Learn how to make Easy Pork Loin Roast with the most incredible Honey Garlic Butter Sauce! Whether you’re using the oven or slow cooker, this easy dinner idea will impress everyone at the table. This Pork Loin recipe is a breeze to throw together and so impressive, it might just have your guests coming back for more. Whether you opt for a crock pot or your oven, this ‘no-stress’ recipe delivers an incredible roast that’s ready in no time!
Inspired by our delicious Honey Garlic Butter Pork Chops, this pork loin recipe is another easy dinner you’ll love.
What Sets This Pork Loin Apart
A skinless and boneless pork loin is a lean cut that tends to be drier, so it needs a good sauce to add moisture and ensure each bite is tender and succulent. Cooking it in a deeply flavored Honey Garlic Butter Sauce infuses the meat with a rich, perfect savory taste, giving you the ideal sauce to serve it with!
Apart from tenderizing the pork, the sauce elevates the flavor profile of the entire dish, turning it into a truly memorable recipe. This dish will gift you the pleasure of a dinner you’ll be thinking about long after the leftovers have disappeared.
Roast Pork Loin: Key Ingredients
Creating the perfect Pork Roast Loin hinges on choosing the right ingredients. Selecting quality components ensures a mouth-watering and unforgettable dish. Let’s delve into some essential ingredients that make this pork roast exceptional:
- Pork Loin: Make sure you get a good quality cut of Pork Loin for this recipe. Not to be confused with pork tenderloin, pork loin is a thicker and wider cut usually found with a fatty layer on top. Pork tenderloin is long and a lot thinner (see this One Pan Dijon Garlic Pork recipe for reference). Opt for a fresh, premium cut to ensure the best texture and flavor. The fatty layer on top will render down during cooking, adding juiciness and depth to the meat.
- Honey: Use a high-quality, raw honey for the richest, most natural sweetness. The honey not only adds a delicious glaze but also helps to caramelize the exterior of the pork, creating a beautiful, golden-brown crust.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are a must for this recipe. They infuse the pork loin with a robust, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the honey. Make sure to mince the garlic finely to ensure even distribution and maximum flavor impact. For a similar experience, check out my Pork Roast With Perfect Crackling. It also delivers a burst of flavors, thanks to the generous use of garlic.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
Want to tweak the recipe to suit your taste? Here are some simple additions and substitutions that can add a personal touch without changing the dish entirely:
- Herb Variations: Swap out thyme for rosemary or sage for a different aromatic profile. These herbs add a distinct, earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with pork.
- Sweetness: Replace honey with maple syrup or brown sugar for a unique twist. This substitution provides a different kind of sweetness and a slightly caramelized finish.
How To Make The Best Pork Loin: Step-By-Step
Ready to create an irresistible Pork Roast Loin? Follow these simple steps with images to guide you through the process. You’ll achieve a juicy, flavorful roast that’s sure to impress:
- Start the Loin: Pat dry pork with a paper towel. Combine oil with paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, red chili powder, salt & pepper. Season pork, rubbing the mixture into the meat.
- Sear the Pork: Heat the remaining oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Sear pork all over until golden browned, rotating the pork to avoid burning the spices.
- Start the Sauce: Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any leftover bits. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir in honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt & pepper, and bring to a rapid simmer.
- Start the Slow Cooker: Place seared pork in a slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork, cover with the lid, and cook on LOW heat for several hours.
- Rest the Pork: Transfer pork onto a serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for a few minutes.
- Prepare the Sauce: Pour juices from the slow cooker into a pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Thicken The Sauce: Mix some of the juices with cornstarch (cornflour). Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and let it simmer until thickened to a syrup-like consistency.
- Slice and Serve: Slice the pork into thin, tender pieces. Arrange the slices on a serving platter and drizzle generously with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.
After mastering this delicious Pork Roast Loin, why not explore some other mouth-watering recipes that pair perfectly with it? Imagine serving this juicy, flavorful roast alongside my Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes—crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these potatoes are the perfect sidekick for your pork. I love adding Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots for a sweet and savory crunch that brings a delightful contrast to your plate. To elevate your meal even further, try my Creamy Garlic Mushrooms—rich and velvety, they add depth and earthiness to every bite. And for a refreshing balance, a Balsamic Chickpea Avocado Feta Salad offers crisp, fresh greens loaded with flavor.
Recipe FAQ’s
Slow cooking pork loin in a crock pot at a low temperature is perfect and won’t dry out or ruin your pork. For different weights, use the following cooking times:
– 2 pounds (1 kg): Cook for about 3 ½ hours on low.
