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…..)
Outstanding recipe. I always buy an entire pork loin and portion it out. The five pound piece was perfect for this recipe…
Truly an unbelievably delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing this gem.
I made the mistake of cooking it on low for 3.5 hours and it overcooked to 194 degrees. Probably only needed 2.5 hours. Smelled delicious but incredibly dry.
This is a tremendous recipe!
Worked nicely…with modifications! For me I thought the amount of honey would be too sweet for my tastes, so I went with around 1/4 cup (I didn’t measure it, just a long squirt ;)). It was kalymnian thyme honey, so might have added to the thyme levels! I then added around 200ml chicken stock to ensure it didn’t dry out, and for more gravy, and would recommend (suspect that offset the reduction of the amount of honey) to give depth of flavour without being too sweet.
I didn’t have onion powder so fried off a pink onion before making the sauce and chucked that in.
I forgot the cayenne…didn’t feel I missed it…
I used a loin joint as that’s what I had, and it cooked for about 3.5-4 hours on low in the slow cooker (used guidance that said check it was over 160C to ensure fully cooked – it was around 165C) – it sliced nicely and was cooked well. In my opinion shoulder would have been more tender but would have taken longer to cook and potentially wouldn’t have sliced as well.
We are eating Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast as I am typing. It is the most moist and tender loin of pork I have ever had! The sauce was a little sweet and buttery for us, but oh the pork!
I had a 2 pound peice of loin of pork. I browned in the insta pot on sear the put it on slow and low for 3.5 hours with the vent open. If I didn’t mention it yet, the pork was perfect! Thank you! PS, can you make a recipe with a more savory sauce? 😉
Hi! We made this honey garlic pork for supper today! I adjusted the cayenne pepper to half (just in case). We used a small cut so the cooking time was adjusted accordingly. We will make again this was delicious! Thanks!
This is the bomb dignity recipe!!! Definitely making this a staple in our home🥰
I am making this tonight using the oven method. Your instructions do not state whether the pork should be covered while cooking.
Ive made this twice in the last 2 months. The cooking times for pork loin seem a bit long. I way overcooked the first 2lb loin, So i paid closer attention to the internal temp the second time. A 4.25 lb pork loin was at 160 internal in 2,5 hours in my crock pot.
Best pork loin I’ve ever made! I hate doing roast pork, as I can’t ever seem to make the leftovers into anything worthwhile… but this is a game changer… easy to use these leftovers up (if there is any!).
Pork shoulder is always Nagi’s Carnitas… 👌 💯
I take it this doesnt link with gravy? What type of potatoes would you serve with it? Would you use the sauce on said potatoes?
Overall this was easy to follow and relatively quick to prep and tasted good. The only thing I would change would be the cayenne pepper, maybe a bit of smoked paprika or something instead. I like spicey but I kind of felt like it just gave a funny, bitter taste more than anything. I think I would also add a little soy sauce next time as well (I did actually add some to my plate afterwards as I felt it was lacking something more rounded in flavour).
This slow cooked pork scotch roast is absolutely delicious! What I love about Nagi’s recipes is that she uses good old basic ingredients and cooking methods which always turn out amazing!
Went out and bought ingredients to make this , followed the recipe exactly and it came out rock hard I’m not sure why 🙁 I had a 2.5 kg pork loin half and cooked for 4 hours on slow per the instructions. I’m not sure what I did wrong . I did notice I accidentally put the loin in the crockpot fat down – maybe that was it ?
My husband hasn’t stopped talking about this! So delicious. Will definitely make it again and again.
Question: what makes it look like it was cooked in barbecue sauce in the picture, yet it’s honey garlic?? Is there something missing in the recipe?
I made this for the 1st time and I was so excited. I had a 2lb pork loin in the freezer to use up. I halved the recipe, searing the meat, cooked it for 3.5 hours on low and it was firm and dry. Not sure what I did wrong.
All slow cookers are different. I start checking after an hour and a half on low for a 3 pound pork loin. I may even switch my crock pot to warm and this will still get me there by 2- 2.5 hours. It’s irritating but that’s the issue. Take it out as soon as it’s at 145 for a pork loin for it to be moist still. The recipe is great, it just needs to be monitored.
You halved the liquid ingredients, that’s what you did wrong. This isn’t baking. Just because there was less meat doesn’t mean you half the entire recipe for less meat.
Hi. You used 2lbs which is the full recipe then halved it and cooked it for less time than stated? Did you use a thermometer? Wondering if you followed the recipe how it will come out.
We have a roast every Sunday & im now making this for the millionth time. My husband is a butcher & this is his favourite of all time. I don’t make the gravy at the end just drizzle the sauce over the meat & it’s amazing. Serve with mash & greens.
We love how easy it is.
This pork is on fire. I made it 5 times already for everyone lunch!! 💕💕
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic!! My son loved it so much and he’s very fussy. Thank you so much, Nagi!
Absobloominglutely gorgeous! I had my pork sitting on a bed of celery, carrots and onions and blitzed them with a little gravy. Definitely doing this again. Thanks Nagi!