Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
Posted: 04/10/2020
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Instant Pot pork loin roast is succulent, juicy, and easy to make. You’ll love it for dinner parties or for family dinners.
What’s not to like about an Instant Pot pork loin roast? It’s ready to eat in about half the time it would take to roast in the oven. It turns out juicy and flavorful. And you only get one pan dirty.
Pork loin roasts are frequently on sale so they are an economical meat to buy. A two and a half to three pound roast serves a crowd (about 8) and a pork loin roast is easy to serve. The roast can rest while you’re tending the final details of dinner, it slices neatly and easily, and has a nice presentation.
If you’ve had bad luck cooking pork loin roasts, give this recipe a try. My mom always complains that her pork loin roasts are too dry, tough, and flavorless, whether baked in the oven or cooked all day in the slow cooker. What sounded like a promising recipe alway ended up a disappointment in reality.
BUT I’m happy to say she loves this pork loin roast. I think she’s a convert to the Instant Pot. I’m happy about that, because my sister and I bought it for her.
About this Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast:
The beauty of cooking pork loin roasts in your Instant Pot is that:
- You only get one pan dirty
- You don’t have to turn your oven on.
How does a pork roast cooked in an Instant Pot taste?
Delicious! Juicy, tender, and flavorful–just how you want it to be.
How to do it? Begin by taking your pork loin roast out of the fridge for twenty minutes to a half hour. Let it set on the counter to warm up a bit. Season it well and then sear it right in your Instant Pot, letting it get nice and brown. Take the pork roast out and place it on a plate.
Pour broth into the pot and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom. This is important because otherwise the Instant Pot will think something’s burning in there and shut off in the middle of the cooking time. You don’t want that to happen!
Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar to the pot and then put your roast in. You’ll roast it on high pressure for 27 minutes, with 15 minutes natural release.
When the pork loin roast is finished cooking, take it out of the pot and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Don’t skip this step! Why not? It’s essential to have this rest time because the internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise as it rests. The optimal internal temperature is 145°F.
The pan juices can be simmered briefly to reduce, making a sauce to serve drizzled over the pork. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or rosemary. You won’t need to serve your roast with additional gravy because the pork is flavorful and juicy. I love sautéed mushrooms with wine and garlic as a side. Try serving pork roast with roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, or roasted green beans, or broccoli. It would be delicious with any kind of squash.
What is the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin?
While their names are similar, these two cuts of pork are very different and are not interchangeable in terms of cooking methods.
Pork loins are larger, usually 4-5 pounds. A fat cap runs along one entire side of the loin. The meat is lighter in color and is less expensive. You can roast pork loins whole or cut them into slices to grill or fry.
Pork tenderloins are one to one and half pounds. They are longer and thinner, and darker red in color. Tenderloins are the most tender cut of pork, and are leaner than pork loins. Tenderloins are more expensive per pound and do not take as long to cook. They can be roasted whole or cut into slices and seared.
How to make this pork loin roast your own:
- Vary the sauce ingredients. Want to make a honey garlic sauce? Substitute honey for the brown sugar and add minced garlic or increase the amount of garlic powder. Experiment with your favorite seasonings. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ginger would be good.
- Use your favorite rub on the pork before searing it. Try this easy spice rub for pork. Or make a BBQ flavored rub and serve the pork with BBQ sauce on the side.
Storage and Reheating Tips
If you’re not serving a crowd, put the cooked slices in a freezer bag or container, and save them for a busy day when you don’t have much time to cook. A perfect meal prep idea! Instant Pot Turkey Breast is another one of my favorite meal prep recipes.
The pork should last 3-4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. For best results, thaw frozen pork overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in the microwave, or lightly fry until warm.
Other pork recipes:
Pork is delicious and affordable. I have more pork recipes that you’ll enjoy:
- Spice-rubbed pork tenderloin
- Instant Pot pulled pork
- Breaded baked pork chops
- Pork tenderloin with apples and onions
- Make your own pork breakfast sausage patties (Whole 30 compliant)
- Slow cooker pork loin with balsamic glaze
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Instant Pot pork loin roast is succulent, juicy, and easy to make. You'll love it for dinner parties or for family dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds boneless pork loin roast (see note)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
- fresh parsley or rosemary for serving
Instructions
- Take pork loin out of refrigerator and let set at room temp for 20 to 30 minutes. Pat pork loin dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Don't trim the fat.
- Set Instant Pot to Saute. When hot, add oil and add pork. Brown pork on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Press cancel on the Instant Pot and remove pork to a plate.
- Add broth to Instant Pot and scrape all bits from the bottom of the pot. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar.
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot and set pork, fat side up, on top of trivet.
- Secure lid, turn valve to seal.
- Set pressure cooker to “pressure cook” or “manual” (depending on model), high pressure, for 27 minutes. Let pressure release naturally (in other words, leave it alone) for 15 minutes before releasing remaining pressure, if any, by turning valve to “vent.”
- Transfer pork to a cutting board or plate and let rest for 15 minutes. This step is essential. The internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise as it rests. Check temperature of pork using an instant read thermometer in the center of the roast. It should read 145ºF.
- Meanwhile, switch Instant Pot back to “Saute” and simmer pan juices to form a sauce.
- Slice pork and serve with pan juices.
Notes
- Often, pork loin roasts are larger than 2 to 3 pounds; they can run 7 to 10 pounds. Most Instant Pots won't accommodate such a large roast. If you buy a large roast, cut it in half for this recipe and freeze the other half to prepare for a later meal.
- Nutrition information is calculated with a 3 pound roast.
- Leftover pork can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Frozen pork will keep for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 314mg, Potassium: 538mg, Fiber: 0.04g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Diana Ward says
What is the “trivet” you refer to?
Haven’t used my instant pot in a while so maybe I misplaced a part
Could you send me a picture of it?
Rachel Gurk says
It’s the wire rack it comes with, a steamer rack. Hope that helps!