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…..)
Hi Nagi! If I were to cook this in the oven, can you still prep ahead like you would for the slow cooker? Also, with either cooking method, should the pork be taken out of the fridge an hour or so before to come to room temp? Thanks!
That was *chef’s kiss* good stuff.
This recipe was so good I made a tiktok video about it!! Everyone at work watched it and was like wow that looks amazing!!! Thank you for sharing!!
Would be great if you actually stated the temperature in F or C right behind the temperature. Not all people who read this web are from the US.
Funnily enough and neither am I Nada! This is a slow cooker recipe so no oven temps are listed as it’s done using a slow cooker. But lucky I have it listed in the recipe notes, follow the link and you’ll find the oven version of this recipe where, as all my recipes, you’ll see both temperatures listed. Here is the link in case you missed it: https://discountspot.info/tachyon/2021/02/Oven-Roasted-Honey-Butter-Pork-Loin-RecipeTin-Eats-v2.pdf%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Great recipe. Cooked 2kg scotch roast in slow cooker for 10hrs on low. Delish!
I made this for Easter lunch today and it was delicious. I was so nervous as this was my first Easter hosting but this recipe exceeded expectations! Thank you Nagi for building my confidence with cooking xx
All sides served were also from this page!
I needed to do something with a pork loin I got from the church camp since the ‘rona closed it down. DuckDuckGo delivered me here. Thought I’d give it a try. Substituted brown sugar for the honey, (since I didn’t have any), and I forgot to toast the garlic beforehand. Other than that it turned out De Lish Us!!!! For some reason my sauce never thickened up that much, but it still tasted wonderful. Will definitely make again. Didn’t really read your whole write up until after I chowed down on it. You’re right though, this ROCKS!
I made this last night and OH MY GOODNESS!! It is SO good! I had tried cooking pork loin a couple different ways and it was always dry and not great…but this recipe turned the loin into a meal fit for a king! Tender, juicy, tons of flavor, and just plain a delight to feast upon. I made your “Truly Crunch Roast Potatoes”…and yes they were! Loved them and so did my hubby! I used peanut oil and cornmeal (I’m in the states). The potatoes were a perfect compliment to the pork loin.
Cannot thank you enough! I made the roasted pork shoulder with Honey Butter Sauce and it came out delicious! Thank you again for the recipe and directions. Video was great. Thanks again. Everybody in my family enjoyed the dish!
You’re so welcome Victoria, I’m so glad you loved it!! N x
Thanks once again Nagi for another family hit! This was excellent and you were not exaggerating the sauce is devine!
I’ve made this recipe before with a pork loin and it came out amazing my family and I loved it!!! I want to make it tonight for dinner, but I don’t have a pork loin but I have pork chops will it work making it with pork chops in the oven?
Wow, don’t cook much but thought I would try this as a Mother’s Day dinner for my wife. Used a kilo, two strips, of Tenderloin and stuck to the recipie. It was absolutely lovely. Was a bit wary of using so much cider vinegar but it cooked to perfection after 4 hours. Thanks for this great recipie it’s going to be one of our favorite Sunday dinners.
Hi Nagi,
How long would you recommend for a 1.5kg pork scotch fillet.
Hi Ben, I mention different weights in the recipe notes. I hope you love it! N x
I can only see the times for loin and shoulder. Is scotch the same as loin time wise? Thanks!
Thanks Nagi! Would my scotch fillet be the same as pork loin?
Oh I like to know this too! Mine is cooking right now!
Lovely! Reduced quantities down for a 500g joint. Sauce a tad sweet for me but went very well with the pork. I only had a bit of sauce as there’s a lot of butter!! But it tasted great. Impressed!
This was very easy for me to follow for my first ever slow cooker recipe. Thank you so much. House smells great. Waiting for it now 3.5 hrs.
Can we add veggies like carrots and potatoes? When Is it better to add veggies, halfway?
Roast pork is a Sunday favourite of my family. Sick of always roasting in the oven I thought I’d try this recipe. Absolutely delicious, easy to prepare and then set and forget.
This has turned out to be one of my family’s favorite recipes.
Woah that’s great Tammy!! N x
Hi Nagi!! Massive fan of yours! I’d love to make this recipe but my pork loin is only 500grams. How long would you suggest cooking for in the slow cooker? Thank you 🙂
Hi Bec, I’s day 2.5-3 hours will be fine here – N x
Hi Nagi! Thanks for sharing this pork loin recipe. I had tried another recipe with honey and garlic but it doesn’t come close to being as good as yours. This one goes in my “recipe tin”. Thanks!
Is sirloin pork roast the same as loin pork loin? I am trying to determind how long to cook my roast. Is almost 2lb.
Hi Marie, it’s all taken from about the same area of the animal and will be fine in this recipe. You can see the different weights and cook times noted in the recipe notes. N x
Really good. Next time I would cut some of the honey as I thought it was sweet but my husband loved it as is. We through potatoes and beets in towards the end to make it a complete meal. All wonderful. The beets made the color a little odd, but great meal that we will make again.