Tender and juicy, this Dutch oven pork roast recipe transforms an affordable cut of meat into a delicious comfort food dinner. The pork loin slowly bakes in an apple cider broth with potatoes, veggies, and herbs. A quick pan gravy adds the perfect finishing touch!
Table of Contents
- Video: How to Make Dutch Oven Pork Roast
- The Best Cut of Meat for a Pork Roast Recipe
- Why Use a Dutch Oven
- How to Cook a Dutch Oven Pork Roast
- How Long to Cook a Pork Roast
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Tips for the Best Pork Roast Recipe
- Dutch Oven Pork Roast Recipe
- Simple Pork Roast Recipe Variations
Looking for even more pork recipes? Try this Mississippi roasted pork shoulder, a 5-minute pork sirloin roast, oven baked pork steaks, pork schnitzel, smothered pork chops, cream of mushroom pork chops, these Dutch oven pork chops, this pork roast recipe, slow cooker pulled pork, and Dr. Pepper pulled pork, too!
I have always struggled with a pork loin coming too dry. But, this roast came out so juicy and tender. After cooking the veggies, I added apple slices and cinnamon for a sweeter taste. Came out delicious. Served this with garlic mashed potatoes.
– Angela
Video: How to Make Dutch Oven Pork Roast
Nothing beats the comfort of a juicy and tender Dutch oven pork roast in the oven. The aroma that wafts through your home as it cooks is like a warm hug from your grandmother! This melt-in-your-mouth easy dinner recipe yields succulent pork loin and flavorful vegetables that have soaked up all of the juices from the meat. Finish it off with a quick pot roast gravy for the ultimate Sunday supper!
The Best Cut of Meat for a Pork Roast Recipe
A “pot roast” is a braised meat dish that’s made by searing a large cut of pork (usually an inexpensive roast) and then slowly cooking the meat in a covered dish called a Dutch oven. You can use many different cuts of meat for a pork roast, including a pork shoulder (or Boston butt), a sirloin roast, or a boneless pork loin roast.
I opted for the boneless pork loin roast, which is smaller and more tender than the pork shoulder. As a result, the loin cooks faster and doesn’t need the extended slow roasting time required with a pork shoulder (or Boston Butt).
I do not recommend a pork tenderloin for this recipe, since that cut is naturally lean and tender. It does best when cooked quickly at high temperatures. By contrast, pork loin and pork sirloin lend themselves well to slower roasting and grilling techniques (giving any tough fibers a chance to slowly break down).
Why Use a Dutch Oven
Many folks prefer the convenience of a Crock Pot slow cooker or even an Instant Pot, but I find that the Dutch oven yields the best tasting pork roast every time.
Dutch ovens are made from cast iron, so they retain and evenly distribute the heat. Plus, the tight-fitting lid traps the moisture inside the pot — resulting in the juiciest pork loin roast that you will ever taste. Instead of a dried-out piece of meat that has been cooked to death in a slow cooker, you can easily control the cooking time of both the pork and the potatoes when using a Dutch oven. It’s the way to go!
The Best Dutch Oven to Use for Pork Roast
We rounded up the best Dutch ovens you can buy, including 3 (yes, 3!) that I personally own and love! It was difficult to choose my favorite, but the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven (5.5 quarts) earned the top spot. You can buy it on Amazon for $311.50 or at Walmart for $359.95. That said, the Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch oven was a close second that’s just a little bit larger (7.5 quarts). It’s available on Amazon for $459.95. For a more affordable option, I recommend the Lodge 6-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven or this 5.5 quart Figmint Dutch oven from Target (such great quality for the price)!
How to Cook a Dutch Oven Pork Roast
This particular pork roast recipe works so well because you wait to add the potatoes to the pot during the final 40 minutes so that they don’t get overcooked and mushy. The vegetables, meat, and herbs flavor the rich juices that are further enhanced by a touch of apple cider, and ultimately used for gravy.
- Dredge the roast in seasoned flour, then sear in the Dutch oven.
- Deglaze the pot with chicken broth and saute the vegetables.
- Return the pork to the pot, and stir in broth, cider, herbs and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and bake in a 350°F oven for a total of about 70-80 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the pot during the final 40-45 minutes, mixing them into the liquid. You’ll know they’re done when the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the gravy, if desired.
- Whisk together the gravy with butter, flour, and strained pan drippings.
- Pour the gravy over the pork and garnish with chopped fresh herbs for a bright, colorful touch at the end.
