Crock-Pot Apple Pork Tenderloin (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook pork on high or low in slow cooker? ›

Pork loin is a very lean cut of meat so it should be cooked LOW and slow. Please do NOT cook your pork loin on high in the crock pot. Cook on LOW for 2-4 hours.

Does pork tenderloin get more tender the longer you cook it? Quite the opposite, actually! Pork tenderloin should be cooked quickly and then left to rest to ensure it stays tender.

The size and structure of a tenderloin make it perfect for cooking quickly on high heat. You want to be able to brown the outside while still keeping it a little pink on the inside.

Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 9-10 or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from crockpot and shred meat. Remove any large pieces of fat. Save some of the juice to spoon over pork when serving.

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

For an all-American classic, I use a mix of ketchup, grainy mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Coca-Cola. Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides.

Sear pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven (if you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer pork to a baking dish) and roast, flipping pork halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140°, 14–18 minutes.

At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone.

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Why is my pork tough in the slow cooker? ›

Cook Low and Slow

Each slow cooker meal's cooking time differs depending on the meat and its weight. The low setting is important so you don't overcook it, potentially leaving you with a dry or tough meal.

You can put raw pork in the slow cooker, but it does need to be thawed first. If it isn't, it can become unsafe to eat, because the pork will spend so much time at room temperature as it thaws.

Pork shoulder and ribs should be cooked for a long time at a temperature at or below 275°F until the meat is tender. For this reason, these cuts are often used in slow-cooker recipes because the slow cooker gently cooks the meat at a lower temperature for hours at a time.

At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone.

It's pretty tricky to overcook pork shoulder, so we cook the pork on LOW for many hours. In our pulled pork recipe, we call for at least 8 hours in the slow cooker, but you really can go beyond that. The pork should be so tender that a spoon can cut through it. Doing all of this in a slow cooker makes it easy.

Foods take different times to cook depending upon the setting used. Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting.