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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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.

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.

Size	Temperature (F)	Time
2 Pounds	165 + 250	2.5 Hours
4 Pounds	165 + 250	3 Hours
5 Pounds	165 + 250	4 Hours
6 Pounds +	165 + 250	4 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.

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.

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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.

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

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