Slow Cooker Pork Loin

Content Table How Long Does it Take? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Delectable Pork Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

How Long Does Slow-Cooker Pork Loin Take?

There are a couple of options to make this dish, which makes it easy to adapt to your schedule. Once you pop it in the slow cooker, it takes 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Actual prep time is quick. It only takes about 30 minutes of hands-on cooking to get this dish on the table because the slow cooker does the bulk of the work. 

Recipe Ingredients 

1. Pork Loin – For maximum tenderness, use pork loin for this recipe, not tenderloin.
2. Pineapple – You’ll need about ½ a pound of pineapple to stuff and cook the pork.
3. Seasonings – Garlic cloves, an onion, and Creole seasoning for the perfect kick balance and enhance the pork and pineapple. 
4. Pork Glaze – Brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar make a beautiful glaze for an already scrumptious pork loin. 🤩

How to Make Slow-Cooker Pork Loin

Cook the Pork Loin

• Season pork with salt and pepper. Then, thoroughly rub it with Creole seasoning. (Photos 1-2)
• Garlic and Pineapple – Slice the garlic cloves into 4-5 slices each. Then cut the pineapple into approximately ¼-inch-thick slices. (Photos 3-5)
• Season Loin – Using a small, sharp knife, make slits in the pork loin deep enough to insert the pineapple and garlic slices. Then stuff as many pineapple and garlic slices as possible into the slits. (Photo 6)
• Layer the Ingredients – Next, line the bottom of the slow cooker with onion and pineapple slices. (Photo 7)
• Add the Loin – Gently place the pork loin on top of the pineapple and onion slices. (Photo 8)
• Cook – Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
• Final Stretch – Once the pork is tender, remove it from the slow cooker and brush it with the glaze.
• Serve – Carve the pork into slices and serve each slice with the pineapples and onions, plus a couple of spoonfuls of the liquid (once you’ve rendered off the fat).

Make the Glaze

• Get Ready – About 20 minutes before the pork is ready, heat a small pan or skillet over medium heat. 
• Get Set – Next, add water, brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. (Photo 9-11))
• Go – As soon as the pork is ready, brush it with the balsamic glaze. Then spoon extra balsamic glaze over each slice of pork loin when plating. (Photo 12)

Recipe Variations

1. Add some vegetables to the slow cooker if you want to cook your meat and veg all at once. Stir-fry-style vegetables go well with the pineapple, so think broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, and similar veggies. 😋
2. Use a different fruit! If you aren’t a pineapple fan, other fruits complement pork just as well. Try plums, apples, pears, or peaches instead of pineapples. If your fruit of choice is less juicy than pineapple, add a little chicken stock to the crock pot before cooking to keep things from drying out. 

Tips and Tricks

1. The cooking times in this recipe will give you tender but still sliceable pork. If you want fall-apart tender, simply add a couple of hours to the cooking time. 
2. Trim most excess fat from the pork loin, but not all of it. Fat helps keep the roast juicy and tender during extended cooking times. 
3. You can serve slices of this pork loin on individual plates, but this recipe looks gorgeous presented whole on a serving tray and then sliced up right at the dinner table. 😍

Make-Ahead Instructions

While this pork loin is best freshly cooked. You can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it for four months or refrigerate it for up to four days.

To reheat it, use the microwave or put it in the oven at 350℉/177℃ for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Another option is to make the glaze ahead and store it in the fridge in a jar or airtight container until you are ready to serve the pork loin. Heat it on the stovetop for a minute or two before serving. 

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve this pineapple pork loin fresh out of the oven for the tenderest, juiciest results. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or slowly in the oven or stovetop. 

FAQs

What Goes With Slow Cooker Pork Loin?

Slow-cooker pork loin is incredibly versatile when it comes to sides. Try it with roast garlic mashed potatoes and honey-glazed carrots, or my personal favorite, green beans and bacon with smokey mac and cheese. 

You can also follow up this pineapple-stuffed pork loin with a tropical dessert like mango fool or no-bake key lime mango coconut pie. They’ll follow the pineapple in the main course beautifully.

More Delectable Pork Recipes to Try

1. Smoked Pork Loin
2. Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
3. Crockpot Pork Chops
4. Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)
5. Herb-Crusted Pork Loin Roast

Conclusion

It’s time to get fancy with this tropical-style pork loin flavor explosion. Do you absolutely love pork recipes? Then follow me on FaceBook to stay up to date. 🫶

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.