• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Published: January 8, 2019 Last Modified: March 4, 2019 By Sara 286 Comments

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe | Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin | Easy Pork Tenderloin #slowcooker #crockpot #pork #dinner #dinneratthezoo

This slow cooker pork tenderloin is simmered in a garlic and herb gravy and produces perfect results every time. An easy crock pot dinner that the whole family will love.

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe | Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin | Easy Pork Tenderloin #slowcooker #crockpot #pork #dinner #dinneratthezoo Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe | Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin | Easy Pork Tenderloin #slowcooker #crockpot #pork #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Pork tenderloin in an inexpensive cut of meat that’s tender and full of flavor. It gets even better when you slow cook it with plenty of seasonings. Slice and serve for an amazing meal! I serve my pork tenderloin with a side of homemade Rice-A-Roni and roasted carrots for a complete dinner.

Sliced slow cooker pork tenderloin served over mashed potatoes with broccoli.

I know that pork tenderloin can be a little intimidating  if you’ve never made it before. However, this slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe will make it seem like it’s any other classic dish you’ve made a thousand times. It’s much easier than it first appears.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER PORK TENDERLOIN?

The first step is to season your meat and give it a good sear before placing it in the crock pot. If you’re short on time and don’t want to brown your pork first, you can place directly in the slow cooker and skip this step. I think it’s really worth the extra effort though because it adds so much more flavor.

The pork goes into the slow cooker with a whole bunch of flavorings like garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, chicken broth and herbs. This forms the base of the gravy. The gravy is thickened at the end of the cooking time and fortified with a little butter to give it some richness. I serve my slow cooker pork tenderloin over rice or mashed potatoes to make the most out of all that delicious gravy.

Seared pork tenderloin in a skillet.

Tips for Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

  • This crock pot pork tenderloin recipe calls for 2 tenderloins, but can easily be halved to feed a smaller group. You can cut the pork in half to fit into the crock pot as needed, or you can use an oval shaped slow cooker.
  • Make sure that you’re using pork tenderloin, not pork loin. They are two different cuts of meat.
  • You can add some vegetables like carrots and potatoes to the crock pot. Just be sure to cut them in large pieces so that they don’t get overly soft after the long cooking time.

Seared pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with seasonings.

HOW LONG DO YOU COOK A PORK TENDERLOIN?

The amount of time you cook a pork loin depends on the weight of the meat. Most often, it averages about two hours of slow cooker time per 1 pound of pork tenderloin.

Sliced slow cooker pork tenderloin on a plate.

WHY SEAR THE PORK TENDERLOIN BEFORE SLOW COOKING?

It’s definitely not a must that the pork tenderloin needs to be seared before it is slow cooked. However, when the meat is seared, it allows for more complex flavors to be released when the slow cooking process is in progress. If a portion of meat is sear with a coating of flour before slow cooking, this helps thicken the sauce in the crock pot dish.

Slow cooker pork tenderloins coated with sauce, inside a crock pot.

Back in the day, I had no idea how to cook a pork tenderloin and didn’t even know where to start. Now, it’s one of the easiest dishes I make and the entire family loves it. I have no doubt you will thoroughly enjoy it as much as we did.

MORE PORK RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

  • Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
  • Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry
  • BBQ Pork Chops
  • Mushroom Pork Chops
  • Apple Pork Chops

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Video

Sliced slow cooker pork tenderloin served over mashed potatoes with broccoli.
Print Pin
4.95 from 130 votes

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

This slow cooker pork tenderloin is simmered in a garlic and herb gravy and produces perfect results every time. An easy crock pot dinner that the whole family will love.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 318kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided use
  • 2 pork tenderloins approximately 2 1/4 lbs total
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. 
  • Season the pork tenderloins on all sides with the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Cut the pork tenderloins in half if needed to fit into your slow cooker.
  • Sear the pork for 5-6 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
  • Place the pork in a slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and garlic. 
  • Pour the sauce over the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 4 hours.
  • Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place on a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a pot. Heat the pot over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer.
  • Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water. Add the cornstarch to the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Cook for 1 minute, or until sauce has just thickened. 
  • Add the butter to the pot and stir until melted. Remove the pot from the heat.
  • Slice or shred your pork and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes

If you're short on time, you can skip browning the meat and simply season your pork and add it straight to the slow cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 398mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 2442mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 6.5mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, Slow Cooker

FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

    ​
    ​

    Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

    « Albondigas Soup
    Shrimp Ceviche »

    Comments

    1. Vicki says

      January 9, 2023 at 4:37 pm

      5 stars
      I possibly already posted a comment about this but it deserves a second! This recipe could not be better. I have to make triple of the gravy because my family takes a sip between bites – joking but they do drown the pork and the “rice-a-roni (another spectacular recipe) in it 😂. So tasty and easy to make. Thank you for sharing your culinary talent!

      Reply
    2. Kelly says

      December 18, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      5 stars
      One of our favorite go to meals. Would this work with a pork loin vs. tenderloin??

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 19, 2022 at 8:28 am

        Yes that’s fine!

