A flavorful herb and balsamic marinade makes this pork loin recipe as delicous as it is easy!
Delicious as is, or cooked with smoky bacon draped on top, this succulent balsamic pork loin will satisfy the hungriest appetites!
An Easy Pork Loin Recipe
- This pork loin roast recipe is easy enough for every day and is elegant enough for guests.
- Pork loin roast is an affordable and lean cut that can be made once and enjoyed all week for sandwiches or as leftovers.
- Just like crockpot tenderloin, this recipe benefits from cooking low and slow in the oven. The meat is juicy and tender with a delicious crust.
Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin
Pork loin and pork tenderloin are different cuts of meat and cannot be used interchangeably.
Pork loin is thicker (about 4-inches in diameter) with a fat cap on top – and requires a longer cook time at a lower temperature to make tender. A pork tenderloin (about 2-inches in diameter) benefits from high heat and a shorter cooking time since it is a long and thinner piece of meat. (Use this pork tenderloin recipe for roasting).
Ingredients for Roast Pork Loin
Pork loin – Pork loin is also called pork loin roast or center-cut roast and it does sometimes have a bone. This recipe uses a boneless pork loin roast, about 3 ½ to 4 pounds. If your piece is larger or smaller, you will need to adjust the cooking time.
Marinade – This balsamic marinade adds flavor and helps tenderize the pork loin. is the perfect marriage of acids, oil, a sweetener, and savory herbs. Fresh herbs can be replaced with 1 teaspoon of dried. If needed replace the honey with brown sugar or maple syrup.
Variations – Create a “raft” of potatoes, carrots, and onions for the pork loin to rest on as it cooks. Serve the veggies as a side with the meat. Before oven-roasting, cover marinaded pork loin with strips of bacon to add a smoky flavor, if desired.
How to Cook Pork Loin
Tender balsamic pork loin is infused with savory flavor and is so easy to make!
- Prepare the marinade in a small bowl as per the recipe below.
- Place the pork loin and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Bake the pork loin with the marinade in a casserole dish, basting the pork loin with the marinade every 30 minutes.
- Remove the pork loin and let it rest before slicing.
How Long to Cook Pork
Cook pork loin for 20 to 22 minutes per pound or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Remove the pork from the pan and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
- Use a an instant read thermometer and remove the pork from the oven when it is 138 to 140°F. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests.
- The pan drippings (marinade and juices) can be simmered and thickened with a little bit of cornstarch to serve as a sauce if you’d like.
- Keep leftover pork loin covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months!
More Delicious Pork Recipes
Did your family love this Balsamic Pork Loin? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Balsamic Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 4 pounds pork loin roast
Marinade
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 cloves garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- For the marinade, in a medium mixing bowl whisk together wine, vinegar, oil, honey, garlic, thyme leaves, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the pork loin dry with a paper towel and add it to a large zippered freezer bag. Add the marinade and turn the pork to ensure it is coated. Marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
- Remove the pork loin from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the pork loin and the marinade to a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Roast uncovered for 1 to 1 ½ hours making sure to baste the pork every 30 minutes. Cook until a meat thermometer reaches 140°F.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a plate. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- If the pork loin has a fat cap, roast it with the fat cap on top.
- For best results, use an instant read thermometer. Remove the pork from the oven when it reaches 140°F. Overcooking will cause it to be dry.
- Once removed from the oven, remove the pork from the baking pan and let it rest at least 10 minutes before cutting.
- Leftover pork loin will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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Delicious and easy. Roasted on a bed of sweet potatoes and onions and it was perfect with the sauce.
I made this Balsamic Pork Loin in the crock pot and it turned out perfect. I did substitute the wine with half orange juice and water, as Carol suggested, and cooked for 8 hours on low and the thermometer read 140 degrees. I made a gravy with the sauce just adding a slurry of cornstarch & water. I served it with mashed potatoes, corn, asparagus, and dinner rolls. The family really loved it. Thanks so much for all the help.
Sounds like a delicious meal!
Thank you for the replies. I do plan to try this in the crockpot and I will substitute the wine with chicken broth. I will let you know how it turns out.
I looked up the Crock Pot/Slow Cooker info: AFTER the ‘fridge sitting for #3 … put the meat in the Slow Cooker for 5 hours on HIGH vs. 9 hours on LOW. I chopped up some Onions and Celery for the meat to simmer with the marinated liquids. [I picked up on comments (1) Balsamic Vinegar can be substituted with Soy Sauce AND Wine can be substituted with Chicken Broth or 1/4 cup Orange Juice & 1/4 cup of water.
I plan to make this Balsamic Pork Loin recipe this week. I see many comments about using a crockpot instead of the oven, but I don’t see that anyone has tried this yet. Has it been tried yet? This would be my preference if it works well.
I haven’t tried this recipe in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure but I think it would work!
Super fast to put together (I only marinated 2 hours) and housed smelled so good while in oven. Followed exactly as written and husband said “Make this again- soon”
Used baby reds and baby carrots on bottom of tall casserole. The marinade juice soaked into veggies and where so delish! No gravy needed!
Thank you Holly for this recipe.
I had to make a slight change because I had no Balsamic, so I used soy sauce in its place!
It was heavenly and in no time at all!
I would love to share a picture but there doesn’t seem to be a way!
This made an excellent Christmas meal.
I’m so glad you loved it Tracey! Merry Christmas to you and your family. We have a brand new community (it’s free) where you’re able to share a photo if you’d like to join us!