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Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Cider Gravy

Slow Cooker Pork Loin cooked in cider, apple sauce, honey and mustard until perfectly tender, the cooking liquid makes a wonderful gravy.

This delicious dish involves a little work to get started, but it should take you no more than 20 minutes. Then you kick back for 4 hours and finish by reducing the gravy a little.

Carved slow cooker pork loin, cider gravy, roast potatoes and green vegetables.

Crockpot Pork Loin in a Cider, Honey and Mustard “Gravy”

I don’t cook with my slow cooker very often, but when I do this pork loin recipe is one of my favourites.

It is cooked slowly in a cider honey and mustard sauce and leads to wonderfully moist meat and that gravy is majestic.

Pork loin is a really lean piece of meat and as a result, it cooks quite quickly. Rather than the usual 6-8 hours on low, this pork will be perfect in around 4 hours.

Then all you have to do is bland the gravy and reduce it a little while the pork is resting.

This dish is one of my favourite scaled-back Sunday lunch recipes that does not leave you feeling too full, it’s properly delicious.

If slow cooker recipes are your thing you must check out my slow cooker lamb shanks, slow cooker pork chops with peppers and slow cooker beef cheeks recipes.

Cider gravy being poured over a serving of slow cooker pork loin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I look for when buying the pork?

I usually look for some boneless centre-cut pork loin with a bit of fat left on the top of the pork.

Can I use skin on pork?

I do not recommend that in this recipe, the skin will be very “soggy” and will not crisp up in the wet environment of the slow cooker.

You could crisp it up in an oven or air fryer, but then you will over cook the pork, and overcooked pork loin is not the nicest.

Does the size of slow-cooker really matter?

Yes, if you use a larger slow cooker you will need to add more liquid, this will take longer to heat up and as a result, you will need to cook the pork for longer.

Why do you give a range for the mustard and honey volumes?

English mustard is very strong and I love it but it can be a little pokey for some.

As for the honey, sweetness is very much a personal thing in savoury recipes and how much you need or want is up to you.

What cider should I use?

Use something that you like, I’ve been cooking with Aspall Premier Cru in a lot of my recipes recently.

A NOTE FOR US-BASED READERS:

Cider for us Europeans means booze, do not try and make this with what you guys call apple cider, look for a dry hard cider instead.

Overhead close-up carved slow cooker (Crockpot) pork loin.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served my slow cooker pork loin in these pictures with some beef-dripping roast potatoes and a medley of green veggies cooked in butter.

I love spuds, and there are countless options you could add here, everything from potato wedges and fried potatoes to fondant potatoes and of course, mashed potatoes.

I also love to serve this pork loin recipe with creamed leeks, the richness and the flaovur of thyme is a perfect match.

Other good options for greens range from buttered savoy cabbage to these miso Brussels sprouts and of course an evergreen (see what I did there) favourite of mine, roasted tenderstem broccoli.

Most of my dishes are made for two people, this is designed for four, so you will have leftovers. The meat makes a wonderful sandwich, I also like to turn it into a hash with some crushed potatoes, wholegrain mustard and a ride egg.

Slow cooker pork loin served with roast potatoes, vegetables and a cider, mustard and honey gravy.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Hob/Stovertop.
  • 3/7-4 litre (4 quart) slow cooker.
  • Kitchen tongs.
  • Stirring and serving spoons.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Chopping board.
  • A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Carved slow cooker pork loin, with a gravy, and roast potatoes.
Yield: 4 Servings

Slow Cooker Pork Loin Recipe with a Cider, Mustard and Honey Gravy

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes

Slow cooker pork loin with a delicious cider, English mustard and honey gravy that's loaded with onions makes for a perfectly simple centre piece for a Sunday lunch.

Ingredients

  • 800g (2lb) Pork Loin with Skin Removed.
  • 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
  • 300g (2 Cups) Onions
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 500ml (2 Cups) Dry Cider
  • 2 Sprigs Thyme
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 100g (¼ Cup) Bramley Apple Sauce
  • 250ml (1 Cup) Chicken Stock
  • 2-3 Tbsp (60g) Runny Honey
  • 1.5-2 Tbsp English Mustard
  • 35g (2 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Butter

Instructions

  1. Peel and roughly chop the onions.
  2. Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel off the papery outside.
  3. Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a very high heat and when it is hot, add the cooking oil then sear the pork loin on all sides.
  4. Remove the pork and set it aside, then add the remaining oil to the pan and toss in the onions and cook them for 5-7 minutes stirring regularly, you want them to begin to colour nicely.
  5. Toss in the garlic cloves then pour in the cider and reduce it by half, then transfer this to the base of a 3.5-4 litre (quart) slow cooker.
  6. Add the thyme, bay leaf and apple sauce to the slow cooker along with the chicken stock, give it a stir and place the seared pork loin on top of the sauce.
  7. Mix together the runny honey and mustard and drizzle it over the pork making sure you get it to drips down the sides and into the sauce.
  8. Turn your slow cooker to low and leave it for 4 hours.
  9. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, tent it with foil and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.
  10. Transfer the cooking liquid to a blender, removing the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and blend until smooth. Transfer this to a pan and then reduce it by a third over a very high heat, just before serving whisk through the butter to add a sheen and thicken the gravy a little.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 678Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 181mgSodium: 581mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 29gProtein: 56g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

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