Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin is a take on my most popular recipe, Brown Sugar Garlic Pork made for the slow cooker and with bacon in just 5 ingredients!
Crock Pot Pork Loin Is Here!
Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin is a play on my most popular recipe that has over half a million views in its first year, Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Loin. On an almost daily basis readers would reach out to me to ask if the recipe could be made in a slow cooker and for months I said: “no, sorry there isn’t enough fat in the pork loin to keep it moist, this is best done in the oven.”
Well, those days are over! I began testing the recipe a couple of months ago for a slow cooker version. I kept pork loins untrimmed, I added all varieties of fats, I even tried injecting the pork to keep it moist. No bueno. I finally decided it was time to take this pork show to the next level and go pork on pork.
This slow cooker pork loin Has Just 5 Ingredients!
Michael Symon would be proud of this recipe which is my original recipe wrapped in thick cut bacon and cooked to delicious pork perfection. Here is a look at the long list of ingredients.
Just kidding! This Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin is 5 ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) and the hardest part of the prep is mincing the garlic. I add it to the slow cooker in true to my blog fashion, with no liquids. Don’t worry as it cooks it will release liquids into the slow cooker.
Crock Pot Pork Loin Tips
Give the Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin a rest for about 10-15 minutes (this may be the hardest wait of your day) and then slice into portions. I find ½ inch slices are best, and I serve 2-3 slices per person depending on size of appetite.
In case you need a delicious side dish for your Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin you can make my Parmesan Garlic Crash Hot Potatoes I shared earlier this week, or your favorite green vegetable or Roasted Carrots.
We’re huge bacon fans around these parts… so much so that the official blog assistant (read: husband) stole a solitary piece of bacon from the end of the loin and said “What? It was basically falling off?!” Note: It was not.
Looking for more awesome Brown Sugar Garlic Recipes?
- Brown Sugar Garlic Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Brown Sugar Garlic Pork with Carrots and Potatoes
- Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Tools Used In This Recipe:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker.
This beauty arrived only a few days ago and I’m already going gaga for it. Obviously common sense says you do not need such an expensive option, but the thing I LOVE about it is the cast aluminum insert that I can brown in and put in the oven. Now for roasts I can brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open. (this slow cooker will be appearing more and more in the future on here) ps. totally not a sponsored plug even though I have worked with them before, this beauty was out of pocket!
Kosher Salt: 3 pounds for less than 3 dollars I have had the same box for 2 years and the difference in flavor between table salt and Kosher Salt is night and day. Once you start cooking with it you will hardly use table salt again.
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork loin , trimmed of excess fat
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 8 slices thick cut bacon
Instructions
- Rub the tablespoon of canola oil and add Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
- Add the garlic and brown sugar to the top of the pork.
- Wrap the pork with the bacon (I wrapped all the way around, if you want to drape them over the top you can as well.)
- Place carefully into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
- If you finish the cooking time and for some reason the bacon is not as crispy as you would like, remove the pork and put it on a baking sheet in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes (keep the pork in the middle of the oven, not too close to the top).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I was worried when I read some comments about it being bland or undercooked but they must have done something wrong because mine came out delicious.
Thanks Mike! So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! Big hit for my wife and I. I followed the directions to a tee except I soaked it in a brown sugar salt water brine for two hours before hand. I served it with steamed broccoli, carrots and bell peppers. I will definitely make this dish again. Thank you!
Hi Sabrina – I’m going to make this recipe in my all-clad slow cooker tomorrow evening. My 3lb Pork Loin doesn’t have as much fat on top as yours. However, I did buy the thick cut bacon to wrap around. Do you believe the recipe will still turn out moist with 4-5 hours cooking? Thank you!
Yes, it will still turn out moist. 🙂
Do you know how many calories this recipe has per serving?
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts/calories for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets.
I looked at the Amazon link you posted for the slow cooker you use. Did you seriously pay $600+ for it??
Also on the timing, I’d like to try it but noticed you told some people 5-6 hours on low and others 8-10 hours. I’m not home to check the progress and adjust so I’d have to set it correctly in the morning or wait until midnight for dinner if it wasn’t done.
Haha! No, I didn’t pay that. Unfortunately as a product becomes discontinued or out of stock, amazon comes up with artificial price. I paid around $275 for mine which is more than “the norm” but it’s All-Clad and has an aluminum insert. I love it! This one is very similar https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BSC560XL-Stainless-Steel-7-Quart-EasySear/dp/B002OT03FC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1503332886&sr=8-6&keywords=slow+cooker+aluminum+insert&linkCode=sl1&tag=dinnthendess-20&linkId=a45286689040c98bc3a20d2212eff555
For the timing, I would air on the side of caution if you’re unsure. I would recommend 5-6 hours on low and the you could always finish it off in the oven if needed.
