Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin — Tender and juicy boneless pork tenderloin is slow cooked with hearty vegetables for a complete and EASY meal! Reminiscent of a hearty and rustic recipe, yet fancy enough for a special dinner or holiday entertaining!
Table of Contents
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- Ingredients in Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- Vegetables Substitutions to Try
- Recipe FAQs
- How to Serve Pork Tenderloin
- Make-Ahead Instructions
- How to Store Leftover Pork Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- More Holiday Dinner Ideas:
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Whether you’re in need of an easy recipe to feed a crowd over the holidays, or are looking for a family dinner recipe that’ll provide you with planned leftovers, look no further than this slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe with vegetables.
Complete with earthy vegetables including carrots, potatoes, onion, and rutabaga, and seasoned to perfection with rosemary, thyme, and parsley, this pork roast with vegetables is a comfort food classic.
Best of all, it’s made in your slow cooker, meaning active hands-on time for you is next to nothing! Plus, cleanup is a breeze, too.
A friend of mine who enjoyed this meal with me commented that it reminds her of an Irish farm meal. So aromatic, hearty, and despite it being simple food, there is beauty in the simplicity.
Comfort food never goes out of style, and this simple pork tenderloin in the Crockpot is just that!
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
To make this pork tenderloin in your slow cooker, you’ll need the following easy to find ingredients including:
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Rutabaga (see Substitutions below)
- Chicken broth
- Garlic
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Boneless pork tenderloin – this usually comes as two pieces and can be cooked separately, or you can tie them together to keep as one larger roast
- Rosemary – fresh or dried
- Thyme – fresh or dried
- Olive oil
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Fresh parsley
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Pork Tenderloin vs Pork Loin
This recipe is for pork TENDERLOIN in Crockpot — which is NOT the same cut of meat as pork loin. Pork tenderloin is fairly small and narrow in size, and is typically sold in packs of two. It cooks quickly in the slow cooker and can easily dry out if you leave it for too long.
Pork loin is wide and thick in shape, with a thick layer of fat on top. It’s better suited to roasting in the oven than slow cooking in a Crockpot.
Use pork tenderloin for this recipe!
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
Even if you’ve never made Crockpot tenderloin, I can assure you that this recipe is easy to make! Simply follow these very straightforward steps:
Step 1: Add chunks of onion, potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga into the slow cooker.
Step 2: Pour the chicken broth over the top and cook on high for 1 hour.
Step 3: Combine the garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and rub all over the pork roast. If using dried rosemary and thyme, you can add to the dry rub at this time and rub it all over the pork.
Step 4: Add olive oil to a large skillet, and sear and brown the pork on the stove.
Step 5: After 1 hour of cooking the vegetables, add the seared meat on top of them. If using fresh herbs, lay sprigs of rosemary and thyme over the top.
Step 6: Evenly sprinkle lemon zest and drizzle lemon juice over the pork.
Step 7: Cover and slow cook on low for 3 hours or until done.
Step 8: Rest the pork for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to Keep Pork Tenderloin From Drying Out in a Slow Cooker
Using a meat thermometer is highly recommended. Undercooked pork is a health hazard, however overcooked pork is like eating shoe leather. Rather than guessing, use a thermometer. The internal temp should be 135F.
Remember, the internal temp of meat tends to rise, even after pulled from a slow cooker or the oven. For smaller cuts of meat, it’s about 5 degrees, but for larger cuts or roasts it’s 10 to 15 degrees.
So while you let your pork tenderloin rest before slicing into it, and that is another tip — don’t skip resting your meat — you can pull it out at 130F from the slow cooker to avoid overcooking, knowing that the temp will rise up to 135F before it then drops.
Vegetables Substitutions to Try
For my comforting slow cooker pork tenderloin with vegetables, I used onion, potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga.
For those not familiar with rutabaga, it’s a hearty root vegetable, with a fairly neutral flavor. It reminds me of something in between a white potato and jicama – if jicama could be cooked.
However, you can substitute turnips, wedges of green cabbage, or really any firm vegetable such as golden beets.
Recipe FAQs
The veggies will need to cook for 1 hour on high. Then, you’ll add the pork tenderloin to the slow cooker and cook everything together on low for 3 hours.
Take note that the vegetables cook by themselves for 1 hour on high before adding the pork. Then, after you add the pork, cook for 3 hours on low.
No, you don’t but this recipe is specifically written for pork in a slow cooker.
You can however make this meal essentially as a sheet pan meal in the oven, cooked for about 1 hour at about 375F degrees, adding the vegetables halfway through the total cooking time. As needed, you will need to tent the pork with foil so it doesn’t burn approximately halfway through when you add the vegetables.
It would be best to investigate another recipe that focuses specifically on oven-roasted pork tenderloin, but I wanted to give broad-based directions to set you on the right track for those without a slow cooker.
Because you’re cooking a large cut of protein, as well as pounds worth of vegetables, I recommend at least a 7 to 8-quart slow cooker, or larger. Any smaller and I fear it will not cook evenly nor properly.
