This easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin delivers tender, juicy pork every time and it’s completely hands-off. Flavored with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, you’ll also get a luxurious sauce. Serve sliced for dinner and use your leftovers for sandwiches for quick stir-frys.
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A slow cooker or Crockpot is your best friend when it’s a struggle to get dinner on the table. Just throw in your ingredients in the morning, and you’ll come home to a cooked dinner.
Slow cooking is one of my favorite ways to cook pork loin because pork loin is a very lean cut that can overcook and dry out very easily. Cooking is low and slow allows the loin to cook to temperature gently and gives you some wiggle room before it becomes overcooked.
Ingredients
Pork Loin: This recipe calls for a 3-4 pound pork loin. You’ll want to remove the excess fat from the loin. Do this my piercing your knife into the fat and running your knife along the loin. You can also use a pork shoulder or pork butt for this recipe, but note that those cuts will need to cook for 9-10 hours on low rather than the 5-6 hours for pork loin.
Onions and Garlic: Both of these provide aromatics for our sauce, but the onions serve a second purpose. Sliced in rounds, these will go in the bottom of the slow cooker to keep the loin up off the bottom.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is going to add sweetness to our sauce and also almost caramelize on the top of our roast, creating a delicious glaze.
Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar has a richer flavor than other vinegars. It provides balance to the sauce without being overly tart. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, you could use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Soy Sauce: Everyone has heard of umami, but no one really knows what it is. It is a savory taste that really punches up meat dishes. Yes, soy sauce also provides salty flavor which we need in our sauce, but it also deepens the flavor of the whole dish. Feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce if you like.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (Crockpot)
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large Skillet (I recommend cast iron)
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Digital thermometer
How to Serve
After allowing your pork loin to rest, it will slice and hold its shape easily. You can serve it like a traditional roast with potatoes and carrots, or add some variety with quartered apples. Feel free to include the potatoes, carrots, turnips or apples in the crock pot and everything will cook together for a complete meal.
Side dishes that go perfectly with pork include braised celery, roasted or mashed sweet potatoes, or even creamed corn casserole.
For your leftovers, you can store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months or in the fridge for up to 3 days. I love to dice up leftover pork loin and use it in stir-frys. Swap the ham in this recipe for pork and you’ll have a treat.
FAQs and Tips
What’s the difference between Pork Loin and Tenderloin? Both cuts are very lean and run along the back of the pig. Loin is larger in diameter and usually comes with a thin layer of fat. The tenderloin is much smaller and is more tender. It is best for the tenderloin to be cooked on high heat very quickly.
Why cook Pork Loin in the slow cooker? Cooking in the slow cooker allows the meat to cook more gently on a lower temperature. This helps keep the roast from overcooking and keeps the juices in the roast, making it tender and juicy.
How do I know when my Pork Loin is done cooking? A digital thermometer is your best friend in the kitchen. It is so helpful for checking roasts without having to slice into them, and you can use it to check the temperature of steaks and even bread to ensure that they are cooked to exactly the temp you like. For pork, you want to cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This is my favorite digital thermometer for its accuracy and quick reading.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast (without added butter)
- Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- Crock Pot Little Smokies
- Slow Cooker Irish Chili
Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin
Slow Cooker Pork Loin delivers tender, juicy pork every time and it’s completely hands-off. Flavored with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, we also get a luxurious sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 (3-4 lb) pork loin, excess fat removed
- salt and pepper
- 1 large onion, sliced in thin rounds
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Season all sides of pork loin roast generously with salt and pepper.
- Place cut onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and sear pork loin on all sides until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on top of onions in slow cooker.
- Turn off the heat on your skillet and add garlic, water, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Stir together ingredients, making sure to scrape up any brown bits that stuck to the pan.
- Sprinkle brown sugar on top of pork loin and then pour sauce mixture over the pork.
- Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once cooked, remove pork loin to a plate and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- While pork is resting, pour the sauce and juices from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and allow the sauce to thicken, 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Notes
The pork loin is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Since it is a lean cut, it will not fall apart and you will be able to slice it.
This recipe also works with pork shoulder. Cook 3-4 lb pork shoulder on Low for 9-10 hours. It will be fall-apart tender.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
**Please note: Different models of slow cooker or crock pot heat differently, so please
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 33g
Very easy to make and delicious! Thank you for sharing this, will make it again!
So glad to enjoyed it, Allyssa! And thank you for taking the time to comment. 🙂
is it 6 hours on high or low??!!
Low
Recipe says low trying it tonight for dinner!
I have mine in the slow cooker right now. I forgot to season with salt and pepper before searing. I put some extra soy sauce in liquid mixture to pour over it. Hoping that helps.
What can I substitute for onions (don’t like them)
Hi, Donna. You can leave out the onions and simply place the pork loin in the crock pot.
So easy to cook! thanks for sharing this 🙂
I checked mine after 2.5 hours at the internal temp was 200°. You need to update your time. What a waste of time and money!
Must have been a small tenderloin. Her recipe uses a 3 lb pork loin. Big difference in the two meats and the cooking time needed.
