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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Slow cooker pork tenderloin is one of the easiest dinners you can make in a crockpot. It takes about ten minutes of hands-on work and a few hours on low, and the cooking juices turn into a glossy brown sugar and garlic glaze at the end.

It slices into neat rounds and looks good enough for company on a plain weeknight. This is the kind of dinner for a Sunday when you want something that feels like a roast without giving the whole afternoon to it. Two tenderloins feed six, and whatever is left over makes a good sandwich the next day.

The one mistake to avoid: cooking it all day

Pork tenderloin is the opposite of the pork shoulder in our Crockpot Pulled Pork. Shoulder is full of fat and collagen, and it needs eight hours for all of that to break down. Tenderloin is the leanest cut on the pig. It has nothing to melt, so every hour past done just squeezes more moisture out of it.

A lot of slow cooker recipes tell you to set tenderloin on low for 6 to 8 hours and walk away. That is how you get dry, stringy pork. Cook it on low for 3 to 4 hours instead, and go by temperature rather than the clock.

The USDA’s safe temperature for whole cuts of pork is 145F, followed by a 3 minute rest. At 145F the center is faintly pink and juicy, and that is both correct and safe. Slow cookers run hotter or cooler than one another, so start checking at the 3 hour mark with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part.

Why two tenderloins

Tenderloins are usually sold in packs of two, each about a pound. Two fit side by side in a 6 quart slow cooker and feed about six people. If you are only cooking one, keep the sauce the same and start checking the temperature earlier, around 2 and a half hours.

A few things that make it better

• Tuck the thin end under. Tenderloins taper at one end. Folding the tail under makes the whole piece an even thickness, so it cooks evenly instead of drying out at the thin end.
• Sear it first if you have five minutes. It adds color and a little flavor. It is not what makes the recipe work, so skip it on a busy day.
• Turn the pork in the sauce before you put the lid on, so both sides are coated.
• Do not skip thickening the sauce. Straight out of the slow cooker the juices are thin. A couple of minutes at a simmer with a spoon of cornstarch is what turns them into a glaze.
• Let it rest before slicing, then cut it about half an inch thick and spoon the glaze over the top.

Questions people ask

Can I put it in frozen?
No. Thaw it in the fridge first. The USDA advises against slow cooking frozen meat, because it spends too long warming through the unsafe temperature range.

Is pork loin the same thing?
No. Pork loin is a wider, thicker roast and takes longer to cook. This recipe is written for tenderloin. For a loin, try our Instant Pot Pork Loin.

Can I cook it on high?
Yes. Plan on about 2 hours on high and start checking at 1 and a half. Low gives you a little more room for error.

What should I serve with it?
Anything that soaks up the glaze: mashed potatoes, rice or buttered egg noodles, with green beans or a salad on the side.

How long do leftovers keep?
Three to four days in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat slices gently with a spoonful of the glaze so they do not dry out.

More recipes you’ll love: Crockpot Pulled Pork, Mexican Pork Chops, Instant Pot Pork Loin, and our full Easy Crockpot Dinner Recipes roundup.

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

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• Author: Fluffy
• Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Two pork tenderloins cooked low in brown sugar, garlic and soy, then sliced and finished with the juices simmered into a glaze.

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Ingredients

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• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (only if searing)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve

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Instructions

1. Pat the tenderloins dry, trim off any silver skin, and season all over with the salt and pepper. Fold the thin tail end of each one underneath.
2. Optional: heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the tenderloins for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. In the slow cooker, whisk together the brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, Dijon mustard and chicken broth.
4. Add the tenderloins and turn them in the sauce to coat.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or on HIGH for about 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 145F. Start checking at 3 hours on low (1 and a half on high).
6. Move the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and rest for at least 3 minutes.
7. Pour the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch into the cold water, whisk it into the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until glossy and thickened.
8. Slice the pork about half an inch thick, arrange on a platter, spoon the glaze over and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

• Go by temperature, not time. Tenderloin is lean and dries out quickly once it passes 145F.
• One tenderloin: keep the sauce the same and start checking around 2 and a half hours on low.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a spoonful of the glaze.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

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