Perfectly Moist Pork Loin is the ULTIMATE “set it and forget it” recipe! It’s easy to prep, easy to cook, tastes delicious & your house will smell amazing!!
Do you have reluctant pork eaters in your family? We definitely did. My boys wouldn’t eat any kind of pork that wasn’t smothered in BBQ sauce (like these Honey BBQ Pork Chops – a family favorite!). That was until we crafted up this Perfectly Moist Pork Loin recipe.
Now my family is requesting pork nearly every week (without any BBQ sauce in sight). When I say this easy pork loin is moist, I mean it. It is tasty, juicy, and tender pork. It’s the perfect main dish for your hungry family!
PERFECTLY MOIST PORK LOIN
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Pork. It can be SO SO good, or it can be SO SO meh. It really does take a good recipe in order to cook up a pork loin that isn’t dry, tasteless, and tough. Believe me, I have cooked plenty of bland pork roasts in my day (and my fair share of dry pork chops too).
Things have changed here in the Real Housemoms kitchen though – pork is no longer bland and boring. Pork is my favorite meat to cook with. My husband loves it, my kids beg for it, and I love how simple it really can be!
I love that this pork loin roast recipe is a no-frills meal that will please even the pickiest of eaters. The flavor palate is simple – garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Who knew that those few ingredients could work so beautifully together and create a family-friendly meal? All it takes is some sprinkling of the seasoning and a few hours in the oven and you’ve got yourself a huge hit!
Perfectly Moist Pork Loin is a family favorite for all seasons. In the fall we love the classic combination of pork and apples, so I’ll cook up a pork loin and serve it with my famous Baked Apples.
In the cold winter months, it pairs beautifully with some warm, creamy mashed potatoes (you have to try these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes).
And as the weather starts to warm up in the spring and summer, I serve pork loin roast with some chilled pasta salads – this Pesto Pasta Salad fits the bill perfectly!
Ingredients for Perfectly Moist Pork Loin
- Boneless pork loin roast
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
As someone who never really cooked with pork (because I simply couldn’t get it to taste good!), I was a little overwhelmed when I was in the grocery store trying to buy meat. There are SO MANY different cuts of pork. You’ve got pork chops, pork loin, pork tenderloin (yes, they are different, who knew?!)… it can definitely be intimidating when trying to pick out the right cut!
For this recipe, you’ll want to purchase a pork LOIN. Not chops, not tenderloin. You’ll know a pork loin from the other cuts of meat because it is wide enough to cut large slices from and it has a thick layer of fat on the top.
This layer of fat is actually integral to the cooking process because it helps to keep the juices inside the meat. That’s what makes it so moist!
How to Cook Pork Loin
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. You will eventually lower the temperature of the oven, but you start it higher to give the outside of the pork loin a little extra heat to really trap in the moisture!
- Next, rub all sides of the pork with the seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil). You can put them on individually or mix up a little dry rub for yourself in a small bowl. I personally like having it all mixed together before putting it on the meat. That way I know it’s being evenly rubbed throughout the entire roast!
- THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!! Place your pork loin fat side up in your roasting pan. By having the fat on top, you’re allowing the fat layer to baste the roast as it cooks. This is the step that keeps the pork from becoming dry and tough!
- Cook the pork loin for 10 minutes in the 400-degree oven. This will help to create a kind of “crust” on the meat to help keep the juices inside.
- Next, lower your oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook your roast for about 20 minutes per pound of meat. Yes, it takes some time. But believe me, it’s worth the wait!
- Once the pork loin has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, pull it out of the oven. Then cover the roasted pork loin loosely with a piece of foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This is yet another very important step in order to keep the juices inside the meat where you want them to stay!! Patience is a virtue 🙂
Every time I make this pork loin roast recipe, I find that my family gravitates towards the kitchen basically begging for dinner to be ready. There’s something about the long roasting time that makes the smell of delicious pork waft throughout the entire house. My oldest son always says that those last 10 minutes of “rest” time for the meat feels like an eternity!
How Long to Cook Pork Loin
This recipe takes a bit of time to cook. It’s not one of those “30-minute meals,” but that cooking time is what helps to make it truly the perfect pork loin.
- You’ll need 10 minutes to oven sear the roast, and then about 20 minutes of cooking time per pound of meat.
So you’ll definitely want to plan ahead. This is not a last-minute recipe.
One great thing about this recipe is that it is very hands-off in terms of prep work. Just a quick dry rub and pop it in the oven! So, if you’ve got time on your hands, but also want to be productive in other places around the house, this is the pork loin recipe for you!
More fo my family’s favorite easy meals!
- Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Salsa
- Best Classic Meatloaf
- BBQ Pork Loin Tacos
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork
- more MAIN DISH recipes
Tools used to make this Perfectly Moist Pork Loin recipe
Roasting Pan: while this isn’t a pan that gets daily use in our house. When I pull it out, you know we’re going to have a great meal. Every kitchen should have a reliable roasting pan!
