Super tender and incredibly juicy, this Pork Loin Roast is really easy to cook and so versatile. Garlic and herbs combine to create a flavor combo everyone loves. I’ve also included my other variation with honey mustard and a cranberry-onion sauce, which is so festive for the holidays. Either option for this roast is perfect for entertaining, holidays, and Sunday family dinner .
This pork loin roast is great for a dinner party or for a family dinner. It’s easy to make, but it also looks impressive laid out on a serving platter. Get ready for tender pork roast, and it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Watch How To Make Pork Loin Roast
It’s also a really great budget-friendly option for the holidays. We love celebrating with my Ribeye Roast or Beef Tenderloin , but there’s no doubt it costs quite a bit more. So, making this simple, juicy pork roast is also a great way to entertain without the same price tag.
Pork roast is also a family favorite because my mom often made one on Sundays growing up (you’ll find her slow cooker recipe below). We had a ‘mini’ farm on a few acres and raised pigs, so pork roast was a family staple. Often it was a pork shoulder, but once in a while we had pork loin or pork tenderloin for an extra special family dinner.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pork Loin Roast – trimmed of any excess fat and around 4-5 pounds is what you’re looking for at the store. Pork loin roasts are very tender and cook more quickly than the tougher cuts. Do not substitute pork tenderloin which is much smaller. You’ll find my recipes for other cuts of pork roast just above the recipe card if you want to use a different cut .
- Herb butter – salted butter combined with garlic and fresh herbs makes this roast so flavorful. I often buy the ‘poultry blend’ of fresh herbs, which includes rosemary, sage, and thyme. You can also use 1 herb instead of all three, we’re partial to rosemary.
- White wine – dry white wine, (not sweet) combines with the cornstarch and creates a pan sauce in the bottom of the pan while the pork roasts. You can also use low-sodium chicken stock with freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste instead for a homestyle version.
- Cornstarch – adds a small amount of thickening to the pan sauce and helps keep it from separating. You can also use tapioca starch, but it will have a slightly different texture.
- Original Honey Mustard Version – this is included in the recipe notes if you want to make my original. It has a honey mustard glaze that is good year-round, and a pan sauce with cranberries and onions in it that has a very holiday feel.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Preheat the oven, then mash the softened butter with the minced garlic and your choice of minced herbs.
Step 2: Next mix the cornstarch together with the white wine or chicken stock until it’s smooth.
Set the mixture aside, and stir it again before using it.
Step 3 : Sear the pork loin roast on both sides in a large skillet. Remove the roast from the pan and spread the garlic herb butter evenly over the surface.
Stir the white wine mixture again and pour it into the bottom of the baking dish. Roast the pork loin until it reaches 140ºF, then remove it from the oven.
Step 4: Let the roasted pork loin rest covered with a foil ‘tent’ for 10 minutes or until it hits 145ºF, then slice . While the roast rests, keep the pan sauce warm in the oven with the door cracked open.
Add the extra juices to the pan with the sauce, and add a touch of liquid if the butter has separated, and whisk until smooth. Lay the sliced pork on the platter and drizzle with the pan sauce, or lay the slices right in the pan with the sauce to serve.
Ways to serve this
- With Best Mashed Potatoes , Mashed Sweet Potatoes , Crispy Potatoes , or Mashed Cauliflower .
- Pick another veggie like my Honey Glazed Carrots or Sautéed Green Beans .
- Omit the pan sauce and make my Mushroom Cream Sauce , Parmesan Cream Sauce , Garlic Cream Sauce , or Mustard Cream Sauce .
- Add a salad with my Apple Spinach Salad for the winter or Strawberry Spinach Salad for the summer months.
- Try cubing up any leftover pork loin roast and using it in salads for lunch. It also works great in my Chicken Salad in place of the chicken if you cube it up small. You can also toss it together with cooked pasta and any jarred pasta sauce you’d like.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure it doesn’t get overcooked. Pork loin is a very lean cut of meat that dries out when overcooked. Pork is done when it registers 145ºF.
Low and slow works really well for cooking pork loin that is incredibly juicy!
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any sliced leftover pork loin in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
- Make ahead – you can make the garlic herb butter up to 1 day ahead and place it in the fridge. Remove it from the refrigerator 2 hours before using, so it spreads more easily.
- Reheating – using a skillet, sear the leftover slices in a bit of butter or oil, cooking briefly on each side to re-warm. Or you can microwave any leftovers.
