Smoked Pork Loin
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Create the most amazing, melt-in-your-mouth Smoked Pork Loin with this simple recipe! It starts with an overnight brine that tenderizes the meat, then it’s coated in a flavorful bbq rub. It’s finished on the smoker with bbq sauce to add amazing flavor to the meat. This juicy, tender pork recipe is one that you’ll want to toss on the smoker again and again!
Table of contents
We’re big fans of smoking pork around our house. From smoked pork shoulder, to smoked pork tenderloin, to smoked pork chops, if the Traeger is on and smoking, there’s probably some pork on there!
Just like my melt-in-your-mouth smoked pork tenderloin, this smoked pork loin recipe is made with an overnight brine to tenderize the meat. It’s then coated in my sweet and tasty homemade bbq seasoning. The pork is smoked low and slow, then finished with a glaze of bbq sauce.
Combining all of these steps infuses a simple recipe with tons of flavor! This pork loin doesn’t have to be a special occasion meal. It’s so simple, you can make it anytime you’re craving a juicy, tender pork loin, with rich, smoky flavors!
Ingredients
- Boneless pork loin – although the names are similar, pork tenderloin and pork loin are two very different cuts of meat. The pork loin comes from the animals back, and is a much larger cut of meat, usually between 7-10 pounds. The pork tenderloin is lean, thin and usually between 1-1.5 pounds. The two should not be substituted for one another because they are much different in size and shape. When shopping for a pork loin, a lot of grocery stores will cut a whole pork loin into smaller 2-3 pound sections to sell. I recommend asking for a whole pork loin at the butcher counter, or shopping at somewhere, like Costco, that will sell the whole pork loin. If I’m smoking the pork loin for a small group, I cut it in half, vacuum seal and freeze one half, then smoke the other half. The recipe in this blog post was made with a 4 pound pork loin, but it can be made with a smaller or larger cut.
- Kosher salt + sugar – to brine the pork loin.
- BBQ seasoning – I love this homemade dry rub, which is a delicious combination of spices, like black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder, mixed with brown sugar. It’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes and is delicious on smoked or grilled meats. You can also use another bbq spice rub or seasoning, if you already have a favorite in your kitchen.
- Bbq sauce or pepper jelly – you can use either of these as a finishing glaze on the pork. You can also try using other types of jams or jellies like apple, peach or apricot. For this recipe, I’ve used both Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and Jackie’s Jams Jalapeno Jam. They’re both delicious, and a great way to finish the pork!
- Apple juice (optional) – I like to spritz the pork with apple juice every 30 minutes while it’s on the smoker. This keeps the pork nice and juicy, but it’s optional. If you don’t want to open the smoker while the pork is cooking, you can skip this step.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Brine the pork loin. In a medium pot on the stove, bring 16 ounces of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add kosher salt and sugar. Stir for 2-3 minutes, or until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved in the water. Set aside, and add 3-4 cups of ice cubes to the pot of water. This will help cool down the brine quickly, so that you can pour it over the pork loin. Place the pork loin in a large container, like this 12 quart storage container. Pour the brine over the pork, and add additional cold water, if needed, until the pork is fully covered. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours, or overnight.
- Season the pork loin. After brining the pork, remove it from the liquid and pat it dry. Use a sharp knife to trim excess fat that is over ¼ inch thick. Use the same knife to score through the fat cap about ¼ of an inch deep in a diagonal pattern. Rub the entire pork loin with bbq seasoning on all sides.
- Prepare the smoker. Fill a smoker with wood or pellets. For this recipe, I recommend a mild to medium flavored smoke, preferably from a sweet tree, like apple or cherry. Preheat the smoker to 225°F. For this recipe, I used the Traeger Pro Series Smoker, but this recipe will work on any brand, make or model of smoker.
- Smoke the pork loin. Place the seasoned pork loin on the grill grates inside the smoker, with the fat side facing up. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 138°F. Spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes to keep the pork moist.
- Glaze the pork loin. Brush bbq sauce or pepper jelly on top of the pork loin. Continue smoking the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Remove the pork from the smoker and tent it with foil. The internal temperature will rise 5-10 degrees after you remove the pork from the smoker. Let the pork loin rest for at least 20 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil, before slicing and serving. Use an electric knife, or sharp knife, to cut the pork loin into ¼ inch slices.
Recipe tips
- Cook to temperature, not time! The cooking time for smoked pork loin will vary based on a number of things. For this reason, I always recommend using temperature, not time, to determine when to remove the pork from the smoker. That being said, you can expect about 1 hour per pound of meat. I recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer to check the pork loin after it’s been on the smoker for 45 minutes per pound of meat. For example, check the temperature after 3 hours for a 4 pound pork loin. Then check the temperature every 15-20 minutes after that, depending on where the temperature is at when you check it the first time.
- Use an electric knife to thinly slice the pork loin. I’ve found that thin slices of this juicy, tender pork are everyone’s favorite. So I always use an electric knife to slice the pork before serving it.
