Need a roast for the whole family but don’t want to stress? A boneless pork loin roast is incredibly moist, flavorful, and cooks in under an hour with the traditional oven-roasting method. This easy cut of pork feeds a crowd without breaking the bank and is sure to become a regular at both weeknight dinners and special occasions.
Want to make the juiciest pork loin roast?
This easy recipe delivers tender, flavorful pork loin every time that your family is going to love. Plus, it’s about as simple as a recipe can get in one pan. Roasting a whole pork loin results in moist, fork-tender pork nestled over roasted veggies. With a few minutes of simple prep, you can have an amazing pork roast recipe that makes the perfect main dish for special occasions or cozy weekday meals.
We provide tips on choosing the right size roast, prep steps like tying and seasoning, and exact instructions for oven roasting so your pork recipe turns out excellent every time. Our easy pork loin roast recipe delivers a beautiful main dish with a crispy, tasty crust and juicy slices of meat. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to roast a pork loin for the best results with minimal effort!
Table of Contents
In this recipe:
The Cut: What is a Pork Loin Roast?
A pork loin roast, also known as a pork loin, is a long roast cut from the back upper portion of the pork behind the shoulder. It’s the same area where pork chops are carved from and often found in most grocery stores’ fresh meat department. Most of the time, they are boneless, making them an affordable large roast, especially if you’re feeding a large family. But if you’re lucky enough to find a bone-in roast, you can make an oven-roasted rack of pork.
Often, it’s easy to confuse pork loin and tenderloin due to how they are packaged, but they are different cuts of meat. Pork loin roasts are bigger and will have a thin layer of fat on top. This lean cut of pork ranges from 3 to 7 pounds at the market and is great for grilling, smoking, baking, or even easy slow cooker pulled pork. You can even buy the larger loin roasts and trim them into individual smaller roasts or boneless pork chops for later.
When buying a pork loin, look for an even fat cap from end to end for the best results.
Ingredients
- Boneless pork loin roast – the one we show in this recipe is a beautiful roast with a thick fat cap from Porter Road Butchers, one of our favorite places to order meat online. We love the thick fat layer that Porter Road keeps on the pork compared to what we find at our local grocery store.
- Kosher salt
- Fresh head of garlic
- Oil – avocado oil or your favorite neutral cooking oil
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Onion
- Carrots
- Lemon
How to cook a pork loin Roast
We keep this roast simple, with veggies and rosemary, but feel free to add your favorite spice rub if you want to mix up the flavors. Try Italian seasoning or barbecue spices to amp up the flavor of the pork, depending on what side dishes you want to serve with it.
Prep the pork
- Start by removing the pork from the package and patting it dry with paper towels. If the fat cap is over 1/4″ thick, consider trimming it with a sharp filet knife if your family doesn’t love the fat layer. Then liberally season the roast with salt and let it dry brine in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, let the pork loin roast sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Next, preheat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, braiser, or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Place the pork, fat side down, in the hot skillet to sear the fat cap for about 7 to 9 minutes until it’s golden brown. Transfer the pork to a cutting board using long tongs and remove the pan from the heat.
- Carefully cut off the top 1/4 portion of the head of garlic to expose the bulbs, then drizzle it with oil. Add the head of garlic to the cast iron skillet along with the chopped onion, carrot, and lemon wedges. Place the rosemary springs on top of the veggies and nestle the pork loin, fat side up, on top of it all.
ROAST THE PORK
- Carefully transfer the skillet to the hot oven and roast the pork for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F with an instant read thermometer. The trick to juicy pork is not overcooking it, so keeping an eye on the internal temperature is important.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the pork roast to a clean cutting board. Top it with a dollop of herb compound butter and tent the entire roast loosely with foil to rest for 10 minutes. As the pork rests, the internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise to 145° F.
