Tender juicy roast pork made extra easy in your slow cooker. This delicious keto dinner is perfect for busy weeknights or for more leisurely weekends. With a creamy garlic rosemary sauce for fantastic flavor. It simply doesn’t get easier than this slow cooker pork loin recipe.
Okay, I admit it, I am a pork-aholic. I love pork in any way, shape or form. I love bacon (d’uh!), I love pork chops, I love pork ribs and I really love pork roasts.
I had this love pork loin roast hanging out in my freezer for a while, just asking me to find an interesting way to use it. I wanted it to be easy but still succulent and delicious. True roast pork is done in the oven, of course, but I was interested in seeing if I could get good results in my slow cooker.
And boy, did I ever. This slow cooker pork loin was rich and delicious and smelled so good when it was cooking. And it lived up to the smell, with rich flavor and lovely tender meat.
We absolutely loved it and so did my assistant. After being here to help me crank out a few recipes, she said it smelled so good, she promptly went home and made it for her family too.
So if you’re looking for an easy and family friendly meal, look no further than this slow cooker pork loin.
Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin
Despite the similar sounding names, you really don’t want to mix these two cuts up because they cook very differently. So what’s the difference?
Pork tenderloin is long and thin and very lean. It’s very tender meat and responds well to quick cooking methods like roasting at high heat or grilling, but it can easily be overcooked. It is boneless and an average tenderloin weighs about 1 pound.
Sometimes pork tenderloin comes in a package that contains two long pieces that come apart. You can tie them together and cook them, or you can separate them out and cook each separately.
Pork loin is much larger and wider than tenderloin, and usually has a nice cap of fat over it that browns deliciously. It can be sold bone-in or boneless. It responds very well to slow roasting and slow cooking methods. An average pork loin weighs about 3 to 5 pounds.
For this slow cooker recipe, you want a pork loin roast, rather than a tenderloin.
How to Cook Pork Loin in a Crock Pot
Slow cookers are so wonderfully useful for making family meals extra easy and this pork loin roast was no exception. But there are some tricks to getting it right.
Brown the meat: One of the biggest limitations of slow cookers and crock pots is the lack of browning for meats. For some recipes, this is okay. But for this slow cooker pork loin, you really want to brown the meat first, searing the fat at a fairly high temperature. It will be much more flavorful in the end.
Cook the garlic and rosemary: You could just dump these in on top of the roast once you transfer it, but I recommend sautéing them in the juices released by the roast first. Another great addition of flavor!
Deglaze the pan: A little wine or chicken broth added to the hot pan helps get up all the little bits. It makes it easier to clean later and it flavors the sauce.
Add Dijon: Did you know that Dijon mustard is an emulsifier? So it helps bring the oils in the pan together with the other juices, making a more coherent sauce.
Don’t add too much liquid: The roast will release a lot of juice during cooking so you really don’t need to add much more to get a great sauce at the end.
High or low? You can cook this pork loin roast on either high or low. The most important part is that you get it to an internal temperature of 145F. Don’t cook it too much beyond that point or your meat starts to fall apart and be more shredded than sliceable.
There you go, friends. Take that lovely pork loin and cook it in your slow cooker for a delicious, easy, and flavorful family meal!
More Great Keto Pork Recipes
Caramelized Onion and Bacon Smothered Pork Chops
So many tasty ways to make pork in your slow cooker. Check out this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork too.
Slow Cooker Rosemary Garlic Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lb boneless pork loin (not tenderloin!)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Season the pork loin all over with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the avocado oil until shimmering. Add the pork roast and brown on all sides, particularly any fatty sections. Place in a slow cooker (5 quarts or larger).
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rosemary and stir to combine. Stir in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits, then bring to a simmer. Whisk in the mustard until well combined.
- Pour the pan juices over the pork loin and set the slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 8 hours. The internal temperature of the pork should reach at least 145F.
- Slice the pork thinly and drizzle with the sauce at the bottom of the pot. If you want your sauce a bit thicker, try whisking in about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of glucomannan.
- You can also give the pork loin a last minute browning under your broiler (no more than about 2 to 4 minutes) if you like. I found it didn't need it.
