Smoked Pork Loin Recipe (My Families Favorite)

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Smoked pork loin is perfect for a big family get-together or backyard BBQ with friends. It’s super simple to make, and you only need a few ingredients. It’s also budget-friendly and delicious, so this dish can easily please a crowd.

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Letting my pork loin rest after being smoked! Yum!!

Smoked Pork Loin Roast

A pork loin roast is perfect when you are cooking for a crowd. It also doesn’t have a lot of fat, but it still has enough to stay super juicy while cooking in the smoker. This roast only needs 2-3 hours to cook, making it easy to cook while entertaining.

Make sure you pick a good pork rub or make one of your own. Adding this will make all the difference to your final product. You can see below that I added a lot of rub to mine, and it caramelized nicely. Also, I recommend using fruitwood, like apple or cherrywood. Both work well with the mild flavors of pork.

Pork Loin Vs. Pork Tenderloin – What Is The Difference?

Pork tenderloin and pork loin are not the same, and I wouldn’t recommend substituting them in a recipe as they cook very differently.

Pork loin is larger and fattier and comes from the upper rib area, making it great for roasts and feeding a crowd. Pork tenderloin is a smaller, leaner muscle from the center of the pig with a stronger pork flavor.

Can’t find pork loin at the supermarket? Here are some alternatives for a pork loin that are just as delicious!

How to Smoke Pork Loin

It’s also no secret that pork is my favorite meat to smoke. But I also do enjoy smoked brisket. These are the steps for the world-famous smoked pork loin recipe

1. Preheat Your Smoker

You’ll want to begin by preheating your smoker to around 165°F. Note: If you’re using frozen pork loin, make sure you allow time for it to defrost.

2. Prep Your Pork Loin

While the smoker is heating up, season and tenderize your pork, next, grab a small, sharp knife and make diagonal cuts over the fatty layer of the pork. This is how the smoky flavor and other rubs, marinades, and seasonings will penetrate the piece of meat. (This will also ensure the fat layer covering the pork becomes crispy, just like the crispy pork served in Asian restaurants.)

Apply a binder of mustard and hot sauce. Then, rub the whole loin with the dry rub. If you have time, leave it wrapped overnight in the fridge. If not, let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Remove from the fridge and let it sit for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

3. Place Your Pork Loin in the Smoker

Place your pork loin in the smoker, fat cap side up. Insert the temperature probe. Smoke at 165°F for the first 1½ to 2 hours, then up to 250°F until the internal temperature hits 150°F (about 2-3 more hours). Spritz with 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water every 30 minutes.

Spritzing my smoked pork

5. Pull Your Pork Loin at 150°F

Once the internal temperature reaches 150°F, remove the pork loin from the smoker, rest for 30 minutes, and then slice.

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Want to use a pellet smoker? We’ve provided a detailed recipe for smoked pork loin here. It also includes a delicious gravy to serve with it.

What Temperature to Smoke Pork Loin At?

Smoke the pork at 165°F to prevent drying out. Then, for the last two hours, increase the temperature to 250°F. Smoking low and slow will allow the connective tissue to break down into juicy gelatin.

How Long to Smoke Pork Loin?

Pork loin can take 3-4 hours to smoke at 150°F and 225°F. However, you want to wait until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

The detailed guide below will tell you exactly how long to smoke your pork loin. The time/temperature depends on the pork loin’s shape, size, and weight. If it is much thicker or thinner than average, you may need a different time/temperature.

Temperature Guide For Smoked Pork Loin

When cooking pork loin (smoked chops, pork loin roasts & tenderloins, too), you must cook it to an internal temperature of at least 145° F. As mentioned, I cook my pork loin at 165°F for 60-90 minutes to ensure the pork doesn’t dry out. Then, we will increase the temperature to 250°F for the last two hours.

This ensures you will eat the meat when it is most flavorful and juicy. You will also be eating it safely, with no risk of food poisoning or other nasty bugs.

Here is my temperature guide to cooking pork by weight.

