This fall apart tender slow cooker pork loin recipe has been a favorite Sunday dinner for 10 years in our family!
Start your roast slow cooking in the crockpot early in the morning before you get going for the day… And it’s perfectly cooked to fall apart tender by dinner time;)
The liquid in the crockpot makes a perfect gravy, so it pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes and salad! It’s an easy recipe that the whole family (and even the pickiest eaters) love – perfect for dinner on busy weeknights!
Buying Pork Loin
I like to buy pork loin at Costco! I get the huge big loin, cut it into 4 sections and freeze them for separate dinners. This makes one roast cost between 4-5 dollars each, and it’s BIG!
A whole pork loin won’t fit in any crockpot I’ve seen. You’ll need to cut it into 3-4 sections to be able to fit it. They also sell the pork loin already divided into 4 smaller sections and all separately wrapped, it’s just a little more expensive.
Simple Recipe
This simple fall apart slow cooker pork loin recipe can be made in two ways… You can make your own cream of mushroom soup or you can use canned cream of mushroom soup. The recipe only has a few ingredients:
- Thawed Pork Loin 3-5 pound
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or your favorite oil for searing)
- Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder (Or use your favorite spice rub.)
- and Cream Of Mushroom Soup!
The soup adds moisture to keep the pork loin from drying out, and it makes a very rich gravy to go with your meal! Pork Loin is a lean cut of meat so you will need that moisture! You can substitute cream of mushroom soup with chicken broth if you need to.
Cook Time – All Day
I set my crockpot to low for this slow cooker recipe. Your pork loin needs to reach an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees F to reach its most tender, “fall apart when you cut into it” state. I put this recipe together by 9am, and cook it till 5 pm.
So, a full 7-8 hours of slow cooking till it perfectly falls apart. COOKING TIME can vary depending on the size of your pork loin and the temperature of your crockpot! The best way to make sure it’s fall apart done is to take the temperature! Pork Loin is perfect at 200 degrees F.
This slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe is a great way to have dinner all ready and waiting for you after a long day away from home!
Pairing
Crock pot pork loin goes great with mashed or red potatoes, and the drippings from this recipe are perfect for homemade gravy! I also love to serve it with a salad and a side dish of cooked veggies like:
- Soft Sourdough Rolls
- Green Beans
- Candied yams or carrots.
- Brussel Sprouts
- Maple Butternut Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Make Gravy with Crockpot Liquids!
First, in a small saucepan make a roux or smooth paste with (melted) butter and all purpose flour. The paste or roux is what thickens the liquids, so that your gravy becomes thick and smooth.
Melt butter in a smaller saucepan over medium-high heat, and then whisk the flour into it. Let the butter and flour cook and bubble for a minute. You’ll see the roux paste get a bit darker in color as it cooks. Let it develop to a blond color.
Then – Whisk in your pan drippings. Liquids seem to mix into the roux better when they’re warm. Let the pan drippings, broth or stock heat up with the roux and simmer so that your gravy gets thick. Simmer 1-2 minutes.
Third – Season to taste with salt, pepper, herbs, and optional ingredients: Taste your gravy before serving! If it is bland, add more salt, sage, thyme, mushroom powder, or Worcestershire sauce.
Finally, add cream! Adding cream is optional, but it makes gravy creamy and so much better!
See the entire recipe here – Homemade Gravy.
How To Store Leftovers
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Use Leftovers
Leftover pork loin is so versatile! I think it’s perfect in a pot pie, but it also makes a wonderful meat sandwich for an easy meal with some mayo and tomato between bread!
It also makes great enchiladas… All you have to do is sauté onion and celery, add some cumin, cheese, and tortillas! The possibilities are endless!
Pork Loin vs Pork Shoulder Roast
Pork Loin and pork shoulder roasts are two very different cuts of meat, and so you need to cook them differently to get them fall-apart tender. First, pork loin has less fat, and is a dryer cut so you must cook it with moisture, hence the cream of mushroom soup!
Pork shoulder roasts can be roasted in the oven or crockpot without added moisture and after a long slow and low roast, it will also fall apart! Both of these cuts make great pulled pork, they just have to be cooked differently.
Fall Apart Crock Pot Pork Loin
Ingredients
- Thawed Pork Loin 3-5 pound
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or your favorite oil for searing
- 1/2 tablespoon Ground Pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder Or use your favorite spice rub.
- 2 cups Cream Of Mushroom Soup! You can use canned or homemade recipe on this blog post
Instructions
- First, In a small bowl combine seasonings. Then, season your pork loin on all sides with 1/2 a tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon onion powder.
- Then, heat a large skillet to medium-high, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or your favorite oil for searing).
- Finally, Sear seasoned pork loin on a hot skillet. Make sure to sear all sides till golden brown.
- Place your seasoned and seared pork loin into your crockpot fat side up.
- Add 2 cups of cream of mushroom soup
- Cook on low for 7 hours in a crockpot!
- Check internal temp with an instant-read thermometer Pork Loin is perfect at 195 -200 degrees F.
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
4 comments
Anja
This recipe looks so delicious! Now I’ll have to go and make it!
Hollyn
This sounds so delicious. I have a pork loin in the freezer and have been thinking about how I wanted to serve it. Going to try this out! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Ada
It looks delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
Julie
Oh, this looks so good. I have the hardest time with different meat cuts and knowing what to do with them! I grew up with basically hamburger meat haha, so my whole adulthood has been experimenting with different meat cuts and figuring out how to cook them! This is a great resource for me, thanks!