Found this recipe last night. We have been looking for new ways to fix pork loin. I loved that I had everything I needed to fix this. It was simple to put together. Can’t wait to taste it and find out how yummy it was.
I love how it just comes together perfectly sometimes! Enjoy!!
I have this in my crockpot right now. My family is excited to try it. I was too lazy to go to the store, so I mixed garlic powder with my brown sugar. I make smothered green beans with a mixture similar to this (gb have soy sauce and chopped lil smokies). Thanks for this perfect piggy dinner idea.
You’re welcome Deanna! It’s one of our favorites!
My son saw this and told me “mom, can you make this for me?” I will be making this lovely dish tomorrow!
Your son is a smart young man 😉 Enjoy!
Hello, I am excited to try this recipe tomorrow. I have a pork shoulder, which you said in one of the comments works too. 🙂 I have got a bigger and a smaller piece. Should I put them together/right next to each other so that the small piece does not come out dry? Or does it not matter? Thank you!!!
You can tie them together but make sure that that it’s the same thickness all around to ensure even cooking.
Gonna use a pork loin roast – confused on time – my crockpot has hi/low – which one and for how long?
You’ll want to cook it on low for 4-5 hours. You can always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness as well (160 degrees for medium).
Couldn’t you take two tenderloins, tie them together and then wrap in bacon to prevent the meat from drying out? Also, friend just talked me into buying turkey bacon, but I am guessing not enough fat to keep the roast nice and moist??
You can tie two together, just make sure it’s the same thickness all around so that it cooks evenly. Your also right about the turkey bacon now working. You really need the REAL BACON (sorry friend).
Positive review after positive review, and my roast came out like a Rawlings catchers mitt flavored with garlic and brown sugar. Inedible. One thin slice, even soaked in pork gravy, nearly caused me to choke. I GIVE UP! No more loin (or tenderloin for that matter) ever again. If you want moist, succulent pork every time go low and slow with a Boston butt roast or a picnic roast. Otherwise you’re playing pork roulette.
Oh no! It’s a recipe we use over and over again in our house with success every time. If you want, I’d be happy to troubleshoot with you to try and figure out what might have happened. Feel free to email me at [email protected]
Can i use pork shoulder instead of loin?
Yes 🙂
Mine is in the crockpot now, followed the receipe exactly, with one exception, added enough wine to cover bottom of crockpot. It is a semi-sweet wine. I was worried about generating enough broth for the fat to keep it tender. Will let you know how it turns out.
I’m excited to hear the results!
Do you ever brown the loin first on stove top?
No, no need to brown it. Easy peasy!
So I accidentally cooked this on high for 6 hours (wasn’t paying attention to the temperature setting and left it to cook while I was gone). Instead of coming out as a solid roast, it disintegrated into savory shredded pork and tasty pork broth. 8/10, would make the same mistake again. Also, the overall weight went down by about 1/3 – my 6 lb pork loin yielded 4 lbs of cooked meat and some broth – so for those who are concerned about the calorie count going by weight each serving should be about 4 oz to get the 8 servings.
So glad your “accident” turned into a happy discovery of shredded pork and pork broth!
Making this tomorrow but I inadvertently picked up a tenderloin instead of straight loin. Will that be an issue? I plan to cook it in slow cooker on low the entire time I am at work and then just have it programmed to go to warm. Still 4-5 hours on low? And should it be frozen or thawed? I do not particularly like to cook but am trying, that’s why so many questions…sorry!!
Hi Bev, I’m so sorry this comment got caught in the spam filter and I am just seeing it now. A tenderloin in the slow cooker is not going to do well for you at all because there really isn’t enough fat to protect it from drying out. I’d highly recommend just using the same ingredients and cooking it in your oven if you haven’t made the dish yet. 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
I made this last week. It came out so tender and juicy that my wife has me making it again! Thank you so much for this great pork loin!
I can’t get enough of it either! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how much you all enjoyed it!
So i am doing two pork loins in the crockpot.. would this need a longer time to cook? Thank you..
Hi Lisa, sorry your comment got stuck in my spam filter. I am guessing your pork is 100% cooked by now or it would’ve gone bad. To answer the question though, I would say yes you’ll need a longer period of time, but then also the thing that would concern me is the crowding of the slow cooker. If it is anything like my 6.5 quart, I could not fit two pork loins in it and wrap the bacon. They would press up against each other which would cause a steaming effect for the bacon and it would be pretty pasty colored. If you did try with the two loins can you update me on how it turned out?
I have this in the crockpot now and there’s another hour to go! It smells so amazing and I cannot wait to eat!!!