– 3-5 pounds (1 ½ – 2 ½ kg): Cook for about 4-5 hours on low.
– 6 pounds (3 kg): Cook for about 6 hours on low.
When oven roasting pork loin, cover it for the first half hour to steam/braise the meat. Then, roast uncovered to get beautiful charred/caramelized edges, thanks to the brown sugar in the rub and the honey in the sauce.
The National Pork Board recommends cooking pork loin, chops, roasts, and tenderloin to an internal temperature of 145°F (62°C). After reaching this temperature, let the meat rest for 15 minutes before serving.
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Pork Loin Roast Recipe
Ingredients
PORK LOIN:
- 4-5 pound pork loin roast trimmed of skin and fat
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil divided
RUB:
- 2 teaspoons paprika mild or smoked
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½-1 teaspoon red chili powder optional
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
HONEY GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE:
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic finely chppped or minced
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1 pinch salt large
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
ADDITIONAL:
- ½ cup low sodium beef stock or chicken stock/broth, FOR OVEN METHOD ONLY
- ½ cup water FOR OVEN METHOD ONLY
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
PORK LOIN:
- Pat dry pork with paper towel. Combine 1 tablespoon of oil with rub ingredients. Season pork, rubbing the mixture into the meat.
- Heat remaining oil (about 2 teaspoons) in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Sear pork all over until golden browned, rotating the pork around to avoid spices burning.
SAUCE:
- Melt butter in the same pan the pork was in while scraping up any leftover bits in the pan. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a rapid simmer for 1 minute.
SLOW COOK:
- Place seared pork in a 6-qt (litre) slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork; cover with lid and cook on LOW heat setting for 4 – 5 hours.
- Transfer pork onto serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- While pork is resting: pour juices from the slow cooker bowl into a pot large enough to fit the liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of the juices with 4 teaspoons of cornstarch (cornflour). Whisk cornstach slurry into sauce and let simmer for a good 5 minutes, or until thickend into a syrup-like consistency. (For a thicker sauce, repeat this step with 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water. Add into sauce and cook until thickened (please note: sauce will thicken as it cools). Continue this step until reaching your desired consistency.)
- Slice pork and serve drizzled with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.
OVEN ROAST:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place seared/browned seasoned pork in a roasting pan.
- Prepare sauce, as above. Reserve ½ cup sauce for basting. Pour remaining sauce over pork.
- Pour ½ cup stock and ½ cup water around the pork.
- Cover and roast for 20 minutes. Baste with half of the reserved sauce and continue roasting, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes. Baste again and roast for a further 10-15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 145°F (62.5°C) in the thickest part.(If pan dries out while cooking (it shouldn't), add a little more water.)
- Transfer pork onto serving plate and baste with pan juices. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes..
- Scrape up any browned bits leftover in the pan, mixing them through the pan juices and pour juices into a pot. Whisk cornstarch into an additional ½ cup water, whisk cornstarch slurry into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Slowly add in ¼ cup – ½ cup additional, if needed, until reaching a honey-like consistency. (Please note: sauce will thicken as it cools).
- Slice pork and drizzle with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.
Susan Thompson says
Oh my word! This was such a great meal! Very flavorful and tender! I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans. My husband said it was “an absolute treat to eat!” Thank you for sharing this! Your recipes never disappoint.
EmmaRugby99 says
So flavourful, juicy, and tender!! My family raved about this especially the pan sauce! My dad said it was the best thing he’s eaten in years (with my mom sitting right beside him 😬) Will be copying this into my collection of recipes and making again for sure.
Kristy says
Oh this was so wonderful. Being able to prep the night before and just turn on the slow cooker the next day makes it an easy meal for a busy day. Pork was amazingly tender, and we really had to discipline ourselves to keep from eating too much. Sauce was so delicious. You weren’t kidding on the amount we’d end up with! We plan to freeze most of it for later use, because it was just so yummy. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
Brady says
This is such a great recipe! It’s the perfect kind of dish to make on a Sunday and eat the leftovers with whatever sides you have on hand throughout the week, I have hardly met one that it does not pair well with. I substituted in red wine vinegar out of necessity at one point and was surprised to prefer the result, but that is the only adjustment I ever make to this one.
D Catania says
WOW! I just finished dinner and had to write a review, it was fabulous! I followed the recipe exactly as written and it was perfect. My daughter doesn’t normally like pork roast but she ate 4 pieces! The sauce was incredible. Thank you for posting this recipe. It’s a keeper