Typical man probably put it on HIGH instead of LOW which is what it called for. And if by any chance your crock pot runs HOT even on a low. It’s your job to check it not the person responsible for the recipe. Facts#
Well that’s not nice Jessica . If you crashed your car and I said “typical women” how would you feel.
Recipe was absolutely delicious and it WAS DONE ON LOW IN 2 hours
Hahaha… not all men are trolls like Tim
Agree. Mine was done in less than 2.75 hours and it was an almost 4 lb roast…..and it was on LOW
Same issue here. 3.5 lb roast at low and after 4 hours was overdone and dry. Make sure to check it early….
Same here, finished so fast the meat was so dry, not worth it
Late to this party, but I cooked mine on low (4#’s) for 5 hours; way over cooked. Hope I can salvage it.
Absolutely delicious! 5 stars! The pork was sooo tender! I added some celery, carrots and apples as suggested, yum. I will definitely make this dish again! Thanks Sarah!
Hi, Brenda! So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to comment. <3
The best written, most informative recipe I have EVER seen.
Bought a 7 pounder today at Costco which will cut in half and freeze but am anxious to do as you say. Have half of one already in fzr the other half became pulled pork for tacos etc.
Thank you SO much. What a writer, what a pro!
Regards,
Dane
Huntington Beach, CA
Thank you so much, Dane!!
Made this tonight. It was delicious! I’ve tried so many pork recipes for the slow cooker and this was by far the best! Thank you.
So wonderful to hear, Karen. Thank you for taking the time to comment. <3
This is a great recipe. I followed your instructions and everything turned out perfect. Thank you
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for coming back to leave a comment!
This was delicious! Super easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
Awesome recipe.. and plenty left over to add to my meal prep and warms up great !! Thank you !!
So happy to hear, Grayson! Thank you for taking the time to comment!
This was so delicious. The tenderloin came out tender and not dry at all, which can be a problem with the tenderloin. The sauce was amazing! I added fresh mushrooms which went perfectly. One of my favorite online receipts and I will be making again.
Made this tonight. It was delicious. My husband loved it. Best pork loin I have ever made. Will definitely make it again. Have already give the recipe to my daughter in law. Thank you !
That’s so wonderful, Gay! Thank you so much!!
Hi All,
I plan to make this with vegetables (red potatoes and carrots). My question is: when do I add the vegetables to the slow cooker? Should I halve the potatoes first? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Hi, Terry. Since we’re only cooking for 4 hours on high, you can add your carrots and potatoes at the same time as the pork. If using larger russet potatoes, I would quarter those, but red potatoes should be fine whole.
Wait… 4 hours on HIGH? I thought it was on LOW?
My family loved this. I cooked it for about 3 hours and it was moist and flavorful. Thank you for sharing.
I would like to make this weedend fro friends but am confused about the time. Your recipe says 6 hours for 3/4 lb pork loin and in the comments people are saying 2 – 4 hours..
All on Low Which is the correct timing.
Thank you
If I marinated mine would it still be ok for the time stated definitely going to try your recipe just not this go around, but sounds amazing thank you
Have a 3# in my crock now. Followed recipe to the letter, but will be checking temp early since her recipe calls for larger cut. Already smells delish!… F the haters who are too ignorant to follow simple directions.
Can I use tenderloin how long?
Made this last night and it was extremely tasty! I added mushrooms to it and it was great. Next time I make it, I’ll double the sauce recipe though, definitely not enough – it was a bit dry. Other than that, thought it was great.
Cooked a 4.25 lb pork loin roast in my 5 Qt slow cooker, for 5 hours 30 minutes on Low setting, but checking it frequently. I let the pork loin rest for 30 minutes and it was easy to cut. Reserved the remaining liquids, added flour to thicken it into a delicious gravy. I’m planning on sharing this tomorrow evening. Fellow diners are to bring an appetite, compliments and Tupperware for another meal during the week. Your Recipe was simple to make and enjoy.
Thank you!
Wow this was great! I had a tiny 1.75 lb center cut loin roast. I usually just follow a slow cooker recipe by the time but this time after 2 hours I checked the temp. Took it out at about 150 degrees and it was perfect. Never had such a tasty pork loin. Love the sauce. Dogs and husband were lined up waiting for a sample. Thumbs/paws up! Thank you!
Hi Sarah, THANK YOU for sharing this recipe! Made it today & my family really enjoyed it! It was so flavorful (actually, the one comment that was repeated throughout dinner was, “this is SO tasty!”) & the sauce was great & so easy to put together! I’ll definitely make this again!
Trying this tonight.. using a true Pork Loin 3 1/2 inches thick and 4 inches wide, 6 inches long. Not a skinny tenderloin that is 4 lbs. I am sure mine will cook 5 or more hours on low. Very excited to try it it, because pork loin is a boring piece of meat. lol. Thank you for the recipe.
Unfortunately, this recipe fell flat for us. While I cooked it on low for an hour less than called for, the pork was extremely dry. Additionally, the sauce was very sweet and unappetizing. No one in my family enjoyed it. After we all tasted it, it went right into the garbage.