A Slow Cooker Pork Loin roast or Pork Shoulder roast that’s cooked in an amazing honey butter garlic sauce! It’s a slow cooker pork roast recipe that works fabulously with pork loin, shoulder and scotch fillet, for your slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven.
Easy enough for midweek yet impressive enough for company, this crock pot pork loin is going to rock your world!
I will do anything I can to try to convince you to try this, so let me say again:
THIS CROCK POT PORK LOIN WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD!!!
OK, I confess. I just like that it (kind of) rhymes and wanted to say it. Again. ?
I’m done with the fun – now down to business!
This is a recipe I created especially for pork loin, but I’ve found that it works just as well with pork shoulder so you’ll see photos of both throughout this post.
The beauty of this recipe is that it looks and tastes like a traditional oven roasted pork – but it’s made in the slow cooker. Entirely hands off cooking time, slow cooked to tender perfection and when you pull it out at the end, the sauce just needs a quick simmer to thicken while the pork rests.
ABOUT THIS SLOW COOKER PORK LOIN ROAST
I know there are quite a few types of slow cooker pork loins “out there” so let me tell you what you’re getting with this one.
It’s a spice rubbed pork loin that’s cooked until it’s tender but still sliceable like classic roasts.
It’s cooked partially submerged in a miracle 4 ingredient Honey Butter Garlic Sauce which infuses the pork with flavour, adds juiciness and transforms into an amazing syrupy sauce to serve the pork with. Pork loin is a lean cut of meat so it’s ideal to have a buttery strong flavoured sauce to serve it with!
You get bonus points for basting while it cooks, but even if you don’t, this is how the pork looks straight out of the slow cooker: golden and bronzed, glistening with that honey butter sauce!
TIPS FOR MAKING SLOW COOKER PORK ROAST
Slow cooker pork roast is actually very simple to make as long as you use the right cut of pork and follow a few key steps:
Best pork for pork roast in a slow cooker – Though I originally created this recipe for pork loin, this recipe works brilliantly with pork loin, pork shoulder and scotch fillet roast (pork neck, a roasting cut of pork that’s popular in Australia and some parts of Europe, brilliant for fast and slow cooking). The first photo at the top is pork loin, the 2nd photo is shoulder;
Slow cooking pork loin – Being a lean cut of pork, there’s only two ways to cook it: Hard and fast until the inside is at an exact temperature, like with traditional pork roasts, OR slowly at a lower temperature. Slow cooking is more forgiving because it’s done at a lower temperature so an hour or so too long isn’t going to ruin your pork;
Pork Shoulder and Scotch Fillet – These cuts have more fat marbled through them so they are natural choices to use for slow cooker pork roasts. As they cook, the fat melts, making the meat beautifully juicy;
Tenderloin – Not a natural choice for this recipe because it’s much thinner than the other cuts listed above so it cooks much faster than the cuts listed above. However, I have included directions in the recipe notes for how to make this with tenderloin;
Season the pork for extra flavour with at least salt and pepper. I use a simple spice mix for this crock pot pork recipe;
SEAR! Browning = flavour. Whether you brown the pork before or after slow cooking, don’t skip this step, it’s imperative for great flavour!
How long to cook a pork roast in the slow cooker – for pork loin, 4 to 5 hours on low for tender, juicy perfection. Pork shoulder needs to be cooked for 10 hours on low for a 1.5 – 2.5kg / 3 – 5 lb pork roast. Shoulder is a tougher cut of pork so it requires a longer cook time to break down the fibres and fat.
SLOW COOKER PORK LOIN SPICE RUB & SAUCE
Here are the ingredients in this Slow Cooker Pork Loin sauce and spice rub. There’s not many!!!
THE SAUCE!
The Honey Butter Sauce for this Slow Cooker Pork Loin is made using the juices remaining in the slow cooker when the pork is cooked.
Straight out of the slow cooker, the flavour of the sauce is a bit thin so it needs to be reduced and I also like to thicken it a touch using cornflour to make it a syrupy thickness.