How Long to Cook a Pork Roast
As a general rule of thumb, you want to cook the boneless pork loin roast at 350°F for about 20 minutes per pound. In this case, a 4-lb. roast needs about 1 hour, 20 minutes in the oven. Always check the roast early, though. The heat of the Dutch oven often speeds up the cooking time, so you might find that your pork is done within about 70 minutes.
Ultimately, an instant read meat thermometer is the best way to know when your pork loin is perfectly cooked. It’s done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F. Since the temperature of the meat will increase slightly as it rests, it’s fine to pull the pork out of the oven when it gets to about 140˚F.
Serving Suggestions
An easy pork loin roast makes a delicious Sunday supper. Pair the juicy meat, veggies, and potatoes with extra sides like flaky biscuits, a spinach casserole, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, creamed peas, pumpkin muffins, braised red cabbage, old-fashioned applesauce, fried apples, creamy baked mac and cheese, squash casserole, or a house salad with candied pecans.
Preparation and Storage Tips
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat the pork in a 325°F oven just until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.
You can also reheat smaller amounts of pork in the microwave. We love to enjoy the leftover thinly-sliced meat on pork sandwiches with bbq sauce the next day!
Tips for the Best Pork Roast Recipe
- Cook the pork roast covered in the Dutch oven to trap the moisture in the pot and keep the pork roast from drying out. Tender and juicy is the ultimate goal!
- Check the meat early, since the efficient heat of the Dutch oven often speeds up the cooking time. As a general rule of thumb, you want to cook the boneless pork loin roast at 350°F for about 20 minutes per pound. That said, a 4-lb. roast might be done in as little as 70 minutes.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size, thickness, and temperature of your pork when it goes into the oven. As a result, it’s best to use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork reaches 145˚F.
- Let the meat rest before slicing and serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute, rather than just running onto the cutting board.
Came out perfectly! I didn’t have apple cider but I had one lonely apple so I quartered and tossed in with the veggies. It was our New Year’s traditional meal. I let mine go up to 150 degrees (accidentally), but it was moist and delicious. The gravy was easy and went great with everything. My roast was small and cooked in less than an hour. One could pull this off on a weeknight. Thanks for the recipe!
– Mitzi
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Dutch Oven Pork Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 lb. boneless pork loin roast
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 large ribs celery, cut into ½-inch crescents
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 cup apple cider (not apple cider vinegar)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
Optional Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 – 1 ½ cups of juices/drippings from the pot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper on a sheet of waxed paper. Pat the roast dry; dredge it in the flour mixture. Heat butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Sear the pork on four sides (about 4-6 minutes per side), just until a nice golden-brown color develops and the meat releases easily from the pan. You don’t need to cook the meat all of the way through since it will finish in the oven. Remove the pork to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (loosening all of the browned bits from the bottom). Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).
- Place the pork on top of the vegetables. Add the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, apple cider, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and bake in the 350°F oven for a total of about 70-80 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound), adding the potatoes during the final 40-45 minutes.
- When there are about 40-45 minutes left in the cooking time, stir the potatoes into the pot, mixing them into the liquid. Cover and return to the oven for the final 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F.
- Let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the Optional Gravy
- Strain the juices and drippings from the pot. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. While continually whisking, gradually add the juices until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Continue whisking while the gravy bubbles and cooks for 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Simple Pork Roast Recipe Variations
- Substitute white wine or additional chicken broth for the apple cider.
- Use a 3-4 lb. pork sirloin roast; the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Season the meat with your favorite herbs. Other good options include parsley, oregano, chives and basil.
More Pork Loin Recipes to Try
4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Beer-Braised Pork Loin Roast
1 hour hr 55 minutes mins
Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Apple Glaze
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in August, 2021. It was updated in December, 2024.
I can’t wait to make this tasty sounding dish for us and our neighbor. It will be a treat for all.
That’s wonderful, Shery! I hope that you all enjoy it!
If I had to buy 2 smaller roasts, just under 2# each. Would they cook a shorter amount of time?
Hi, Shery! Yes, you will want to adjust the cooking time depending on the weight of the meat. As a general rule of thumb, you want to cook the boneless pork loin roast at 350° F for about 20 minutes per pound. Always check the roast early, though. The heat of the Dutch oven often speeds up the cooking time, so you might find that your pork is done within a shorter window.