Awesome! I’d love to hear what you thought!
I followed the directions and added the same ingredients it calls for. I cooked it for four hours on high, and we were excited to eat this. Unfortunately, it was extremely dry and the flavors don’t really soak into the meat. At least it wasn’t expensive meat. I will not be trying this again.
Did your pork have any fat on the top of it like in the picture of mine? Between the fat cap and the bacon you should’ve had plenty of self basting going on in the slow cooker.
Mines in the crock pot now. !!
Awesome! You’ll have to come back to let me know what you thought.
When you crisp it in the oven what temperature should you preheat to? Thank you!!
I would put it under the broiler.
There is no way that bacon got that brown and crisp in a slow cooker. Must go under a broiler. Mine is still in the cooker. Hope the end product comes out tasty.
Definitely! If it’s not as crispy as you like coming out of the slow cooker, you can pop it under your broiler for 2-3 minutes.
I’m making this in the oven now. I just used half of a “half” loin. Doing 375 at 15-20 per pound as you suggested. So it’s 2 pounds and I only put 30 minutes in the timer before checking it. Hoping it’s not undercooked!
You can always use a meat thermometer to check if it’s done. Hope you enjoyed it!
I have a 4.5 lb pork loin and a regular large Rival crockpot with high and low setting. How long will it take to cook this large 4.5 lb loin? Should I use high or low setting?
I’d say 5-6 hours on high or 10-12 on low but haven’t tested that with the bacon. That is my standard for a pork loin that size. Let me know how it turns out!
This is seriously a home run. I cooked it on low for 8 hours and it is so tender and moist. The flavor is OUTSTANDING!!! I have never had much luck cooking pork loin until now!! Definitely going in the rotation. Thanks for such a great easy recipe.
Awesome, so glad you loved it!! It’s in heavy rotation in our house too!
How many ponds was your pork loin that you cooked for 8 hrs.
Hi!
I have a big crock pot and would like to use a 6-pound pork loin. Besides doubling the other ingredients, how much extra cooking time would it require?
It’s recommended a cook time between 8-10 hours on low.
I don’t have any brown sugar. Can I substitute anything?
Try it with regular sugar mixed with just enough honey to make a crumbly sticky topping. 🙂
Really great, easy recipe! I used the split pork tenderloins and it turned out perfectly. Definitely put under the broiler to crisp the bacon!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can’t wait to try this. I just got a pork loin on sale and was looking for an idea for something new. We too are bacon lovers!
Perfect!! You can never have enough bacon!
Amen and amen.. I don’t know how many tenderloin roasts I’ve tried and they always came out too dry. Since I am great bacon lover, it just stands to reason that this would be a real marriage of the porks This will be my next meal just as soon as I can get to the grocery
I hope you enjoy it!
I have a 1lb thin roast, any advice on the time it should take? Looking forward to trying! Can’t go wrong with bacon!
Sorry I couldn’t respond sooner! I’m not sure what you mean by “thin roast” – if you mean a tenderloin, I wouldn’t recommend it, it would dry out in the slow cooker. If you have any more questions, feel free to shoot me a message at (contact @ dinnerthendessert . com).
i didn’t realize pork loin and pork tenderloin were different, until you response! My husband will be ever thankful thank I will no longer be making him eat dried out meat that I had such high hopes for! Looking forward to trying this one again, correctly! 🙂
This was terrible.:( we had to throw it out. We tried to save it by adding salt and pepper to it and even making a gravy with the juice but nothing helped. The bacon was soggy (even after broiling it for 5 minutes) and the pork and the bacon was incredibly bland. When using a pork loin you have to use a lot of seasonings because it’s a thick cut of meat. We will not be doing this recipe again, sorry:(
Hi Carissa, I would love to troubleshoot with you since this is one of the most popular recipes both in the blog and with clients. Can I ask if you followed the steps as written or made any substitutions? I certainly don’t like hearing a recipe failed for you. Or if you want we can troubleshoot via email at contact @ dinnerthendessert.com.
You can also try it in the oven or on the grill. I love this recipe. I’ve been using it for awhile now. My granddaughter who hates tenderloin lovers it. Asked for seconds. I have learned in my experience of crook pots they are all different you may have to cook longer or even less in yours. It took me years to finally like cooking in a crook pot.
I hate to say this, but some comments are “STUPID” I look at it this way on the stupid ones those have not cooked much in their life time!!! On a positive side I loved the recipe and have cooked pork loin in slow cooker and on top of stove and they both come out delicious… Just ask my “SHELTIE’S SERVICE DOGGIES”, but they do not get the bacon unless it is very crisp!! I cook for my babies and they love it, and the VET said it is better for them than “crappy dog food”.. I am 78 years old and had many cooking days in my life with my four children and we never run short and they got the best. GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU COOKS OUT THERE!!! Being me, and not mean LOL!!!
