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
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.
- 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
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
For keto, try to find the fatties cut of pork loin you can. One with a nice fat cap. Don't trim it, just brown it nicely in the pan!
Erica B says
It looks absolutely fantastic, Carolyn! Curious, where do you buy your pork? That’s a gorgeous cut! I’d love to find something like that in stores.
It’s a shame that so much fat has been bred out of pigs in the name of the low-fat craze; the meat is bland, has no marbling whatsoever, and turns to leather when it’s cooked. The loins I see have been stripped of all but the smallest sliver of their fat cap, if not trimmed completely. Makes me shudder. 😄
Carolyn says
Great question, Erica. I actually got mine at my local farmer’s market and they do pasture raised pig so yes… much more marbling and a nice fat cap. I do know some higher end stores like Whole Foods often carry roasts similar to this one, albeit not necessarily pasture raised.
Erica B says
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check out our local Whole Foods-esque stores. We don’t have any actual Whole Foods stores in the area yet, but do have some similar high-quality shops.
How nice that there’s good meat available at your local farmer’s market. Please enjoy your lovely, easily-sourced pastured pork! 😁
Tracy says
Pork shoulder is a good alternative. Very fatty and delicious. I cook most of my meats in my crockpot. I have yet to have a dry roast or dry chicken.
Erica B says
Hi Tracy, thanks for the suggestion. I do enjoy pork shoulder, and I adore how fatty it is, but I find that by the time it’s tender and the connective tissue is soft, the meat shreds more than it slices like loin.
Carolyn says
I agree with this assessment. It’s a good suggestion but shoulder roasts are very different than loin roasts in terms of texture.
Either way, though… it would be tasty!
Cynthia Acheson says
I did this recipe today, and it was very tasty. Instead of the slow cooker though, I pressure cooked it after browning in the instantpot (electric pressure cooker). For my 1.2kg (2.6lb) loin roast, I cooked on high on a trivet for 20 minutes, then allowed it to release pressure naturally. I pulled the roast to rest, and it was a perfect 137F in the centre. After resting for abound t a half hour (the temp will rise a bit), I roasted for 6-7 minutes in my small oven at 450F, to brown the outside a little bit. I reduced the sauce in the pot during this time, as I had to add 1.5c of water for pressurizing, I added just a wee pinch of xanthan gum to thicken/emulsify the sauce. It wasn’t too greasy, as the little loin roast was pretty lean. It came out very juicy, which was a nice surprise as I had not pressure cooked a lean meat before, The combination of the garlic, rosemary and Dijon was really nice. Thank you for the recipe!
Carolyn says
Sounds perfect!
Zannie says
I did this roast yesterday for our March Birthday Club! It was amazing!! Tender and juicy, although I did add in mushrooms to the sauce and a small amount of xanthan gum to thicken the sauce also. A winner for sure!!
Carolyn says
Mushrooms are a great addition!
Kathe says
This was the best “Sunday dinner on a Monday” recipe I’ve made in forever! Hubs is not a fan of roasted pork but he devoured this! I did cheat and used minced garlic and dried rosemary. Thanks Carolyn!
Carolyn says
I am delighted to hear that! And minced garlic and dried rosemary are always good subs.
Aimee Shugarman says
This was so flavorful, thank you!
Kristyn says
This meat looks so tender! It would make a great addition at Easter! I love how little you need & how easy it is!
Suzy says
When I’m craving comfort food, I make this.
Becky Hardin says
Thank you for the tips on the different cuts of pork. And awesome dinner idea. I bet the flavors are delicious.
Sage says
Does the sauce thicken up or do you have to add anything to thicken?
Carolyn says
It’s a thin sauce, but if you want to thicken it, you can whisk in 1/2 tsp xanthan gum or glucomannan at the end.