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Instant Pot Pork Loin – Juicy and delicious Pork Loin Roast topped with garlic, butter, and herbs, and cooked to a tender and succulent perfection in the Instant Pot! Make dinnertime way less hectic with this easy Instant Pot Pork Loin recipe. A satisfying dinner on the table and clean up is a snap!
INSTANT POT PORK LOIN
Looking for big flavors with minimum effort? Mastering a Pork Loin Roast has never been easier. With just a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes, Instant Pot Pork Loin will add another dimension to easy dinners!
Don’t have an Instant Pot? No worries – get my very popular recipe for cooking Pork Loin Roast in the oven.
Pork Loin is possibly my favorite cut of pork meat. From a traditional braised pork shoulder to a fancy porchetta recipe, it’s easy to cook, has plenty of flavor, and doesn’t need much babysitting, ESPECIALLY when you cook it in the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot lets you sear, cook, and sauce the pork, all in the same pot.
BUT FIRST, there are a couple of things you’ll want to keep in mind when cooking pork loin in the Instant Pot.
- First, make sure you get a boneless pork LOIN, and not pork TENDERLOIN. They sound similar, but are two different cuts.
- Second, you will need some liquid – like, broth, wine, or beer (your choice) – we need this for the pressure cooking phase, but we also WANT this liquid for our sauce.
HOW TO COOK PORK LOIN IN THE INSTANT POT
- We start with melting some butter and then stirring in garlic, brown sugar, and herbs.
- Season the pork loin with salt and pepper, then, brush the butter mixture all around the meat.
- Next, press the Sauté function on the instant pot and heat up a bit of olive oil; sear the pork loin on all sides until browned – should take about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Remove pork and set aside.
- Add liquid to the Instant Pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Place a trivet in the IP and set the pork on top of the trivet.
- Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Then, let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, and quick release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and check internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer – it should read 145˚F. If it’s less than this, you can place the lid back on the pot to let the carryover heat cook the pork to doneness. Shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes.
- Transfer pork loin to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the pan-sauce: Select the Sauté function and bring liquid to a boil. Continue to cook at a slow boil for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
- Slice the pork and serve with the pan juices. For a creamy twist, stir in a splash of cream to create a luscious sauce, or sauté some mushrooms before making the sauce to whip up rich and savory cream of mushroom pork chops.
Once you serve this bad boy, you will be on pork-cooking duty for life! It’s a pork roast recipe that is easy enough for weeknight dinners, but also impressive enough for company. I love that it cooks quickly, but remains succulent and tender and lends itself well to any variety of flavors.
TIPS FOR JUICY, TENDER INSTANT POT PORK LOIN
- Take pork loin out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before cooking with it.
- Trim visible silverskin or loose pieces of fat, but leave the fat cap in place.
- Brown the pork loin before pressure cooking. Don’t skip this part – it adds flavor and texture. Also, for a crispier crust, place the cooked roast on a sheet pan and pop it in a 475˚F preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
- A perfectly prepared pork loin should be removed from cooking at 145°F for medium doneness. The key to juicy pork is not overcooking it. Higher temperature results in a dry and stringy pork loin.
- Keep in mind that cooking time also depends on the size of the pork loin. For this recipe, I used a 2-1/2 pound roast.
What I love about this recipe is, of course, the quick cooking method, but also the flavor! Garlic, herbs, butter…yum! Turns out perfect results every time. Serve this pork loin over mashed potatoes or mushroom rice, or slice it real thin and pile it on sandwiches all week long.
HOW TO STORE PORK LOIN LEFTOVERS
- Refrigerate leftover pork in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
MORE PORK RECIPES
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Instant Pot Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 2 to 2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter,, melted
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth, (you can also use wine, beer, or water)
Instructions
- Take pork loin out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, and thyme.
- Season pork loin with salt and pepper; then, brush the butter mixture all around the meat. Set aside.
- Press the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and heat up the olive oil. When oil is hot, sear the pork loin on all sides until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove pork from IP and set aside.
