Smoked Pork Loin
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!
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
Calories 358kcal (18%)Carbohydrates 14g (5%)Protein 52g (104%)Fat 10g (15%)Saturated Fat 3g (15%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 143mg (48%)Sodium 5701mg (238%)Potassium 936mg (27%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 8g (9%)Vitamin A 214mg (4%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 94mg (9%)Iron 4mg (22%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!