SERVE
- After it has rested, slice it into 1/2″ thick juicy pork loin portions with a sharp knife. Sprinkle it with freshly minced parsley and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Serve the pork over the roasted veggies, squeezing the roasted garlic cloves out and using it on a toasted baguette or mixing it into the veggies.
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- According to the USDA, pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees F, which means it will be juicy and may have a slightly pink center. An accurate digital meat thermometer is the only way to guarantee a perfectly cooked pork roast.
- We use clean cast iron to keep this a one-pan meal (fewer dishes), but you could sear it in a skillet and transfer the pork to a roasting pan if you don’t have oven-safe cast iron.
- We tie our roast every 2 to 3 inches with butcher’s twine to help it maintain an even shape for more consistent cooking. You can ask your butcher to do this for you.
- Add fennel, parsnips, potatoes, or turnips to the vegetable mix to beef up the vegetables. Use what you have on hand.
- We love to serve this roast pork loin recipe with a mustard cream sauce made with the pan drippings.
What to Serve With
Because you roast this over veggies, you have a built-in side dish to pair this delicious recipe with. However, it’s also great with roasted green beans, foil wrapped baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or Brussels sprouts au gratin.
Wine Pairing
Pork is mild, so pair it with a wine that doesn’t overpower it. Stick with a dry Sauvignon Blanc if you like white wine or a light Pinot Noir if you prefer red wine.
Leftovers and Reheating
Wrap any leftover pork roast tightly in aluminum foil after it’s cooled. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, slice off what you need from the whole roast. Then reheat the individual portions wrapped in foil in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F.
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Pork Loin Roast
Ingredients
- 4 lbs boneless pork loin roast
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 head Garlic
- 1 tsp oil
- 4 sprigs fresh Rosemary
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
Instructions
Prep the pork
- Remove the 4 lbs boneless pork loin roast from the package and pat try with a paper towel.
- Season all sides liberally with 1 tbsp Salt and allow it to dry brine overnight in the fridge.
- When ready to cook, let the pork roast to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees F and adjust the rack to the lower mid position.
- Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat until just smoking.
- Add the pork, fat side down to sear the fat cap.
- Let the pork sear until a golden crust forms, about 7 to 9 minutes.
- With long tongs, transfer the pork to a cutting board.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Cut the top from the head of 1 head Garlic, exposing the bulbs, and rub 1 tsp oil over the exposed bulbs.
- Add 1 onion, 2 carrots and 1 lemon wedges to the same skillet.
- Nestle the head of garlic in and add the 4 sprigs fresh Rosemary.
- Nestle the pork loin roast back into the pan atop the veggies.
Roast the pork
- Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or unti the internal temperature of the pork reaches 140 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the roasted pork to a clean cutting board.
- Top with a tablespoon of compound butter and tent with foil.
- Let the roast rest for 10 minutes. As it rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise to 145 dergees F.
Serve
- Slice the pork and sprinkle it with freshly minced parsley, a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Serve it with the roasted vegetables and mustard cream sauce.
Notes
- According to the USDA, pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees F, which means it will be juicy and may have a slightly pink center. An accurate digital meat thermometer is the only way to guarantee a perfectly cooked pork roast.
- We tie our roast every 2 to 3 inches with butcher’s twine to help it maintain an even shape for more consistent cooking. You can ask your butcher to do this for you.
- Add fennel, parsnips, potatoes, or turnips to the vegetable mix to beef up the vegetables. Use what you have on hand.
- We love to serve this roast pork loin recipe with a mustard cream sauce to drizzle overtop.
Nutrition
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Save Recipe BookmarkRecipe FAQs
A three-pound pork loin roast can feed 4 to 6 people. If you are feeding a larger crowd, consider getting two 3-pound roasts instead of a larger roast for quicker cooking time.
Pork loin is a lean cut of meat that can easily dry out if overcooked. The trick to juicy slices of tender pork loin is to use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s perfectly cooked.
Pork loin is done when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Cook your pork loin roast at 325 degrees F oven temperature until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F at the thickest part of the roast.
