Slow cooker pork tenderloin and potatoes make the perfect simple dinner with moist and flavorful pork and crispy potatoes.
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and 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. It’s also ideal 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? Slow cookers are just little miracle workers in that way, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this miracle meal.
Why I Love This Pork Tenderloin Recipe
I also love Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes because you cook the potatoes in a foil pouch instead of all together. The slow cooker cooks the potatoes perfectly but 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. I love that you can cook your main dish pork tenderloin and the side dish at the same time. I just added some green beans and frozen peaches to the table and we had an easy and well-rounded dinner on the table in no time. Pro Tip: turn the leftover juices into gravy! Directions in the recipe notes.
Tips and Tricks for Making Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes:
- 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.
- 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. 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 and add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened, making a simple gravy for the pork and potatoes.
- 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.
Do you put water in a slow cooker with pork?
For this recipe, you don’t need water or broth of any kind for the pork. All you’ll need is a few seasonings, some soy sauce, and some Worcestershire sauce. Some recipes do call for more liquid for extra-moist meat, but this recipe yields very tender and moist meat without all of that!
When should I put potatoes in a slow cooker?
I add the potatoes right after I place the onion and tenderloin in the crockpot. Put the onions and meat on one side, and then put your tightly sealed foil packet filled with chopped potatoes and some butter on the other side before cooking on low for about 4 hours.
What is the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin?
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!
Can you cook pork in a slow cooker without liquid?
I always think you should add at least a little bit of liquid since the main idea behind slow cookers is to cook the meat for a low and slow period of time. Without any additional liquid, there’s a higher chance of the meat drying out, which nobody wants. A few tablespoons of Worcestershire and soy sauce are what I use in this recipe to add some nice moisture and flavor!
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes make the perfect simple dinner with moist and flavorful pork and crisp potatoes.
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 of 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.
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.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pork tenderloin, pork tenderloin recipes, crock pot pork tenderloin, how to cook pork tenderloin, slow cooker pork tenderloin
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Long live the ease of a slow cooker, cooking the side and main at the same time, and delicious high quality pork that is the star of the show!
Love Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes? You might also like these:
- Brown Sugar and Garlic Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock Pot
- BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the Crock Pot
- Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Barbacoa
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cajun Beans and Rice Recipe
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup
- Easy Crispy Instant Pot Pork Taco Recipe
- The Ultimate Pulled Pork Sandwich
- How to make any pulled meat in the slow cooker (beef, pork, lamb, and more)
Sides that go great with pork and potatoes:
This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated and rephotographed in July 2019.
This easy slow cooker pork and potato recipe is one of my favorite slow cooker meals to throw in the crock pot at lunch and forget about it until dinner. And I LOVE that the potatoes cook right along with the meat but the flavors stay separate.
About Melissa
I have a lot going on, and I’d much rather spend my time enjoying my messes than fretting about what I’m going to make for dinner. Over the past few years, I’ve nailed down a few strategies that helped me keep my kitchen running like a well-oiled machine, so I started Bless This Mess to help other mess-loving parents solve the nightly dinner delimma—no stress, no drama, just really great food your whole family will love. Read more...
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Can you make this with preseasoned pork tenderloin
Yes! It works really well and speeds up the prep time. I’ve had great luck!
Hey! First time making this recipe ..and pork tenderloin for that matter and it didn’t disappoint, the family loved it! The tenderloin turned out great…the potatoes however were a little undercooked and blend. So I did pop them in the oven for a bit after and put some more spices on them with the butter/salt/parsley as directed.
★★★★
I plan to make this with just the pork as I wanna do a different potato recipe. I made this before and it was amazing! Would I still want to do this 4 hours on low?
★★★★★
Yep, it’ll still be about that long for the pork!
Hi, I have pork loin roast center cut boneless can I make this recipe in my slow cooker It’s weights1.73 and do I slow cook it on low for 4 hrs. Thanks
Sounds like just the right cut and that time should be perfect!
Can you make this with a frozen pork tenderloin? If so, what would the best way to do so.
Hmmm, I bet you could, I’d just cook it an hour or two longer than it says.
What did you do with the frozen peaches?
I just served them along with green beans to go with the meal of pork and potatoes!
Super yummy. Easy to make. Definitely use the juice leftover as an au jus makes it 10x better
★★★★★
Thank you for that comment, it’s always great to hear what works for people and I definitely agree that the juice is gold!
How would you recommend one cook this recipe if not using a crockpot but rather a conventional oven?
I’d cook it at 250 for the 4 hours or at 350 for about 2 hours in a dutch oven with a lid!
What size crock pot do you use? Mine is 6 qt but didn’t seem big enough.
That’s the size that I have. Were you working with loin or a tenderloin? A loin would be really big, the tenderloin is pretty little, about 2 pounds.
Is it possible to make this using an instant pot?
Yes, I’m sure it is. I haven’t done a pork tenderloin in there yet, except for tacos and then I cooked it a long time so it would shred… I’d do a little research as far as the cooktime goes, I assume it would be about 10 minutes.
I need to cook both pieces of tenderloin and potatoes. Do you suggest potatoes in foil on top od the meat?
I’d actually put them in the foil on the bottom and put the loins on top IF you are doubling the potatoes, if you are not doubling the potatoes, I’d do like you were thinking, two loins on the bottom with a foil pack on top!
Yum! Just perfect the way described! I guess I do get the idea of separating the potatoes! Never thought if it!
If you decide that you want the potatoes SOGGY, you can just put the juice/gravy on them.
I like my taters crispy.
★★★★★
Exactly! Glad you enjoyed it.
Exactly! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!