Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut

March 20, 2024
Top down plated pork loin on sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and silverware
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Pork Loin is Perfect for the Slow Cooker

Pork loin is the perfect meat for my Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut. It is very lean, even more so when you trim the excess fat. The lean meat benefits from cooking for a long time in the moist and steamy environment created by the sauerkraut, apples, and slow cooker. This cooking style yields fall apart tender pork with hints of sweet apples and salty notes of sauerkraut.

For this recipe, I recommend browning the pork loin before putting it into the slow cooker. Browning the salt and peppered pork loin in oil causes the Maillard reaction, which produces an incredible flavor. However, sometimes it’s hard to find time to do anything more than put everything into the slow cooker before you leave for work. So if you need to, you could just salt and pepper the pork loin and put it in the cooker. While you’ll miss the Maillard reaction, it will still be delicious.

Sliced pork roast on a blue plate with a spoon and sauerkraut

One thing to consider about this recipe is that the pork does become fall apart tender when slow cooked. That means that while you’ll get 2 or 3 proper slices off the roast, the rest will end up looking like shredded pork. If you’re hoping for a roast that stays together in slices, try tying it with kitchen twine, with each knot 1-2 inches from the next. You could do this before or after you brown the pork loin.

  • Tip: If you’re looking for an even more interesting flavor for your Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut, add some of my Smoked Sauerkraut instead of regular and enjoy the smoky undertones in your dish.

Apple Adds a Sweet Touch

This Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut is made particularly special by the addition of sliced apple. The apple adds a bit of sweetness to the dish, but keep in mind what kind of apple you’re adding. I chose to use granny smith apples to avoid making the dish too sweet and to take advantage of their unique tanginess.

If you’d like your dish to be on the sweeter side, I recommend using a sweeter apple variety like fuji, gala, or red delicious. You could also substitute the chicken broth with apple juice for even more added sweetness.

Served pork roast slices with fork and knife

Feed a Crowd

If you’re looking for a recipe to feed a crowd, this one is for you. A standard serving of pork loin is 4oz raw, so every pound of raw pork loin will feed about 4 people. This size serving should come with mashed potatoes or egg noodles and a side salad or perhaps a roll. This is why I offer such a wide range in weight in the ingredients list. If you only need to serve a few people, you can opt for a 2 pound pork loin, or if you’re throwing a party, cook up a 4 pounder. The other ingredients in this recipe can accommodate any weight between those.

How to Serve Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut

This pork roast goes well with just about any side dish you can imagine. I like to serve it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles with a biscuit or crusty bread on the side to soak up the delicious juices. If you drain some of the liquid, this meat would also go great on a roll or slider bun as a sandwich. Make sure you broil some sliced cheese on the roll or bun first though for a great experience. If you’re looking for a side dish try any of these:

Pork loin in yellow crock with apples and mashed potatoes
Top down plated pork loin on sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and silverware

Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut

Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Sauerkraut is a fall apart tender pork loin roast with the subtle sweetness of apples and savory sauerkraut.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, European
Servings 14
Calories 253 kcal

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2-4 lbs Pork loin, trimmed of extra fat (I used 3.5 lbs)
  • 1 tsp Each salt and black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Oil (I used canola)
  • 32 oz Sauerkraut, drained
  • 1 tbsp Minced garlic
  • 1 Onion, sliced
  • 1 Apple, sliced (I used a Granny Smith apple)
  • 1 cup Chicken broth (1 cup water + 1 tsp bouillon powder)

Instructions
 

  • Coat the pork loin in salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.
  • Add the sauerkraut, minced garlic, onion, and apple to the slow cooker. Add the browned pork loin on top. Pour in the chicken broth. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
  • Remove the pork loin and slice. You may get a few slices to stay together, but the meat is so tender it may just fall apart. Even if it falls apart, still slice through the shredded meat to make the pieces easier to chew.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles and enjoy.
Keyword pork loin, pork roast, sauerkraut, slow cooker pork roast and sauerkraut
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