Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
on Sep 20, 2018, Updated Aug 26, 2024
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Slow cooker pork tenderloin and potatoes make the perfect simple dinner with moist and flavorful pork and crispy potatoes.
You all know I adore and live for a solid slow cooker recipe, and this one is here to woo and wow you. It’s a simple meal, but don’t let that discourage you from firing up the slow cooker and giving it a try. What it offers in flavor and heartiness makes it seem like a much more complicated recipe than it actually is!
But because it’s SO simple and so satisfying, I’m certain it’ll become one of those meals you make again and again. The cook time is about 4 hours, so it’s perfect to throw into the crockpot right before the kids come clamoring in the door after school or for Sunday meals — I let it cook away and work its magic while we go to church, OR I put it on after church and take a nap! What a dream life, right? I can’t wait to hear what you think of this meal.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One Pot Simplicity: you cook the potatoes in a foil pouch instead of all together – they don’t get soggy because they aren’t sitting in juices. You can use whatever potatoes you like and you can even use sweet potatoes or winter squash; they all work well.
- Perfect Pork: One of the best things about cooking pork in the slow cooker is that it doesn’t dry it out like other cooking methods can.
- Hands-Off Cooking: You can serve a hearty, delicious meal without much prep time.
Ingredients
- Smithfield Prime Pork Tenderloin
- Kosher Salt & Pepper
- Spices
- Minced Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Soy Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Potatoes
- Butter
- Parsley
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- You can easily substitute 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts for the pork.
- If you don’t care for rosemary, you can substitute another herb like thyme, sage, oregano, or tarragon that will still go with the rest of the ingredients.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
Step #1. Place one pork loin on a large plate. (Save the other for another recipe.) Mix the spices, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the pork with olive oil and then coat with spices.
Step #3. Make a foil pocket next to the pork. Fill the foil with the cubed potatoes and the butter.
Step #2. Place the onion slices on one side of the bottom of the slow cooker then top with the pork loin. Drizzle pork with soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
Step #4. Cover and cook for 4 hours or until cooked through. Remove the pork to a serving platter and the potatoes to a bowl. Mix the butter, salt, and parsley and add to the potatoes. Serve.
The key to having the pork and potatoes finish cooking at the same time is the size of the potatoes. 1 to 1/2 inch cubes are ideal for perfectly cooked potatoes. You can sub the potatoes for sweet potatoes or winter squash, too! (I tried butternut squash mixed with a few chopped apples the other day and it was excellent with the flavorful pork!)
Mix up the fresh herbs you add to the potatoes based on what’s growing in your garden and what you like. Fresh dill and chives are also delicious.
Yes! Just add 3 tablespoons cold water and 1 tablespoon corn starch to a small bowl and whisk together to make a slurry. Bring the juice to a simmer in a small saucepan and add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened, making a simple gravy for the pork and potatoes. You can also strain it and serve it “au jus” style.
Pork tenderloin and loin are two different parts of the animal. Tenderloin is thinner and smaller, and yields a leaner cut of meat, while loin is wide enough to cut steak-like piece of it. You cook them a lot differently, too, since they’re much different sizes and thickness. Make sure you snag a tenderloin for this recipe!
Expert Tips
- An instant-read thermometer will change your meat cooking game. I highly recommend getting one. Lots of slow cookers also come with a cooking probe that will alert you when a predetermined temperature is reached. Either will work well for this recipe. For juicy, perfectly cooked pork, 145°F is the magic number. After meat gets to that temperature, and after a 3-minute rest, your fresh pork is ready and you have a juicy, tender, delicious meal.
- When slicing your pork (or any cut of meat), make sure you are cutting across the grain. That will help the meat be more tender when you chew! It is easy to do with a pork tenderloin – for some other cuts of meat, you’ll have to look more closely.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
- I like to serve this recipe with some green beans and frozen peaches for a rounded out meal.
More Pork Recipes to Consider
Dinner Ideas
One-Pot Sausage, Rice, and Peas Dinner
Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Quesadillas
Dinner Ideas
Cabbage Rolls
Breakfast Recipes
Toad in a Hole
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
Equipment
- small bowl I love these because they have lids and double as serving bowls.
