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Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.74 from 19 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 8 hrs 10 mins
Servings 20 servings

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This easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin recipe includes a flavorful garlic herb rub, and is slow cooker in apple juice for extra flavor! It is fall apart tender with minimal effort!

slow cooker whole pork loin in black crockpot with two forks starting to shred the end of the pork loin

Table of Contents

  1. What is the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin?
  2. How to make Slow Cooker Pork Loin:
  3. What to make with leftover pulled pork:
  4. Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe

I know. It seems kind of boring.

But I’ve been making this slow cooker pork loin at least once a month for a year or two. And it’s so good, and so tender.

Plus, I’ve finally got my dry rub down and ready to share!

It’s similar to my dry rub on this Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin, but there’s so much more area to cover when you’re making a pork loin.

I love to pick up a couple boneless pork loins when they go on sale and stash them in the freezer for those weeks I need an easy, hearty meal with minimal effort.

You can really just throw the pork loin in the crockpot with some water and salt and pepper and it will come out just fine, especially considering you only spent about 2 minutes getting it ready.

But if you want to take it up a notch? You’ve got to try this dry rub for pork. It would be so easy to make a big batch and store in an old spice jar to make the prep for this pork loin even simpler.

But even if you don’t, it’s still only going to take about 5-10 minutes of your time in the morning and you’ll have easy meals for the rest of the week! My average pork loin is about 5 lbs, so there’s lots to go around and it freezer perfectly, too!

What is the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin?

Since my Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin have been so popular, I’ve gotten a lot of questions or comments about cooking pork loin.

whole pork loin in slow cooker with seasoning and juices in the bottom of the crockpot

I think a lot of people make the mistake of assuming they’re interchangeable when they are definitely not, so I wanted to include my recipe for pork loin over here on The Recipe Rebel, too! (Since it’s one of our favorites anyway!)

A pork tenderloin is much smaller than pork loin, it usually weights around 1-1.5 lbs, whereas the pork loin I used for this recipe was 5 lbs. You can see why the recipes can’t be used interchangeably — pork loin requires much more seasoning and much more cook time.

You can read more about the differences between pork loin and pork tenderloin here.

How to make Slow Cooker Pork Loin:

  • Low and slow. Although you can cook a pork loin on high in the slow cooker, I definitely prefer low heat for a longer period of time. It breaks down the meat until it easily falls apart!
  • Season well. The pork loin is a large cut of meat, so I like to give it a solid coating of the dry rub before cooking. It can soak up a ton of flavor!
  • Fresh or frozen. If you want something that cooks over a longer period of time, try putting the pork loin in frozen. If you want the rub to adhere to the meat, you will need to let it thaw at room temperature for an hour or two so the outer layer has thawed. Season and cook for 9-10 hours on low (up to 11 is fine — it won’t hurt it!).
slow cooker pork loin shredded on wooden cutting board with fresh parsley in the background

What to make with leftover pulled pork:

One of the reasons I love this Slow Cooker Pork Loin is because it shreds so easily, and there are a ton of ways to reinvent leftover pulled pork.

  • Freeze it! Leftover cooked, shredded pork can be frozen plain or in barbecue sauce. It will keep for up to 3 months.
  • As a pizza topping for regular or mini naan pizzas.
  • Add it to pasta.
  • Make a pulled pork grilled cheese.
  • Top a salad with it.
  • And on and on and on the list goes. What are your favorite things to do with it?
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Slow Cooker Pork Loin

written by Ashley Fehr

4.74 from 19 votes
This easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin recipe includes a flavorful garlic herb rub, and is slow cooker in apple juice for extra flavor! It is fall apart tender with minimal effort!
slow cooker pork loin in crockpot
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 10 mins
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 20 servings
Calories 157cal

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs pork loin
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons seasoning salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried mustard
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup unsweetened apple juice

Instructions

  • Trim fat off around pork loin if desired.
  • Combine seasoning salt (if you are reducing your salt intake, use only 1 tablespoon), garlic powder, Italian seasoning, mustard, onion powder and pepper. Rub all over pork loin.
  • Place pork loin in 4-6 quart slow cooker and add apple juice. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours). *See notes below to cook from frozen.
  • Shred pork or remove from slow cooker and cool for 15-20 minutes to slice. 
  • Optional: add barbecue sauce or other sauces and serve as desired.

Notes

If you want something that cooks over a longer period of time, try putting the pork loin in frozen. If you want the rub to adhere to the meat, you will need to let it thaw at room temperature for an hour or two so the outer layer has thawed. Season and cook for 10 hours on low (up to 11 is fine — it won’t hurt it!).
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 157cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 444mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Keywords crockpot pork loin, easy pork loin, frozen pork loin, pork loin in slow cooker, slow cooker pork

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Published on September 19, 2018 / Last updated on June 2, 2020

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  4. Adam Metz says

    I’m cooking this right now, loin has been cooking on low for 4 hrs now.. Just checked temp it’s reading 185 f … Do I switch to warm setting or allow it to keep going on low for the last 4 hrs????

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I find that pork loin needs a little extra cook time to become tender, after the point where it is technically safe to eat. I like to let it go for the full 8 hours, but it will depend on the size of the loin

      Reply

  6. Robin says

    Hi there, I’m curious about this recipe but I have an unusual situation- I cut a 3lb pork loin into threes so now I have 1lb cuts in my freezer. Can you recommend how long to cook just 1 lb pork loin In a crock pot? (Or Dutch oven if that’s better) I’m afraid to overcook such a small cut. Thanks in advance for your time ?

