How do you cook a pork roast

Ingredients

1.8kg piece of rolled and tied pork loin with the skin scored
2 garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers
small bunch rosemary, broken into small sprigs
3 bay leaves, torn
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 Bramley apple, peeled, quartered, cored and roughly sliced
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp plain flour
100ml good quality cider
500ml vegetable or chicken stock

Method

STEP 1
If you have time, rub salt in the pork skin 2 hours before cooking and leave it uncovered in the fridge. Heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Turn the pork rind-side down and with a small knife make about 6 deep incisions along the meat. Poke a sliver of garlic, a piece of rosemary and bay in each incision and turn the pork the right way up. If you didn’t salt the pork earlier salt the skin now.
Table of Contents Show
STEP 2
Mix the carrot, onion and apple and scatter along the middle of a shallow roasting tray to make a bed for the pork to sit on. Sit the pork on the vegetables and rub the skin with the oil. Place the pork in the oven and leave for 15 mins then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1hr 30 mins. If after this time you don’t have brilliant crackling turn the heat up again and check every 5 mins until the skin has crackled.
STEP 3
Remove the pork from the roasting tray to a board to rest and pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the tray. If your tray is robust enough to go on the heat then do so, if not scrape the contents into a shallow saucepan and place on the heat. Stir the flour in with the veg and cook until you have a mushy, dark amber paste then splash in the cider and bubble down to a thick paste again. Pour in the stock and simmer everything for 8-10 mins until you have thickened gravy. Strain the sauce into another saucepan pushing as much puréed apple as you can through the sieve. Simmer again and season to taste.
STEP 4
Carve the pork loin with crackling attached into slices using a serrated knife and serve with your favourite vegetables and the apple and cider gravy.

This Honey Garlic Glazed Pork Loin Roast is hands down the BEST pork loin recipe. If you’re wondering how to cook pork loin, this easy method makes juicy, fork tender pork loin. Just rub with spices, smother with glaze, and roast until done!

Table of Contents

AN EASY PORK LOIN ROAST RECIPE
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORK TENDERLOIN & PORK LOIN?
HOW TO COOK PORK LOIN
TO WHAT INTERNAL TEMPERATURE SHOULD PORK LOIN BE COOKED?
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER PORK LOIN
SERVING IDEAS
HOW TO STORE & WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS
Get the Recipe

AN EASY PORK LOIN ROAST RECIPE

Succulent roasted Pork Loin prepared with a spice rub plus a honey-dijon garlic sauce that will have you coming back for more and more! I like to add seasonal veggies, like Brussels sprouts and butternut squash, to make it a complete meal, all in just one pan.

In this household, we love everything about pork. From pork chops to pork tenderloin, or pork roasts, we don’t discriminate. Just bring it ON! My favorite, however, is a simple oven method pork roast that takes minutes to prep, while the oven does most of the work.

This Pork Loin Roast Recipe creates a perfectly tender meat that is so full of flavor, and it honestly couldn’t be any easier to make.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORK TENDERLOIN & PORK LOIN?

Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin are not the same thing, and represent two different cuts of meat. They also look different. Pork Loin is wider and thicker with a fat layer on top, while Pork Tenderloin is long and thin.

For this recipe we are using boneless PORK LOIN.

We are going to start with making a dry rub by combining salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rub that all over the pork loin.
Heat some oil in a large skillet and sear the meat, about 5 minutes per side.
Remove from heat and set pork (fat side UP) on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Stir together some honey, dijon mustard, garlic, soy sauce, and olive oil.
Reserve two tablespoons of the sauce for the veggies, and brush the rest of the sauce over the pork.
Roast for 25 minutes at 375˚F.
In the meantime, prepare the veggies by cutting butternut squash into 1-inch cubes and cutting brussels sprouts in half.
Toss veggies with reserved sauce.
Take pork out of the oven; add veggies all around it in one layer, tent pork with foil, then continue to cook for 30 more minutes, or until internal temperature of the pork loin reaches 145˚F. Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness.
- Keep in mind that time will vary depending on the size of the roast. In this recipe, we’re working with a 3-pound pork loin, which needs about 50 to 60 minutes in a 375˚F oven. That comes out to roughly around 20-minutes per pound. Some ovens may need few minutes longer than that.
Give the veggies a stir half-way through cooking.
Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes before cutting. This helps lock in the juices.
Cut and serve.

