This Lemon Garlic Pork Roast is one of my favorite dishes to make for Sunday night dinners. The marinade, made with lots of garlic and fresh lemon, is incredibly aromatic and the perfect match for creating a restaurant-quality pork loin.
Growing up every Sunday we used to have a big meal, nothing fancy, usually roasted potatoes with roasted chicken, roasted pork loin. We all ate together and it was just great family time. Meals like this have always had such a special place in my heart!
Pork was always a staple at our house, as a matter of fact I remember when my dad would buy half a pig or sometimes even a whole pig. He’d bring it home and we’d make all kinds of sausages, head cheese, pork greaves, and we’d absolutely fill our freezer with pork creations. This was one way for my parents to save money, and we’d have meat from this for months.
This lemon garlic pork roast is reminiscent of those Sunday night dinners with my parents, and it’s something that I brought into my home and love to share with my husband.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions, or click the Jump To Recipe button at the top.
- Garlic – It’s in the name so of course, I used lots. You can use more or less if you’d like.
- Olive oil – Avocado, sunflower, safflower, canola, or vegetable oils can be used instead.
- Herbs – I used dried oregano and some fresh thyme which is perfect with pork.
- Paprika – I love using smoked paprika, but regular sweet paprika will also work.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Lemon – A fresh lemon for both zest and juice.
- Pork – I used a 2 pound pork loin. Pork tenderloin can also be used but keep in mind that it will cook quicker.
- Baby potatoes – This is what completes this meal. Regular potatoes will work as well.
How to make lemon garlic pork roast
- Make the marinade: Add the garlic, oil, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest to a ziploc bag and mix it all together. Reserve half a cup of the marinade for the potatoes.
- Marinate the pork: Place the pork loin into the ziploc bag and toss with the marinade, making sure the pork is fully covered. Close the bag, and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Prep the potatoes: In a roasting pan add the baby potatoes and toss with the reserved marinade. Arrange the potatoes around the sides of the roasting pan, making a whole in the middle, and place the pork loin in the center of the roasting pan. Pour remaining marinade over the pork.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375F. Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour. It should measure 145F on an instant read thermometer when done. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let it rest, covered with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing into it.
Easy gravy
Follow these steps after the pork has finished cooking and while you’re letting it rest.
- Pour the pan drippings into a saucepan through a sieve to get rid of lumps.
- Bring the drippings to a simmer. Add some broth to the saucepan if you feel there isn’t enough liquid.
- Mix 1 tbsp corn starch with 1 tbsp water in a small bowl. Add the slurry to the simmering drippings, a bit at a time, whisking vigorously, until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
You can simmer the drippings with fresh herbs, lemon, and/or garlic to give the gravy some more flavor.
Do your roast pork covered or uncovered?
I prefer to roast my pork uncovered, because you don’t want it to steam and this way we get a nice crust on the outside as well.
How to store leftovers
Leftover lemon garlic pork roast can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Leftovers will also last frozen for 2-3 months. Its best to reheat leftovers in the microwave to avoid having the pork dry out.
You can also reheat in the oven. I suggest pre-slicing the pork so it can reheat as fast as possible. Place the pork in a baking dish, add a splash of broth, cover with foil, and bake at 325 until heated through.
Let frozen leftovers thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More delicious pork recipes to try:
- Honey Garlic Pork Loin
- Perfect Pork Tenderloin
- Balsamic Pork Loin
- Easy Pork Sausage
- Korean Style Pork Chops
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Brown Sugar Balsamic Pulled Pork
- Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
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Lemon Garlic Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 tablespoon thyme chopped, I used fresh
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 pounds pork loin
- 2 pounds baby potatoes washed and cut in half
Instructions
- Make the marinade: Add the garlic, oil, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest to a ziploc bag and mix it all together. Reserve half a cup of the marinade for the potatoes.
- Marinate the pork: Place the pork loin into the ziploc bag and toss with the marinade, making sure the pork is fully covered. Close the bag, and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Prep the potatoes: In a roasting pan add the baby potatoes and toss with the reserved marinade. Arrange the potatoes around the sides of the roasting pan, making a whole in the middle, and place the pork loin in the center of the roasting pan. Pour remaining marinade over the pork.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375F. Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour. It should measure 145F on an instant read thermometer when done. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let it rest, covered with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing into it.
Recipe Notes
- Leftover lemon garlic pork roast can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Leftovers will also last frozen for 2-3 months. Its best to reheat leftovers in the microwave to avoid having the pork dry out.
- You can also reheat in the oven. I suggest pre-slicing the pork so it can reheat as fast as possible. Place the pork in a baking dish, add a splash of broth, cover with foil, and bake at 325 until heated through.
I’m a bit confused. In the instructions it says cover in foil and rest for 10 minutes, but at the recipie header it say rest time is 1hr 10mins. Which one is correct?
We have it set to rest for 1 hr + plus 10 minutes because of the marinade. You have to let it sit in the marinade for an hour, then 10 minutes after finished cooking. The total resting time AFTER cooking would be 10 minutes.
Do we cover in foil only to let it rest?
Hi Jo~
I’m wanting to use this seasoning and marinade for my pork tenderloin Christmas dinner, do you think I will be making a mistake using this recipe for a tenderloin because I’m not wanting to use a pork loin?
Thank you
You can use tenderloin, just make sure you adjust the cooking time, as it will take less time to cook. Refer to this recipe, for instructions: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/perfect-pork-tenderloin/
Taste delish thx for recipe
Question – do you put thyme in the marinade? It’s in the ingredients list but not the method. I’m making this tonight. Help? Thanks
Hi Tera! Yes you do! Thanks for catching that, fixed the recipe card. 🙂
Glad I could catch that for you. I marinated the pork for a day when our plans changed. It gave the pork so much more flavor. This was a delicious dinner!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I followed the directions as written, but my pork loin came out really tough and not moist at all. What would cause this?
Yours may have been thinner and longer than ours. You can use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork loin – once it reaches 145F it’s done.
Very tasty, easy one pot dish! The recipe was straight forward and easy to follow. We plan to use the leftovers to make a breakfast hash.
I am confused as the marinade recipe only calls for a half cup of oil and two tbsp. lemon juice. How am I to reserve one half cup for the potatoes? Please advise as this looks like an absolutely delicious recipe. What am I missing?
There are other ingredients too, so when you add them all together, you end up with about a cup of marinade. 🙂
Can this be cooked in/adapted for a slow-cooker?
Yes you can cook it for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
Thank you for your prompt reply. I cook as much as I can in my slow-cooker for many reasons, not the least of which is loving the aroma that fills my home and there’s no cleanup. Easy peasy is my mantra. Can’t wait to try this.
Very tasty recipe and easy to make. I served it with roast potatoes, lightly steamed broccoli and caesar salad. Everyone just loved it. Thanks!
What do you do with the marinade? Can it be cooked down and used as a sauce. It seems a big waste of flavor to throw it out.
As you can see in the photo above the recipe card, we left as much marinade as possible on the pork to roast.
The recipe was not overpowering nor greasy. I had my doubts with the amount of oil used, but when blended it was just the right amount for putting over the meat as well as using for a gravy. I included root vegetables and enclosed them both tightly. They came out very tender!
Do you put the meat directly from the fridge in the oven?
Yes!
This was amazingly delicious and i knew it would be..
Great recipe wouldnt change a thing…will be making this again!!
I have made this before with a 2lb roast delicious! I have a 3.3lb roast and was wondering how much longer it will take to cook also wondering if I should lower temperature or leave at 375 thanks!
Best way is to use a meat thermometer and check it for doneness.