The Honey Butter Sauce truly is a miracle – it’s made with just cider vinegar, garlic and (hold onto your seats here…) BUTTER and HONEY!!
It’s ideal for serving with a Slow Cooker Pork Loin because it adds richness to an otherwise lean meat. Bonus: this recipe makes tons of sauce to smother your veggies and potatoes with it too!
What to do with leftovers?
Use it to make epic Bread Bowl Sandwich or Cubanos – Cuban Pork Sandwiches!
HOW I PREPARE AHEAD
This is one of those recipes that’s terrific for a midweek meal yet impressive enough for company. What I’ve been doing is preparing it the night before (searing the pork, making the sauce) then pouring it over the pork and leaving it in the removable insert of my slow cooker until the next morning.
Then I pop the insert into my slow cooker in the morning, leave the house for the day and come back to THIS ↓↓↓ Happy days!! – Nagi x
PS Pictured in post with a side of Garlic Sautéed Spinach and these Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes.
More slow cooker roast recipes
Slow Cooker Pot Roast (with gravy!)
Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast OR Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 1.75 – 2.5 kg / 3.5 – 5lb pork loin OR shoulder/boston butt ,or scotch fillet, skinless (Note 1)
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil , separated
Spice Rub:
- 2 tsp EACH paprika, thyme
- 1 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
Honey Butter Sauce:
- 3/4 cup honey
- 125g / 1/2 cup butter , unsalted
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each
Thickener:
- 3 tsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with splash of water
Instructions
- Spice Rub: Rub pork with about 1 tsp oil. Mix Rub together then sprinkle over pork. Pat to adhere all over.
- Brown: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and sear all around until deep golden brown (don’t let spices burn). Place pork in slow cooker.
- Honey Butter Sauce: Wipe pan. Add butter and melt. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until golden. Add remaining Sauce ingredients, mix, simmer rapidly for 30 seconds.
Slow Cook:
- Pour Sauce over pork. Cover slow cooker.
- Pork loin – Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours (see Note 2 for cook times for different sizes)
- Pork Shoulder – Cook on LOW for 10 hours (see Note 2 for cook times for different sizes, and Note 4 for oven, InstantPot and pressure cooker methods).
- Remove pork onto serving platter, cover loosely with foil (10 – 20 minutes rest). (See Note 6 on Doneness)
- Pour all juices in slow cooker into large saucepan. Add cornflour water mixture, mix.
- Thicken Sauce: Simmer on medium high for 5 minutes or until it reduces down to a syrupy consistency (Note 3).
- Slice pork into thick slices (1.5 – 2 cm / 3/5 – 4/5″ thick). Serve with PLENTY of Honey Butter Sauce!
Recipe Notes:
1 kg / 2lb – Pork Loin 3.5 hours on low, Shoulder 8 hours on low
1.5 – 2.5kg / 3 – 5lb: Per recipe
3kg / 6lb: Pork Loin 6 hours on low, Shoulder 11 – 12 hours on low
Use times closest to your pork size. 3. Sauce reduction: Reduction time to thicken dependent on how much juice comes out of the pork. Go by eye – when sauce is thin maple syrup consistency, it’s ready (will thicken bit more when it cools a bit) 4. Other cook methods: * Pressure Cooker – Pork shoulder 1 hour 20 minutes on HIGH. To save time, this is how I did the pork in the 2nd photo in post. Have not tried pork loin so am unsure of required time.
* Instant Pot – Brown pork in IP, remove, melt butter and make Sauce in IP, then add pork back in, spoon over sauce. Then either cook using Pressure Cooker time for shoulder, or Slow Cooker time for pork loin or shoulder. If you get the burn notice, add 1/2 cup water. Remove pork and make Sauce using sauté function.
