Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Loin is a juicy, tender pork roast cooked low and slow in a sweet and savory sauce of pineapple, brown sugar, soy sauce and plenty of garlic. It is an easy, hands-off dinner for a busy weekday or a relaxed Sunday, and the sauce is perfect over rice.
How to make pineapple pork loin: Rub the pork with onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, sear it on all sides, then put it in the slow cooker with garlic, soy sauce, pineapple chunks with their juice and brown sugar. Cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours until it reaches 145°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Sweet, savory and tangy: pineapple and brown sugar balanced by salty soy and garlic.
- Hands-off: 15 minutes of prep, then the slow cooker does the work.
- Built-in sauce: the pineapple juice and pan juices become the sauce.
- Serves 6: a 2 to 3 pound roast feeds a family with leftovers.
Ingredient Notes
Pork loin roast: Two to three pounds, boneless or bone-in. Pork loin is lean, so it is juiciest when you take it out as soon as it reaches 145°F, not hours later.
Canned pineapple chunks with juice: One 20-ounce can, juice and all. The juice is the base of the sauce.
Soy sauce: Regular or reduced-sodium. For gluten-free, use certified gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.
Garlic and brown sugar: Eight cloves of garlic may sound like a lot, but they mellow in the long cook. The light brown sugar melts into the juices and glazes the pork. I scatter it on top rather than stirring it in, so it forms a sticky layer.
Spice rub: Onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper season the outside and help it brown when you sear.
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2-3 lb pork loin roast (boneless or bone-in)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (regular or reduced-sodium)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, with juice
How to Make Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Loin
1. Season. In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork loin.
2. Sear. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden-brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Add to the slow cooker. Place the seared pork in the slow cooker and sprinkle the garlic over the top.
4. Add the sauce ingredients. Add the soy sauce and the pineapple chunks with their juice. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top.
5. Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Start checking at the early end of the range and cook until the center reaches at least 145°F (63°C).
6. Rest and slice. Carefully remove the pork and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve over steamed rice or roasted vegetables, with the pineapple sauce spooned over the top.
How to Keep Pork Loin Tender in the Slow Cooker
Pork loin is a lean cut, and lean meat dries out if it cooks too long, even in a slow cooker. That is why the timing is a range: every cooker runs a little differently, so start checking at 4 hours on LOW.
Use a thermometer in the thickest part. At 145°F the pork is safe, juicy and slightly pink in the center; USDA FSIS recommends a 3-minute rest, and the 5 minutes here covers it. Past 160°F, loin turns dry and stringy.
Searing first is worth the extra pan. It builds a browned, flavorful crust that the sauce clings to. I always slice across the grain, in thin slices, so every piece is as tender as it can be.
Tips for Success
Why is my pork loin dry?
It cooked past 145°F. Check early and take it out as soon as it reaches temperature.
Why is the sauce thin?
Pineapple juice stays loose in a slow cooker. Pour the juices into a saucepan after removing the pork and simmer until they reduce and turn syrupy, or whisk in a little cornstarch slurry.
Why didn’t the pork brown?
The pan was not hot enough or the roast was wet. Pat it dry, heat the oil until it shimmers, and do not move the pork until it releases easily.
Variations
- Add heat: a pinch of red pepper flakes or a splash of sriracha in the sauce.
- Pork tenderloin: tenderloin works too, but it is smaller and leaner, so it cooks much faster; start checking early.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Store the slices in some of the sauce so they stay moist, and reheat until they reach 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over steamed rice with a green vegetable, or with roasted vegetables. For more slow cooker pork, try apple brown sugar pork chops, Amish pork chops and apples, apple onion pork or stout glazed pork chops. If you love pineapple in dinner, sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken is similar, and for dessert, the pineapple bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make pineapple and brown sugar pork tenderloin?
The same way as this loin: season and sear the pork, then slow cook it with pineapple and its juice, soy sauce, garlic and brown sugar. A tenderloin is smaller, so check it much earlier for 145°F.
Is pork loin better in the crockpot or the oven?
Both work. The slow cooker is hands-off and keeps the meat moist in the sauce; the oven gives a crustier outside. Either way, pull it at 145°F.
Can I slow cook pork in pineapple juice?
Yes. The juice from the canned pineapple is the main cooking liquid here, and with soy sauce and brown sugar it turns into a sweet-savory sauce.
Final Notes
Check the temperature early; lean pork loin is juiciest right at 145°F. If you have a question or make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Loin
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2-3 lb pork loin roast boneless or bone-in
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce regular or reduced-sodium; use certified gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 can pineapple chunks 20 oz, with juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork loin to coat evenly.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork loin on all sides until golden-brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Place the seared pork loin in the slow cooker. Sprinkle minced garlic over the top.
- Add soy sauce and pineapple chunks along with their juice to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Start checking at the early end of the range and cook until the center reaches at least 145°F (63°C).
- Carefully remove the pork loin from the slow cooker and rest it for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve over steamed rice or roasted vegetables, spooning the pineapple sauce over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
2 comments
So easy to make and absolutely delicious
Could Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce replace the soy sauce?