was overcooked (meat temp was between 150-175) at 2 1/2 hr. The crockpot setting was high, but my carrots at the bottom were barely cooked. Had to finish up the carrots on the stovetop. So be real careful with the temperature. Some crockpots run hotter than other. Recipe was very flavourable. Next time will use low heat setting, monitor meat temperature sooner, and likely not add carrots unless can start them separately sooner.
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Sue- It does sound like your Crockpot might run a little on the hot side. 2 1/2 hours isn’t enough time for a pork loin to render properly. This cut of meat needs time to render the fat and for the meat to tenderize. If you cook this cut of meat faster at too high of a temperature, it will unfortunately dry out inside before the meat can tenderize. I hope the next one works out a little better. If you try the carrots again, I recommend cutting them a little smaller. I’ve used one-inch chunks successfully, and it’s usually my go-to size for carrots or potatoes in the crockpot so they turn out tender. Hope that helps! -Kristy
Donna says
I make a 3-5 pork loin almost exactly like your recipe, about once a month and we love it! With leftovers, I shred part of it and make bbq sandwiches with cole slaw, and also make open face sandwiches with gravy over slices of pork on bread, mashed potatoes and a vegetable. I do add sauerkraut and onions to the pork roast in the crock pot, because my family loves it. Pork loin made in the crock pot is one of our favorites! Mashed potatoes and another vegetable is always served with the roast originally right out of the crock pot and the open face sandwiches, and French fries and cole slaw with the bbq sandwiches.
Margie says
Trying this recipe for Sunday dinner. Can I run on the oil and spices the day before and let it marinate overnight?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Margie, No reason you can’t let this pork marinate overnight, but you don’t have to marinate either. Hope your dinner is delicious! -Kristy
MS POPP says
Thank you for your useful commentary on the recipe, suggested side dishes, the video, and more. I am definitely subscribing to your email list.
My 6-quart crock pot is apparently a marathon contender, as the pork loin was overcooked at 4 hours (180° ! ). It was 4 pounds, a little more than half of a huge pork loin from Sam’s Club. Your advice to check it at four hours saved the meal. My crock pot may be suitable to begin with a frozen pork loin.
I will try this recipe again because of the convenience of quick preparation and obvious potential. The seasonings were very good, and the chicken broth and onions were the perfect base under the meat. Next time I will make the gravy recipe.
Kristy Richardson says
I’m so glad your dinner was delicious! Sounds like your crockpot may run a little on the warm side, some of the newer ones do. I’m glad you checked the pork loin in time! Thank you for your kind words, and definitely try the gravy – it’s pretty tasty too! -Kristy
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Always great to have on hand for a satisfying meal!
K says
Does it require broth? Does the pork not produce enough juice on its own? And if it does require broth, would water work as a substitute?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi there, You do need the broth in this recipe to help keep the pork juicy. Without the broth, the pork can end up more stringy and less tender. You could use water, but your pork loin will be less flavourful if you do, and may require additional salt as the broth also has salt in it. -Kristy
Doug says
This is so good, and it works great with a pork roast as well as a pork loin. Amazingly, it even works going straight from frozen to the crockpot—in fact, I always start with a frozen roast and, even still, it’s cooked through after four hours or less on low heat! I like to sear the frozen roast/loin on all sides in a cast-iron skillet with some olive oil, a few minutes each side on medium-high heat (with the hood fan on and windows open to avoid setting off the smoke alarms :)). This recipe, some homemade cornbread (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17891/golden-sweet-cornbread/ but with whole-wheat flour), and a simple vegetable or side salad is a great meal for hosting friends of family. They’re always so impressed, even though it’s so easy! 🙂
Kristy Richardson says
Sounds delicious Doug, so glad you enjoyed it. I actually have a pretty mean cornbread muffin recipe that goes well with it too in case you’re interested in trying a different version. 🙂 https://onmykidsplate.com/easy-mini-cornbread-muffins-recipe/ So glad your friends and family were impressed too, and it sure helps to have an easy recipe so you can spend most of your time enjoying their company. 🙂 -Kristy
Peggy says
Absolutely delicious.
Kristy Richardson says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Peggy!
Gedwill says
How to reduce a crock pot recipe from 8 serving to 4 serving
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Gedwill,
You could reduce all the ingredients in half. But if you have a 2 pound piece of pork likely you have a tenderloin and not a pork loin. You can still cook your tenderloin this way in the crockpot, but a tenderloin cooks much quicker. For a piece of pork half this size I would recommend checking to see if the pork is done on high after 2/5-3 hours and on low after 4-5 hours. I’d also recommend using a slow cooker closer to a 4 quart size as slow cookers will cook their best and most evenly when they are about 3/4 full. Let me know how it goes! -Kristy
Scotty McGraner says
I was thinking of using your recipe for NewYears Day. Do you think I can substitute sauerkraut for the onions and still cook it the same way?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Scotty,
I don’t see why you couldn’t add sauerkraut to the bottom with this recipe instead of onions. I haven’t made it this way, but there should be no reason I know that you can’t. You might try substituting all or half of the chicken broth with apple juice and slicing up an apple in there too, it would balance the flavors a little more with the sauerkraut. Let me know how it tastes and goes!