- You can skip the brining step if you’re short on time. The flavorful rub, and low, slow smoke will still create flavorful, tender meat, even without the overnight brine.
- Do not brine the pork for more than 24 hours. The pork loin will become overly salty and it can ruin the texture of the pork.
Storage and reheating
Leftover smoked pork loin will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to thinly slice the pork and make sandwiches or wraps. I also love to dice the pork and use it on salads or in egg scrambles.
The pork is delicious diced up and repurposed in several different ways, either served cold or reheated. You can also thinly slice the meat, toss it with bbq sauce and make an epic bbq pork sandwich.
What to serve with it
Pair the smoked pork loin with these delicious side dishes anytime of the year. I always love tossing this smoked mac and cheese on the smoker with the pork during the last hour of cooking time!
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Blue Cheese Salad
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Bacon Blue Cheese Green Beans
- Mac and Cheese
- Corn Casserole
- Squash Casserole
And when summer time comes around and you’re serving this smoked pork loin at backyard bbq’s, pair it with these great bbq side dishes.
- Blue Cheese Potato Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Pasta Salad
- Grilled Zucchini
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Coleslaw
If you’d like to serve a bbq sauce on the side for dipping, try this Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, White BBQ Sauce or Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce to add great flavor to the meal!
Tools you’ll need
- Smoker – this is the Traeger Pro Series Pellet Grill and Smoker I have at home and used for this recipe. But any smoker you have in your backyard will work!
- Wood or Pellets – I recommend Traeger Apple Pellets, or any fruit wood for this recipe.
- Spray bottle – for spritzing the meat with apple juice throughout the cooking process.
- Thermometer – on the Traeger, I use the temperature probes that come with the smoker. If you do not have a smoker with a meat probe, I recommend this thermometer.
- Kitchen scale – for the brine, you’ll see in the recipe card at the bottom of this post that I use 4 ounces of salt and 1 ounce of sugar. When using salt in a brine, the weight of table salt, kosher salt or sea salt, can vary greatly. This is why I use ounces, instead of tablespoons when making a brine. A basic kitchen scale is less than $20 and something I use every week in the kitchen. If you don’t want to purchase a scale, you can use 8 tablespoons kosher salt and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for this recipe.
More recipes for the smoker
I’ve been cooking meats on a smoker since I could walk. Growing up in Oklahoma, I was always eager to help my Dad and Grandpa outside on the smoker. Try these tested and perfected smoker recipes, with some new creations and recipes passed down from my families archives!
And don’t miss my other smoked pork recipes for smoked pork chops, smoked pork ribs, and smoked pulled pork!
Smoked Pork Loin
Ingredients
- 16 ounces water
- 4 ounces kosher salt
- 1 ounce granulated sugar
- 4 pounds boneless pork loin, see notes below if using a larger or smaller pork loin
- 4 tablespoons bbq seasoning, click link for recipe
- ½ cup apple juice
- 4 tablespoons bbq sauce, or pepper jelly
Instructions
- In a medium pot on the stove, bring 16 ounces of water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add the kosher salt and sugar.
- Stir for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar and salt are dissolved into the water.
- Set aside and add 3-4 cups of ice cubes to the pot of water. This will help cool down the brine quickly, so that you can pour it over the pork loin.
- Once the brine water is at room temperature, or below, pour it over the pork loin in a large container, or zipper bag. Add additional cold water, if needed, to cover the pork loin.
- Place in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat a smoker to 225 degrees F. Fill the smoker with applewood pellets, or another mild-to-medium flavored wood.
- Remove the pork loin from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to trim excess fat that is over ¼ inch thick. Use the same knife to score through the fat cap about ¼ of an inch deep in a diagonal pattern.
- Rub bbq seasoning on all sides of the pork loin, until it’s completely covered.
- Place the pork loin in the preheated smoker with the fat side facing up.
- Smoke until the internal temperature of the pork loin reaches 138°F. You can expect around 1 hour per pound of meat, but remember to always smoke to temperature, not time! Spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes to keep the pork moist.
- Brush the bbq sauce, or pepper jelly, on top of the pork loin on the smoker once it reaches 138°F. Leave the pork loin on the smoker until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.
- Remove the pork loin from the smoker and place it on a cutting board. Loosely tent with foil, and rest for 20 minutes before serving. During this time, the internal temperature of the pork loin will rise 5-10 degrees.
- Slice into ¼ inch slices using an electric knife, or sharp butchers knife.
Notes
- Click the 2X button above to double the recipe for an 8-10 pound pork loin. Click the ½ button above to cut the recipe in half for a 2 pound pork loin.
- You can skip the brining step if you’re short on time. The flavorful rub, and low, slow smoke will still create flavorful, tender meat, even without the overnight brine.
- Do not brine the pork for more than 24 hours. The pork loin will become overly salty and it can ruin the texture of the pork.
- Leftover smoked pork loin will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be sliced or diced, and served cold or reheated, for salads, sandwiches, scrambles or wraps.
Nutrition Facts
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One Comment on “Smoked Pork Loin”
Very flavorful, pork is nice and juicy.