        Reply
    3. Ca says

      December 8, 2022 at 11:28 am

      5 stars
      Just made this today – only used one tenderloin.

      Was very tasty. I threw in a quartered eating apple , half an onion and sprig rosemary and found it was cooked in 3 hours on low.

      Really tasty and will make again !

      Reply
    4. Teri says

      October 24, 2022 at 8:13 am

      5 stars
      So good!

      Reply
    5. Mary Della Rossa says

      August 22, 2022 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today. Followed the recipe to a T, including searing the meat. It was done in 6 hours. Perfect. Juicy. Thank you for a great recipe.

      Reply
    6. Patty says

      August 20, 2022 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      This was fantastic! The only change I made was I left out the balsamic vinegar. No more pre-flavored pork tenderloin for us. The flavor was excellent.

      Reply
    7. Denise says

      July 30, 2022 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      Not only was this simple but this was one of the most moist and tender pieces of pork I’ve had. I’m not a big fan of pork but this changed my mind. Interesting spice and sauce combination but it worked perfectly. I will make this again and again.

      Reply
    8. Kristin says

      July 13, 2022 at 9:09 am

      5 stars
      I have used your recipe so many times that now my adult children are taking it for their own! It was especially helpful to know that your brown/sear your tenderloin first. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    9. Karen says

      July 12, 2022 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      This is similar to my recipe only I don’t sear the meat. First I cut up my potatoes about 5-6 mix with a little olive oil Season salt pepper and onion powder. I put the pork tenderloin or loin either one works in my Roaster. I make several long cuts in the roast about 5-6 and either put chicken broth about a cup to cup and 1/2 over the pork tenderloin. If you don’t have broth you can use water or about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then I put Season salt pepper and onion powder over roast along with a out 1/4 of Brown sugar. Put potatoes over roast sprinkle with parsley. Cook at 250 degrees first hour next 2-3 hours 225 degrees. Check roast after 2 hours! Very good can make a Wonderful Gravy as suggested.

      Reply
    10. JoJo says

      July 12, 2022 at 2:23 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I had two tenderloins and it only took 5 hours, even then maybe was 45min/1hr too long. Gravy was delicious. Added a bit more water to mine as I don’t like heavy thick gravy. Thanks for a great recipe!

      Reply
    11. Larine says

      June 24, 2022 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      This was soooo good. I followed the recipe except added half the brown sugar. I’m glad I did, because the gravy had a slightly sweet flovor without being ovepowering. I had two small tenderloins and they were cooked perfectly after 7 hours on low. The leftovers were great too, and didn’t last long. 😃

      Reply
    12. Kila Christensen says

      April 17, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      This was a great recipe and I will use it again. Maybe next time I will leave out the brown sugar and rely on savory for the gravy.

      Reply
    13. Melissa says

      March 30, 2022 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent! I have tried SO many slow cooker pork tenderloin recipes, and they are never better than just “ok”, and are usually too bland for my taste. That is not the case with this recipe – this was is SO good! I followed the recipe exactly, however the meat was done after only 4 hours on low. Next time I think I’ll throw in some baby carrots and onion slices, I think they will go well with the sauce.

      Reply
      • Ca says

        December 8, 2022 at 11:30 am

        Yes I found the addition of some onion / sprig of rosemary and a quartered eating apple made for a delicious gravy !

        Reply
    14. Linda says

      March 17, 2022 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      Was absolutely delicious! Lived ip to all the great reviews. I wouldn’t change a thing!
      Serves with mashed potatoes. Makes plenty gravy for pork and potatoes.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More

    Winter Soups

    A bowl of hot and sour soup filled with tofu, mushrooms, egg, bamboo shoots and green onion.

    Hot and Sour Soup

    A pot full of cabbage roll soup garnished with parsley.

    Cabbage Roll Soup

    This recipe for mexican meatball soup is loaded with seasoned beef meatballs, black beans and plenty of vegetables in a flavorful and spicy broth. Add your favorite toppings and you've got a complete meal in a bowl!

    Mexican Meatball Soup

    A pot of New England clam chowder topped with oyster crackers, bacon and parsley.

    New England Clam Chowder

    A pot of turkey noodle soup with vegetables, garnished with parsley.

    Turkey Noodle Soup

    A bowl of black bean soup topped with salsa, avocado and cheese.

    Black Bean Soup

    More Posts from this Category

    Featured Recipes

    A bowl of sweet and spicy firecracker chicken.

    Firecracker Chicken

    A pot of stuffed pepper soup with rice, ground beef, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.

    Stuffed Pepper Soup

    This chicken noodle casserole is diced chicken, veggies and egg noodles all in a creamy sauce.

    Chicken Noodle Casserole

    Pineapple chicken stir fry in a skillet, topped with sauce, sesame seeds and green onions.

    Pineapple Chicken

    FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

    Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

      ​
      ​

      Categories

      Sites I am featured In
      PRIVACY POLICY ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2022.
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • RSS
      • Twitter
      • About Me
      • Contact Me
      • All Recipes
      • Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Dessert
      • One Pot Meals
      • Slow Cooker
      • Asian Food