This maple glazed pork loin recipe is just a touch sweet from a homemade maple syrup glaze, enhanced by a hint of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Beautifully seasoned, and oven-roasted, this glazed pork loin recipe is absolutely fantastic! Cooking a pork roast is much easier than you think. A simple brine ensures that it’s tender and juicy.
Make a Tender & Juicy Pork Loin Recipe
When you’re feeding a crowd or don’t want to mess with the bone in a pork chop, a pork loin is the way to go. Brown it first and then let it cook in the oven until it’s tender and juicy with a slightly sweet maple glaze that enhances the flavor.
With sweetness similar to a honey-baked ham, this pork recipe is one for the permanent collection. You can slice it to serve on some challah rolls, or alongside some corn pudding, or old fashioned mac and cheese, it’s so versatile. You can get the butcher to cut a smaller size if you just have a few or don’t have the freezer space to save leftovers.
I generally choose a pork tenderloin if I’m serving 3-5 people, but when you have folks with a big appetite or are serving a larger crowd, a pork loin is the way to go. It’s not as naturally tender as a tenderloin so it helps to brine it first. Like a ham, it makes beautiful slices which is great if you want to serve this on a sandwich.
The maple glaze adds just a little sweetness and flavor to the outside of the roast, but of course you can drizzle it over the slices for even more flavor. This inspired me to make a sweeter honey glazed pork chop recipe that you’ll love.
I recently made this pork loin and served it with a green bean and potato salad. The sweetness of the maple glaze with the vinegar based dressing on the salad were great together.
Pork Loin vs. Pork Tenderloin
While they have similar names, pork loin and pork tenderloin are distinct cuts of meat.
Pork loin, also called a pork roast, is a larger, thicker cut from the pig’s back. It’s often sliced into chops or roasts. With more marbling (fat) than other cuts of pork, it’s loved for its bold flavor, and as a bonus, is generally more affordable than tenderloin. However, it requires slower cooking methods like roasting or braising to ensure tenderness.
Pork tenderloin is a much smaller, thinner cut found near the backbone of the pig. It’s loved for being the leanest and most tender cut of pork, making it ideal for quick cooking methods like pork cutlets, or grilled pork tenderloin with cherries.
Do I need to brine my pork loin?
While brining pork loin isn’t a strict necessity, it helps you achieve a more tender, juicy, and flavorful final product.
Benefits of Brining
Increased juiciness: Brining helps the meat retain moisture, so you end up with juicier pork, even after roasting.
Improved tenderness: The salt in the brine can help tenderize the meat, so it’s more tender.
If you skip the brining process, you can expect your pork loin to taste similar because of the glaze, but it might not be quite as juicy.
Why You’ll Love an Oven Roasted Pork Loin
- Juicy and tender: Brining the pork loin helps lock in moisture so your pork roast is juicy and flavorful every time. Then, the slow roasting process helps cook the meat without it drying out. Double win.
- Impressive presentation: This glazed pork loin just looks mouthwatering! The golden brown color and juicy texture combined with the sweet and savory glaze make this meal a great choice when you need to impress your guests.
- Budget-friendly: Pork loin is a relatively affordable cut of meat, so this meal can be quite cost-effective, especially when you’re feeding a whole family or making a main dish for a gathering.
Pork Loin with Maple Glaze Ingredients
Pork loin brine:
- Salt & Sugar – You’ll need ½ cup of each, dissolved in water. Full instructions below.
Maple glazed pork loin:
- Pork loin roast – the glaze is enough for a 2-3 lbs roast, it larger, double the glaze recipe.
- Real maple syrup – Not the Aunt Jemima’s here. This recipe needs real maple syrup.
- Cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper – The little hint of cinnamon and cloves adds a great flavor to the glaze.
- Pantry Staples – Salt, black pepper, vegetable oil.
How To Cook a Pork Roast
Step 1: Brine and prep your pork.
Measure the sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and add about 2 quarts of water. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, then add in the pork loin. Cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for an hour for every pound of meat.
Remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels, then use kitchen twine to tie it up about every 2 inches to hold it together. Sprinkle it on all sides with salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Sear the meat.
Set a large, oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop and brown all four sides and remove to a plate.
Step 3: Make the glaze.
Turn the heat down on the skillet and add the syrup, cinnamon, gloves, and cayenne pepper. Let the mixture cook for about a minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
Add the pork into the pan and turn it with a pair of tongs so the glaze coats all the sides of the pork.
Step 4: Oven-roast the pork loin.
Place the entire skillet in the preheated oven. Cook for about 35-45 minutes (depending on the thickness of your roast). About every 10 minutes, turn the pork in the pan to re-coat it in the glaze. After 30 minutes, use a meat thermometer to check for doneness every 5 minutes or so, and when it’s 135-145 in the center, remove it from the oven.
Step 5: Serve the pork loin and maple glaze.
Set the roast on a cutting board to rest for about 10 minutes. Tent it with foil so it stays hot. Pour the remaining glaze over the roast, then remove the twine. Slice into pieces and serve.
A Few Recipe Notes for Maple Glazed Pork Loin
- Brine your pork in cold water. You don’t want the pork to begin to ‘cook’ in the warm water.
- Don’t brine the roast overnight. I should stay in the brine for an hour per pound, any longer and the meat gets mushy.
How to Store Leftovers
In the fridge: Allow the pork to cool completely, then transfer the leftover meat to an airtight container, like a sealed plastic container or a glass dish with a tight-fitting lid. This will help to keep the pork moist. Leftover pork loin will stay good for 3-4 days in the fridge.
In the freezer: For longer storage, divide the leftover pork into portions to make thawing and reheating easier. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or airtight container. Leftover pork loin can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for a few hours before reheating.
How to reheat pork loin: When reheating your leftovers, it’s better to use a slow method. The microwave can make your pork loin dry and rubbery. Instead, I prefer to use the oven. Cover the pork in foil and set in the oven at about 350°F for 15 minutes or until the center is warmed.
What to do with leftovers?
This pork is really good after it sits in the fridge overnight. You can make sliced pork sandwiches or even pork tacos. I like to add it to the top of a salad at lunchtime.
If you like to make fried rice, you can dice it up small and add it to the rice. It’s really delicious! And you can’t go wrong making a quesadilla. Divide up the pork between some tortilla shells and add some cheese, chopped-up tomato, and other fillings.
More Pork Recipes to Try
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Oven Roasted Pork Loin with a Maple Glaze
Ingredients
For the Brine:
- ½ cup salt
- ½ cup sugar
For the Pork and Glaze:
- 2-3 lbs pork loin roast
- ⅓ cup real maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of cloves
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
To brine the pork:
- Sissolve the sugar and salt in about 2 quarts of water in a large bowl. Add pork loin, cover and refrigerate for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove and pat dry with paper towels. Tie with twine every 2 inches. Sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper.
To cook the pork:
- Preheat the oven to 325º.
- Add just enough oil to cover a large oven proof skillet. Heat on medium high until it begins to smoke. Place the roast, fast side down in the skillet to brown, about 3 minutes. Rotate to all four sides. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the syrup, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne and cook for a minute. Remove from the heat and add the pork roast, turning it with tongs to coat all four sides.
- Place in the oven and cook until a meat thermometer reads 135-145º in the center of the roast, about 35-45 minutes depending on the thickness. Turn to coat the roast in the glaze every 10 minutes.
- Remove the roast to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Pour the glaze over the roast, remove the twine and slice.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Brine your pork in cold water. You don’t want the pork to begin to ‘cook’ in the warm water.
- Don’t brine the roast overnight. I should stay in the brine for an hour per pound, any longer and the meat gets mushy.
Nutrition
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Nancy Jacobs says
Thank you Barbara for the recipes for pork chops. I have a query. Do you soak pork chops in lemon and salted water for an hour or so? I guess it’s a cultural thing to prepare pork this way in the Caribbean. Tomorrow I will report on the recipe for Sunday lunch.
Barbara Curry says
I’ve never tried soaking them in lemon and salted water. But I can see how it would tenderize it. I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks for sharing.