This 45-minute Instant Pot pork loin deserves a place on your rotation of weeknight dinner ideas. A juicy roasted pork loin is dipped in rich sauce and cooked to succulent perfection in the Instant Pot in a matter of minutes.
The meat is then served on a bed of freshly stir-fried veggies and creamy mashed potatoes, rolling it all into one big, satisfying meal. Plus, everything is cooked in the same pot.
Is Instant Pot Pork Loin Healthy?
Our Instant Pot pork loin is formulated with the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines in mind. We measured our ingredients carefully to keep it within the recommended nutrient profile.
We serve the pork loin with stir-fried vegetables, mashed potatoes, and fresh juice. All together, they make a 750-calorie meal which provides enough energy to get you through the day.
To lower the sodium and saturated fat content, we carefully stretched the necessary flavor from as little salt and butter as possible. Thus, the dish ends up delicious but still hits the right nutrient goals for a main course.
How to Season Pork Loin
Pork loin is our favorite pork meat cut since it’s lean, tender, and doesn’t require any challenging cooking techniques. The secret for an ultimate mouthwatering pork loin dish mainly lies in the seasoning mixture.
We kept the seasoning simple: salt, pepper, mustard, Italian seasoning, and dried herbs. This mixture, plus a little chili powder, creates a fantastic flavor profile with a slight spicy aftertaste that encourages you to reach for the next bite.
If you are in the mood for a twist on the flavor profile, the possibilities are endless. Also, the classic version of oregano and Italian seasoning, or even the classic blend of salt and pepper, will give you good results. Don’t write this dish off just because you’re missing a spice or two!
How to Cook Pork Loin in Instant Pot
Our Instant Pot pork loin recipe is straightforward to cook and doesn’t require much preparation, especially when you cook it in an Instant Pot. The machine will do most of the work — from searing the meat to cooking — and you can even make the sauce in the same pot.
Here is how we cook pork loin in the Instant Pot:
Season the pork loin and let it marinate.
Stir-fry vegetables in the instant pot. Remove.
Sear the pork until golden-brown.
Add chicken broth and stew the meat. Remove.
Add flour to thicken the remaining sauce in the pot.
Serve pork loin with vegetables and sauce.
For the detailed recipe with the timing and ingredient measurements, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the article.
Frozen Pork Loin in Instant Pot
Frozen pork loin is not the best candidate for this instant pot recipe. The meat will be too cold to absorb flavors from the seasoning mixture. Even when defrosted, though, frozen pork loin will release excess liquid, preventing the seasoning from sticking to the meat.
Thus, we recommend fully thawing the pork loin before cooking. You can use the microwave’s defrost setting or simply let it sit to thaw at room temperature for 30 – 45 minutes. Then separate it from any meltwater that comes out.
Even better is to plan it ahead. Transfer the frozen meat to the refrigerator the night before. This way, the meat will be ready the next day.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
If you have leftovers from the Instant Pot pork loin, save it for your next busy night’s dinner. Keep your food in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or, to truly maximize the shelf life (up to 3 months), place the pork in the freezer.
Depending on your needs, there are a few options for reheating the leftovers. If you want to warm the food slowly over a long period of time, consider using the Instant Pot’s ‘slow cook’ function or the ‘keep warm’ function.
If you want to reheat the meat faster, check out the steam mode. Remember that you always need water to make steam; otherwise, the food will just burn before heating through.
Depending on the amount of food being reheated, add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the inner pot. Turn it to your heating mode of choice and check it regularly until the meat is warm.
Side Dishes to Serve With Pork Loin
Because it’s cooked in the dipping sauce, the pork loin will remain succulent and lend itself to various flavors. We serve the meat with a drizzle of sauce over a bed of crunchy stir-fried vegetables and a batch of creamy mashed potatoes on the side.
A glass of lemon watermelon juice provides plenty of freshness and a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. If not that, don’t be afraid to trust your gut for another type of drink to round out this flavorful meal.
| Recipes | Course | Calories | Saturated fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Pot Pork Loin | Main Dish | 456 | 7.4 g | 496 mg |
| Mashed Potatoes | Side Dish | 195 | 3.9 g | 309 mg |
| Lemon Watermelon Juice | Beverage | 95 | 0.0 g | 5 mg |
| Total | 746 | 11.3 g | 810 mg | |
If you would like to see more healthy instant pot options, see our collection of easy instant pot dinner recipes.
More Delicious Pork Recipes in The Instant Pot:
Instant Pot Pork Loin Recipe
Ingredients
- 28 oz boneless pork loin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp garlic chopped, divided
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 8 oz crimini mushroom diced
- 4 oz onion
- 4 oz carrot
- 8 oz asparagus
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp parsley
Instructions
- Season 28 oz boneless pork loin with 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- In the meantime, start the ‘Sauté’ function on the Instant Pot and heat up 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Add 1 tbsp of chopped garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, add 8 oz crimini mushroom and stir-fry until softened (about 5 minutes). Then add 4 oz onion, 4 oz carrot, 8 oz asparagus, and 2 tbsp unsalted butter to the pot and stir-fry for another 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
- In the ‘Sauté’ mode, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and sear the marinated pork for 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove the meat from the pot.
- Turn off the sauteé setting. Place a trivet in the Instant Pot, add 1 cup unsalted chicken broth, and arrange your pork on the trivet.
- Set to ‘Meat Stew’ mode and cook for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release before opening the pot to get the pork.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tsp flour with 1 tbsp water until smooth. Turn the Instant Pot to the ‘Sauté’ setting, stir the mixture into the pot and let the sauce thicken.
- Serve the pork with stir-fried vegetables and the sauce drizzled on top. Garnish the dish with 2 tbsp parsley.
Nutrition
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