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.
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. If you love comfort food crock pot meals as much as I do, be sure to also check out my slow cooker beef bourguignon!
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.
Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin Ingredients
This recipe is made with pork tenderloin, olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, cornstarch, butter and parsley.
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.
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.
- I recommend serving this dish with bread on the side to sop up all the pan juices. A green salad or steamed vegetable is also a welcome addition to the meal. You can even get creative and choose something like a fresh and unique fennel salad. More great side dishes to try include roasted mushrooms and candied sweet potatoes.
- Leftover pork can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The leftovers make for an awesome sandwich!
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
The great this about this lean cut of meat is because it’s naturally tender, it can be enjoyed in many different cooking methods. This slow cooker pork tenderloin is especially flavorful, but you can also pan sear, air fry, grill or roast pork tenderloin.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is fabulous as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Seasonings: Feel free to add other spices to the gravy mixture such as onion powder, garlic powder or paprika.
- Herbs: You can add some fresh herbs to the crock pot for extra flavor. I recommend adding a few sprigs of fresh thyme, or a little chopped oregano.
- Add-Ins: You can add some vegetables like carrots, onions, mushrooms or 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. If you prefer your veggies to be on the firmer side, add them during the last 2 hours of the cook time.
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
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Video
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
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.
- Make sure you are using pork tenderloin, not pork loin, as they are two different cuts of meat.
Hi, I’ve just prepared the pork tenderloin and started it in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
Can I put some potatoes and carrots in with it as well.
Thanks. Bob
Yes add during the last 2-3 hours!
Hi Sarah! I made this last night and it had so much flavor. But the pork tenderloin was quite dry. Is there some sort of fat you could put into it to make it more tender?
The sauce does contain olive oil which should help. It sounds like maybe it cooked a little too long, how long was it in for?
This is a great recipe. Would I be able to freeze it and have it taste as good?
That should be fine!
Very good and easy. I served over rice, just for something differenct.
I have a pork tenderloin and a turkey tenderloin (husband doesn’t eat pork) . Do you think I could cook them together in the crock pot following this recipe? Would the turkey be done before the pork?
It depends on the size, the smaller piece of meat will be done first.
I have a pork loin 1.5 pound. Not sure if it’s considered a pork tenderloin. How long would I cook it? I was guessing 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Any advice?
Actually pork loin fillet.
Amy
That should be fine!
Hi have done this recipe before came out great each time. This time I don’t have corn starch. Flour instead?
I haven’t tried it with flour, I’m not sure if it would work. You can omit the corn starch, the sauce will just be thinner.
Anytime I need thicken a sauce I make a rue – flour mixed with a little water to thin it & then whisk in slowly to avoid clumping. So yes flour will thicken, just be sure to add slowly & whisking works better than just stirring it in to avoid little clumps of dough. Going to try to your recipe tonight!
Of course you can use flour. WONDRA is a superfine flour that doesn’t clump.
I noticed you said to make sure you use pork tenderloin. I realized I have pork loin. Will this recipe still work for pork loin?
Yes that will work fine!
Thanks! I’m really looking forward to making your recipe. It sounds so delicious and easy.
Loved this recipe! The sauce came out so smooth and silky and delicious! It was nice and thick and darker brown than the picture but perfect for me. I used a thick and dark balsamic which was probably the difference. The only think I did different was to use Long’s Peak Pork Seasoning from Savory Spice instead of the Italian Seasoning before browning. Excellent recipe, thank you!
So, so tasty and very easy. I shredded the pork and served it over rice with the gravy. Didn’t have fresh parsley, so I substituted thyme. Thanks for a recipe that actually works.
Hi, I’m really excited to try this recipe tonight. I was just wondering if I should marinate the pork tenderloin in the sauce mixture before cooking it in the crock pot? Or do you think it would be too much? Thank you!
You can if you want, it wouldn’t hurt to do it!
Made it for dinner and it was absolutely amazing!!! Thanks for sharing this one!
Hii!! This recipe looks amazing! I don’t have a slow cooker, could I make this on a Dutch Oven? any ideas or suggestions on how or what temperature/time?
You could marinate the pork in the sauce mixture then bake or grill it!
Comfort food at its best! Love eating this when I get home from work and the house smells so good!
This is now a family favorite. I adjusted the cooking time to about 2 hours 10 minutes on high. This left tenderloin perfectly cooked!!
I agree
Excellent recipe for pork tenderloin. The best we’ve ever had. The sauce is amazing. We served over noodles. Yum! Everyone in my family enjoyed. A keeper!
Love this recipe!!! But I’m trying to reduce my intake of red meat. Can I substitute for chicken breast? How would you adjust the recipe?
You can use chicken breast, I have a similar recipe here: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-chicken-breast/
I have never cooked a pork tenderloin before. I used this recipe last night. It is delicious! My husband loved it and so did I.
It was easy, moist and tasted amazing. This recipe is definitely a keeper..
How much corn starch to thicken the sauce
It’s listed in the recipe, 2 tablespoons!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! But one question, my gravy was very dark, not golden as in the picture. I felt like maybe it was overdone from cooking so long? I had it on high for 4 hours. Otherwise, great!
It could just be a color variation depending on how long you browned your pork, what brand of chicken broth you used etc.
It’s also possible your slow cooker cooks on the hotter side! This happened to me, too. My sauce had reduced a ton and was waaaay thick and dark brown. The pork was also a little overdone, so I think I’ll start checking my meat after 3 hours this time instead of 4, and will perhaps add some additional cooking liquid.
I made this today for the first time. I accidentally put the cornstarch in the mixture with the meat. Been home for a week sick, so I am not feeling bad about that one! Wonder if it will change the outcome? 🙁
The sauce might be a little thicker but otherwise should be ok!
True. But the newer crock pots cook hotter than the very old ones. Another reviewer did crock pot on high, 2 hr 10 min. It is perfectky fine if the pork is a bit pink in the middle. Pork is now raised and fed differently. So an inyernal temp of 145 to 150
is perfectly safe