Description
A sweet and savory slow cooker pork loin with a cinnamon brown sugar glaze and apples. This budget-friendly, kid-approved meal is perfect for busy weeknights and requires minimal prep time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 to 3 pounds pork loin roast (tenderloin or center-cut)
- 3 medium firm apples (such as Granny Smith), sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- ½ cup pork broth or water
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional, for thickening)
Instructions
- Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels and rub with salt, pepper, and a portion of the cinnamon mixture.
- Place sliced onions at the bottom of a 4-6 quart slow cooker to prevent sticking.
- Arrange apple slices on top of the onions, then place the pork loin on top of the apples.
- Pour the pork broth around the sides of the pot, avoiding pouring directly over the seasoned pork.
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and melted butter until smooth.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F and is fork-tender.
- Remove the pork from the pot and shred it into chunks using two forks.
- Pour the brown sugar glaze over the shredded pork in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Let the mixture sit on the ‘Warm’ setting for 5 minutes to meld flavors. If a thicker glaze is desired, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Serve warm, spooning extra glaze over the top.
Notes
Use firm apples like Granny Smith to prevent them from turning to mush. Pork loin is lean, so cook on LOW to avoid drying it out. The recipe is naturally gluten-free, but check broth and spice labels. For dairy-free, substitute butter with coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1/6 of
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 280
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
Keywords: slow cooker pork, crockpot dinner, apple pork loin, budget family dinner, easy weeknight meals, sweet and savory pork, gluten-free dinner