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Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin

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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.

slow cooker pork loin sliced on white plate with crockpot in background with title text

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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.

ingredients for slow cooker pork loin with text labels

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

balsamic vinegar being poured over pork loin topped with brown sugar

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.

whole cooked pork loin in slow cooker

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.

slices of slow cooked pork loin roast on white plate with onions and sauce

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin

slices of pork loin on white plate with caramelized onions and sauce

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.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes

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

  1. Season all sides of pork loin roast generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Place cut onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of pork loin and then pour sauce mixture over the pork.
  6. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Once cooked, remove pork loin to a plate and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  8. 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:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 33g

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By on May 2nd, 2021

About Sarah

Hi, I'm Sarah. The voice behind Feast for a Fraction. I've been a penny-pincher all my life, but still have a taste for nice things. I'm here to show you that you can eat (and live) well on a budget. From recipes and DIY tips to ways to make extra money, we'll be in control of our budgets together!

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47 thoughts on “Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin”

  1. 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!

    Reply
  2. 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

    Reply
  3. 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.

    Reply
  4. 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.

    Reply
  5. 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 !

    Reply
  6. 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.

    Reply
  7. 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

    Reply
  8. 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

    Reply
  9. 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.

    Reply
  10. 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.

    Reply
    • 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!

      Reply
  11. 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!

    Reply
  12. 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!

    Reply
  13. 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.

    Reply
  14. 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.

    Reply

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