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My Honey Garlic Gravy Makes This Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe
If you’re looking for a dinner that’s easy, hands-off, and packed with flavor, my Crock Pot pork tenderloin will hit the spot. Here are my favorite things about it:
- Tender, juicy pork with a sweet and savory gravy – It’s a given that you can expect your meat melt-in-your-mouth tender with this method, but what makes my slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe special is the herby honey garlic gravy. It absolutely makes this dish.
- Fast for a Crock Pot recipe – Minimal prep is what the slow cooker does best, but the actual cooking time is faster than most proteins. Plus, it frees up your oven for your favorite healthy sides.
- Real food ingredients – Many Crock Pot pork tenderloin recipes rely on processed foods, but I only use ingredients you (and I) can pronounce. Did I mention this gravy is naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and has no thickeners? Yep.
I usually cook this long, lean cut fast-and-hot (see my quick baked pork tenderloin and air fried pork tenderloin) to avoid drying it out, but cooking pork tenderloin in the slow cooker actually leaves it so tender and lets me plan ahead. Make it with me on your next busy day — or even for a smaller holiday gathering!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Pork Tenderloin – Most tenderloins weigh about a pound, and I used two for this recipe. Look for a pinkish color with good marbling and skip anything pale or spotty. And don’t mix it up with pork loin roast—it’s a totally different cut (use my slow cooker pork loin recipe if that’s what you have!).
- Broth – The liquid for the bottom of the slow cooker. I use chicken broth (either my homemade chicken broth or this brand), but you can use beef broth or bone broth, too.
- Coconut Aminos – This soy sauce substitute adds a sweet, savory, umami flavor and is less salty than soy sauce. Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari work, too.
- Honey – Makes the gravy taste a little sweet. I usually use my natural Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds a tangy kick and helps tenderize the pork. Red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice will have the same effect.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh, but a teaspoon of jarred minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder will do the trick.
- Fresh Rosemary – My favorite herb for this Crock Pot pork tenderloin! You can swap in thyme or another sturdy herb if you like. I don’t recommend delicate herbs (like basil or dill) for slow cooking. If you want to use dried herbs, you can just sprinkle about a teaspoon directly over the pork.
- Olive Oil, Sea Salt, & Black Pepper
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How To Cook Pork Tenderloin In The Slow Cooker
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the pork. Trim off any silver skin, then rub the tenderloins all over with salt and pepper.
- Sear until golden. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or your favorite pan, but cast iron is my go-to). Sear the tenderloins on both sides until nicely browned.
- Mix up the gravy. Whisk the chicken broth, coconut aminos, honey, apple cider vinegar, and garlic in a bowl. Set it aside.
- Combine in the slow cooker. Lay the pork tenderloin in the Crock Pot (I have this one) in a single layer. Pour the broth mixture around the pieces and tuck the rosemary sprigs along the sides.
- Slow cook until tender. I recommend the Low setting for juicy results.
- Soak it in gravy. Slice the tenderloins, then pop them back into the slow cooker with the sauce on High for a few minutes. I garnished mine with extra rosemary.
My Recipe Tips
- Can you skip searing first? I know, I know — many people want to slow cook pork tenderloin specifically to avoid any extra prep. But the texture and flavor is much better if you sear the outside, and the prep is only 10 minutes! But to answer this question, yes, you can let your Crock Pot do its thing without searing.
- A cast iron skillet gives you the best sear. It retains heat better than nonstick pans, and I definitely notice the difference.
- Check with a meat thermometer if you can. The slow cooker won’t dry out your pork as easily as other methods, but this is still a lean cut, so I recommend cooking just until it hits 145 degrees F. You can even go a few degrees under, as the temp will rise when you do the final heating step after slicing.
- It’s best to cook this Crock Pot pork tenderloin on Low, but yes, you can cook on High for half the time. For this option, I recommend spreading large pieces of onions or apples at the bottom of the Crock Pot before placing the tenderloins on top. This will reduce the chance of uneven cooking or hot spots.
- Don’t skip the last step! Cooking the sliced pork in the sauce for a few minutes at the end makes every bite more juicy and soaked in flavor, instead of just the outside.
- Prefer a thicker gravy? You can whisk some of it with a tablespoon of arrowroot powder (my preference) or cornstarch, then mix into the slow cooker before the last step. I don’t find this necessary, as the sauce is perfect for drizzling as-is.
Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin (Tender & Juicy)
By
My Crock Pot pork tenderloin recipe is juicy and flavorful, with a sweet-and-savory honey garlic gravy. The slow cooker makes it so easy!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Trim any silver skin from the tenderloins. Rub them all over with salt and pepper.
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Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins for 2 minutes per side, until browned.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, coconut aminos, honey, apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic. Set aside.
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Place the pork tenderloins in the Crock Pot without overlapping them. Pour in the chicken broth mixture. Arrange the rosemary sprigs on the sides.
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Cook pork tenderloin in the slow cooker on Low for 2-3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
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Recommended optional step: Remove the tenderloins to a cutting board and slice them. Return to the Crock Pot with the sauce and heat on High for 5-8 minutes. This will make each slice absorb moisture and flavor, and tenderizes the meat.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: ~1/3 lb, or 1/6 of entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the most flavor and a perfectly juicy texture, plus options to skip the searing step, cook on High if you’re in a hurry, or thicken the sauce if you prefer.
- Meal prep: You can mix up the gravy mixture ahead and store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Store: Keep the sliced pork tenderloin and gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Bake at 350 degrees F, wrapped in foil to lock in moisture. The microwave works okay, but is more drying.
- Freeze: Store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw before reheating.
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Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Serving Ideas
This Crock Pot pork tenderloin is so versatile, and the sauce is amazing drizzled over just about anything. Try it with:
- Vegetables – This time, I paired it with Instant Pot cauliflower (shown above), but air fryer green beans or sauteed zucchini are also quick and easy options. If you have more time, roasted veggies like delicata squash or honey carrots pair well, too.
- Starchy base – To soak up that yummy gravy! You can opt for oven roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, or even lighter options like mashed cauliflower or roasted rutabaga.
- Comforting sides – Cooking for a crowd? Whip up my loaded cauliflower casserole, squash casserole, or asparagus casserole while you’ve got your pork tenderloin in the Crock Pot.
- Salads – My pear salad, kale salad, or spring mix salad are light to balance out this richer slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe. I also serve leftovers over them for lunch!
63 Comments
Vicky H.
1Easy to make and even easier to eat, it was so delicious! I used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos. I’m making it for the third time now. Thanks so much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m happy you liked it, Vicky! Yes, it works with soy sauce, too. Hope you make it again soon.
Karen F Tuttle-Trujillo
1Made for christmas eve dinner. Received wonderful compliments, thank you. This is certainly a repeat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy to hear that, Karen! Happy holidays!
Lynniepooh2
1Man oh man is this delicious. I was on the fence because Im not much into pork or crockpot cooking. This recipe changed my mind immediately after the first bite. Very flavorful and moist. In fact it was so delicious I made it again just 2 weeks later. Looking forward to the next time! Follow this recipe and you wont be disappointed.
Monica M
0Well no more dry slow cooker pork for me!! This is by far the recipe for the juiciest pork I have ever eaten. I now make it every week for the family.
Wholesome Yum D
0I love hearing that, Monica! No one wants dry pork, and I’m so glad this one turns out juicy for you every time. Thanks for making it every week!
Jules
0This was phenomenal!!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Jules, I love the enthusiasm! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
rabid-cinch-crumb
0This was so easy and so so good!
Wholesome Yum D
0This a great to hear, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Lesley Schlenker
0Easy and delicious!
Wholesome Yum D
0Lesley, I love to hear it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Karen Vaden
0The recipe sounded really good and it was simple. I made it last night dinner and it really didn’t have much flavor. My husband thought it was terrible and put A1 sauce on it.
3 stars because it was juicy and I think with adjusting seasoning it would be good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that Karen! Just confirming, your pork tenderloin was the same weight as mine? If it was larger, you’d need to scale up the seasonings. Of course everyone’s preferences are different, so feel free to add more spices next time if you prefer a stronger flavor.
Rosemary
0Wow, this is the first time I made this recipe. It is so delicious and the thing I can’t stand most about crockpot meals is that they are usually salty from the ingredients that have to be used. This one was so good and not at all salty. I did add cornstarch and part of the packet of brown gravy for my mashed potatoes. I am going to be watching your recipes.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so happy you liked it, Rosemary! I’m glad this one hit the mark for you. Thanks for sharing!
Gina
0This turned out perfect! This recipe had so much flavor. I ended up making gravy from the juices. Definitely on my meal rotation!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad to hear that, Gina! Making gravy from the juices sounds absolutely delicious, I love that idea.