SizeTemperature (F)Time
2 Pounds165 + 2502.5 Hours
4 Pounds165 + 2503 Hours
5 Pounds165 + 2504 Hours
6 Pounds +165 + 2504 Hours +

When Is Pork Loin Done?

Smoked pork loin is done once it reaches 150°F. Once it reaches this temperature, you can remove the pork from the smoker.

Checking if my smoked pork loin is done

How to Make The Best Smoked Pork Loin

To get the best-smoked pork loin, you must start with the meat. Try to buy a piece with a good amount of fat on it. Try going for a whole loin that is 6-10 pounds. If it is any bigger, you might need to cut it in half to fit it in the smoker.

Should you glaze? This is more of a personal preference. I usually do it for big events like Christmas and Easter for the WOW factor!  Also, don’t forget to give it a rub. I put my favorite dry pork rubs below! I have too many favorites to pick one!I 

Some Great Rub & Sauce Recipes for Pork Loin

  • Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce—This sauce is perfect if you want something with a sweet and smoky sauce at the end.
  • Smoked Chicken Rub—This rub is delicious on chicken and is my standard ‘go-to’ rub for pork!

Brine for Smoked Pork Loin

You don’t need to brine pork loin before smoking it, but if you want to try it, you can use the recipe below. The key to a good smoked loin is the brine. You don’t need to brine it overnight; it just needs at least 6 hours.

Using boiling water, you won’t need to cook this brine on the stove. Just mix all the ingredients and stir until the sugars are dissolved. Ensure you allow enough time so the meat can sit in the brine for 6 hours.

After at least 6 hours, remove the pork loin from the brine and pat dry. Grab your favorite binder and then apply our rub to the meat.

Ingredients for Brine

  • Kosher Salt
  • Hot Water
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Orange Peel
  • Brown sugar
  • Black peppercorns
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Bay leaf

Cooking for a Crowd?

Are you cooking for a crowd and unsure how much pork loin you need per person? My rough estimate is always to allocate eight ounces or a half-pound for every guest.

Want to Try Italian Pork Loin?
Try porchetta if you’re looking for a twist on smoked pork loin. It is an Italian rolled pork loin that is stuffed with delicious herbs.

Or Go Greek!
This Greek-inspired stuffed pork loin has feta, spinach, and is wrapped in crispy bacon.

📌 Did you try this recipe?

Have you made this delicious recipe and loved it?

I would love it if you took a minute to leave a star rating and review. It is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that; thank you!

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What to Serve With Pork Loin?

There is nothing like cooking your main and sides in one go! It makes the cooking process much easier. If I’m taking the time to prepare the smoker and smoke meat, I always smoke several side dishes. At my cookouts, some crowd-pleasers are;

Smoked Garlic Bread
Smoked Cheesy Potato
Smoked Mash Potato
Smoked Corn
Smoked Zucchini

And, you can never go wrong with Smoked jalapeno poppers!

See what else to serve with smoked pork loin here.

Smoked Pork Loin

Charlie
Looking for a delcious smoked pork loin recipe? I have been making this one for years and have perfected it! It juicy, smoky and simple to make.
The apple cinnamon sauce is the perfect accompaniment for this smoked pork loin. While the pork loin is resting make this quick and easy sauce to serve with the pork.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Dinner, lunch, main, Main Course
Cuisine American, Barbecue, bbq, dinner, grill, lunch
Servings 6 people
Calories 420 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 – 6 lbs whole pork loin 2.3 kg
  • 3 tbsp salt
  • 4 tbsp mustard
  • 3 tbsp hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp BBQ Seasoning