Ultimately, an instant read meat thermometer is the best way to know when your pork loin is perfectly cooked. It’s done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F. Since the temperature of the meat will increase slightly as it rests, it’s fine to pull the pork out of the oven when it gets to about 140-145˚F.
Apple cider vinegar is over powering. Next time I’ll leave it out
I just put this in the oven and I have no idea where my mind was, but I put apple cider VINEGAR in instead of apple cider! Is there any saving this? I honestly didn’t even realize until my whole house started to smell very strong of vinegar. Oh man….
Oh, geez. I don’t know, Julia. That’s a lot of vinegar, and you’re missing the sweetness of the cider. 🙁
I did the same thing!
Oh no…Did you manage to save it?
Making this right now, the house smells amazing, also made homemade yeast rolls to go with it cant wait to see how it turns out!
YUM! That sounds like the perfect meal, Jenna! Hope you enjoyed it. 🙂
I havw always struggled with a pork loin coming too dry. But, this roast came out so juicy and tender. After cooking the veggies, I added apple slices and cinnamon for a sweeter taste. Came out delicious. Served this with garlic mashed potatoes.
We’re so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying it out, Angela.
I just did the same thing but I haven’t put it in the oven yet. I added sugar and extra seasonings and broth haha crossing my fingers!
Pork butt work instead of loin I’m sure?????
Hi! The boneless pork loin roast is smaller and more tender than the pork butt. As a result, the loin cooks faster and doesn’t need the extended slow roasting time required for a pork butt. For a tender and juicy pork butt, the internal temperature should reach 195–205°F. So, you’ll just want to adjust the total roasting time so that your particular pork butt reaches this desired temperature.
You might want to proof your oven. The lots of ovens run hotter than the set temp.
Should I put the potatoes in at the beginning since my roasts will cook so fast?
Hi, Shery! Yes, if you’re cooking roasts that are about 2 pounds or less, you can go ahead and just add the potatoes at the beginning. 🙂
Any substitutes for apple cider?
Hi, Ashleigh! Yes, you can substitute with white wine or chicken broth. Just be aware that the liquid used will change the taste of the gravy and the pork, slightly. Hope you enjoy!
Cider – I used one portion of Keurig Spiced Cider. I prefer to keep those on hand since they last a lot longer, but fresh cider would be preferred.
BTW: Those little cups can be cut open and mixed into a mug of hot water with a spoon just like the hot chocolate cups. No Keurig required. Just sayin’
That’s SUCH a great idea, Joe! Why didn’t I think of that?! 🙂 You’re right — fresh cider is best, but it’s not always available year-round at the grocery store, so your solution is perfect. Thank you!
Ii had a 5.lb porkroast. Instead of a Dutch oven I used a heavy roaster with a lid. I cooked to 152. I had no cider, so I added a can of hard cider that was in the back of my fridge from a party. Meat was very good, but not fall apart tender Carrots were wonderful, like my great gramma made. Gravy was the best ever. I would use hard cider again. Makes an awesome braise.
Thanks, Aimee! So glad that it worked with the ingredients that you had!
Mine is in the oven right now *anticipation* I had everything on hand except apple cider, I had some unsweetened apple sauce so not wanting to miss out on whatever “magic” the cider would have contributed so I went ahead & slathered about 1/4 cup applesauce on top of the roast. Hopefully the steam and heat will fragrant the whole pot with a hint of apple. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Hope you enjoy, Jeanne!
Hi! My pork lion has a thick slab of fat, am I trimming that first?
Hi, Sharyn! You can trim some off if you like, but you definitely want to leave some fat. This will drip down and keep the meat moist and flavorful as it cooks. 🙂
I have a pork butt not loin it should work tho right ??
This recipe was wonderful, even though, like a previous reviewer, I used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider! Can’t wait to try it with the cider!
Thanks, Paula! 🙂
Came out perfectly! I didn’t have apple cider but I had one lonely apple so I quartered and tossed in with the veggies. It was our New Year’s traditional meal. I let mine go up to 150 degrees (accidentally), but it was moist and delicious. The gravy was easy and went great with everything. My roast was small and cooked in less than an hour. One could pull this off on a weeknight. Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds perfect, Mitzi! A great “lucky” New Year meal. 🙂 We had pork last night too, of course. Glad that you enjoyed it!
I only have a pork shoulder on hand. What temperature and cook time would you suggest for that? Would love to try out this recipe!
