Slow Cooker Pork Roast is the definition of easy, cozy comfort food. Made with a lean, tender pork roast, sweet apples, and a savory rub, this crockpot pork roast delivers intense flavor with minimal ingredients.
Looking for more crockpot pork recipes? Don't miss Crockpot Pork and Sauerkraut, Crockpot Carnitas, and Crockpot Pulled Pork.
The Best Slow Cooker Pork Roast
If you want to enjoy a flavorful, juicy pork roast, this easy crockpot pork roast recipe delivers show-stopping results with nearly zero effort.
No searing, no marinade, no brine! Just a few simple ingredients combine to deliver an amazing pork roast. A lean pork loin roast is seasoned with a savory dry rub and then cooked low and slow with a sweet apples, aromatic onions, and a tangy mustard braising liquid. It is incredibly tender, insanely juicy, and the flavors are perfectly balanced.
This Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apples is one of the EASIEST, most flavorful meals you will ever make. It delivers similar flavors as my recipe for Pork Chops with Apples, but with this recipe, the crockpot does all the work.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Roast
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the Pork Roast. To infuse the lean pork loin with amazing flavor, I highly recommend cutting 6 to 8 three-inch slits in the pork roast and adding sliced apples inside each slice and then rubbing with the dry spices. The rub and the apples will infuse the pork with flavor, while the slits will also give the pork loin more surface area to absorb the rich braising liquid.
- Add to Slow Cooker. Place the seasoned pork loin roast into your slow cooker, along with sliced onion and any remaining apple slices. Pour a combination of apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar) and mustard over the pork roast.
- Slow Cook Pork Roast. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or 8-10 hours on low.
- Serve with Cooking Liquid. Remove the pork roast from the slow cooker and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the rich cooking liquid.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Place leftover cooled pork roast into an airtight container along with any remaining cooking liquid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Let the pork roast cool fully, then transfer the pork roast and reserved cooking liquid to a freezer-safe container, leaving a bit of room for the liquid to expand. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator if needed. Reheat in the slow cooker on low until warmed through, or heat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until heated through.
Recipe Modifications
- Pork Roast: For this slow cooker pork roast recipe, I recommend using a learn pork loin roast. It benefits from being cooked low and slow and the bold flavors in the apple cider and mustard flavor this rather-blank protein well. If you opt to use a pork tenderloin, you will only need to cook it for 4 hours on low in the slow cooker.
- No Apple Cider? Feel free to replace the apple cider with apple juice, hard apple cider, or chicken stock. Do NOT use apple cider vinegar.
Make it a Meal
The flavors in this Slow Cooker Pork Roast pair well with classic mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes or any of the following side dishes below.
- Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Kale Apple Salad
- Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
If you enjoyed this Crockpot Pork Roast, I would love for you to share a comment and a review.
Slow Cooker Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 3 pound pork loin roast
- 1 large apple Gala, Golden Delicious, or Honeycrisp
- 1 large yellow or white onion quartered
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 12 ounces apple cider or hard apple cider
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon coriander, and ½ teaspoon thyme leaves. Set aside.
- Cut six to eight evenly spaced slits on the surface of the pork roast. Each slit should be about 3-inches wide by 1-½-inch deep. In each slit, place 2 apple slices. Rub the prepared spice rub mixture evenly over the pork roast.
- Place the seasoned pork into the slow cooker. Lay the onion slices and any remaining apple slices evenly around the pork.
- Mix together the ¼ cup mustard and 12 ounces (1-½ cups) apple cider and then pour into the slow cooker around the pork roast.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours, or until the pork is fully cooked through and tender.
- To serve, remove the pork from the slow cooker. Strain out onions and apple from broth and shred or slice pork and serve with strained braising liquid.
jk
I would suggest using Jonathan apples as they are tart but not sour the way Granny Smith are. If you have trouble finding them, as I do up here in the northern United States, I would suggest Fuji which are also tart. Both Jonathan and Fuji are fantastic just sliced up and eaten with some cheese. Any cheese LOL
Jill S.
I made this for this evening. It smelled incredible all afternoon and was a huge hit! Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe. It will go on regular rotation.
Kristen Chidsey
So glad this will become a regular at your house Jill! Thanks for sharing!
abbie
My daughter has several food allergies. This is a great make and freeze recipe for her. Thank you.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy I can help you make recipes suitable for your daughter!
Heather
Delicious. We browned the meat first, then sauteed onions in the pan, deglazed with apple cider and poured it over the roast in crockpot. Used two sliced apples, just placed them around meat- did not cut the slits. On high for 2 hours, then low until dinner time. Came out great: tender and flavorful. The aroma was distracting all day. Definitely a keeper.
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed Heather and I love to hear you are planning on making again! This is a favorite at this house as well!
Laurie
I don’t know what I did wrong, but this was the driest pork loin I ever made.
Did exactly per recipe, 3 pound loin roast, on low setting for 8 hours. Juice had a nice flavor, but texture was dry. My crock pot is an older model, perhaps the low setting is hotter than newer models? Seemed to be overcooked.
I’ll try to salvage by shredding and using as pork barbecue. From now on, though, it’s instant pot pork for me!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Laurie. I have never had this recipe turn out dry, so I do wonder if it is your model. To cook this in your instant pot, I would cut the pork into 2-inch cubes and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. I am sorry this was not a success for you!
jk
Many times a pork recipe comes out dry because pork nowadays is bread very very lean. Back in the '60s and 70s it wasn't and pork was always juicy. It's the fact in me that gives it the juiciness. It could just be the cut of your pork. And of course as you stated, it could be the Crock-Pot. I really do love my instapot, but I do have to say for dishes like this where you want the meat and the apples to really meld, slow cooking is the way to go. I've done it both ways and you get more depth of taste with the slow cooking. Fast is great, but not always best LOL
Beth Johns
Sorry, but this sentence is confusing to me: "Apple cider can be substituted for the cider with great results." Can you please clarify?
Kristen Chidsey
Apple juice can be substituted 😊 I will make that more clear.
Kristen Chidsey
Oh Beverley, YES--I have been in a hurry many times. I am so sorry for your loss of time and ingredients though. Hope the do-over makes the effort worth it.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Amy! Great catch, it was supposed to be 4 hours on high for a pork tenderloin. Now this still cooks the pork tenderloin to 165 degrees and it will be falling apart tender, but not at all dried out.
mary lou sculti
Can i do this in the oven in a covered heavy pot on low around 225-250
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, that will work for the same about of time as well.
Shannah A Coe
We use the slow cooker all the time during the summer months so the kitchen stays cool and we can still have a home cooked meal. I just added this to our to menu because it looks so good.
Kristen Chidsey
This is exactly what we do as well! And this is ALWAYS a family favorite.
Jessica
Look at that fork-tender pork! Perfect for summer and not heating up the whole kitchen.
Kristen Chidsey
Exactly--this is pork roast is perfect year round.
Kristen Chidsey
Nothing beats a good slow cooked pork recipe 🙂 Thanks for hosting Christine!
Kristen Chidsey
Then you will LOVE this Erin!! Enjoy those fresh apples!
Kristen Chidsey
Allie, I hope you LOVE it! I am glad you find slow cooker meals so helpful--my brain is full of them 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Oh Sarah, cooking with hard cider is like cooking with beer or wine--such intense flavor can be achieved this way!