The Best Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast - Easy Dinner

This fall apart tender slow cooker pork loin recipe has been a favorite Sunday dinner for 10 years in our family!

Slow Cooker Pork Loin

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!

TOOLS

Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Crockpot

Cutting Board

Tongs

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:

1. Thawed Pork Loin 3-5 pound
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil (or your favorite oil for searing)
3. Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder (Or use your favorite spice rub.)
4. 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.

Directions

First Trim Off Excess Fat *Optional... I don't go too crazy here... It just depends on how you like your meat (or should I say fat). If you don't want any fat, trim it off.

I only cut off large hard fat layers from the top if there are any. Some parts of the pork loin have a fat cap and others don't. If I'm in a hurry, I skip this step and scrape off fat after it cooks.

Sear Your Pork Loin Roast!

Searing your thawed pork loin helps it to keep its juices inside the roast instead of letting them all out as it slowly cooks.

Searing your roast first also adds a great color and texture and seals in seasonings! Don't skip this step!

In a small bowl combine seasonings. Then, season your pork loin on all sides with ½ a tablespoon salt, ½ 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. (2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, or use recipe below)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

You can use homemade cream of mushroom soup or canned here.

To Make Cream of Mushroom Soup: Use 2 tablespoons butter, an 8-ounce Package of sliced white button mushrooms. ¾ cups of chicken stock, ½ teaspoon onion powder,½ teaspoon finely diced garlic, ½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup flour, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

• In a medium to large saucepan melt butter over medium-high heat till foaming.
• Add mushrooms and sauté till they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. 
• Add chicken stock, your onion powder, and finely diced garlic.
• Bring mixture to a simmer. 
• In a smaller bowl, whisk whole milk & flour together.
• Whisk milk mixture and simmer till soup thickens, about 1 minute. 
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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 205 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!

Recipe Card

Serve With

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.

Pork Safety