* OVEN – See here for directions 5. MAKE AHEAD – Brown pork and make sauce up to 1 day ahead, pour into slow cooker then remove insert and refrigerate until ready to cook. If preparing ahead more than 12 hours or so, keep the sauce separate (because it will make the pork sweat). Leftovers – Keep in the fridge for 3 days, or freezer for 3 months. I pour the sauce over it, it soaks through the pork and I love it. 6. Pork Doneness – Loin is a lean cut of pork so it’s cooked for a short period of time than shoulder. Pork shoulder needs to be cooked for longer to let the tough fibres break down. Shoulder is more prone to falling apart (ie semi shredding) when slicing so be sure to rest it per recipe directions to minimise this. 7. Nutrition – per serving, assuming a 2 kg/4lb pork loin and 8 servings with all sauce consumed (which is unlikely).
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Dozer looking rather concerned as I pack for a trip to Vietnam…. he really hates the sight of a suitcase! Though the minute I drop him off at the golden retriever boarders’ place, he forgets all about me… (I like to think he’s being strong but crying on the inside…..)
I’ve made this a couple times and it came out amazing. Great flavor! I double the sauce recipe because it just wasn’t enough for us. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nagi. I have 1.3kg of pork scotch fillet. How long shall I cook this for?
Hi Sonia, scotch fillet is from the shoulder – you’ll need 9 hours in a slow cooker here. N x
Cooked this dish tonight. Turned out perfectly. Loving exploring Recipe Tin. Thanks Nagi ❤️
I have your recipe in the slow cooker Nagi for tonight’s dinner as i write and everything went according to plan so here’s hoping. I’m assuming Nagi that you are Vietnamese and your culture makes lovely rolls, we probably call them spring rolls but yours are something else and I’m hoping you might show us how to assemble them one day, they are served from street food- dining in.I adore the pic of Dozer with the suitcase he is such a treat. Is this a recent shot or archival?
So tender and flavorsome. Definately making this one again. Bought lovely free range pork from farmers market. Thanks again nagi for another great recipe
I have a boneless roast leg 2.2kg would I cook it as per the loin or shoulder instructions/times. Thanks
Hi Chrstina, you’ll need the 10 hours on low here for leg. I hope you love it! N x
Easy and delicious, and it avoided the various allergies and intolerances I have to accommodate. <3
Picked up a 2.5lb pork loin and was looking for a recipe that wouldn’t require the oven. Very good. Halved the recipe and used an Instant Pot to cut down on cleanup and because the roast fit better than into my large crockpot. Sautee on high in order to sear the roast. Then removed the meat, added the Sauce ingredients + 1 c water. Gave it a stir with the heat on and made sure to scrape up the browned bits Then placed the roast back into the IP and rotated it to coat the sauce. IP on Slow Cook for 4hr, placed a PLATE to cover (instead of the lid. You can Google how an IP differs from a crock pot and I knew I did not want to seal the IP in order to slow cook). Somewhere in the middle I turned the roast over since I knew it only heats from the bottom and it’s not a crock, but may have not been necessary. Forgot to check it when time was up, so sat for about an hour. But it was done and TENDER, which was great since it was a lean roast. Removed the pork, sautee mode to add the thickener and make the gravy. Salt to taste. Recommended! I will probably riff on the seasoning and sauce. But the method to cook is a keeper. Thanks, Nagi, and best wishes. -D
(In response to Joseph Stewart – no grease to skim at the gravy stage, even with the butter for the sauce. Pork loins are lean! Would probably have some with a pork butt, but it could be easily addressed after removing the roast after cooking. If there’s an oil slick skim it out before you make your gravy, as you recommended. Cheers.)
Hi! I will be making this just wondering if it’s okay to make several hours ahead of time and okay to reheat with sauce in low heat oven? Thx!
Yes 100% Kat! N x
Slow cooked pork loin is one of my all-time favs. I’ll use it for Mexican carnitas, pork tacos and all sorts of other applications, and while the honey/butter sauce sounds delectable, “pouring all juices in slow cooker into large saucepan” for the sauce (as suggested in this recipe), is mighty ambitious in my view. A typical pork loin is ‘loaded’ with exterior fat that renders into a surface layer of pure oil, and that should most certainly be decanted entirely to waste before pouring it into a saucepan, or you’re bound to have some digestive problems shortly after dinner. Just my 2-cents. 😉
Hi Nagi, I bought a pork loin from butcher with pork fat around it and tied with string. When I cut the string the pork rolled out flat. Am I buying the wrong pork loin?
