Crock Pot Pork Loin
This perfectly moist Crock Pot Pork Loin is seared with a delicious dry rub and slow cooked in the most amazing sauce ever!
Super moist and flavorful Crock Pot Pork Loin is the perfect “set it and forget it” slow cooker dinner! Seared in a sweet brown sugar and sage dry rub and slow cooked in a garlic and sage infused honey sauce, this recipe will leave you speechless!
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S PORK LOIN RECIPE
I remember growing up with some not-so-amazing pork dinners as a kid. Pork loin is such a lean meat that it can easily dry out, but not this pork loin crock pot recipe!
If you need some other tried and true pork dishes to add to your rotation then you should try Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin and Instant Pot Pork Chops!
OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH CROCK POT PORK LOIN
- Brown Butter Carrots – I don’t know why but to me, carrots always belong on the plate when I’m serving pork.
- Mom’s Mashed Potatoes – Mashed potatoes not only pair well with any protein, but your family will always be happy you made them!
- Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes – This side is simple, tasty, and a perfect pairing for this Crock Pot Pork Loin.
INGREDIENTS
Pork Loin: For this recipe I used a 4 pound pork loin.
Dry Rub: This simple and tasty dry rub consists of brown sugar, dried sage, garlic salt and sea salt.
Sauce: For the sauce, you will combine unsalted butter, minced garlic, honey, fresh chopped sage, and a teaspoon each of sea salt and pepper. You’ll also need some cornstarch to thicken the sauce at the end.
HOW TO COOK PORK LOIN IN CROCK POT
STEP ONE: Retrieve the pork loin from the refrigerator, pat it dry and set it aside. Get out a small mixing bowl and create the rub by mixing the brown sugar, dried sage, garlic salt, and sea salt. Sprinkle this dry rub all over the pork loin. Be sure to turn the loin around to evenly coat all sides as well as the ends.
STEP TWO: Heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the pork loin in the skillet and sear all the sides until they are brown. Be careful not to burn it. Place the pork loin into the crock pot.
STEP THREE: Begin making the sauce by melting the butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once it is melted, add in the minced garlic and stir it for about a minute before adding in the honey, fresh sage, salt, and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer for 2 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.
STEP FOUR: Once finished, pour this sauce over the pork loin in the crock pot and cover it with the lid. Cook this Crock Pot Pork Loin on LOW for 3 1/2 hours, rotating it halfway through. Once your pork loin is finished, transfer it to a cutting board and cover it with a tin foil tent while it rests.
STEP FIVE: While the pork rests, thicken your sauce by pouring the juices from the slow cooker in a small pot. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the juice, placing it into a small bowl and adding the cornstarch. Mix it until it is smooth and then add 1/4 cup of water to the bowl and mix it again. Pour the cornstarch mix into the small pot with the rest of the crock pot juices and place it over medium-low heat until it reaches the desired thickness. Plate a slice of the pork loin and pour the desired amount of sauce over it prior to serving.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Depending on the size of your pork loin, you may need to adjust the cook time. Checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer is the most accurate way to ensure your meat is properly cooked.
- Pork loin should be cooked on low in the crock pot to avoid drying it out.
HOW LONG TO COOK PORK LOIN IN CROCK POT
When you are cooking pork loin in the crock pot you should always cook it on low. Cooking it on low ensures that the protein will stay moist and tender and not dry out.
No matter what cook time a recipe suggests, you should always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your pork prior to serving. The minimum safe internal temperature for pork is 145 degrees F. You can allow the meat to reach 160 degrees F, but this would be considered “well done” and you may risk it drying out beyond that point.
CAN YOU COOK FROZEN PORK LOIN IN CROCK POT
Unfortunately you can’t cook a frozen pork loin in the slow cooker. Because the slow cooker is in fact pretty slow, it takes too long for the frozen meat to reach a safe temperature. This leaves the window for bacterial growth open longer than it should be and makes the meat unsafe to consume.
OTHER TIME SAVING CROCK POT RECIPES
- Slow Cooker Copycat Wendy’s Chili
- Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
- Ranch Mashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Pork Chops
Crock Pot Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 4 pound pork loin
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tabelspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (or 1 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup fresh sage chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, dried sage, garlic salt (if you only have garlic powder just add an additional half teaspoon of salt), and sea salt. Sprinkle the dry rub all over the pork loin and coat evenly. Do not forget the ends.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter on medium heat and sear all sides. It is important to allow the rub to brown but not burn to lock in the flavor. Place the pork loin into the slow cooker.
- In a small pot melt 1/2 cup butter over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the honey, fresh sage, salt, and pepper and allow to simmer for 2 minutes while stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the pork, and cover with the lid.
- Cook on LOW for 3.5 hours, rotating halfway through the cooking time. Depending on the size of your pork loin cook time may vary slightly. It's always best to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. (155 degrees F for medium-well or 160 degrees F for well done.)
- Transfer the pork loin to a platter or cutting board, and tent with tin foil to rest.
- Pour the juices from the slow cooker into a small pot, reserving 1/4 cup of the juices.
- Add the cornstarch to the reserved bowl and mix until dissolved. Add water and stir once more to finish the slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot and bring to simmer over medium-low heat until thickened.
- Slice the pork loin and drizzled the pan sauce on top for serving.
