This roasted pork loin recipe has the most delicious honey soy glaze. The pork turns out juicy, tender, and so flavorful. It’s truly the best we’ve made!
Our readers have been asking for a pork loin recipe for a while now. So many of you love our pork tenderloin recipe that sharing our favorite roasted pork loin felt like the natural next step.
Pork loin is such a fantastic cut of meat. It’s usually more affordable than other large roasts, cooks quickly in the oven, and with our honey soy glaze made with soy sauce, sage, and honey, it turns out incredibly moist and flavorful every time.
Key Ingredients
- Pork Loin: This recipe calls for a boneless pork loin roast (about 3 to 4 pounds). You can also use a center-cut or slightly smaller roast. Anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds works well. Don’t substitute pork tenderloins. They’re smaller and cook much faster. If that’s what you have, try our pork tenderloin with apples or pork tenderloin with peppers recipes instead.
- Soy Sauce: The base of our honey soy glaze is reduced-sodium soy sauce (or reduced-sodium tamari).
- Sage: You’ll need fresh sage. The combination of sage and soy sauce might sound unusual, but it makes this pork roast incredibly delicious. Tips for dried sage are below the recipe.
- Garlic and Ginger: We are heavy on the garlic and use 6 cloves, then finely grate in a bit of fresh ginger for a little heat.
- Honey and Brown Sugar: These balance the saltiness of the soy sauce and help the glaze become sticky, glossy, and slightly caramelized in the oven.
- Dijon Mustard: A little Dijon rounds out the glaze and adds a bit of tanginess. Plus, mustard and pork are always a perfect match.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: A splash of unseasoned rice wine vinegar (look for the bottle with the green top) gives the glaze just enough zip to keep it from being too sweet.
- Pepper Flakes: If you have them, gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) are lovely in this recipe. Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes work just as well.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Cook Pork Loin (My Favorite Way!)
Tip 1: Make the glaze. This glaze comes from Chef Richard, and the first time we tried it, we were blown away by how flavorful it was. It’s so simple to make! Add garlic, sage, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, ginger, and pepper flakes to a saucepan. Simmer for about 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. That’s it.
Tip 2: Prepping the pork loin. Depending on your cut, you might see a fat cap on top. If you do, lucky you! Score it in a crosshatch pattern and roast the pork with the fat side facing up so it bastes itself as it cooks. If yours doesn’t have any fat, don’t worry. The pork still turns out incredibly juicy and tender (ours didn’t have one in the photos!).
Tip 3: Sear the pork before roasting. To add flavor and color, season the pork loin with salt and pepper, then sear it on all sides in a hot skillet with a bit of oil. This step creates a golden crust that tastes amazing. If your roast is too long to fit in your skillet, just cut it into two smaller roasts and sear them separately.
Once seared on all sides, brush over some of the honey soy glaze before sliding it into the oven.
Tip 4: Roast the pork. Pork loin cooks quickly in the oven, about 40 to 50 minutes at 375°F (190°C) for a 3- to 4-pound boneless roast. This temperature is hot enough to caramelize the glaze without burning it. As it roasts, open the oven door every 10 minutes and brush on more glaze to build a sticky, golden coating on the outside. You’ll do this about four times during baking.
For the juiciest results, cook the pork until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C), then let it rest. As it sits, the temperature will rise a few more degrees, landing right in that perfect, tender zone. You can see we have an oven-safe temperature probe pushed into our roast in the photo above, but a standard internal thermometer works well, too.
Tip 5: Let your roast rest. Remove the roasted pork loin from the oven, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes. This helps the temperature rise slightly and lets the juices redistribute, keeping every slice moist and tender.
Tip 6: Reduce the glaze. While the pork rests, bring the remaining glaze to a simmer and cook until it thickens into a sauce-like consistency. Since we’ve used the same brush for basting the uncooked pork, simmering the glaze ensures it’s safe to serve. To be extra sure, check that the glaze reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving it with your pork loin roast.