Meat Thermometer: I love this tool because it takes the guesswork out of cooking meat. Just stick it into the middle of your pork loin and see if you’ve reached the correct internal temperature. No need to cut into the roast, lose some juices, just to find out it needs more cooking time!
*This post originally posted on 09/03/2013.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds pork loin roast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Rub entire pork roast with olive oil. Then rub with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powders on all sides.
- Place pork in roasting pan fat side up.
- Cook for 10 minutes.
- Lower heat to 350 degrees F and cook for 20 per pound until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F.
- Remove pan from oven, and put a piece of foil loosely on top of the roast. Let meat rest for 10 minutes.
- Transfer roast to a cutting board to slice for serving.
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Nutrition
GTD says
I’m an experienced and, according to others, good cook. However, I’ve always struggled with the pork loin and getting it just right. This formula worked very well. The pork was tender and flavorful. (I did leave out the garlic powder, simply because my son doesn’t like garlic much) I also did add some water to the pan to make drippings for gravy. That turned out good, but both hubby and son said it was nice but not necessary. I served with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
Erin says
I made this last night and it was delicious! Pork can be so tricky, but this recipe is a hit.
Myke Chapman says
Pork loins have always perplexed me. I either cook them too little or WAY too much. So I tried this recipe out and made probably the best pork loin I’ve ever cooked at home. I was nervous because my meat thermometer stopped working during the first temp check. But sticking to 20 minutes per pound did the trick and came out darn near perfect. I DID throw some butter on top and quickly broiled it (not long enough to cook it more) just to add a little bit more crust to the top. Overall great recipe and I’m definitely going to use this system to cook pork loins from now on.
Adam says
Do you roast it in the oven covered or uncovered?
Gideon says
sooooooooooo delicious can’t wait to make it again. thanks
Michelle says
Been cooking these roast for years but first time cooking like this. Perfection! Will definitely follow this recipe again and again.
Chikane says
If you only have tenderloins (The ones with flavors already on them) this method is PERFECT and oh SO TENDER! I used the the Smithfield brand ones. Lay them out most fat side up, take the bags you cut them out from and add water and rinse just a little to get some water and flavoring in the bottom of the pan. Do the 10 min thing at 400 and then I did an hour (20 min per lb) at 350. My family LOVED how soft and tender these were (even my picky 9 yr old daughter!). Usually I cook them in the air fryer, but I’m definitely changing that. Thanks for the awesome tips!
Marilyn L. says
I have avoided Pork Loins as I really didn’t know how to fix them but I followed your recipe step by step and it was absolutely the most perfect Pork Loin I have every had. My husband ask me to marry him again. Thank you so much! Headed back to the store this week to get some more Pork Loins for the freezer. This recipe is now on my list for a possible Christmas Eve Dinner.
Again thanks…
adena says
Perfect! I bought a big pork loin at Sam’s and cut it into 3 pieces. Followed your recipe to the T. Mine was a little over a pound. 10 min at 400 and 15 at 350. Inside temp 145 degrees. Moist tender and packed full of flavor. Thank you!
Ruth Bardwell says
I made this for game night. It was very moist and the seasoning was just right. Everyone enjoyed it.
Leigh West says
My guys loved the recipe, even had seconds! Thank you!!
Linda Nason says
Wow! This was delicious and SO easy. I cooked it in my toaster oven. (And I got the loin on sale so that made it even better!) Although this did come out nice and juicy, I think I will follow one of the suggestions and put a 1/2 cup of water in the pan. Served it with air-fried broccoli and long grain/wild rice.
Dave says
I cut a 4 pound roast in half, cooking both side by side. Should I cut the time in half?
joel says
What is that pasta salad? Recipe?
Bill A says
Perfect pork loin recipe. This is the only way we’ll cook one now.
Jean Murray says
I cooked this for Sunday dinner for my adult children and they were hesitate at first (always dry and no flavor before) – to my surprise I heard my 23 year old tell her fiance “hmmmm hey babe taste this – its so good” — it was a big hit- I’ve shared your recipe with my family and friends- very moist and tender!
Side note- I didn’t have onion powder so I substituted it with 1/2 pack Lipton Onion Soup Mix – my loin weighed 4.98 lbs so i multiplied that x 20min and cooked it without a cover for 100 min –
Shay Cooper says
Did you add the 20 minutes to the cooking at 400? My pork loin is also right at 5 lbs.
Nancy says
This was the best and my favorite way to cook pork loin! Thank you! It was a big success,!
Jas Scott says
I added 1/2 cup water in the roasting pan to help with moistness after the initial browning portion. It mixed with all those wonderful juices for a wonderful gravy.
Leigh West says
Same!!
Michelle Demick says
Oh my, I never made pork loin. This was excellent. Followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make again. Family of 6 ate the whole roast.
Deborah Sugiyama says
This easy recipe came out perfectly even though when I checked it it was a little over done (155 degrees). I didn’t know if I should put the thermometer in at first so I waited. I will check it sooner next time as it was done early. Everyone loved it though. It is my new loin recipe!