Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Loin

This tender slow cooker pineapple pork is sweet, savory and perfect to have dinner ready when you are. This will become your new favorite easy delicious meal!

 

Pork loin in the crock pot is always super juicy and moist, cooking it low and slow is the way to go. My other pork recipes like my pork loin in the slow cooker (that can also make great pulled pork sandwiches), my oven roasted pork loin and my honey orange ham have been so popular.

I knew the second made this sweet and slightly tangy version that is Hawaiian inspired, I knew I had to share this pork recipe! I also have a pineapple pork skewer with pork tenderloin that you can throw on the grill and a slow cooker sweet and sour pork which uses boneless pork chops and is more asian inspired.

Why We Love Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Loin

• Easy to prep– The slow cooker does the hard work for this dinner, and prep only takes about 15 minutes and even less if you decide not to sear the pork.
• Great dinner for the whole family– This dish has the right balance of sweet and savory that everyone seems to love.
• Great for busy nights– I love dishes that are ready when you are at the end of the day. This dish checks that box, and can even be switched to warm for when everyone is running in and out of the door for sports, school or work. I love a good slow cooker meal for making life easier.
• Simple Ingredients – Only eight ingredients including salt and pepper, with a few other optional ideas to make it even more delicious.

Ingredients For Pineapple Pork Loin

• olive oil
• boneless pork loin– Please note the pork loin in the pictures is fat side down. When cooking in the slow cooker, you want the fat side up so that the fat drips over the meat as it cooks and renders. You’ll end up with meat that is more tender and flavorful placing the meat fat side up.
• salt
• black pepper
• canned pineapple You need the pineapple cut into chunks and the juice like pineapple tidbits or a can of ppineapple chunks. If you have pineapple slice, just cut them into bite size pieces. I don’t recommend substituting frozen or fresh pineapple in this recipe. More information can be found further down the article about pineapple.
• low sodium soy sauce
• brown sugar
• garlic minced, can also use granulated garlic, garlic powder or minced garlic in a jar
• orange zest optional – see notes in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
• Sliced green onions optional- for garnish, optional Fresh cilantro is also delicious as a garnish.

How To Make Pineapple Pork Loin In The Slow Cooker

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Season both sides of the pork loin with salt and pepper. Add pork loin to the warm skillet. Sear each side of the pork loin for about 4-5 minutes, or until a light golden brown. You can be skip browning the outside of the pork and just put it in the slow cooker, but it does add more flavor to the finished dish.

3. Place the pork loin into the bottom of the slow cooker with the side with more fat facing up. This fat will render as the meat cooks and add great flavor.

4. Add the pineapple pieces and pineapple juice around the pork. Add the and soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic and orange zest to the slow cooker and cover. No need to mix them in a small bowl, just sprinkle them directly around the crock pot.

5. Cook the meat on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the pork is fully cooked through. Your meat should have an internal temperature of 145 with a meat thermometer.

6. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and let it rest for 15 minutes if slicing or shred with two forks in the slow cooker if shredding. Serve with optional green onions as a garnish and enjoy!

Is This An Authentic Hawaiian Recipe?

This recipe isn’t an authentic Hawaiian recipe, but is delicious and my family loves it.

The recipe for sure takes inspiration from the Hawaiian pork I get from my local Hawaiian-owned food truck (so tasty, I stop by all the time.)

If you are looking for a more authentic Hawaiian recipe, try this delicious Kalua Pig recipe.

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

Pork loin and pork tenderloin are two different cuts of meat that are often mistaken for each other. They are not easily interchanged in recipes as pork loin is best cooked low and slow so the meat has time to become tender, while pork tenderloin can be cooked more quickly.

What Is a Pork Loin?

Pork loin is a wide, thick cut of meat that is similar to the size of a steak. Most pork loins are 3-5 pounds in weight though recently I have seen a few times where this wider piece of meat is two and a half pounds.

When sliced pork loin makes a delicious pork chop. Pork loin can be sold with the bone or without. This meat is best cooked slow at a low temperature allowing the fat in the meat to render and make the meat really tender.

What Is A Pork Tenderloin?

Pork tenderloin is a long, slender cut of pork. Often when you open the package of pork tenderloins you will discover two pork tenderloins are packed together.

Pork tenderloin when cut becomes more of a medallion size. This cut of pork can be sauteed and cooked quickly on the stovetop and still will be tender. Pork tenderloin is leaner (because it is cut from a different part of the animal) and does not typically have as much fat as a pork loin does on the meat.

Can I Make This Crock Pot Pork Loin In The Oven?

Yes, you can make this pork loin in the oven instead of using a crockpot. Use a deep roasting pan covered with foil or a dutch oven with a lid for this recipe.

Follow the directions for preparing the meat just like you would for the slow cooker, but prepare it in a deep pan instead. You can choose to sear the meat or not depending on your preference.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. How long you cook the pork loin for will depend on the weight of your pork loin.

• 2 – pound pork loin – 50- 65 minutes
• 3-pound pork loin- 60-75 minutes
• 3 1/2 pound pork loin- 70- 85 minutes
• 4-pound pork loin– 80-100 minutes

If your pork loin is smaller than 3 pounds it is very likely it is pork tenderloin and not pork loin. See above for more information on the difference.

Make sure to rest your meat for at least 15 minutes after cooking. The roast will continue to cook a little, but if you cut it too fast you will lose some of the juiciness in this recipe.

Can I Make This Recipe With a Two Pound Pork Loin?

I have been hearing more and more often that readers are finding boneless pork loins in the grocery store that are in the two pound range. If you are sure it is pork loin and not pork tenderloin, I recommend subtracting about 20-30 minutes from the cook time.

The pork loin should easily shred with two forks when ready. If it doesn’t easily shred, you can always cover and cook it a little longer, I usually start at 30 minutes.

Do I Have To Sear The Outside Of The Pork?

Browning the pork sears the outside and gives it a lot of extra flavor. It’s totally optional to brown the outside though, the pork will be delicious even if you don’t brown it because of the low and slow cooking method we are using.

When I am busy trying to prep dinner fast, I skip browning the pork. If I have a few extra minutes browning the pork not only seals in the juices, it also will make your finished pork look more mouth-watering!

Will Pineapple Make The Pork Mushy?

Pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain in it that does break down meat and softens it, as well as giving the meat that delicious sweet and tangy flavor. When you are marinating any meat with pineapple it can tenderize the meat, but it can also make the meat mushy if you leave it in the marinade for too long.

In this recipe, we are using canned pineapple and I don’t recommend swapping for fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple has more bromelain but once the pineapple has been heated significantly for the canning process, there is much less bromelain left if any at all.

If you add fresh pineapple to the meat, the bromelain in the pineapple can break down the meat too much as the slow cooker slowly comes to temperature and can cause the meat to become mushy. This recipe has a lot of pineapple in it which makes the chances of mushy pork a little higher using fresh pineapple.

Similarly, frozen pineapple is currently thought to still retain most of the bromelain enzyme. This means that your finished pork will be more likely to be mushy if you use frozen pineapple.

How Long Will Pineapple Pork Last?

Expect this pork will last for about 3 days when stored in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator.

Leftovers can also be frozen for about to three months if placed in a freezer zip top bag or container. I like to add extra juice from the bottom of the slow cooker when freezing. The extra liquid can help to keep the meat moist when reheating.