    Reply

  7. Beverlee says

    I had a 2# pork loin that I wanted to cook for supper and I didn’t have time to use a slow cooker, even set on High. My microwave also has convection oven capability, with a setting to use the oven with intermittent microwave blasts. The loin cooked in about 45 minutes using this CombiCook method. It was SO delicious. I did add about 1/2 cup of water because I knew the microwave blasts would demand more moisture – there was little liquid left at the end of cook time. I added a bit more apple juice to the drippings and poured it over the shredded meat.
    I have tried many pork loin recipes, but this is now my favorite. So quick and easy to prepare and the result is not overly seasoned and not bland either. It was JUST RIGHT. We’ll use the rest for sandwiches this weekend. Thank you for the perfect rub!

    Reply

  9. Lisa DiMusto says

    I made this recipe!! I used a cup of unsweetened applesauce!! Really awesome! Serving on the Hawiann brand slider buns for Super Bowl!!

    Reply

  10. Laura Segers says

    I made this dish yesterday, so yummy! Unfortunately , I didn’t have apple juice, so I just used chicken broth instead. I also cooked it on high for about 3 hours and on low for 2 hours since it was getting late. Came out so tender and juicy! Will definitely use again!

    Reply

  12. Anna says

    freeze small portions of shredded pork and throw them (still frozen!) into your ramen while it’s cooking on the stove, you won’t regret it 🙂

    Reply

  14. Renee W. says

    I’m busy remodeling my bathroom and needed a super easy and delicious home cooked meal that didn’t make another mess in my house and didn’t take too much time away from my bathroom remodel and your slow cooker port loin recipe was the perfect solution! I followed your recipe and it turned out incredibly delicious!!! I will make this again and again! Thank you for the recipe! My only problem now is that my dogs are closely following me and my dinner plate of your slow cooker pork loin every where I go.

    Reply

  15. Missy Rummie says

    any suggestions on something I could replace the seasoning salt with? I’m allergic to paprika (and any other nightshades…)

    Reply

  16. Zoe says

    I tried your recipe and it was wonderful! Mine was incredibly similar but had a kick to it since my family loves spicy food. Everything was the same in mine except no dry mustard or Italian seasoning. Instead I use roasted green chili ( Hatch preferably) & sliced green onions layered over the roast.. then the apple juice poured over it all or in a pinch.. unsweetened apple sauce with a little chicken stock substitutes well. (1/2 c of each). My family loved yours! We made pulled pork sliders and savored every bite.

    Reply

  17. Cori says

    I used 2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar instead of the apple juice, to keep it low carb. OMG it came out amazing! New favorite recipe!

    Reply

  18. Nicole says

    I am using a pork loin for this recipe, and I just realized that I don’t have apple juice. Would unsweetened orange juice work? Or should I go with chicken broth instead?

    Reply

  19. Brooke says

    I boiled some water and add unsweetened apple sauce for “apple juice”. I’m excited to see how this turn out with Mac n cheese! I think the pulled pork and Mac n cheese with a drizzle of BBQ sauce will be exactly the meals I need this week

    Reply

  20. Betty says

    I have a cajun flavored 2.06 lb pork loin filet. I was wondering if I should still use apple juice. I won’t be putting any rub on it. I will be cooking on high while we are in church on Sunday. Would like to put potatoes in with it. Thanks for your help.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Betty! Your loin is quite a bit smaller than mine usually are, so you may find you don’t need quite the same cook time. You could use apple juice or any other liquid you think would work well.

      Reply

  21. Jeanette says

    I was so excited.. The smell when it was cooking was amazing… Let it cool a bit.. Tried a nice most piece… It was like moist cardboard.. Maybe it was the loin… It wasn’t awful.. It just had no real flavor.. Just bland meat..we are going to try and save it by adding bbq sauce to it. Im just wondering if pork loin is maybe not a great cut off meat or if my tastebuds are off.. So many great comments on how flavorful it was.

    Reply

  23. Ann says

    I tried your recipe and thought it was good. I don’t remember ever putting a pork loin in the slow cooker. I had cut my pork loin in half and froze it because there is just the two of us. I cut the seasoning in half because my husband is on a salt restriction. I also didn’t have any apple juice. I chopped up an apple in my chopper and then added a little more than a cup of water and poured that in the slow cooker. The meat was not all the way thawed so I set the timer for nine and a half hours on low. Then took it out and let it sit for 20 minutes. When I tried to cut it it fell apart like shredded. I added the remaining juices to the meat, stirred it up. We reheated the meat in microwave and put in buns. The smell while cooking made my mouth water. Will used this recipe again when I cook the other half. I rate it a five star!!!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Kerry! It will depend on the diameter of the pork loin. If it’s a pork tenderloin (long and skinny), then you’ll want to reduce the cook time by about half. If it is short and fat (a piece of a pork loin), then you may want to reduce it slightly but not considerably. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  26. Margaret McDaniel says

    This recipe is so delicious! It is tasty without adding any sauces! I’d love to hear what sides you recommend making with it!

    Reply

  36. Rachael Yerkes says

    Well this is amazing! I was just looking for a new way to cook my pork loin and I’m definitely trying this one!

    Reply

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