Honey Garlic Pork Loin is my gift to your kitchen. This spectacular pork is perfectly seasoned, wonderfully moist, and coated in a finger licking honey garlic glaze. If you’ve ever found your pork tasting a little lack lustre, this recipe is your new go to.
Gone are the days of dry, bland pork! Does anyone think pork gets a bit of a bad rap? I think it’s because people aren’t cooking it with its needs in mind, or highlighting the simple, savory flavors of this wondrous meat.
What do I mean when I say that pork’s needs aren’t being met? Well for many years now many kitchens across this continent have been over cooking it! The standard for fully cooked and safe pork is now 145F. This is wonderful because at the old standard of 170F, pork ended up being incredibly dry and chewy.
Now it’s time to get into the main event, the star of the show, the one the only – the honey garlic pork loin. I love pork loin as it’s a cut that roasts down really well in the oven and doesn’t require too much fuss. We’re working with some great basic protein techniques today, dry rub and a glaze, these two tools can transform any protein from meh to more, please!
Ingredients
Pork
- Pork – I used pork loin today, we want something that roasts well in the oven.
- Butter – Unsalted as we want to control the sodium content of our dish. This is what we’re going to brown our pork in.
Rub
- Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
Glaze
- Honey – Well it’s in the name isn’t it! We want a nice, thick, sweet addition to ensure our glaze cooks down well and offers some sweetness. You can substitute this for maple syrup if you’d prefer.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Soy sauce – To add some umami flavor to this sauce.
- Sugar – We’re using some brown sugar to add dimension and molasses notes to our glaze. This will help round out the sweetness in our glaze and give us some depth of color.
- Pineapple juice – A tangy addition! Yes believe me pineapple and pork were made for each other – it’s why it ended up on pizza! Even if you’re not a fan, I definitely encourage you include this ingredient. It lends some needed liquid and brightness.
- Slurry – Cornstarch and warm water, this will ensure we get the thick texture we want.
How To Make Honey Garlic Pork Loin
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Create the rub: In a small bowl whisk together all the rub ingredients together. Sprinkle the rub over the entire surface of the pork pressing firmly to get everything covered.
- Brown the pork: In a large skillet, melt the butter. Place the pork loin in the skillet and sear the pork over high heat on all sides until nicely browned.
- Cook the pork: Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast uncovered for 70 to 80 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145F to 155F.
- Create the glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice to the saucepan, whisk well and bring to a slight boil.
- Thick the glaze: Whisk the cornstarch with the water and add the slurry to the saucepan. Whisk until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Finish the dish: When the pork has reached the desired temperature remove the skillet carefully from the oven and baste with the honey garlic sauce. Place the skillet back in the oven and broil it on high for 3 additional minutes, or until the sauce caramelizes. Remove the loin from the oven and allow to rest for 10 – 15 minutes before slicing.
Bone In Or Boneless Pork?
You can use bone in or boneless pork loin, whichever you prefer is completely up to you. If you use bone in and a meat thermometer just be sure the thermometer isn’t touching the bone.
How Else Can I Make Honey Garlic Pork Loin?
Slow cooker
You can definitely make this dish in the slow cooker, just follow these steps:
- Create the rub as described above and rub over the loin. Sear the pork loin on all sides in olive oil. Layer sliced onion on the bottom of the slow cooker to prevent the pork loin from burning.
- Place the pork loin in your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 – 6 hours. Create your glaze according to recipe instructions and broil the loin as described in step 7 as well.
Pressure cooker
- Create the rub as described above and rub over the loin. Sear the pork loin on all sides in olive oil on the saute setting once it has heated up according to manufacture directions.
- Remove the pork loin from the pressure cooker and pour in a half cup of broth. Place the trivet in the cooker and place the loin on top. Seal the lid securely and select the meat/stew setting and allow it to cook for 17 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release and remove the lid before removing the pork loin and allowing to rest. Create your glaze according to recipe instructions and broil the loin as described in step 7 as well.
Some Tips
- Get a meat thermometer! We want to guarantee our loin reaches an internal temperature of at least 145 F degrees and the best way to do this is through accuracy.
- Baking at a high temperature will give you nicely browned pork with delicious crispy bits while keeping the inside perfectly juicy.
- Be sure to let it rest! Otherwise your meat will end up dry and no one wants that. If you’d like even more help while it rests feels free to cover the dish in aluminum foil before slicing up and serving.
What To Pair With Honey Garlic Pork Loin
This entree pairs greatly with a lot of delicious side dishes, here are some suggestions:
- Creamy Polenta
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Old Fashion Green Beans
How Can I Re Purpose Leftover Pork Loin?
There’s lots you can do with your leftover Honey Garlic Pork Loin! You can incorporate it into so many dishes, let’s get into some of these transformations!
- Mexican Pork Stew
- Substitute it for the chicken in this Enchilada Rice Casserole
- Cuban Panini
- You can substitute it for the chicken in this Pad See Ew recipe
- Add it to this Chow Mein for a savory addition
Leftovers
Fridge
To keep this pork loin fresh in the fridge, store it in a shallow airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and it will keep for 3 – 4 days.
Freezer
If you’d like to make this pork loin ahead, you can store it in an airtight container or in freezer bags with the air pressed out for 4 – 6 months. Allow the roast to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven at 350 F degrees till the pork is heated through.