- To freeze – place any leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a meat probe or instant-read thermometer to make sure your pork loin doesn’t dry out. Lean cuts of pork are only dry when they’re overcooked.
- The USDA recommends 145ºF as the recommended temperature for pork. You sometimes see a touch of pink, but it’s not raw deep pink! And your pork will be juicy if you don’t go past the USDA temperature recommendation.
- The key to this recipe is the low baking temperature, a trick I learned from Cook’s Illustrated. When you’re roasting a pork loin at high temperatures, it can come out drier than sawdust on the edges, with the center still a bit pink. But by keeping the oven temperature really low, the pork roasts evenly and comes out perfectly juicy!
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free – use dairy-free butter or olive oil to mix with the garlic and herbs. If you use olive oil, use just enough to make a spreadable paste, about 1/2 of the amount of butter called for.
- Paleo – use ghee or olive oil in place of the butter. You can also use the honey mustard mixture listed in the recipe notes.
Holiday Option Honey Mustard Pork Loin
This original version of this recipe is this honey mustard pork roast with an onion/cranberry white wine pan sauce. I’ve included it in the recipe notes below because it’s too good not to share. But I make the garlic herb butter version listed here more often, so I’ve finally updated the recipe to share both with you!
More Pork Recipe Inspiration
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
- Pork Sirloin Roast
- Pork Tenderloin Roast
- Pork Stew
- Sheet Pan Pork Chops
INGREDIENTS1x2x3x
Pork Loin Roast
- 5 pound pork loin roast - see notes
- 1 tbsp olive oil - or avocado oil
Garlic Herb Butter
- 6 tbsp salted butter - softened
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tbsp rosemary, sage, and thyme - stems removed and minced
- 2 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
White Wine Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch - or tapioca starch
- 1.5 cup dry white wine - or low-sodium chicken stock
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Mash the softened butter with the minced garlic, your choice of minced herbs, sea salt, and pepper with the back of a spoon until thoroughly combined.
- Next, mix the cornstarch with the white wine or chicken stock until it’s smooth. Set the mixture aside, and stir it again before using it.
- Sear the pork loin roast on both sides in a large skillet. Remove the roast from the pan and place it in an oven-safe 9"x13" baking dish.
- Spread the garlic herb butter evenly over the surface. Stir the white wine mixture again and pour it into the bottom of the baking dish. Roast the pork loin until it reaches 140ºF on an instant-read thermometer, then remove it from the oven.
- Let the roasted pork loin rest covered with a foil ‘tent’ for 10 minutes or until it reaches 145ºF, then slice and serve. While the roast rests, keep the pan sauce warm in the oven with the door cracked open.
- Add the extra pork juices to the pan with the sauce, and add a touch of liquid (white wine, chicken stock, or water) if the butter has separated, and whisk until smooth.
- Lay the sliced pork on the platter and drizzle with the pan sauce, or lay the slices right in the pan with the sauce to serve.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2015 and updated with a garlic-herb version, new photos, tips, and a video in 2025.
Pork Loin Roast
Ingredients
Pork Loin Roast
- 5 pound pork loin roast see notes
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
Garlic Herb Butter
- 6 tbsp salted butter softened
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp rosemary, sage, and thyme stems removed and minced
- 2 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
White Wine Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1.5 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Mash the softened butter with the minced garlic, your choice of minced herbs, sea salt, and pepper with the back of a spoon until thoroughly combined.
- Next, mix the cornstarch with the white wine or chicken stock until it’s smooth. Set the mixture aside, and stir it again before using it.
- Sear the pork loin roast on both sides in a large skillet. Remove the roast from the pan and place it in an oven-safe 9"x13" baking dish.
- Spread the garlic herb butter evenly over the surface. Stir the white wine mixture again and pour it into the bottom of the baking dish. Roast the pork loin until it reaches 140ºF on an instant-read thermometer, then remove it from the oven.
- Let the roasted pork loin rest covered with a foil ‘tent’ for 10 minutes or until it reaches 145ºF, then slice and serve. While the roast rests, keep the pan sauce warm in the oven with the door cracked open.
- Add the extra pork juices to the pan with the sauce, and add a touch of liquid (white wine, chicken stock, or water) if the butter has separated, and whisk until smooth.
- Lay the sliced pork on the platter and drizzle with the pan sauce, or lay the slices right in the pan with the sauce to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The recipe Pork Loin Roast appeared first on Get Inspired Everyday! on December 7, 2025
https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/honey-mustard-glazed-cranberry-pork-loin-roast/