You can use either fresh or dried herbs when slow cooking pork tenderloin. If you’re making this around the holidays, you may have fresh rosemary and thyme on hand from other recipes. If so, go ahead and use fresh.
Although if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, using dry herbs is fine. If you’re using dry ground herbs, pat them directly onto the meat as a spice rub whereas fresh herbs should be placed or laid on top of the pork as the final step before putting the lid on your slow cooker.
Of course! Mix and match your vegetables. Have two pounds of potatoes to use but no carrots? Totally fine. You get the point that you can be flexible with the vegetables. I like to use a small bag of mixed baby potatoes, but any potato is great. Potatoes should be in bite-sized chunks so they cook evenly.
How to Serve Pork Tenderloin
After resting and slicing the meat, you can simply plate it and then add the vegetables. This is what’s shown in the photos.
Plus, I used some drippings from the pork, added cornstarch, and made gravy like I did in that recipe because my family loves their gravy, but this is optional. However, an optional way to serve this is to separate the broth, pork, and root vegetables.
Mash the root vegetables together, make a bed of the mash on your plate, top with thinly sliced pork, and pour the broth over the top as if it were like a gravy.
This is a great way to serve the leftovers especially.
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you’re taking this to an event like a family holiday meal or other get-together, this pork roast can go with you uncooked but in the slow cooker. Just plug it in when you get where you’re going and slow cook it there.
Or, make it at home, and keep it hot, and then it’s totally ready to eat when you get to your destination.
A slow cooker with a tightly sealing lid is best and then if you happen to have one, put it in a cardboard box to save your car floorboards or trunk from any accidental spills.
How to Store Leftover Pork Tenderloin
Being that this recipe for rosemary pork tenderloin does make a hefty quantity, you may find yourselves with some leftovers. If that’s the case, they will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 large white or yellow onion, quartered or diced into large chunks
- 1 pound potatoes, diced into 1-inch chunks
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1 to 2-inch segments
- 1 large rutabaga, diced into 1-inch chunks* (See Notes)
- 1 cup chicken broth, I use low-salt
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary OR 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme OR 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin**, See Notes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
- Lemon juice, from the same 1 medium lemon
- Fresh parsley, as desired for garishing
Instructions
- To at least an 8-quart slow cooker (or larger) add the onion, potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, cover with the broth, place the lid on top, and cook on high for 1 hour.
- While vegetables are cooking, to a small bowl, add the garlic, salt, pepper, dried rosemary (if using fresh, add it later), dried thyme (if using fresh, add it later), and stir to combine.
- Pat this rub mixture evenly all over the pork.
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil and sear the pork over medium-high heat, brown and sear the pork on all sides. Use tongs as necessary to flip and rotate it. This may take about 10 minutes total.
- After 1 hour, add the seared pork over the top of the vegetables.
- If using fresh herbs, lay the sprigs of rosemary and thyme over the top of the pork, add the lemon zest and lemon juice, cover with the lid, and cook on low for about 3 hours. Pork is done when the internal temp reaches 135F. Tip - Keep in mind, that the internal temp of meat rises 5 to 15 degrees F as it rests so don't be afraid to pull it slightly early to avoid overcooking it and drying it out. Use a kitchen thermometer and do not guess.
- Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the vegetables. Drizzle the broth/gravy over the top if desired.***(See Notes)
- Extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Holiday Dinner Ideas:
Beef Tenderloin Roast with Garlic Herb Butter — An EASY yet IMPRESSIVE dish that’s ready in under an hour! Roasting beef tenderloin in the oven results in perfectly MOIST and TENDER meat every time, and the garlic herb butter adds tons of flavor without overwhelming the beef.
Glazed Pork Loin Roast — Pork loin is first coated in a FLAVOR-PACKED dry spice rub, then topped with a tangy brown sugar glaze before being roasted. EASY enough to make on busy weeknights, but IMPRESSIVE enough to serve to guests or make for the holidays!
Easy Foolproof Oven Roasted Turkey — Learn how to make juicy, flavorful herb-roasted turkey that’s not dry! This turkey has all the flavor that grandma’s used to have, minus the hassle.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast — Learn how to make a perfect turkey breast every time using your slow cooker! Making turkey breast in a Crockpot results in juicy, tender turkey every time and is nearly impossible to dry out!
Honey Baked Ham — Spiral baked honey ham that’s SO EASY you really can’t mess it up! The sweetness from the honey works perfectly with the saltiness of the ham.
Sheet Pan Whole-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes – FOUR ingredients + ONE pan = PERFECT roasted chicken with ZERO cleanup!! Your new FOOLPROOF and EASY roasted chicken recipe that’s ready in 1 hour!!
Is there a print button? I am finding it Very difficult to find/read/use in the format on the web page. On my ipad, the recipe content is squished onto the left hand side of the screen. Very very long. And I cannot find the print button, although I am sure it is probably in there somewhere !
Thank you
There is a very large aqua colored PRINT button in the recipe card section at the top of it.
When are you suppose to add lemon??? Got it ready….
It’s in Step 6. I rewrote it so it’s not quite as buried.
great
This looks yummy but this looks to be pork tenderloin, rather than pork loin
Point taken and corrected 😃