Matthew Moczygemba
0Season Salted and peppered both sides of the 1 or 2 pieces. Seared both sides in the instant-pot sauté option.
Mixed beef onion soup packet with two cups of water and 1tbsp minced garlic, honey that was partially a solid, 2 tbsps of soy sauce and half a tbsp of white vinegar.
Slow cooked for 4 hours medium heat and let sit on keep warm for 2 hours.
Tried to slice it after pulling it out and every slice caused it fall apart.
We had left over rice and pinto beans with cornbread and mixed it all into a bowl. Very delicious surprisingly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Thank you for sharing, Matthew! This recipe is pretty different from mine but I’m glad it worked well for you.
Jenny
0I have 1 pork tenderloin that is 2-2.5 lbs. since it is one bigger piece, should I increase the time? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jenny, Yes, probably. I would check on it every 30-60 minutes after the initial time I have listed.
Robin I
0I followed the recipe but got an extremely bland result. I ended up locating a different recipe for homemade BBQ sauce and turned my tenderloins into pulled pork, which was not my original plan.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Robin, Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out like you expected. Did you make any changes? And just confirming, you did serve the pork with the sauce from the Crock Pot over it? The sauce should have plenty of flavor, but if it wasn’t enough for you, you might prefer to increase the amounts of garlic, rosemary, coconut aminos, and/or honey next time.
Patty
0I just made this tonight! It was simple to put together and had great flavor. My issues was making the juices into gravy. I followed your suggestion putting cornstarch in the juices and it never thickened up. Will try again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked the flavor, Patty! Depending on how much gravy you have, it could be you need more than a tablespoon of cornstarch, or it could be it needs to heat for longer to thicken. If it’s too slow in the Crock Pot, you can transfer the gravy to the stovetop with the cornstarch slurry and then simmer to thicken. Hope this helps!
Amy
0Very easy and tasty, a big hit! Will definitely be making this one again!
Cheryl
0Hi, Planning this for a crowd. If I double the amount to 4 tenderloins, should I cook for longer? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cheryl, I would start with the same amount of time and if they aren’t tender yet, extend the time by another 30-60 minutes. You definitely won’t need to double the time. Hope this helps!
Lara
0I’ve tried to point so many of your recipes. I’m old school, I like a printed recipe. There is a print button but none of them print. I thought something was wrong with my printer, but it prints anything except your recipes. 😢
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lara, Sorry to hear you’re having trouble printing! I’ve tested this and it prints fine for me. My team and I are happy to help troubleshoot if you can send us some screenshots of what you’re seeing using my contact form.
Susy
0This is about the difficulty in printing that one person had – I have been unable to print a recipe if I click on the recipe link in the facebook group. If I Google search it and print directly from the wholesome yum site, not through facebook, I have no problem. Not sure why, it’s just the way it is. Also, sometimes if it doesnt work from the print button on the recipe, I use the chrome print button, that share symbol then print, and it works. I hope that helps.
Michelle
0Can I use brewed coffee for liquid in this receipe? Also intend to add potatos and carrots about an hour into cooking on low any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, I’ve never used coffee in this recipe, but I suppose you could. For potatoes and carrots, I would add them right away rather than after an hour, since this Crock Pot pork tenderloin has a pretty short cooking time for a slow cooker recipe. Let me know how it goes if you try any of these adjustments!
Dennis
0It was an excellent recipe, but I looked at the recipe conversion to Metric. It makes no sense at all. I am sure there are more sensible converters you can use.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Dennis! Sorry I missed part of your comment a while back. To answer your question, the conversions are sometimes a little strange but for non-baking recipes, you can easily round the amounts and it’ll work just fine. Hope this helps if you see this!
Jeannette
0This is sooooo delicious! Juicy and flavorful. We loved it! A definite for a camp trip, or even a holiday family get together. OR a reunion (making a double batch or bigger)!
Christina
0I made this yesterday and it was delicious! My family said it was a keeper. Very moist and flavorful. I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, real maple syrup (thanks to Costco for an affordable price!) instead of honey, Better than Boullion reduced sodium chicken base to make my chicken broth, lower sodium soy sauce and omitted the rosemary. I also used avocado oil to sear the meat for a higher smoke point. I did turn the meat over halfway, but I don’t think it was necessary. Thank you for sharing!