-Kristy
Mary Ellen says
Great advice & info. But how long should I cook a frozen 3 lb pork loin ?
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Mary Ellen- I would expect to add an hour to the cooking time with a frozen pork loin. I’d check the temperature after cooking it for 6 hours with a meat thermometer on low to make sure, but would expect it will take about 7 hours to cook a 3 lb pork loin from frozen. Hope it’s delicious!
-Kristy
Kathy Slater says
Do I have to use cooking spray or does it depend on your slow cooker. I would think the broth would help it not stick. Ps I dont have any cooking spray in the house lol
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Kathy,
I’ve never made the recipe without cooking spray, so I’m not sure how badly the meat would stick to the crockpot. There is not a ton of liquid in this recipe and since the cut of meat is large it may stick to the sides of the crockpot as the sides do get quite warm. The onions do help a lot also to help keep anything from sticking to the bottom. You could either take a chance and it may stick. You could also put a little olive oil (or whatever cooking oil you have) on a paper towel and give the inside of the crockpot a quick rub to put a thin layer of oil on the crockpot. (I’ve been there where you get to the recipe and suddenly realize it’s something minor missing, ack!) Hope that helps, and good luck!
-Kristy
Glo says
It’s in the crockpot right now. can’t wait to try it. Sure will be nice to have a comfort food dinner on a cold day and lunches all week. Thank you.
Kristy Richardson says
You’re welcome, hope it was delicious and cozy!
Brenda G says
I made this for my family last night and found that 6 hours was way too long for it to cook. I had a 4 1/2 pound roast that I cooked on low in a 6 qt crock pot with the timer set for 6 hours. At the 5 hour mark, I decided to check the roast so I could adjust time if needed. The internal temp at 5 hours was already 209 degrees. Needless to say the roast was pretty dry. The flavor, however, was great and the gravy was a hit with family members that don’t usually use gravy (maybe because the roast was so dry!). I will definitely make this again but I will check it after about 4 hours. Don’t shy away from this recipe because of my comments. The roast is very good and deserves a try. Just remember that the temperature on crock pots/ovens, etc varies and watch your roast pretty closely until you’ve determined what’s going to work.
On My Kids Plate says
I totally understand it’s frustrating. I’m a mom too, and I’ve had it happen to me on occasion too where a meal doesn’t turn out. I’m sorry dinner didn’t work out this time.
It’s totally possible that your crockpot runs on the hot side. Some of the newer ones are running hotter and cook faster. The problem is? It’s hard to tell which ones do, because not all of them do. This article has some great information about how to test to see if your crockpot runs hot, which would cause the food to cook faster.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/hotter-cooking-crockpots-update-479984
This article also has some great info as to what could be happening with the machine including that some models have a slot for a spoon or a vent hole which can also sometimes cause issues.
https://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2008/08/help-my-crock-pot-cooks-too-fast.html
I’d suggest checking on any crockpot recipes at 3 hours if you suspect your pot runs hot? (and any other four-six hour recipes you cook, because I don’t want that to happen to you again.) Cooking is a range, I do my best but I can’t account for every possible variation in equipment in my kitchen where I test recipes.
If you often cook roasts and large chunks of meat (soups tend to be more forgiving), a crockpot with more adjustable temperature might give you more flexibility to make sure the temperature stays low and slow. Here is one example of a crockpot with that function (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/2EMu0hk I’ve also heard people say that the crockpot feature on instant pots are really inconsistent, though I haven’t tried it myself.
Happy cooking, hopefully, it comes out perfect the next round with these tips.
-Kristy
Anastasia says
Oh my heck! I thought I had lost this recipe and I’m so glad I found it! This pork comes out absolutely lovely and I put the tenderloin in frozen…soooo easy on me with two little ones. And then making pulled pork sandwiches the next day is FAB!!!! Moist and delicious. Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe and making our family dinners great!
On My Kids Plate says
Thank you so much for your lovely note Anatasia, I’m so glad you and your whole family love this recipe. You’re very welcome, thanks for leaving me such a lovely note. Happy cooking!
-Kristy
Helen says
I had planned pork tenderloin for Easter dinner, but when putting away my groceries ( pickup order), I realized the buyer had chosen a loin roast instead. In quickly pulled up Pinterest and found your recipe and cooked it. I added veggies and made your recipe for gravy. My husband raved about the flavors. Thank you – even though our family couldn’t share it with us due to sheltering in place, the meal made the day special.