Awesome! thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how they turned out! And my first dog as a kid was a sheltie! She had the sweetest temperament of any dog I’ve ever had (she was the runt of the litter, never got more than 6 pounds).
I you’re “being me, and not mean,” then you are just mean all the time. Just because people are not as good at something as you might be, does not make them “stupid.” There also may be reasons that someone has not cooked much in their lives, but it certainly doesn’t make them stupid. You might be a good cook, I don’t know, and I’m not able to ask your dogs, but these people who may not know a lot about cooking may be better at other things than you are….perhaps kindness being one of them
I’m using this recipe right now and it’s not even cooking. It’s been in 4 hours and the bacon hasn’t even started cooking. Should I still keep it on low? I love this recipe, but need help!
So sorry this message got snagged in my spam filter! I know by now this meal is long gone but I hope it turned out well! My slow cooker is this magical machine that takes things from pink/grey 99% of the way through to done at the end.
Can this be done in the oven in a casserole dish? And how long would it take in the oven?
375 degrees, 15-20 minutes per pound 🙂 It is delicious in the oven too!
In covered casserole)
I don’t have a crockpot yet and want to make it in the oven. Should I cover it with foil or cook uncovered?
uncovered
This recipe is all over Pinterest so I decided to try it. Didn’t have enough time to put in slow cooker so I cooked it in the oven. 325 degrees and put a meat thermometer set for 170 degrees. It took about 2 hours to cook based on the size of my pork. I did not cover it because I wanted to be sure the bacon was nice and crispy. You can also baste the pork while in the oven as there is plenty of liquid from the bacon and is mixed with the brown sugar and garlic-yummy. It was not dry at all and was quite delicious. Thanks!
Crock-pot noobie here. I want to make this but half the recipe…..do I still cook it as long?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! I’m sure you’ve cooked this meal a long time ago but just wanted to mention if the meat is much smaller or a tenderloin cut it may dry out. Perhaps it would be better to put in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes per pound.
Would you cover this in the oven?
If you think the bacon is cooking too fast, you can cover it and then take it off at the end to allow it to crisp up or even place it under the broiler.
If I have a frozen pork loin roast, how long will it take to cook it? I don’t want to dry it out. Thank you!!
Defrost overnight in the fridge first!
Would it be ok if I omitted the brown sugar, I can’t eat any added sugar right now. What if I splashed on sume balsamic vinegar instead? Thanks.
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! I’m not really sure how that would turn out as it’s not a normal substitute for brown sugar. The liquid in the vinegar would also alter the bacon and it’s ability to crisp up.
I saw your comment hope you get this. I’m not sure most store but they now have sugar free brown sugar.
Hi, Has anyone tried this with the Keto approved brown sugar?
Would I be able to cook it on high and just shorten the time?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Sorry I just found a huge number of comments over the last three months that was snared in the spam filter and I am trying to follow up with each one now even though in your case I am way too late to help. I’ve only ever cooked it on low, but you could certainly try 4-5 hours on high.
I’m going to be making this tomorrow, I just have one question. The 4-5 hour cook time, are you sure that the setting is for low? On my slow cooker, that time frame is in the high setting.
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to respond to you. I know your meal is now long gone. On my slow cooker I can choose any time and any temperature. If your slow cooker auto selects the temperature based on time I would go with high. High for that many hours would work just fine (the real temperature difference between the two is not dramatic).
I am seriously drooling. I like my pork with more pork!
Mine is in the cooker now. Can’t wait, thanks for the recipe.
Mine is in my crockpot right now, so easy, looks good and smells good, cant wait to dig in. Its taking a little longer because my crock pot is old. Going to roast maple bacon wrapped carrots to go with it?
That bacon!!!!
What a perfect – and EASY! – weeknight recipe.
This looks so good, I’ll be making this slow cooker pork loin and the parmesan garlic crash hot potatoes tomorrow for Sunday dinner. I’ll be crossing my fingers in hopes that my dinner looks delicious like yours.
Thanks, Yolanda! Come back and let me know how you liked it!
Haha, I’d totally steal some bacon too! Looks so amazing 🙂
Well I can’t see how this could go wrong. This looks amazing and just oh so flavorful.
I don’t even eat pork but I want shove this into my mouth coz it looks THAT good!
Do you apply any water or there will be juicy from the meat
No, you don’t need to add water – the juice from the pork and bacon will be enough.
That looks positively mouth-watering!!
I bet it has great flavor!
what a fantastic dinner! I love the bacon, a GREAT treat!