Serving Suggestions
You have a lot of options for serving this pork loin roast. I slice it into thick slices and pour some of that reduced glaze on top. It’s incredible. I love serving the pork slices next to mashed potatoes and an iceberg salad tossed in our Japanese carrot ginger dressing. It’s also delicious with simple vegetable sides like roasted carrots, mashed cauliflower, steamed cabbage with lime butter, braised fennel, or roasted butternut squash.
Or, have some fun with a fresh salad like our peach and burrata salad, napa cabbage salad, fresh green bean salad with crispy shallots, or this creamy crunchy avocado salad with cucumber.
More Pork Recipes
The Best Pork Loin Roast
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This pork loin roast with our soy, sage, and honey glaze is stunning. We love it for entertaining, but you could totally make this for a more casual meal instead. The secret is to brush the glaze onto the pork every 10 minutes as it roasts. Don’t worry, though, the pork only roasts for about 45 minutes, so you won’t be stuck next to the oven for very long!
8 to 10 Servings
You Will Need
3 ½ to 4 pounds boneless pork loin (1.6-1.8kg)
2 tablespoons avocado oil
¼ cup chopped fresh sage, from one 0.5-ounce packet
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
⅔ cup low-sodium soy sauce (158ml)
6 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon gochugaru, Aleppo pepper, or red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Set aside a wide oven-safe skillet or cast-iron pan that comfortably fits your pork loin. If you don’t have one, use a regular skillet for searing and a large baking dish for roasting.
2Make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the garlic, sage, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, ginger, and gochugaru (or red pepper flakes). Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Set aside.
3Prep the pork: If there is one, score the fat cap of the pork loin in a crosshatch pattern (this helps render fat and hold the glaze). If your roast doesn’t have much fat, don’t worry about this step and move on to seasoning.
4Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper. If your pork loin is too large for your skillet, cut it in half to make two smaller pieces.
5Sear the pork: Heat the avocado oil in the skillet over medium heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown. If you cut the loin in half, do this in batches, and transfer the browned halves to a plate.
6Brush on some of the glaze: Turn off the heat and remove the pork to a cutting board. Brush all sides of the pork with some of the glaze (reserve the remaining glaze for basting and turning into a sauce).
7Roast: Add ¼ inch of water to the skillet (or to the baking dish, if using). Place the pork back in the skillet, fat side up. Place into the oven and roast for about 40 minutes, basting with more glaze every 10 minutes. Each time you baste, check the water level and add a splash if the pan looks dry.
8Continue roasting and basting until the internal temperature reaches 130°F. Baste once more, then roast an additional 5 minutes, which should bring it closer to 140°F.
9Let it rest: Transfer the pork to a plate or cutting board with a lip to catch juices. Tent loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. (The internal temperature will rise even more as it rests.)
10Reduce the glaze: While the pork rests, bring the remaining glaze to a simmer and simmer until it thickens to a sauce-like consistency. (Check that the glaze reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving it with your pork loin roast.)
11Serve: Slice the pork into thick slices and generously spoon some of the glaze over the top before serving.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop (covered with a lid).
- Pork temperature: For juicy, tender results, remove the pork from the oven around 135°F. After resting, it should reach 140 to 145°F, the sweet spot for doneness. If you want it more done, keep it in the oven until your desired temperature, but remember it will continue to rise while resting.
- Substitute dried sage: Use a third of the amount of fresh sage (about 4 teaspoons).
- The nutritional information provided are estimates. We assumed a 4 pound boneless pork loin and all of the glaze ingredients.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 thick slice, 10 total
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Calories
358
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Total Fat
15.8g
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Saturated Fat
5.5g
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Cholesterol
87.8mg
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Sodium
1285mg
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Carbohydrate
18.6g
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Dietary Fiber
0.3g
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Total Sugars
15g
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Protein
35.6g