Instructions
 

  • You’ll want to begin by preheating your smoker to around 165°F degrees. Note: If you’re using frozen pork loin, make sure you allow time for it to defrost.
  • Remove all the excess fat, silver skin (membrane) from the outside of the loin.
  • While the smoker is heating up, use this time to season and tenderize your pork. Next, you’ll want to grab a small sharp knife and diagonally make cuts over the fatty layer of the pork.
  • Apply a binder of mustard and hot sauce. Then, rub the whole loin with the dry rub.
    If you have time, leave it wrapped overnight in the fridge. If not, let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour.
    Remove from the fridge and let it sit for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
  • Place your pork loin in the smoker, fat cap side up. Insert the temperature probe. Smoke at 165F for the first 1½ to 2 hours, then up to 250F until the internal temperature hits 150F (about 2-3 more hours).
  • Spritz with a mixture of 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water
  • Once the internal temperature reaches 150°F, remove your pork loin from the smoker and rest for 30 minutes.
Keyword pork loin, Smoked Pork

How to Slice Your Smoked Pork Loin

Let the pork loin rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and for the internal temperature to stop rising. Then, with a sharp knife, cut the loin across the grain.

FAQs

I get lots of emails and questions from my grill and meat-smoking community. So I have put some of the common ones below 🙂

Question: What is a good side dish for pork loin?
Answer: Some of my favorite side dishes for pork loin are mashed potatoes with wasabi, mac and cheese, cornbread, or triple-cooked fries

Question: I have mountains of leftovers, what should I do with it?
Answer: Ohh I love getting inventive with leftovers I have! I love adding it to fried rice or using it in my tacos with lots of cilantro and guacamole! I have an extensive list of leftover pork lin recipes here to try.

Question: What’s the best wood to pair with pork loin?
Answer: I think that cherry, hickory, and applewood chips work best for pork. 

Smoke On!

Charlie

Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).

I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.

You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!

You can read more about me on our About Us page.

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14 thoughts on “Smoked Pork Loin Recipe (My Families Favorite)”

  1. Wow! I’m going to try this on the weekend. We’re going to have a birthday party and I’m the one who’s cooking. Thanks for sharing this!

  2. Can you plesse provide the recipe / directions for your brine. I have almost 28lbs to contend with.

    Thank you!

    1. Hiya Sonia,

      Ohh sorry about that I have added it back in now 🙂 That recipe is for a 4-6 lbs loin so I would look at a 5x for my brine recipe. Please let me know how you go with it and I could add it the post 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        There is the directions but not what you put in the water. so disappointed was thinking to make it for Easter It is in a few days. Maybe you can email it to me. Please.

        1. 5 stars
          Hiya Dawn! Sorry about that! I have updated the brine recipe. are you still going to smoke a pork loin for Easter?? Love to know how it goes!!

  3. Charlie comments need emojis already, I want to send all the love heart eye emojis I can about your boneless pork loin recipe!!! I have already printed it and stuck in in my favourites folder for new month! Thanks again!!

    1. 1000% agree we need more emojis, I think that I would end up just adding the love heart eyes to my smoked pulled pork, I used it for taco last night and wishing we had enough for tonight as well haha!

  4. I have a boneless pork top sirloin and it is in 3 pieces approximately 2.0 lb each. We are smoking it on a pellet grill. Will it take about the time for a 2.0 lb roast since it is in 3 pieces, or because of the volume will it take longer? Is it ok to place the roasts in an aluminum pan rather than right on the grill? I am thinking that you don’t want it sitting in it’s juices?

    1. Hiya Lauren,

      Thats sounds delicious, are you grilling this weekend? (love to see the finished product!) Awesome questions, I have lots of friends ask me this. The volume of meat won’t affect your looking time however they are few other factors that can. Opening and closing your grill can causes large drops in temp, with three pieces it can take three times longer so be quick with this stage. You also need to think about airflow. if you have the piece touching the hot air can’t flow between and it can act as one big hunk of meat, I would allow for at least 2 inches and your good to go. In regards to using a aluminum pan, I think a better option if you don’t want to meat directly on the grill is to wrap them individually in foil, they come out super succulent and easier to kept basted.

      Let mw know how you go!

      Happy grilling

      Charlie

    1. Hi Mike! That sounds like a great idea, I haven’t tried it before, I might for Christmas, I would just be careful it doesn’t burn! Let me know how you go!

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