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Learn how to roast pork loin that’s tender, flavorful and juicy! The pork loin roast is marinated and seared in a cast iron skillet to lock in all those yummy juices, then roasted in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Roasted Pork Loin Recipe
I love a good pork roast, especially with fall coming. This roasted pork loin gets it delicious flavor from the marinade, which is just soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, dry ground mustard and garlic powder. It’s rubbed all over with olive oil to help keep it juicy and moist.
Searing the meat in a large cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet caramelizes the exterior and forms a crust, and keeps the juices trapped inside. Roasting at a high temperature locks in the moisture and flavor.
If you’re looking for a new Sunday dinner option, look no further! A pork roast is a classy, yet super simple main course that pairs great with sweet or savory sides, like Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes and Corn Casserole. Add a simple green salad or some Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus and you’ve got an elegant meal for Sunday dinner or just about any night of the week.
What is a Pork Loin?
Often confused with pork tenderloin, a pork loin is cut from the back loin muscle of the pig. A tenderloin is long and narrow while a pork loin is wide and thick. If you were to slice a pork loin roast into thick pieces, you’d get pork chops!
Because they are completely different cuts of meat, you cannot swap one out for the other. Each require a different cooking time so it’s best to use what your recipe calls for. If you accidentally bought a tenderloin instead though, I’ve got you covered! Try my Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin or Cajun Pork Tenderloin.
How to Roast a Boneless Pork Loin
There are a few things to keep in mind when cooking meat in general, but especially a boneless roast like this that has very little fat and can dry out pretty easily.
- SEAR IT. I love to sear my meat, giving it a nice golden color and a crispier exterior. For this roast you’ll want to use two sets of tongs if you can because it’s quite heavy, and turn it as it sears on all sides, even the ends. You want to avoid using a fork and piercing the meat, that’s when you lose valuable juice.
- ROAST IT. Slide the pan into the oven and cook at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. Check the temperature after about 25 minutes because oven temps can vary. This is where having a digital instant read thermometer is quite handy.
- REST IT. Trust me the smell coming from your oven as you are waiting for that glorious meat to finish cooking is enough to make you want to slice into it as soon as it comes out of the oven. But if you want to keep that juiciness, you’ll need to let the meat rest.
Why does meat need to Rest?
The quick science behind this is that the juices all come to the center while the meat cooks. As it rests, the juices redistribute themselves all throughout the meat. Slicing into the meat too soon will result in a big puddle of flavor spilled all over your cutting board.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and tent with foil for at least 10-15 minutes. This allows the roast pork loin to rest without being overcooked by the hot pan. A good rule of thumb is about 4 ½ minutes per pound of meat.
Follow these tips and you’re sure to have a nice juicy and tender roast. Served with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables, it’s the perfect fall meal!
What to Do With Leftovers
If you happen to have leftover roasted pork loin, there are lots of ways to use it up! Stored properly in an airtight container, pork loin will remain fresh 4-5 days in the fridge.
- Slice thin and make yourself a Cuban Sandwich.
- Cut into chunks for Pork Fried Rice.
- Dice into small chunks and use in place of chicken for soup.
- Add sliced pork to Chow Mein.
- Serve in a Pork Caprese Salad.
- Freeze the leftover portion in an airtight container for another meal. It will remain fresh for up to 6-7 months.
More pork recipes to try:
More easy oven roasted dinners:
Pan Roasted Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork loin roast (NOT tenderloin)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together all ingredients, except pork, to combine.
- Rinse and pat roast dry. Place in the marinade mixture, turning to coat all sides and rubbing the mixture into the meat.
- Heat a cast iron (or other heavy bottomed, oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place the meat in the hot skillet. Using two sets of tongs, turn the meat every two minutes until all sides have a nice sear, and leave it fat side up. Slide into the preheated oven. Do not pierce with a fork to flip.
- Roast pork for about 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reads 145 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and transfer pork to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
This came out beautifully! Our roast was just shy of 1 kg, so I checked it after 20 minutes. It needed more time, gave it 6 more minutes and it was perfect. This sear-in-cast iron pan then roast at high temp method is ideal. The roast was so tender and juicy. As for flavourings, we were honouring my partner’s father, so after patting dry, I applied a high-temp oil allover then coated all sides in a mix of caraway seeds, garlic powder, pepper, salt. The caraway imparts the interest, the rest is just in support. Very happy with the result! Thank you 🙂
You are so welcome Sarah! Fantastic feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Just starting to put 3lb pork loin in cast iron skillet in oven and was wondering if the marinade can be incorporated with the roast during cooking and does the marinade have a “second life.”
A prior review included the marinade whilst cooking.,
Cheers,
Bob
You can simmer the marinade on the stove until it boils and use it as a sauce, brushing it on the pork loin when it’s finished cooking. It must boil in order to make it safe to eat. Enjoy!
Perfect. Marinated for 3 hours before cooking. Followed recipe as is, just added onions to caramelize. Absolutely delicious.
Nice! Thanks for the awesome feedback Marci.
Can I still use this recipe with Pork Loin Center cuts??
Sliced pork loin would work, but you’d need to reduce the cooking time and it really depends on how thick the cuts are.
What if my loin is only 1.5 lbs? How long should I roast it for?
First make sure it is a pork LOIN and not a tenderloin. I would check it at about 20 minutes to see what the temperature is. Pork should be 140-145 degrees F.
I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious. Great recipe, Kristin. Tonight I am using the basic instructions but with different seasonings. We’ll see how that turns out. I am dry brining with salt and pepper and then inserted rosemary and garlic into little slits. It’s an experiment, but I freestyle cook a lot.
Roasting this at a high temperature gives a very nice crust for a smaller roast. I never thought of doing it this way. Thank you for the inspiration.
You are so welcome KayElle. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
I bookmarked this recipe because the method will lend itself to many different applications I am thinking. And, by the way, the pork with rosemary and garlic turned out amazing. I picked up a huge quantity of Rosemary at my local asian grocery store. Not even sure why they had it. Rosemary is not exactly an asian herb. Now I have to find ways to use it. If you want to use my idea for your own inspiration, I am cool with that.
Again, thank you for sharing your amazing recipes.
K
You are so welcome KayElle! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Kristin!
I’ve made this and it is divine!!! I was curious though, how long you leave your pork in the marinade? I did half an hour but noticed that you don’t specify in the recipe. I also poured the marinade into the cast iron skillet along with the pork since the high oven heat will cook off the raw meat from the marinade. It turned out so juicy! Just wanted to drop back in and let you know how I used your recipe and that I LOVED it, as did the hubby and kids. Thank you!!! 🙂
Only 30 minutes for 3 lbs
Yes, you are roasting it at a high temperature.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!! Can’t wait to try it 🙂