- Add broth (or wine, beer, or water) to the Instant Pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Cancel the Sauté function and place a trivet in the IP and set the pork on top of the trivet. Lock the lid and pressure cook at HIGH PRESSURE for 15 minutes. Then, let pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, and quick release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and check internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer; it should read 145˚F. If it’s less than this, you can place the lid back on the pot to let the carryover heat cook the pork to doneness. Shouldn’t take more than 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer pork loin to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting. This will help seal in the juices.
- In the meantime, prepare the pan-sauce: Select the Sauté function on the IP and bring liquid to a boil. Continue to cook at a slow boil for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
- Slice the pork and serve with the pan juices.
Notes
NET CARBS: 2g
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Husband, friend and I loved this!!! Definitely putting this recipe in the rotation ๐
Thanks for the recipe, if I’m cooking a 4-5 lb roast will I still cook it for 15 min? I adjusted your recipe with the 2x tab but that doesn’t change the instructions.
That tab is only for the ingredients – it won’t change the directions. The cooking time will need to be increased. Try it at 20 minutes on High Pressure, and then do a natural release. Remove the lid, check the pork’s internal temperature with a meat thermometer, and if it’s not at 145หF, put it back in the IP, cover it, and let sit for 2 to 5 minutes or until the temperature has reached 145หF.
Ok I’ll try that, thank you!
This is DELICIOUS! I donโt care for thyme, so I eliminated the thyme and added 1 T of balsamic vinegar to tenderize and flavor. I reduced the liquid and used flour/water to thicken to a thin gravy. I will make this again!
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Can I just set the pork loin right in the liquid to cook it or does it have to be on a trivet?
Yes, you could, but by keeping the meat above water, you cook the food by steaming it instead of boiling it.
Iโm excited to try this recipe! If I add in some root vegetables to the bottom of the pan in place of a trivet, will the timing still work? I really donโt want to end up with mushy veg or ruin the meat. Thanks!
Hi!
15 minutes at high pressure is too long for the veggies. They will be super mushy, unfortunately. If I may suggest, I think it’s best to cook the pork, take it out, and set it on the side to rest. While the pork rests, place the chopped root veggies in the IP, and cook on High pressure for 5 minutes.
Vegetables will cook and keep their texture by wrapping potatoes carrots and celery in aluminum foil and placing it on top of the meat in instant pot. Creamy potatoes and crisp veggies!
I tried this recipe yesterday and did not find the pork to be “juicy and delicious”. The roast was still pink in the middle and dry on the outer edge. It was a 2.6 lb roast and I cooked it for 18 minutes. Should I have cut the roast in half to make it cook for evenly?
Hi!
Did you do the 15-minute natural pressure release, too? I almost always cook a 2.5 to 3-pound roast in the IP and have never cut it in half. 15-minute cook time at high pressure and a 15-minutes natural pressure release has always worked, and the roast registers at about 145หF to 150หF internal temperature. If it’s not cooked through to an internal temperature of 145หF, you can return the pork loin to the pot, close it with the cover, and let it sit for a few more minutes.
Yes, I did the 15 minute natural pressure release. I did test the temperature and it was 145 but the center of the roast was pink.
The sauce was very tasty – especially with potatoes.
pork loin can be pink and still be fully cook. As long as it reads 145 you’re good.
You aren’t alone. My 2 lb roast wasn’t even close to temp so I put it back in for 4 minutes. Still not done so I cut it and it was still pink. I’ve got it back in now for an additional 5 minutes at high pressure. I wonder why it turns out perfect for most but there’s the occasional “I ain’t going to cook” problem roast?
Perfect tender meat and the best sauce E.V.E.R.
Thank you so much! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Delicious and easy! Thank you
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
The sauce was so delicious on the pork and the potatoes I made to accompany it!
Question? In an above picture there appears to be onion along side of your roast on the serving platter but I donโt see onion in the recipe. I am curious if the onion was left out of the recipe by mistake or if onion is an option if one so desires?
Thank you
Hi!
Yeah, I just used it for garnish, but you can definitely cut a large onion in 4 wedges and cook it together with the pork loin.
Can this be cooked with sour sauerkraut