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.
If you are in a rut with your same boring pork loin recipe, please try this honey apple pork loin, or try our cranberry pork loin or green chile pork loin.
Why this recipe works
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 love the way the pork turned out. It came out tender and juicy, and by cooking it for only 6 hours, I could slice the pork instead of shredded meat.
Pork and apples have always been a favorite, usually in the form of pork chops. This is a unique meal where the apples are stuffed into the pork loin, so you get a bite of the perfectly cooked apple with each bite of pork.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pork Loin – This is on the thicker side, not to be confused with pork tenderloin.
- Apples – Tart granny smith are sliced and tucked into the pork loin
- Butter – Pork loin has very little fat. The butter will add flavor and moisture to the dish.
- Honey – A touch of honey adds just enough sweetness to the dish. Alternately you can use brown sugar.
- Onion – The onion cooks down along with the apple, making an excellent topping for the plated dish.
- Seasonings – Cinnamon, thyme, salt, and pepper flavor the pork perfectly.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Start by cutting slits into the pork loin roast and stuffing sliced Granny Smith apples into those slits. I do this on a cutting board; it would be challenging to do this in the slow cooker; you will see in my photos and video how tight of a fit the pork is.
Step Two – Lay the onion and the remaining apple slices down in the crock pot. I also add a few pats of butter.
Step Three – Place the pork that is now stuffed with the apple slices on top of the onions, apples, and butter.
Step Four – After adding the pork to the slow cooker, I season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Then I drizzle over the honey and lay over thyme sprigs. I cook this honey apple pork loin for 6 hours on low. See how moist and tender the pork is? AND it was sliceable. If you let this go any longer, it would be shredded pork.
What to serve with this:
- Rice Pilaf – A little bite of pork and apple along with the rice is a match made in heaven. I often make a box of Rice-a-Roni!
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – In restaurants, they will often serve mashed potatoes along with pork loin, which is always a wise choice.
- Green Salad – Add a healthy green salad alongside the slow cooker pork roast to round out the meal.
- Slow Cooker Baked Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes and slow cooker pork loin go very well together. It is also the easiest side dish ever!
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans – These are often forgotten as an easy weeknight side dish!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The slow cooker was made not to have to mess with browning your meat first! Though if you feel the need to brown your meat, that’s perfectly fine too.
For this recipe, we add the butter to add moisture to the pot. Also, only cooking on low for six hours will not overcook the roast.
Place the cooled pork into the fridge in a ziplock bag or airtight container. It freezes well; you can freeze it for up to three months.
You can toss the leftover pork in barbecue sauce and make sandwiches or use the pork to make burritos or green sauce enchiladas.
If you use a smaller pork cut, such as pork tenderloin (about 2 pounds), you will only need to cook on low for five hours.
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Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin
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
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 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.
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Linda says
Not enough seasoning. The loin came out very tender. I eat my pork loin with applesauce. Next time I will add more seasoning.
Clarissa says
What do u do with the rest of the drippings and apples and onions ?
Sarah Olson says
I drizzled it over the pork and rice. You could make a gravy from it.
Rachel H says
I think I may try this tomorrow. Do you think it would work well to add veggies in the crock pot too (potatoes, carrots)?
Sarah Olson says
I don’t see why not!
Sue says
Is this a boneless center cut or with the bone?
Sarah Olson says
Boneless 🙂
Kathy Bossenberger says
I am so glad this recipe came back up. My computer crashed and I lost everything. This was awesome. Rice is a definite.
Sarah Olson says
Glad you were able to find it again Kathy!
Ashley Kirk says
Silly question but what is the point of the apples? What do they add to it? Thanks =) (Yes, I am new to this more than basic cooking thing although I have done alot with my slow cooker =) )
Sarah Olson says
Apples and pork go great together, it’s a wonderful flavor combination 🙂
Laura says
I read several of the replies and altered original as some of the others did. Delicious!!! I used 1/4 cup butter ,onion salt ,macintosh apples ,oregano ,thyme ,honey and cinnamon. My pork was 1.5lb cooked it for 5 hours on low. I definitely will cook it again.
Sarah Olson says
Happy to hear that Laura!
Candy says
Just tried it and it is super delicious. My six year old had three servings. My aunt hosts a lot of dinners at her house and I sent her the recipe to try. Definitely recommend it!
Erica says
I followed the recipe exactly as written. In my opinion, the 6 hour sale of cook time is too long. The pork was drier than saw dust. I am trying to salvage the meat by slicing it and letting it soak up the juices. The flavour was nice though
Nicole says
My loin is only 1.5lb, can you please suggest the cooking time for this size?
Sarah Olson says
5 hours low would work good!
AIMEE says
I’m making this for tomorrow but will use Chinese 5 spice instead of the cinnamon. So excited to try this!!
Sarah Olson says
The Chinese 5 spice sounds really good! Let me know how you like it!
Fran says
Any suggestions how I would modify this recipe for my 4-quart slow cooker? It looks delish…can’t wait to try it, but my crock pot is smaller! Please help! Thank you!
Carmen says
I used a pork tenderloin, perfect for a small slow cooker, thicken sauce, it’s delicious.