Slow cooker pork tenderloin with apples is a delicious and easy comfort food meal. Made with sweet onions and granny smith apples this easy slow cooker recipe comes with a homemade maple pan gravy.
Slow cooker meals are one of my favorite things to cook during the Fall. They make for delicious and easy weeknight meals with quick clean up.
This slow cooker pork roast is the perfect recipe for Fall and apple season. With the classic combination of pork and apples, this slow cooker meal will soon be a family favorite.
There are so many sides dishes you can make to go with pork tenderloin. Serve this easy pork recipe with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts or sweet potato casserole for a delicious meal that even picky eaters will enjoy!
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🍏 Ingredient notes
- Pork Tenderloin - Pork tenderloin is a long and lean cut of meat that can be very tender. Typically a tenderloin is around 1 pound and serves about 3 people. Alternatively, a pork loin roast may also be used. This cut of meat is larger and fattier, so additional cook time will be needed.
- Apples - Green apples or granny smith apples are the variety of apples I would recommend for this easy pork tenderloin. They add a bit of tart flavor to the pork as well as the juices which lends itself to a super tasty gravy.
- Onions - Sweet yellow onions add a nice flavor to the juicy pork and also make delicious juices. Regular yellow onions or white onions can be substituted, if needed.
- Gravy - This homemade gravy is made using the fond, or flavorful bits left in the pan from searing, along with the drippings from slow cooking. It's lightly flavored with dijon mustard and maple syrup and makes an excellent finish to the tender pork.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Vegetables - To make this a more complete meal, chopped up carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes or regular potatoes could be cooked along with the pork loin roast.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, pat the tenderloins dry and season them with the kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, ground mustard, garlic powder and onion powder. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and sear the tenderloins until they are nicely browned on all sides.
Place the seared tenderloin in the slow cooker and add the sliced onion, apple slices, minced garlic and chicken broth on the top of the pork. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Remove the pork tenderloin to rest on a cutting board and then re-heat the skillet that the meat was seared. Melt the butter in the skillet and then whisk in the flour, while cooking for about a minute.
Slowly whisk in all of the juices, including the onions and remaining apples from the crock pot. Whisk in the dijon mustard and maple syrup and continue to cook until the gravy is thickened. Slice the pork tenderloin and serve with the gravy.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in the Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Pat the pork tenderloin dry before seasoning it with the spices. This will allow them to stick to the pork during searing and will also give you the best sear.
- Searing retains moisture and gives additional flavor to both the pork and the gravy. In a pinch, the pork can be seasoned and added to the crock pot with the other items and cooked as directed.
- Make sure to save the skillet from searing the roast to make the gravy. It is a great way to add extra flavor!
- Always cook pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145˚ when checked with a reliable kitchen thermometer.
- For best results, let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the gravy so it has time to retain it's juices before slicing.
💭 Frequently asked questions
The pork tenderloin is a long, lean boneless cut of meat from the muscle by the back bone. A pork loin can be either boneless or bone in and is a wider, flatter cut of meat that is more fatty than a tenderloin.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
The pork tenderloin can be seasoned and seared up to 24 hours before cooking time. Allow the pork to cool completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store in the refrigerator until you are ready to add it to the slow cooker.
Leftover crock pot pork tenderloin will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days. It can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Frozen pork should be thawed in the refrigerator. Reheat pork tenderloin, covered, in the oven or microwave with a little bit of broth or gravy.
🥘 More slow cooker recipes
If you loved this slow cooker pork tenderloin with apples recipe, check out these other crock pot recipes that I know you will love too!
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins approximately 2-3 pounds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion cut into thin slices
- 1 large granny smith apple cut into thin slices
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Pat the pork tenderloins dry with a paper towel and then season them all over with the salt, pepper, dried thyme, ground mustard, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the oil starts to shimmer in the pan.
- Sear the pork tenderloins in the hot skillet for 3-5 minutes on each side until nicely browned and then remove from the heat. Reserve the skillet to make the gravy later.
- Place the seared pork tenderloins in a slow cooker and top with the onions, apples, garlic and chicken broth.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, until the pork is fork tender.
- Remove the tenderloin from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board to rest while the gravy is made.
- Reheat the skillet that the meat was seared in on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Melt the butter in the hot skillet and then whisk in the flour, cooking for 1 minute, while whisking continuously.
- Slowly whisk in all of the juices, along with the apples and onions from the slow cooker.
- Next, whisk in the dijon mustard and maple syrup. Continue to cook, while whisking, for 2-3 minutes until the gravy is thickened.
- Slice the pork tenderloin into one inch medallions and serve with the pan gravy.
Notes
- Pat the pork tenderloin dry before seasoning so it sticks and gets the best sear.
- Searing retains moisture and gives additional flavor. In a pinch, the pork can be seasoned and added to the crock pot with the other items and cooked as directed.
- Save the skillet the roast was seared in, to make the gravy, for extra flavor!
- Cook pork to an internal temperature of 145˚ when checked with a reliable kitchen thermometer.
- For best results, let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing so it can retain it's juices.
Substitutions and Variations
- Pork - A pork loin roast can be used instead of pork tenderloin. It is larger and fattier than a tenderloin so additional cook time will be needed.
- Onions - Regular yellow onions or white onions can be substituted, if needed.
- Vegetables - Add chopped up carrots, green beans sweet potatoes or regular potatoes could be cooked along with the pork loin roast.
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