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Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Maple Glaze

★★★★★ 5 /5 Updated: 7/27/22
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This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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

Sliced pork loin on a plate with green beans and potatoes

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. According to The Kitchn, “…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…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.”

Seasoned pork loin on a plate

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!

Pork loin in a marinade

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.

A pork loin in a slow cooker with marinade

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. 

Maple glaze to go over a pork loin

How to Serve Slow Cooker Pork Loin

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

Cooked pork loin sliced with maple glaze drizzled over the top

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).

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

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.

Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 3-4 hoursTotal: 36 minute
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Scale:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce (For GF: Use gluten-free Tamari Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos)
  • 2/3 cup pure maple syrup (do not use fake pancake syrup)
  • 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Stir together the diced onion, minced garlic, and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel (to prevent splatters) and microwave until softened, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, you can saute them in a pan over medium-high heat, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking time.) 
  2. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, season it lightly on all sides with salt and black pepper. 
  3. Place the pork loin, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, cayenne, and cooked onion mixture in a gallon-size freezer bag. Seal tightly and toss to combine. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  4. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
  5. Transfer the pork and marinade to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on low, or until the pork registers 145°F internally. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes.
  6. Carefully pour or ladle the juices from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture 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. 
  7. Cut the pork into 1 ⁄2-inch thick slices. Fan them out on a serving platter and drizzle the sauce over the meat. Serve.

Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1 through 3. Freeze.

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. Follow Steps 5 through 7.


Notes/Tips

Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free Tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. 

Since a pork loin roast can easily dry out, make sure to take an internal temperature and stop cooking it when it reaches 140-145°F. It will still be slightly pink on the inside when done.

Tip: Fresh ginger stores well in the freezer for a long time. Peel and tightly wrap the leftover ginger in plastic wrap or place a freezer bag. Freeze and use for future recipes. 

© Author: Thriving Home
Method: Slow Cooker

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarKristin says

    Posted on 10/26/22 at 6:21 pm

    So simple and delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 10/27/22 at 9:54 am

      Yes! Glad to hear it Kristin. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.

      Reply
  2. AvatarJoan says

    Posted on 2/10/22 at 8:32 pm

    This recipe is amazing! Easy to put together and SO good! I’ve made it several times and it’s a family favorite!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 2/12/22 at 7:37 pm

      Thanks for the feedback and review, Joan! Our testing team really loved this one, too.

      Reply
  3. AvatarJoan Benson says

    Posted on 12/7/21 at 5:02 pm

    Our whole family loves this recipe! So delicious and easy to make. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 12/8/21 at 8:05 am

      Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback, Joan.

      Reply
  4. AvatarAndrea Buerky says

    Posted on 10/6/21 at 6:36 pm

    Hi! I was hoping to marinate this tonight to use tomorrow, but there are no amounts for the marinade. Could you please provide those? Thanks so much in advance. 😊

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 10/7/21 at 10:08 am

      Thank you so much for the heads up. I was having tech issues while creating this recipe/blog post the other day and the ingredients went missing. I just updated it. Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply
      • AvatarAndrea says

        Posted on 10/7/21 at 9:35 pm

        Thanks! Just saw you updated. I will definitely try in the future. Tonight I just used your “Foolproof Pork Loin” recipe, and it was delicious! Excited to try this fall version 😊

        Reply
        • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

          Posted on 10/8/21 at 12:26 pm

          I’m glad you liked that oldie but goodie. I made it this week, too. 😉

          Reply

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