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…..)
Made the pork loin with honey butter sauce OMG… love it!!!
That’s great Ivonne, I’m so glad you loved it!
Have just found your website and ready to try your many recipes, they look great.
I hope you love them Frances, be sure to let me know what you think once you try them ❤️
Can you bake this in the oven, if so what temp and how long?
Sure can – It’s all in the recipe notes ❤️
Fabulous!!!! It was a smash hit with everyone!! Definitely a keeper!!!!
Thanks so much for letting me know Nicole!
Didn’t have 10 hours for the slow cooker sooooooo I preheated it on high and put the pork butt in on high for 2 hours then on low for four more hours and it was fork tender. Next time les time on low cuz I like to slice it for sands…great recipe and thanks. Gary
Hi Gary, yes just cook a little less next time so it’s sliceable. I’m so glad you loved it though! – N x
Fantastic! Have never had a pork loin turn out so delicious. Just can’t say enough about the sauce which made it so special.
Wahoo that’s awesome Walt!
The sauce completely curdled! Do you know why and how I can fix it?
Curdled??? That doesn’t sound right at all!!! Did you add any extra ingredients to the sauce?
Hi,
I am making this recipe in the oven as we speak.
I didn’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, so I substituted white vinegar.
Will it still taste good?
Hi Connie, I find white vinegar a little more bitter but it should still taste great. Love to know what you think!
The substituted white vinegar tasted great!
Next time I will use the Apple cider vinegar. This was very tasty!
Hi Nagi,
The recipe sounds yummy!
I have 28lbs (3 pork loin sirloin halves) to cook. I will have to make in several batches. I’m wondering how to freeze and reheat?
Hi Sonia, I’d freeze, allow to defrost when you want it and gently reheat covered in the microwave – N x
What if I have no honey to mix with the vinegar , what else could I use??
Hi Brenda, maple syrup would work as well ❤️
I am making the oven roast version of the Honey Butter pork loin. However after point 4. I am assuming that I have to put the meat on a low temp for the extra 9 hours or so and when do I add the extra half of the honey butter sauce?
I have made sooo many of your recipes Nagi and with this one I just had to finally leave a comment. It was superb – as was every single other recipe I have tried from recipetineats. Thank you for all the real, never-fail, super-delicious recipes with actual clear-as-a-bell instructions and notes covering every possible substitution and scenario. You have made me look like a star so many times! Loved the 7:30 Report story too – it just confirmed for me what wonderful people you and your Mum are. Just love seeing well-deserved success!
Thank you so so much Kate, I really appreciate the kind words!
Under the heading ‘Slow Cook’ #5 Thicken Sauce you mention see note 2 yet under the heading ‘Notes’ there is no #2 or #3. Would you please tell me what the number #2 and #3 notes say. I’m sure the ingredient cornstarch comes into play in note number #2. I’m plugging my slow cooker in in a few hours. Thank you!
Hi, thank you for the recipe .. have this in the slow cooker right now and am wondering for 1.8k neck about cooking time. Couldn’t find yr recommendation – only for loin or shoulder. Am thinking to go for 6hrs. Smells amazing!
Hi Julie, check at 6 hours, it should be tender but not shreddable, if it’s not quite there, just keep cooking a little longer – N x
Hi Nagi
Really like your recipes and Dozer looks real cute. I want to use a boneless rolled pork loin roast. Do I take the fat off or do I cook it as is?
Made this tonight and OH. MY. GOODNESS. House smelled so good, pork was delicious, but the sauce, the sauce the sauce. I am glad I had the foresight to make biscuits to sop it up with, it was SO good.
I’ so glad you loved it Stacey!! – N x
Yum! Made this today with Pork Scotch roast, it has turned out so well. Unfortunately i misread the cayenne pepper and added half a tbsp instead of tsp. Also didn’t see it was optional – so the honey butter sauce has a little too much ‘kick’ for the kids but the inside meat is fine. Next time won’t add the cayenne. Thanks for another hit recipe Nagi.
Oops! I’m glad to still loved it Rachel!
Hi Nagi – can I use pork shoulder and have the same result?
Hi Bettina, you sure can, all the directions are in the instructions 🙂
Hi Nagi – I want to make this for a dinner party I am hosting this weekend. Just looking at your oven-cook instructions. When you say to pour water around the pork, do you mean to have the pork sitting in the water or perhaps above it on a rack? And if using a rack, wouldn’t you lose the sauce into the water?
Sorry…I am a little bit of a novice.
Hi Jodi, have the pork sitting in the water 🙂
I used the tenderloin version, and it was EASY! And leftovers made such a good sandwich with fresh tomatoes and lettuce. Definitely worth making again.
I’m so happy you loved it Laura!!