Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin is a beautiful and tender pork dinner. Apples are tucked into the pork loin and cooked with onions, butter, honey and a touch of cinnamon.
Have you seen pork done with the apples stuffed in the top? I’ve wanted to try this for a while now. I’m glad I finally got around to trying it, and I want to share my results with you. I really love the way the pork turned out. It came out tender and juicy, and with cooking it for only 6 hours I was able to slice the pork instead of having shredded meat.
How to make Honey Apple Pork Loin:
First I start by cutting slits into the pork and stuffing sliced Granny Smith apples into those slits. I do this on a cutting board, it would be very difficult to do this in the slow cooker, you will see in my photos and video how tight of a fit the pork is.
I lay onion and more apple slices down in the slow cooker. I also add a few pats of butter. I do this for a bit of cooking liquid for the pork, and to add more flavor.
After adding the pork to the slow cooker I season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Then I drizzle over honey and lay over thyme sprigs. I cook this honey apple pork loin for 6 hours on low.
Here is the pork after being cooked for 6 hours.
All ready to serve! I made rice pilaf to go with this, it was a great side for the pork.
See how moist and tender the pork is? AND it was sliceable. If I let this go any longer it would be shredded meat.
Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 5 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 4 lb. pork loin I use a center cut
- 2 granny smith apples sliced and divided
- 1 white onion sliced
- 1/2 cup butter sliced
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh
Instructions:
- Cut slits on the top of the pork loin, I cut about an inch down. Plug in apple slices into the slits. Set aside.
- Add the onions and remaining apple slices down in the slow cooker. Lay over the slices of butter.
- Add the pork loin.
- Sprinkle the pork with the salt, pepper and cinnamon. Add the thyme.
- Drizzle over the honey.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- When the cooking time is done. Remove the pork onto a platter and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Mine got done a little quicker than 6 hours but was still delicious. I then skimmed off the grease and put the apples, onions and juice from the crockpot into a blender. It made a great gravy!
Thank you. I am 83 years old and I will try all these recipes for my granddaughters. LOVE THEM!!!
Smelled good but came out super dry. I used a 4# roast and cooked it only 5 hrs on low. Followed all directions exactly. Even a sauce made w the cooking liquid couldn’t save it. Will not make again.
A must try recipe ! I’ve got a lion in my freezer, can’t wait till it thaws. Will be our Sunday dinner for sure.
Absolutely delicious omitted the cinnamon as do not enjoy the taste, added a pinch of thyme and rosemay, excluded honey, too sweet and added a bramley sliced apple instead, made gravy with juices, mashed King Edward potatoes and broccoli. My daughter was so jealous
I have made this recipe three times already for Christmas and when company’s coming. Everybody has loved it. I bake it in white wine in the oven at 300°F for 2-3 hours. Delicious!! Thank you!!!
Followed it to a tee. So bland
hi, i love your blog and i have the exact same slow cooker as you (the 6 qt one you show in your photos). But when I cook meat recipes, like this pork one I tried for Christmas, they always come out dry! What am I doing wrong that everyone else gets such great results? I follow the directions exactly, one thing is I swap out some/most of the onions for something like bell peppers … could this be it b/c the onion tenderizes somehow? Another idea, if my roast is on the small side (my pork roast was 3 pounds), should I reduce the cooking time? Is there a way to check whether it is done without messing up the cooking? THANK YOU for any advice. And Happy Holidays!
Pork tenderloin and chicken breasts can tend to taste that way in the slow cooker. You could reduce the cooking time. If you want meats that are juicy, try a chuck roast or chicken thighs.
Cooked this in the instant pot 13 min manual, 15 min natural release. Added cinamon and sage leaves in slits for apples. (I didn’t have thyme.) Cooked to perfection! Amazing, no leftover. My family loved it!
How did you stack it in the Instant pot? Did you kind of wrap it up on itself? Thanks in advance!
Do you have to cook this for 6 hours on low – how about 3 hours on high? What is the difference.
You can try on high, I think it may need a little longer than 3 hours for such a large piece of meat.
I am going to try this. Looks great
I cook a lot of pork loin in my smoker, and I can’t wait to try this in the crock pot