On My Kids Plate says
Hi Helen,
Thank you so much, this really made my day! I’m so glad this recipe helped you and your husband have a delicious Easter feast and made the day special! (even if the grocery store sent the wrong one!) Hopefully, the next time you make this recipe, your extended family will be able to enjoy it with you too.
Happy Easter, and may you and your family stay safe.
-Kristy
Lellah says
Hi, I’m not sure I sent my 1st comment correctly.
I am very excited My husband is willing to try this recipe. I have a large slow cooker and a small tenderloin roast. My roast is only 1 pound and 15
Ounces. How long should the cooking time be?
On My Kids Plate says
Hi Lellah,
I’m glad you commented again because I didn’t receive the first comment.
Size of the roast- At just under two pounds it sounds like it might be pork tenderloins and not a pork loin, two cuts of meat that often get confused. If you open it and it’s two pieces, you’ll know for sure you have pork tenderloin and not a piece of pork loin that was cut in half. 🙂 Luckily both meats can be cooked in the slowcooker using this method. I’d start checking it at just before two hours if you are cooking it on high and just before three hours if you are cooking it on low.
You mentioned your slow cooker is large, but not how large it is. If it’s a 6 quart or less you should be fine (even a 7 quart should be ok). If your slow cooker is bigger then that you may want to consider this method of putting an oven-safe bowl into your slowcooker. https://onedishkitchen.com/cook-small-meals-in-slow-cooker/ Your meat may take a little longer to cook then the times I’ve mentioned above using this method, but I’d still check it at 2-3 hours.
Or another even easier option with a larger slow cooker would be to throw some larger chucks of potatoes and/or carrots in the bottom of the pot of your large slow cooker to cook along with it as a side. This would help even things out space-wise with a larger slowcooker. You don’t have to do anything extra, just wash the extra veggies and chuck them in the pot after the onions but before you add the meat.
Hope that helps, happy cooking. Let me know how it goes!
-Kristy
Sheri says
Hi Kristy,
I wish I could upload a pic of the roast I have to make sure I have the correct meat. The label clearly says: Pork Top Loin Rst-Boneless and weighs 1.73 lbs.(1single piece) I have a 6 qt crock pot…suggestions???
Kristy Richardson says
Hi Sherri- I think occasionally some butchers are starting to cut these into smaller pieces of meat from what they traditionally have, cutting the cut of meat in half. I’d suggest cooking it on low (if you cook it on high it will likely cook too fast for this cut of meat in this size piece) checking it at four hours for both tenderness and doneness. It can be at temperature but still need to cook a little lomnger low and slow to make it tender and easily split. I’d also recommend adding a little extra broth/liquid the the slowcooker to help keep it tender. Hope that helps!
Rosy says
Hi. What if I don’t have any broth. Could I just use water? That’s all I’m missing 🙁
On My Kids Plate says
Hi Rosy,
Broth helps add flavor to the meat when it’s cooking, and it also adds salt. If we substitute with just water only, the final dish won’t be as flavorful but it will still be ymmmy. There are a few things you can do if you don’t have broth on hand that will help amp up the flavor more from what you may have on hand.
SUBSITUTIONS TO START WITH
If you have bullion at all, that would be where I would start and use it to make two cups of bullion to add in place of broth.
Another idea would be to add 2 cups of water as you’ve suggested but also add an additional two tablespoons of butter (or an extra tablespoon of oil) and 1/2 teaspoons of salt. I would recommend butter first if you have it as it will give more flavor.
OTHER IDEAS TO ADD FLAVOR
The next few ideas can be combined with either the bullion or the water and with each other and will also help add more flavor, which we want to do what we can because this is a big cut of meat. Use whatever combination you have on hand.
If you have any celery or carrots throw a few in the bottom of the crockpot along with the onions and it will also help to give your final meat more flavor.
Adding a bay leaf or two can also add more flavor (With water or bullion), just remove the bay leaf before serving.
You could also add an extra tablespoon of poultry seasoning (With water or bullion) if you have any around, which is the herb mixture used often in making chicken broth. This will also help to give your final meat more flavor.
SAUCES TO ADD FLAVOR
Lastly, you can add sauces. You can also make my gravy to go with it from the pan drippings in the bottom of your crockpot. You can use water in place of broth in this recipe, especially when using the flavorful pan drippings from the bottom of the crockpot. https://onmykidsplate.com/how-to-make-pork-gravy-homemade-recipe/
BBQ sauce is also really delicious with this dish after it is cooked, it makes a great pulled pork.
Hope that helps, let me know how it goes!
-Kristy
Frances says
My roast is only 1.74 lbs. I’m assuming only 3 or 4 hours in the crockpot?
On My Kids Plate says
Hi Frances- Yes with a 1.74 pound roast checking it with a meat thermometer at 3-4 hours is a good idea. The roast will likely cook much quicker due to the size. Is it perhaps two pork tenderloins when you open it instead of one pork loin? It can still be cooked this way as pork tenderloin but I’d watch that time closer for sure. I hope dinner is delicious!