Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Maple Glaze

The combination of maple syrup, soy sauce, and fresh ginger in this slow cooker pork loin recipe creates a delicious sweet-savory combo.

Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Maple Glaze will become a family favorite and a go-to recipe to double and freeze for a perfect make-ahead freezer meal! It’s so easy to make. In fact there are only 3 main steps to this recipe:

1. Marinate the pork loin.
2. Cook it in the slow cooker.
3. Thicken the sauce for the maple glaze.

Before we break down these steps, it’s first important to understand the cut of meat we’re using in this recipe.

What Is a Pork Loin?

Pork loins are a wider cut and are usually covered with a thicker fat cap. They do much better in the crock pot and even in the Instant Pot than a leaner cut like a pork tenderloin.

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to pork loins vs pork tenderloins.

Pork loin and pork tenderloin are not cut from the same part of the animal, and in fact, look really different — pork tenderloin is thin and small, while a pork loin is wide enough that you can cut steak-like pieces from it. How you cook it, though, is the main difference. Pork tenderloin is best quickly cooked over fairly high heat, while pork loin lends itself well to slow-roasting or grilling methods.

The Kitchn

As a side note: While we love pork tenderloin recipes, they don’t work great in the Crock Pot. They dry out fast and, while testing pork recipes for our cookbook, we found that baking or grilling pork tenderloin is the preferred cooking method.

Ingredients in This Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need to make this fairly simple recipe:

• Boneless pork loin
• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Avocado oil
• Low-sodium soy sauce
• Pure maple syrup
• Fresh ginger
• Cayenne pepper
• Cornstarch (sub: arrowroot powder)

Video Tutorial: How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Loin

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Season and Marinate the Pork Loin

A pork loin cut is pretty bland on its own. It needs some flavor pumped into it which is why we recommend seasoning and marinating it before slow cooking it. Here are the ingredients you’ll need on hand for the marinade.

• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Aavocado oil or olive oil
• Soy sauce (For gluten-free sub GF Tamari Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos)
• Maple syrup
• Fresh ginger

Add all of these and the pork loin into a freezer bag. Marinate the pork loin for at least 2 hours. The longer the better though! This is why we love making this one a freezer meal. More on that below though!

Step 2: Cook in the Slow Cooker

Time to cook your marinated pork.

After testing hundreds of recipes over the years, we have narrowed down the perfect cooking times for slow cooker recipes. In fact, we have put them all in 1 easy printable cheat sheet for you below!

When it comes to cooking a pork loin in the slow cooker, you’ll find that many reputable sites have you cooking it longer than we advise. Similar to cooking chicken in the slow cooker, SO many reputable sources have you overcooking it!

Using our digital meat thermometers as our guide, we have found that pork loin only needs to cook in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours. Because it can dry out so fast, be sure to check the internal temperature.

Step 3: Make the Maple Glaze

What makes our pork loin recipe stand out among others is this delicious maple glaze that you will serve over the cooked pork. Don’t skip this step!

Carefully pour or ladle the juices from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture (this is called a slurry) to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, if desired. 

How to Serve Slow Cooker Pork Loin

Slice and serve warm. Drizzle the maple glaze over the top of the slices.

Here are some side dish ideas to serve alongside your pork loin:

• Baby Boiled Potatoes or Crispy Parmesan Potato Wedges

• Steam Green Beans

• Brown Rice (cooked in the Instant Pot)

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts

How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Loin Into a Freezer Meal

It’s no secret we are big fans of freezer meals around here. In fact, we have 2 freezer meal cookbooks, 1 Hour Freezer Prep Sessions, and even a roundup with 70+ freezer meal recipes that you will love! So, it should come as no surprise that we have freezer meal instructions for this recipe.

Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1 through 3, through the marinating step. Freeze before marinating.

Prepare From Frozen: Note: You will need to have cornstarch, salt, and pepper on hand to complete this meal. Thaw the meal completely using one of these safe methods and cook according to recipe instructions (steps 5-7).