Hi, Holly. It will depend on the size of your pork shoulder, but the pork shoulder is typically larger than a pork loin roast and requires a lower, slower cooking time. I generally roast pork shoulder in a 325°F oven for about 4-5 hours, basting with cooking liquid every hour or so (if possible). The pork is done when the meat is falling off the bone (an internal temperature of about 190-195° F). Hope that helps!
Why should the internal temperature be 190-195 for a pork shoulder when the loin is 145 degrees?
Hi, Karen! Cuts like a pork shoulder contain a higher amount of connective tissue than lean tenderloin, and therefore need to be cooked to a higher temperature. This higher temperature over the longer cooking time helps to break down the collagen, resulting in a more tender, juicy, and flavorful finished dish.
Looking forward to grilling season! Appreciate the post – trying to learn as much as I can before the Spring is in full swing.
I currently have the roast cooking. I cook a lot….a lot at home. Clarification needs to be made on Apple Cider and not vinegar. It’s too easy to put (Do not use apple cider vinegar) beside recipe listing. Apple cider is not even always available year around in some areas. Also many…many recipes call for apple cider vinegar and in MOST of our heads we are programmed as cooks when reading a recipe to see apple cider and associate it with apple cider vinegar.
Hi, Jeremy! I didn’t realize that might be confusing. Yes, I can definitely add that note! 🙂
Just took mine out of the oven- the house smells amazing! And everything is fork tender and juicy-plenty of liquid for making gravy. I substituted apple juice for the cider. Can’t wait to dig in!
Wonderful! Hope you enjoyed the meal, Victoria!
My roast came out very dry , I did a 5 pd . Maybe the cut ? I followed recipe to the tee.
Hi, Tricia! It could have been the cut, or it could have just been cooked for too long. I would just check the temp of the roast a little sooner next time.
Made this recipe last night and it came out perfectly, even looked like the picture. It was moist and the veggies were not overcooked. The gravy was very tasty. The only thing I will change next time is I will stick slivers of garlic into the pork to give it a little added flavor.
Thank you so much, Lydia!
I what size Dutch oven for this recipe please?
Hi! You’ll want a fairly large Dutch oven here — about 6-7 quarts is ideal.
Omg!! The most tender pork roast I have ever made. Absolutely melt in your mouth tender. Seasoning was perfect. I added button mushrooms with the veggies and just a splash of white wine. My wife was over the moon which happens rarely. This has surely become a staple of ours.
Thank you so much, Thomas!
Excellent recipe! Thank you so much for sharing, it was an absolute hit and I will continue to make it. 🙂
So glad to hear that, Deana! Thank you!
I really liked the roast but mine came out dry and it wasn’t tender at all ;( I saw you mentioned the ditch oven can speed up cooking, should I do a lower temperature for longer?
Hi, Catrina! I’ve found that this temperature and cooking time range works best with the Dutch oven; however, you can certainly play around with the cooking temperature and time. The total time will always vary depending on a number of factors — the temp of your meat when it goes into the oven, your individual oven, your specific Dutch oven, etc. — so the best way to avoid a dried out or overdone roast is always to check the internal temperature of the meat as it’s cooking. You’ll know it’s done when it reaches 145 degrees F.
I suggest rubbing herbs into the roast and searing it before moving to the dutch over. So good.
Thank you, Andy!
I don’t have any apple cider but I have apple juice. Can I substitute this and how much should I use?
Yes, that should work fine! I would use the same amount. Hope you enjoy, Sherry!
Just made this and we enjoyed it very much. I’m notoriously bad at determining the appropriate amount of salt, so recipes that say “salt to taste” at a point where you can’t taste it are tough. I cooked until the pork was done then salted to taste, which wasn’t ideal. But that was my fault. I will definitely try again. The gravy was AWESOME. A nice touch.
10 / 23 /’22
Hello:
May I ask what brand & size your dutch oven pot is? Is it ceramic or metal?
Thank You for posting this. Will give this recipe a try for sure.
Sandra W.
Hi, Sandra! That’s a Staub enamel-coated cast iron Dutch oven. I believe it’s the 6-quart size. I recommend at least a 6 or 7 quart Dutch oven for roasts.
This recipe is so good, I love adding all the root veggies, rutabaga, turnips, beets. I roast Brussels with apples and sprinkle them over the plater. The left overs make for a lovely pot pie, or my favorite the filling for stuffed bread.
That sounds amazing, Lori! Thank you!