This Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin is incredibly juicy and loaded with flavor! From the fresh garlic, herbs and oil this pork loin is a simple yet delicious recipe to whip up for any holiday get together!
This pork loin was gifted to me by Porter Road, however, they are not sponsoring this post. All of the opinions of this text are 100% mine!
This recipe is a bit out of the ordinary for me – as I don’t usually share a TON of plain meat recipes but y’all, I’m so excited to share this one!
As we all know, the holidays are coming up and while we might be gathering in smaller settings, that doesn’t mean that we can’t still eat delicious food! Enter this Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin!
First off, don’t be intimidated. If I can cook this, so can you. It’s incredibly easy and low maintenance! Way easier than a turkey or even a whole chicken!
And the result? Oh my word, SO so good!
What is a Pork Loin?
If you don’t exactly know what a pork loin is or what the difference between a pork loin and a pork tenderloin is for that matter, you’re not alone!
You should definitely check out THIS video in regards to the difference between a pork loin and a pork tenderloin. From what I gather, the pork loin comes from the upper back of the pig and has a massive layer of fat on top of it.
The fat has ALLLLL of the flavor, y’all.
Why This Pork Loin is the Best:
Well, first off, as I mentioned above, it’s pretty low maintenance for the most part.
It’s made with FRESH herbs and garlic which add SO much flavor to the loin itself. You know I love using things like dried spices and garlic powder but y’all, the fresh stuff for this recipe is the absolute best.
Instead of just roasting a pork loin the entire time, I made sure to take it one more step to flavor town and sear it before I placed it in the oven.
This step makes sure that you get SO much extra flavor, caramelization and deliciousness!
Then, letting it roast in the oven lets the meat inside get so juicy and super moist.
It’s SO delicious y’all. So let’s get into what you need for it.
Ingredients You Need:
- 2.5-3 lb. Boneless Pork Loin
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme
- Olive Oil
- Salt + Pepper
Best Cooking Tips:
Make sure that after you remove the pork from the packaging that you dry it off with a couple of paper towels. This will help make sure that the spices/oil will stay on the pork loin.
Mix oil, fresh garlic and the chopped herbs in a small bowl. From there, rub it on the side that you’re planning to sear first as well as the sides of it.
Heat up some oil in a large skillet (I used my cast iron) and once the oil was ready, I placed the side with the garlic herb oil DOWN. Once it’s down, carefully rub the other top side with the garlic herb oil mixture.
Sear each side for 1-2 minutes each, until they’re slightly brown and caramelized. Once it’s fully seared, add it to your favorite roasting pan. If there is any leftover garlic herb mixture, gently spoon it on top of the pork loin.
Now it’s time to roast! See the recipe card below for timing on roasting but I do have two quick tips – since you’re using fresh garlic, there is a chance it could get brown quickly! If that begins to happen, simply cover the top of the loin gently with a piece of foil.
According to the National Pork Board, pork loin should be cooked with an internal temp of 145 so I highly recommend you have a meat thermometer and use it! I always inserted mine into the center and I ended up taking it out when it was at about 135 degrees internal. It will continue to cook in the pan even when it’s out of the oven while it’s resting.
Make sure to strain the droppings from the bottom of the pan to remove any extra garlic bits. Make sure to save the drippings to spoon over the cooked pork loin.
It’s incredible, y’all!
What to Pair with the Pork Loin:
This recipe would go perfect with a big bowl of creamy Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes, a side of Cranberry Orange Sauce with dessert of a thick slice of Peanut Butter Oreo Smores Pie!
Hope you all enjoyed this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you like this recipe? Here are a few more pork recipes you might enjoy:
Chorizo Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin
This Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin is incredibly juicy and loaded with flavor! From the fresh garlic, herbs and oil this pork loin is a simple yet delicious recipe to whip up for any holiday get together!
Ingredients
- 4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tsp (divided)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2.5-3 lb. boneless pork loin
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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Mince the garlic and chop the herbs. Add to a small bowl with 2 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper.
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Place a few paper towels on top of your cutting board. Put the pork loin on top of the paper towels and dry it off.
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From there, rub the top of it (not the fat side) with the garlic herb oil mixture as well as the smaller sides of it.
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Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. I used my large cast iron skillet.
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Add the side with the garlic herb mixture (not the fat side) down into the skillet, and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes. Once the fat side is up-right in the skillet, add the garlic herb oil mixture on top of that as well.
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Once it’s seared fully, add it to your roasting pan. If there is any leftover garlic oil mixture, add it to the pork and then put it in the oven at 400. Roast for 15 minutes and then, if the garlic on top is getting browned, gently lay some foil on top of it and then roast for another 15 minutes.
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After the full 30 minutes is up, remove and flip the pork loin to the other side. Roast for an additional 35-45 minutes, checking the garlic every 20 minute minute mark and using the foil if needed.
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Remove when meat thermometer inserted in the middle reads an internal tempt of 135-140 (it will continue to cook once resting).
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Strain the drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan into a small pot (this will help get out any burnt bits but still retain a delicious flavor). Keep the pot on low to keep them warm as you let the pork loin sit.
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After about 10-15 minutes, begin slicing, fat side up. I sliced them about 1 inch thick. Generously drizzle the drippings from the roasting pan on top of the sliced pork for extra flavor.
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Enjoy! See recommendations above for what you should serve it with.
Recipe Notes
According to the National Pork Board, pork loin should be cooked with an internal temp of 145 so I highly recommend you have a meat thermometer and use it! I always inserted mine into the center and I ended up taking it out when it was at about 135-140 degrees internal. It will continue to cook in the pan even when it’s out of the oven while it’s resting.