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Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Loin Roast has a deep, rich and tangy flavor. The balsamic reduction sauce over the pork roast is amazing! This is a wonderful pressure cooker pork loin roast recipe.
The sauce is so delicious on this Instant Pot pork roast!
Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Loin Roast
The Instant Pot does a great job of cooking roasts. The secret is to know which cuts of meat need a longer or shorter amount of cook time. They can be very different.
Other than a pork shoulder (also called a butt, though it is not from that end!), my two favorite cuts are the loin and the tenderloin.
These are sliceable roasts, that are best when they are served with a flavorful sauce.
Pork Loin Roast or Pork Tenderloin?
I think that in the world of pork roasts, these two are the most confusing. Since the names are so similar, they often are mistaken for each other. They are different!
PORK LOIN ROAST
This is a rectangular shaped pork roast. It can be bone-in or boneless. The pork loin usually weighs 2 pounds or more, often up to 6 or 7 pounds. It needs a much longer cook time than the tenderloin.
PORK TENDERLOIN
This is a smaller, more rounded cut of pork. This tubular shaped little roast is very tender when cooked appropriately. Tenderloins are usually 1 to 2 pounds and boneless. It needs a shorter cook time than the loin roast.
What if My Roast is Frozen?
Generally, you will not increase the cook time with a frozen roast. However, since you won’t be able to brown it first, it will require some extra cook time.
You will go ahead and cook the onions as instructed, then put the roast in. Add 10 minutes per pound. It is best to use a meat thermometer after cooking to make sure that the roast has reached 145°.
Will a Pork Loin Roast Make Pulled Pork?
- Yes, many people do make pulled pork from a pork loin. I prefer using a pork shoulder for pulled pork as it is very tender and much juicier.
- If you want to make pulled pork from a pork loin, you will need to cook it longer to get it to a shreddable consistency (maybe 45-60 minutes). This will be a very lean, possibly dry, pulled pork, so make sure to save some of the liquid to pour over the shredded meat to keep it moist.
- The seasonings will be different than in this balsamic pork loin recipe. See my Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe for a tasty pulled pork seasoning idea.
Instant Pot Balsamic Apple Pork Tenderloin
Instant Pot Mississippi Pork
Instant Pot Kalua Pork (Kalua Pig)
Instant Pot Maple Mustard Pork Chops
If you make this Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Loin Roast recipe, please leave me a comment below and let me know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Loin Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb Pork Loin Roast* (not tenderloin) boneless
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon Pepper, divided
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, sliced into thick rounds
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ⅓ cup Apple Cider
- ⅓ cup Balsamic Vinegar (good quality)
- 1 Tart Apple, such as Granny Smith, sliced thick (core it, but no need to peel)
To Finish
- 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 3 Tablespoons Cold Water
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
Instructions
- Salt and pepper all sides of the roast, using 1 tsp of the salt and ½ tsp of the pepper. Set aside.
- Turn on the Sauté setting. When hot, add the oil.
- Add the pork roast and and onion. Brown the roast for 2-3 minutes per side. Then remove it to a plate.
- Sprinkle the garlic powder, and remaining salt and pepper over the onions.
- Add the apple cider, and when it starts to simmer, stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to get up all of the browned bits (deglaze).
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar.
- Add the apple slices to the pot and then set the roast on top.
- Cancel the sauté setting.
- Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 30 minutes. High Pressure. (if your roast is larger than 2.5 pounds, or is bone-in, add 10 minutes cook time per pound.). The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
- When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 12 minutes (12 minute natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
- When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
- Take the temperature of the roast. It should be close to 145° F. If it is much below that (by 10 degrees or more), place the lid back on the pot and seal it. Then set time for "0" minutes and after it is done, let it sit 5 minutes before releasing pressure and opening it.
- Remove the roast to a plate and loosely cover with foil.
- Whisk together the corn starch and the cold water. Set aside.
- Turn the sauté setting on and when it starts to simmer, stir in the corn starch slurry. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the pot and taste the sauce before adding the honey. You can add more honey if you like it sweeter, or omit if you think it is sweet enough. Adjust salt if desired.
- Transfer roast to a serving dish, slice it, and pour some of the sauce over it.
- Serve each portion with some of the extra sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Loin recipe and more
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This recipe was amazing!! Thank you, I am on weight watchers and always looking for delicious, health recipes. This added up to 6 points per serving accounting for 8 servings. A perfect protein for dinner!
Sandy – Came across your recipe while randomly searching for what to do with the pork loin I had purchased at Costco. Followed your recipe except for the apply slices (did not happen to have a fresh apple just now). I believe the neighbors for blocks away could hear the oohing and aahing from those enjoying this meal. Simply marvelous. The sauce alone was worth the price of admission. I put the sauce over very lightly buttered egg noodles last night with the remainder of the loin. Unbelievable…. Thank you, thank you, thank you…!
That’s awesome! Thank you for your review!
So I tried a version of this recipe using somewhat different ingredients, and a much larger loin roast, 6.5#. The instructions here said 30 minutes for a 2.5 pound roast, add 10 minutes per pound over that, so I added 40 minutes. That was way way way too much time, and while the flavor came out quite nicely, the meat itself was very dry and tough. I think this is a great recipe, though, and if I try it again I will look around for other time settings.
Thank you for your feedback. I’ll retest this recipe.
Hi, I am excited to try this recipe. I have a 4 pounds pork loin roast, how long would I cook it for? Thanks 🙂
I would cook for 45 minutes. If it isn’t quite done, put the lid on and just let it rest for 10 minutes and check the temp again.
In yur comment to Debbie in July, what does “12 NPR” mean…
NPR means Natural Pressure Release. You let the pot sit undisturbed for 12 minutes after the pressure cooking is finished. Every recipe will have a different amount of NPR time, or Quick Release, where you don’t let it sit at all and release the pressure immediately.
I made this recipe over the weekend, and it was delicious! I am not a pork person and never cooked one of these, but found a bone-in pork loin on sale, thought “well, I’ll try my instant pot”, scoured the internet for a recipe, and thank heavens yours turned up. Mine was 4 1/4 lbs., so I cooked it for 33 minutes, then did natural steam for 13 minutes. I think your times for the smaller piece would have worked fine. The meat was OK (maybe why it was on sale?), but YOUR GRAVY would make ANYTHING taste wonderful! We can’t wait to have leftovers with that excellent sauce on top. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
P.S. I only used 1 teaspoon of honey in the gravy, and think I would have liked it just fine without any honey….
Thanks, again!
Can you please give us the recipe for your Instapot refried beans
Sure! Instant Pot Refried Beans
This was very tough . What do you think I did wrong? Under or over cooked maybe?
I think it was undercooked.
This was outstanding and your instructions were perfect. Thanks so much..
This recipe sounds like just what I am looking for. What cook time do you suggest for a 3.5 lb, bone in pork loin roast? Thanks! I have all the ingredients on hand and my pork loin roast is thawing.
Hi Debbie, I would try 40 minutes. 12 NPR. Please let me know how it works for you. It seems that sometimes different results happen, and I like to know the details so I can help others. Don’t forget to let the meat come to room temp before cooking!
We LOVED this recipe! The pork was render and not dry at all. The sauce was amazing! My husband said to make him this roast any time! Thank you!
That’s great, Jess! Thank you. I’m happy that you and your hubby liked this recipe!