Description
Apple Cider Pork Roast is an easy and quick dinner with tender pork and sweet apples plus a savory cider glaze. This simple recipe is one of the best ideas for a cozy weeknight dinner and it also works for meal prep or a holiday table. The pork stays juicy while onions and apples soften into a healthy feeling side. Serve it for a potluck or brunch or party when you want comforting fall flavor with very little fuss and a warm homemade meal everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Boneless pork loin roast
- 2 medium Honeycrisp apples
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 1 cup Apple cider
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Light brown sugar
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dried sage
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cut the 2 Honeycrisp apples into irregular wedges and slice the 1 yellow onion into uneven curved strips so the fruit and onion have varied homemade shapes.
Keep the apple wedges loosely grouped beside the onion strips with natural spacing and slight overlap so both prepared ingredients remain visibly distinct.
- Spread the Dijon mustard and brown sugar with garlic and sage and thyme plus salt and black pepper over the entire 1 1/2 pound pork loin so the pale raw surface becomes unevenly coated with a speckled golden herb mixture.
Turn the pork within the coating so different sides pick up the mixture while some thicker streaks remain along the edges and natural patches of meat still show through.
- Brown the seasoned 1 1/2 pound pork loin in the olive oil until several sides develop a deep golden crust while a few darker caramelized patches appear naturally around the edges.
Rotate the roast so the previously pale surfaces contact the hot cooking surface and the pork shifts from one side of the container toward the center as browning develops.
- Transfer the browned pork loin into a baking dish and scatter the wedges from 2 apples plus the sliced 1 onion around it so the fruit and onion sit at different angles with loose natural overlap.
Pour the 1 cup apple cider and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar around the pork so the liquid pools beneath the fruit while the browned upper surface of the roast remains visible above the liquid.
- Roast until the pork develops deeper brown edges and the apple wedges become tender with lightly caramelized tips while the onion strips soften and darken around their thinner edges.
The cider should reduce into glossy amber juices as the apples and onions shift closer to the pork and settle into irregular clusters around the finished roast.
- Slice one serving from the rested roast to reveal a juicy pale interior beneath the browned crust and place it on a white plate with a small portion of the softened apples and onions beside it.
Spoon some reduced cider juices partly across the sliced pork and fruit so the glaze pools naturally around the edges while the interior of the pork stays clearly visible.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Choose a center cut pork loin with even thickness so it roasts at a steady rate and stays juicy from edge to center.
- Use firm apples such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith because they soften during roasting while still holding distinct slices.
- Let the pork rest before slicing so the juices settle back into the meat and each portion stays moist and tender.
- Slice the roast across the grain and spoon the softened apples plus reduced cider juices over each serving for balanced flavor.
Storage: Let leftover Apple Cider Pork Roast cool before storing it and keep the sliced pork with the apples and cider juices so the meat stays moist.
Refrigerate the leftovers in a covered food storage container for up to three days and keep enough sauce around the pork to protect it from drying out.
Reheat individual portions gently until hot and spoon the cider juices over the meat during reheating so the slices regain moisture.
For longer storage freeze sliced portions with some apples and sauce for up to two months and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American