Best Damn Oven Roasted Pork Loin

This tender and juicy pork loin is seasoned with just a few simple, common ingredients, then roasted to perfection in your oven. Ready in about an hour, it’s excellent for a family dinner any night of the week.

Pork roast is very versatile and can be seasoned any number of ways. Our approach with this recipe is to let the flavor of the pork be the superstar, while we bring out the natural, savory flavors with a simple seasoning rub, then roast it in the oven. We start out with a high temperature for 15 minutes to help develop a nice crust, then drop the temp and roast to tender, mouthwatering perfection.

What is Pork Loin Roast

Boneless pork loin roast is probably the most popular type of roast you will find in the supermarket. It’s cut from just below the shoulder and is usually fairly lean with a fat cap which can be trimmed to give us just the right amount of flavor we need. They usually come in sizes of about 2-5 lbs., and are generally around 2-3″ in height, and around 12″ in length. The size can vary of course, but this is the most common size you’ll fine.

Pork Loin Roast is NOT Pork Tenderloin

Pork loin roast and pork tenderloin are two very different cuts of meat. The tenderloin is much narrower, leaner, and cooks a lot faster too. So for this recipe, make sure the packaging specifically says pork loin roast and not pork tenderloin. For pork tenderloin, be sure to check out our Best Damn Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe.

Ingredients

We love to keep our recipes simple and pork roast is the perfect cut of meat to make super tasty while keeping things simple. We use a few dry ingredients such as paprika, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and apply it to the roast which has been coated with Worcestershire sauce. When you take your first bite, you won’t believe how well the flavors all come together so perfectly! The roast will be so tender, so juicy, and SO delicious.

Preparation

Most pork loin roasts will come with a “fat-cap” still on the top side. One thing to keep in mind is that pork fat is loaded with flavor, so while we want to trim it, we still want to leave a layer to help provide that savory, juicy goodness. Trimming it is as simple as using a good sharp knife and carefully slicing it away. Once we have the pork roast trimmed, we coat it with a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. This will act as the liquid to keep the dry rub in place. After we’ve mixed all the dry ingredients, add it to the coated pork. Depending on the size of the particular roast, you may have a little bit of seasoning left over, which you can save for another time. But go ahead and coat that roast liberally with the seasonings.

Prepare a sheet pan by covering it with foil and then give the foil a little spray with some non-stick cooking spray. This just helps to keep everything nice and easy to deal with. Place the pork roast, fat-cap side up (this is important) on the foil-lined pan.

Heat at 425°(F) for 15 Minutes, then at 375°(F)

Preheat your oven to 425°(F). Once it’s ready, place the pork roast in oven on the middle rack and roast for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes are up, drop the temperature of the oven to 375°(F) and continuing roasting for 40-60 more minutes, depending on size of roast. We want the internal temperature of the roast to be 145°(F) when checked in the center with an instant read thermometer. Checking with the thermometer is essential to getting a perfectly done dinner. Begin checking the temp after about 30 minutes. We don’t want to overcook a boneless pork loin roast. Because it’s so lean, it can dry out quickly. In fact, I generally recommend removing the roast from the oven when the internal temp is about 140°-143°(F). It will continue cooking after we remove it from the oven and the carryover cooking will bring it to the ideal temperature.

Let Rest Before Slicing

Once removed from the oven, cover the roast loosely with a piece of foil and let it rest for a good 5-10 minutes. This is an important step. It allows for all the juices to redistribute throughout the roast and helps give us a tender, juicy roast Once it’s had it’s rest, place it on a cutting surface and begin slicing. I like to do slices that are about ½″ thick.

Ready to Serve

After slicing your pork loin roast, it’s ready to serve. There will be some awesome juices still in the pan which you can spoon over your carved meat. You can also use those pan juices to make a gravy. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk with 2 tablespoons of flour, add the pan juices and 1 cup of chicken broth. Continue to whisk over medium heat to get any lumps out. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until sauce reduces. It will continue to thicken when removed from heat.

What to Serve with Pork Roast

The sky is the limit with side-dishes for pork roast. We love to pair it with our air fryer roasted lemon pepper broccoli. Of course, you can’t go wrong with potatoes. Our Instant Pot Parmesan Ranch potatoes are excellent to pair with pork roast. How about some fresh veggies? Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini and Peppers or Air Fryer Honey Maple Roasted Carrots are great choices. I especially love the the honey maple carrots with pork. The sweet flavors pair perfectly with the savory pork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes. For larger pork loin roasts, just adjust the ingredients accordingly. Figure on approximately 15-20 minutes per pound cooking time, after the initial 15 minutes at 425°(F).

Can I cook from frozen?
For best results, defrost your frozen pork roast before cooking.

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