Honey Garlic Pork Loin is a seasoned and seared pork loin topped with a sweet, savory, and tangy sauce with a slight kick from red pepper flakes, baked in the oven. The result is a juicy and tender pork loin with a caramelized honey garlic glaze that will be a hit at the dinner table, for sure! In fact, this recipe is so good that even those who do not like pork will love it. If you love pork loin don’t miss my French Onion Pork Loin!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pork Loin: In this recipe, I used a center-cut pork loin, not a pork tenderloin. Although the names are very similar, the cuts of meat are actually quite different. Both cuts of meat are very lean and healthy, but the size and cooking times are quite a bit different. The center-cut pork loin is quite a bit larger than a pork tenderloin. I recommend choosing a pork loin with a more pinkish color with some white streaks. Don’t be fooled if you see a pork sirloin. That is a different cut of meat that is not as tender or lean as a pork loin or tenderloin. (I know…so many cuts of pork!)
Honey: The sauce gets most of its sweetness from the honey and caramelizes when baked.
Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a tangy and slightly spicy kick to the sauce. You could substitute yellow mustard if that is all you have on hand. However, it will not give you the same spiciness, but will still give the sauce some tanginess.
Garlic: With garlic in the name, don’t shy away from the ingredient! You will use 2 tablespoons of minced garlic in the sauce.
Red Pepper Flakes: After taste testing this pork loin, most wanted a little more heat to each bite. So, we added crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. However, you could certainly leave those out (or add more for extra heat); the sauce is still delicious!
Why Sear The Pork Loin Before Cooking?
Searing the pork loin before cooking it in the oven is an important step that I encourage you not to skip. Searing the meat adds an extra layer of flavor and texture as well as helps lock in the juices of the pork. Yes, you could make this dish without searing, but it really is worth a few extra minutes of your time.
Can I Make This With Pork Tenderloin?
Yes, you could use a pork tenderloin for this recipe. However, keep in mind that pork tenderloin is quite a bit smaller in size and more tender than pork loin. So, you will need to adjust the cooking time to prevent overcooking. It is fully cooked when the pork tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
How To Store Honey Garlic Pork Loin
To store Honey Garlic Pork Loin, first, let it cool to room temperature. Then, if you haven’t already, slice it into pieces. Store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If possible, store the extra sauce separately, also in the refrigerator, to keep the pork from getting soggy. Reheat the pork in the microwave or oven. If you stored the sauce separately, reheat that as well and drizzle it over the reheated pork.
Honey Garlic Pork Loin
Ingredients
Honey Garlic Sauce
- ½ cup (170 g) honey
- ½ cup (120 g) chicken broth
- ¼ cup (62 g) Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 medium lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Pork Loin
- 1 boneless (3 pounds) pork loin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
Honey Garlic Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together honey, chicken broth, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
Pork Loin
- Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels. Evenly season pork loin on all sides with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- To a medium oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Once hot, sear the seasoned pork loin on all sides until it forms a golden crust. To prevent sticking, wait for the pork to form a crust naturally before attempting to flip it. The pork will release from the skillet once a proper sear has formed.
- Pour the honey garlic sauce over the seared pork loin.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, basting the pork with the sauce every 15 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F.
- Remove the pork loin from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the pork moist and flavorful.
- Slice the pork, drizzling more sauce from the pan over each slice. Serve warm.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This is a flavor-packed dish for sure! The honey garlic is perfectly balanced out by the spiciness of the red pepper. This is an impressive (and EASY) dinner!
Elizabeth
Oh my goodness, this might be my favorite way to eat pork (and I love pork)! The honey garlic sauce is so delicious and pairs so well with the meat. I could easily put this on a weekly rotation for dinner at my house.
Annabelle
This is a great way to make pork. I loved it, and I rarely eat pork!
Bella
The honey garlic sauce pairs so well with the pork loin! The pork is tender and easy to eat.
Selena
This is so so good. I kept going back for more of it! I love the crust that the pork gets while seared and the sauce is just to die for! Oh! And did I mention that it's really easy to make, too??
Delicious and easy prep! We have a few pork loin recipes we like, don’t know if we’ll ever use them again after finding this. We served it with rice and roasted butter nut squash/ sweet potato mix. It will now be in our monthly rotation.
I don’t care for the bitter flavor of the garlic from the browning process. Other than that this recipe is great.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. The garlic is in a sauce that is used as a basting sauce and shouldn’t burn when surrounded by all that liquid. Can’t imagine how burning the garlic happened, but I agree, I don’t like burnt garlic.
My family loves this dinner