Craving More Pork? Try These Delicious Recipes:
- Rosemary Garlic Pork Roast
- Perfect Pulled Pork
- Korean Style Pork Chops
- Perfect Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Schnitzel
- Ranch Pork Chops And Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
- Pork Carnitas
- Cranberry Pork Roast
- Pork Loin Roast
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Honey Garlic Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork loin
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
For Rub
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
For Honey Garlic Glaze
- 2 tbsp butter
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice or orange juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- In a small bowl whisk together all the rub ingredients together. Sprinkle the rub over the entire surface of the pork pressing firmly to get everything covered.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter. Place the pork loin in the skillet and sear the pork over high heat on all sides until nicely browned.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast uncovered for 70 to 80 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145 F° to 150 F°.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice to the saucepan, whisk well and bring to a slight boil.
- Whisk the cornstarch with the water and add the slurry to the saucepan. Whisk until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- When the pork has reached the desired temperature remove the skillet carefully from the oven and baste with the honey garlic sauce. Place the skillet back in the oven and broil it on high for 3 additional minutes, or until the sauce caramelizes.
- Let the loin rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it and serving. Serve with leftover honey garlic sauce.
Video
Recipe Notes
- To keep this pork loin fresh in the fridge, store it in a shallow airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and it will keep for 3 – 4 days.
- If you’d like to make this pork loin ahead, you can store it in an airtight container or in freezer bags with the air pressed out for 4 – 6 months. Allow the roast to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven at 350 F degrees till the pork is heated through.
Hands down the best pork loin recipe we’ve ever tried! Absolutely fabulous!
I have a huge joint of pork, no idea of the weight but this recipe called out to me. Then I realised I haven’t got everything. No Italian seasoning on two cloves of garlic, not enough honey, disaster. I have done it anyway. The pork is in the oven as we speak and smells delicious and I have made the sauce ready to glaze and that tastes amazing so I am hoping it’s still going to be good. However, the pork is supposed to take 2.75 hours! Fingers crossed. I love how you have a what to do with the left overs part, I will need it.
It’ll be delicious, you know why? Coz you made it! Enjoy!
We enjoyed this recipe. Hubby said there was a bit much soya sauce. Next time We will use only half. It tasted very much like the honey garlic sauce you get in restaurants. Thank you.
I have made this recipe 3 times in a month and a half. My girlfriend just raves about it. Her husband asked me for the recipe. My favorite for pork loin now.
Yay! Glad you guys like it!
Delicious delicious. Truly is best pork loin ever.
I had a rather large pork loin in the fridge begging to be cooked. After checking Jo’s “site” for a suitable recipe I was delighted to find Jo’s list of ingredients were in my “pantry”. No shopping necessary. The loin weighed about 3 Kg (just over
6 lbs) so I cut it in half and cooked it according to Jo’s instructions. Only one difference… My natural gas barbeque is an oven with the lid closed… what a great way to keep the heat out of my condo kitchen. It roasted beautifully resulting in a tasty honey-garlic crusty glaze. Served with a fresh, mixed variety apple sauce, fondant potatoes, and fresh Ontario green beans, all of which were lip-smacking good. Thanks again JO – you did not disappoint.
We’re so glad you love this recipe! What a great meal 🙂
Great recipe!! The sauce is SO DELICIOUS. It’s a great addition to the pork. I paired it with peas which I also put the sauce on! This sauce will be making a regular appearance from now on. I might even make it and jar it, it would be amazing on a stir fry or on chicken.
Easy to make and full of flavor. I have made this recipe several times now, and it is always a hit. The Honey Garlic Glaze is wonderful – do not skimp on the garlic. After making it the first time, I have cut back on the brown sugar to 3 Tablespoons. I have even used pineapple and orange juice together in the glaze. YUMMY! I mixed the juice from the cooked pork with the last of the glaze and served this with cut up pork over baked potatoes to use up the left overs. Try this recipe for sure. Thanks Jo!
That sounds so good! We’re glad you love the recipe 🙂
Love your recipes Jo, what can I sub for pineapple juice since I have an allergy to pineapple. Would love to make this!
Try orange juice!
Question about cooking with pressure cooker. Does the taste suffer when doing this with the pressure cooker? I don’t have a cast iron pan, plus when I have used a oven safe pan I have burnt myself twice after I took it out of the oven–yeouch! So figured it would be safer to use my instant pot. Any suggestions?
An Instant Pot is a pressure cooker! That will work just fine. You wont get the same crust as you’d get with a skillet, but the meat will be amazingly tender
This was delicious! I made it tonight for my hubby. and he loved it. I did make a couple of changes, though. I used a cheaper cut of pork with the bone in it, and after searing it with the dry rub, I poured the liquid sauce, minus the cornstarch and water, over the top of it. Then I covered the cast iron pot, and placed it in the oven to slow cook at 275 degrees for about four or five hours. It is fantastic!! These flavors are delicious together, and this recipe is a keeper for sure.
so easy and delicious. only thing I will change is to cut the rub by half. will make again!
This was a huge hit! Perfect for a rainy weekend meal as there is plenty for subsequent leftover sandwiches. Thanks for the great recipe ideas.
when I first saw this recipe i read it and I thought it called for umani. When I printed the recipe I did not see umani mentioned. An I going daffy. Can you please advise if umani is an ingredient or not. If so, where and how much is used?. Thanks Bill
There’s no umami in it, in the ingredients section in the post, it simply states we add soy sauce to add some umami flavor to the sauce. 🙂
I love your recipes and always read the reviews before printing the recipe. How come recently the recipe shows there are reviews, such as this one, that states 4.64 from 11 votes, and only 1 review shows up? I would like for the reviews to show up again. Thank you!
Hi Jean, people can rate a recipe without leaving a review, that’s all. You can do so from the recipe card, by hovering over how many stars you want to give it.