If you love the comforting flavors of fall, you'll adore this easy and delicious Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pork Roast. Savory onions and sweet apple slices combine with a rich cider sauce that glistens over the moist, juicy pork.
It's a hearty, flavor-packed meal that'll have the whole family gathered around the dinner table.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This easy dinner recipe turns an inexpensive cut of meat into a juicy, mouth-watering meal.
- Slow cooker pork is a great option for busy weeknights and lazy weekends. (It's extra-perfect after hay rides and apple picking!)
- Whisk the flavorful liquid from the crockpot with a cornstarch slurry to make a rich apple cider sauce and spoon it over the pork.
Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and a touch of chipotle beautifully complement the hearty flavor of the pork and onions in this recipe.
Apple cider pork roast takes just a few minutes to prep, and the
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Instead of pork loin, you can use a pork sirloin roast, pork shoulder, or pork tenderloin—though tenderloin will cook much more quickly.
- This is absolutely delish with chicken thighs or breasts instead of pork.
- For a different flavor profile, experiment by swapping the apple cider with your favorite bourbon.
- To make this a one-pot meal, add quartered red potatoes to the apples and onions on the bottom of the
slow cooker . - If you don't have chipotle powder on hand, use smoked paprika. It's slightly milder but still tastes nice and smoky.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Rub the pork loin with the dry seasonings and spices. Let rest.
Combine sugar, lemon juice, and apple cider. Pour over apples and onions.
Place the pork roast on top of the apple and onion mixture.
Cook. Optional: transfer the liquid to a saucepan and whisk with cornstarch slurry.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
For serving, transfer the apples and onions to a long platter or dish. Place the sliced pork loin on top. Finish with a generous drizzle of sauce for a magazine-worthy meal!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Slow cooker
- Instant-read thermometer
- Optional: saucepan and whisk
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
Slow cooker apple cider pork roast goes fast in my household, but leftovers keep great, too. (Psst—it makes great sandwiches the next day!)
Let the extras cool, then transfer to an airtight storage container. It'll keep in the fridge for three or four days, or the freezer for three to four months.
Thaw frozen pork in the refrigerator overnight. From there, heat it up in a 350-degree F oven (covered tightly with foil) or the microwave in 30-second bursts. In both cases, add an extra splash of apple cider to prevent it from drying out.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Always whisk cornstarch with a little liquid first, before dumping it into the saucepan. If you add dry cornstarch straight into a hot liquid, it'll clump up and give your smooth sauce a funky texture.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Choose a darker pink pork loin at the store. Avoid anything pale in color or grayish, as that's a sign it's starting to go bad.
- You don't have to peel the apples unless you really want to. The skin will get soft in the
slow cooker , so this dish is good either way. - Letting the dry rub rest on the pork roast before cooking allows the spices to really flavor the meat. You can budget this resting time into prep or season the pork the night before like I do!
- If your
slow cooker is too hot or heavy to pour the juices off, use a big ladle instead—or even a turkey baster—to transfer them to the pan.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Nope! A pork tenderloin is a rounder, narrower cut of meat, shaped kind of like a tube. Since it's smaller, it'll cook more quickly than pork loin, which is flatter and wider.
You can, but apple juice doesn't taste quite as flavorful or acidic as cider. If you must, try to at least use high-quality apple juice.
The keys are simple: don't overcook it, and let the pork rest before slicing in. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to know when your pork is done. The rest is all up to patience!
Pork loin has a mild flavor that really allows whatever seasonings you use to shine. The hearty meat goes especially well with smoky and sweet flavors, which is why we use ingredients like brown sugar, cinnamon, and chipotle in this recipe!
Nope, this step is optional. However, that liquid has a TON of flavor—from the cider, seasonings, sugar, and pork juices—so it'd be a shame to waste it. Thickening the sauce takes only a few minutes and is so worth it.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Use an apple corer to slice your apples perfectly in just seconds.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- Juicy Dr Pepper Pulled Pork takes just minutes to prep and is a great freezer meal to make ahead of time. Future-you will be grateful!
- When you're craving old-fashioned beef, this Crockpot Rump Roast checks all the boxes: it's easy, quick, flavorful, and satisfying.
- Buttermilk Brined Roast Chicken is mouthwatering and buttery, very simple to make, and super impressive for the family as Sunday dinner!
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
Corn Muffins are an easy side dish that goes with just about any hearty meal. These copycat Cracker Barrel muffins are super buttery and just a touch sweet—the perfect combination!
With zesty peppers and onions, Cast Iron Country Potatoes cook to golden-brown perfection in less than a half hour. They're a classic Southern staple that you can enjoy for breakfast and dinner.
Sweet, smooth, and buttery, nothing hits the spot after dinner quite like a traditional Buttermilk Pie. It's made with simple ingredients, and every bite delivers the cozy flavor of comforting Southern cuisine.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
Chop up leftover pork and use it in any baked dish, like my Pulled Pork Casserole or an easy pulled pork macaroni and cheese. This Shepherd's Pie with Leftover Pot Roast calls for beef, but it works great with extra pork, too.
For an even easier option, make sandwiches. Leftover
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
This easy recipe just tastes like Fall. The apples and spice bring out all the flavor in the tender pork roast with every bite.
Best of all, it's all done in the
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pork
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon chipotle
- 1 pork loin roast, 2 to 3 pounds
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 granny smith or honey crisp apples, cored and sliced
- 2 cups onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, optional
Instructions
- Combine salt, ginger, nutmeg, chipotle, and cinnamon; rub over roast.
- Let stand for 30 minutes, or you can wrap it and refrigerate overnight.
- Place the sliced onions and apples in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, apple cider, and lemon juice.
- Pour the apple cider mixture over the apple mixture.
- Add the pork roast to the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until an instant read thermometer reads 145 when poked into the center of the roast.
To thicken juices (optional)
- Pour off the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Stir the cornstarch with ¼ cup of apple juice until totally mixed and no lumps remain.
- Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the juices, whisking until thickened and smooth.
- Remove from heat and serve with the pork and apples.
Notes
- Choose a darker pink pork loin at the store. Avoid anything pale in color or grayish, as that's a sign it's starting to go bad.
- You don't have to peel the apples unless you really want to. The skin will get soft in the slow cooker, so this dish is good either way.
- Letting the dry rub rest on the pork roast before cooking allows the spices to really flavor the meat. You can budget this resting time into prep or season the pork the night before like I do!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Comments
No Comments