Hi Nagi, I bought a pork loin from butcher with pork fat around tied with string I cut the string and the pork rolled out flat. Am I buying the wrong pork loin?
Hi Denise , I’m not sure what state or country you live in as some have a different
name / style of preparing I have found that usually it had a bone in and it was removed to make a boneless available for those that don’t want one , so they use butcher string to roll it back into roast like shape by leaving string on while it cooks also helps it retain a roast like appearance ~ I hope that helps , I’m also 100% sure that is why , but I can always be wrong ~ Good Luck ~ ///=^ } ~
The flavours were yum but my pork was dry 🙁 I had a 1.3kg pork scotch and cooked for 4.5 hour in the slow cooker. Should I have cooked it for less time or longer to get it more juicy?
thank you so much for the highly informative presentation of slow cooking different type of pork roasts in a slow cooker. your presentation has answered every question i had.
i have overcooked pork loin in slow cooker and understand why, now! this is my favorite pork loin recipe Nagi!
When looking at the 4 different shops for a pork loin I could only find ones with the white fat layer. Would this still be ok to use. In your video and photos it dosnt have this fat layer do you cut your off?
Hi Mikayla, you can use a range of different cuts for this recipe it’s very flexible. I would trim off any excess fat if you get a fatty loin cut – as per the recipe notes. N x
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! The other thing I forgot to ask is youths ingredient cider vinegar is this different to apple cider vinegar or the same thing? If different is it something you can get from coles or Woolworths?
What an awesome way to turn cheap, lean cut into a mouthwatering dinner. ($10 for 7 lbs at Costco!) Added some Asian hot pepper and fish sauce at the table and loved it! Serious comfort food for a dreary rainy midwestern evening.
Hi Nagi,
I absolutely love cooking with the scotch roast. Can you tell me which cooking time this cut requires in the slow cooker? I’m not great with numbers so I wasn’t able to decipher the instructions in note 2.
Thanks!
Hi Taaryn, this cut is as per the recipe instructions as long as it’s the same weight 🙂 N x
Great recipe but 3 tsp of cornstarch didn’t work for me first time. Three tablespoon was perfect though!
Hi nagi
I’m going to experiment with this tonight but as a Vegetarian I’m going to try with a queen roast . I will let you know
Hi nagi
I’m going to experiment with this tonight but as a Vegetarian I’m going to try with a queen roast . I will let you know
Thanks for your reply. Injave a 1.7 kg scotch roast. Will that be 4-5 hours on low?
Also, can I substitute the butter with margarine?
I made this for dinner & it was delicious. The next day I made hot sandwiches with onion rolls & pours a little of the gravy on top…. it was a piece of heaven!
I made this yesterday and it was really good. I didn’t have any onion powder so I added a medium size quartered onion in the pot with the meat. With about 2 hours of cooking time left, I added baby carrots & small red potatoes (cut in half) to the pot. I probably cooked it a little too long so the meat fell apart when I tried to slice, but the sauce made everything it so delicious we didn’t care. Will be trying more of your recipes soon.
Thank you Nagi for your inspirational suggestions on Pork Loin slow cooking. Being an old retired pig farmer and a once, renowned shearers cook I would have loved your ideas to be available back in the 1970 era. That was yesteryear and long forgotten. Today I am preparing your slow cook pork loin with honey butter mustard sauce. Thank you for your lovely ideas. The shearers only ever had Lamb done in a variety of ways. Pork was never available unless I went out bush and shot a wild pig (young) and cook him up for dinner.
Another winner! Never made this before, but all Nagi’s recipes are fabulous and this did not fail to disappoint.
Thank you for the detailed steps and comments and the videos – I always read everything and watch and always turns out so well! ❤️❤️❤️