- Slow Cooker The lock-on lid is great for taking food to a party. I've had mine for years!
Ingredients
- 1 Smithfield Prime Pork Tenderloin, about 1.5 pounds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small to medium onion cut into 4 large slices
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 to 2.5 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch cubes
- 3 tablespoon butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Open the package of pork and remove one tenderloin. Save the second for another meal. Place the pork on a large plate.
- Mix together the salt, rosemary, celery seed, black pepper, and minced garlic in a small bowl.
- Rub the pork all over with the olive oil and then coat it well with the spice mixture on all sides.
- Place the sliced onion on the bottom of the slow cooker, favoring one side of the slow cooker, and then place the pork on top of the onion.
- Gently drizzle the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce over the pork.
- Use a large piece of foil to make a pocket for the potatoes next to the pork. Be careful to make it large enough so that the pork juice won’t get into the foil.
- Fill the foil with the cubed potatoes and add 1 tablespoon of butter.
- The pork should be off to one side but not completely touching the side of the slow cooker.
- Add the lid and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours on LOW or until the pork registers 145 degrees using an instant-read thermometer or the probe on your slow cooker.
- When the pork is cooked through, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
- While the pork is resting, place the potatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, chopped parsley and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
- Slice the pork and place it on a serving platter. Serve right away with buttered potatoes on the side.
Video
Notes
- The key to having the pork and potatoes finish cooking at the same time is the size of the potatoes. 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes are ideal for perfectly cooked potatoes.
- Mix up the fresh herbs you add to the potatoes based on what’s growing in your garden and what you like. Fresh dill and chives are also delicious.
- The juice that is left in the bottom of the slow cooker is delicious. Strain it and serve it “au jus” style or add it to a sauce pan to make a gravy. Add 3 tablespoons cold water and 1 tablespoon corn starch to a small bowl and whisk together to make a slurry. Bring the juice to a simmer and add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened, making a simple gravy for the pork and potatoes.
- If you don’t like rosemary, you can use thyme, tarragon, oregano, or even sage in the pork rub.
So easy and so good! I put this all together in like 10 minutes. I did use as many potatoes and onions that I could fit in with my two small pork loins. Came out perfect after just 4 hours on low. Gravy was delicious!
Isn’t it awesome! I’m so glad that you liked it as much as we do!
Can I peel the potatoes and can I cook both pork tenderloins
Yep, that will work great! You might plan on an extra hour of cook time since your slow cooker will be nice and full!
Four hours on low or high?
Four hours on low or high?
How long would cook time be with the two that come in a package and no potatoes? Thinking of making this today.
It’ll be about the same, I’d plan on 4 hours on high for a pork roast you want to slice, even if there are two in there. Do 6 hours and a cup of water on the bottom if you want to shred it.
Potatoes were not done. I even cut them smaller that directed. Would of turned out better if I omitted the foil and just put taters in juices.
Do you sear the pork? When it’s resting, do you put it in foil? Also, does it rest on counter or in oven?
I didn’t sear the meat but you sure could. I just let it rest in the slow cooker, while the slow cooker was off and the lid was off. And I let it rest on the counter before serving. Hope that helps!
I’ve made many pork tenderloins with apples and onions in the crockpot and they were always delicious; especially having leftovers for breakfast. I just picked up a pork tenderloin and had thought about using sweet potatoes since they go soooo good with the apples. Were the size cut of your sweet potatoes the same as in this recipe?
Yes, same size as the potatoes worked great! They are steamy and extra soft and we loved them.
Do you close the pocket? Help! I’m making this now.
I left the pocket open but I’m sure it work work just great both ways!
This looks like the perfect dinner! Gonna have to make this for my husband!
Looks like we need this for our next Sunday dinner!!
Yes, it’s just perfect for that. Simple but delicious!
This looks delicious! I have never thought to divide the crock pot space with foil. Wonderful!
Such a great trick! I hope it’s helpful to you!