The veggies in this one pan meal create the perfect side dish. The combination of pork roast with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts is ideal for the coming Holiday Season, but also just as perfect for a Sunday supper.

TO WHAT INTERNAL TEMPERATURE SHOULD PORK LOIN BE COOKED?

The National Pork Board recommends cooking pork loin to an internal temperature of 145° F (62°C). Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Once your pork loin as reached the proper temperature allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD

Season the pork, sear it, put it in the baking pan and pour the sauce over it.
Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Continue with roasting as directed.

HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER PORK LOIN

This recipe can also be made in the slow cooker! If you want to cook your pork loin in the slow cooker, here’s how:

Season the pork, sear it, and place it in the slow cooker.
Pour prepared sauce over it; cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours to 6 hours. Check for doneness with an Instant Read Thermometer; it should register at 145˚F when done.

SERVING IDEAS

There are so many things you can serve with roasted pork loin – all of them delicious! My personal favorites are smashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. Since this pork loin recipe already includes vegetables, adding even one side makes a feast!

HOW TO STORE & WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS

Leftover pork loin can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen in a freezer-safe container for 3 months.

I love using leftover pork loin to make burritos and tacos, or even sandwiches with thick slices of bread. Sometimes I’ll even warm my sandwich in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese!

MORE PORK RECIPES

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Asparagus
Baked Pork Chops and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
Easy Honey Garlic Baked Pork Chops
Apple Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Resting Time 10 mins

FOR THE PORK LOIN

▢ 3- pound pork loin
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE SPICE RUB

▢ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

FOR THE HONEY GARLIC GLAZE

▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1/4 cup honey
▢ 3 tablespoons low-sodium gluten free soy sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE VEGETABLES

▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1 pound brussels sprouts, cut in half
▢ 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeds cleaned out, and cut into 1-inch cubes (you can also buy pre-cut butternut squash)

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside. Pat dry pork loin with paper towels.
In a small mixing bowl combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Lightly spray pork loin with cooking spray. This will make it easier for the spice mix to stick.
Take the spice mix and rub it all over the pork loin.
Heat olive oil over medium heat and sear the pork loin until browned on all sides; about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork loin to previously prepared baking sheet, fat-layer side up; set aside.
In a bowl, combine garlic, honey, soy sauce, mustard and oil; whisk until well combined. If too thick, add a bit more oil or soy sauce. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce to use for the vegetables.
Brush remaining honey mixture over the pork loin. Roast for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, toss the vegetables with a tablespoon of olive oil and the reserved honey mixture. Pull pork roast out of the oven and add the vegetables all around it in one layer.
Tent a piece of foil over the pork so the top doesn't burn, but the inside continues to cook. Put back in the oven and continue to cook for 25 to 30 more minutes, or until internal temperature of the pork loin reaches 145˚F. Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check for doneness. Stir vegetables half way through cooking.
Remove baking sheet from oven and loosely cover meat and veggies with foil; let rest 10 minutes. Cut the pork in slices and serve with veggies.

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 10

SLOW COOKER PORK LOIN

Season the pork, sear it, and place it in the slow cooker.
Pour prepared sauce over it; cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.

HOW TO MAKE AHEAD

Season the pork, sear it, put it in the baking pan and pour the sauce over it.
Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Continue with roasting as directed.

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Take a pic and let us know how it was!

How long should a pork roast be cooked?

Cook pork roast on the barbecue for approximately 25-30 MINUTES *PER POUND*. Or until internal temperature reaches 155F (68C), rested to a final 160F (71C).

What is the best temperature to cook a pork roast?

Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor. Ground pork should always be cooked to 160° F.

Do I cover a pork roast in the oven?

For a crisp surface on your roast, be sure the oven is fully preheated before putting the roast in and don't cover the meat while roasting. Searing (quickly browning at high heat) the outside of a pork roast before continuing with cooking is a great way to seal in flavor.

Do you put water in the pan when cooking a pork roast?

Place pork roast (fat side up) into large roasting pan with 1 cup water in the bottom. Bake for 4-5 hours or until desired tenderness. (I typically go 5 hours for pull apart pork roast) Add water as needed during cook time to prevent burning on the bottom of pan.