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.
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!
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
I followed this recipe but I left it to cook on til it was shredded pork, delicious and tender. This was mostly because of the order of my day and the slow-cooker not having a timer. I was using apples from a friend’s garden so I slipped in some extra along with some big squashed garlic cloves. It turned out perfectly for a cold October night, served with mashed potato and sprouting broccoli; I too made a gravy from the liquor…
Made as written except decreased cinnamon to 1/4 tsp and added 1/2 tsp rosemary—added slices of butter with the apples to the slits on top of the roast. Made a roux to create a gravy with the strained drippings to pour over all. Served with rice and steamed broccoli—amazing! 5 1/2 hours on low for a 3# pork loin, moist and perfect! Thank you for a lovely recipe that is suitable for company…or anytime!
Tried it for the first time. Excitingly waiting for results.
I love all those recipes. I wish I had time to make all of them. Keep em coming
Very easy to prepare. Lovely flavour. I served with mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and gravy. Will definitely make again.