An easy and healthy slow cooker pork tenderloin recipe with Asian vibes and a ginger glaze that gets caramelized under the broiler. Bring on the crusty topping. Originally published January 9, 2015.
Table of Contents
- You will love this Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Tenderloin Slow Cooker ingredients
- Asian Pork Tenderloin substitutions and additions
- How to make Asian Pork Tenderloin Marinade
- How to cook Marinated Pork Tenderloin in Slow Cooker
- How to serve this Pork Tenderloin Asian Recipe
- How to store Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- Asian Style Pork Tenderloin FAQs
- More satisfying and easy pork recipes!
- Asian Style Pork Tenderloin (Slow Cooker) Recipe
Today Charlotte was dropped off at home from a playdate at a friend’s, and as we’re eating lunch she says, “Mom, you never got dressed!”
“What! Yes I did!”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I took a shower! I put on makeup!”
“Well you look the same.”
THANKS A LOT CHARLOTTE. Sometimes living with a 3-year-old is all you need to keep your ego in check. Although to be fair, I probably needed an ego check after The Autograph Incident.
Also, to be even more fair, I’m sick right now, so when I say “I got dressed” I mean that I got out of the shower and put on a whole different pair of yoga pants. Here I come, world.
One time my sister-in-law Sandi didn’t have her usual glasses on, and one of her kids asked why she had to wear them all the time. She explained that she has an astigmatism that makes it impossible to wear contacts. Her son replied, “Well that’s too bad. You look better without them.” ZING. For the record, Sandi, I like your glasses.
Have you guys tried out my Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin? It’s a reader favorite here on the blog. It’s a slow cooker, no-fail kind of recipe. I make it all the time, especially when we are having company for dinner. It’s so easy yet seems impressive.
I wanted to change it up, so I made this version to go with the Asian Cauliflower “Rice” I posted on Wednesday. I’m really loving the addition of ginger to the glaze. It’s just as easy as the original recipe, only a few more spices called for in the rub. A healthy entree for all us healthy people in healthy January!
You will love this Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
I love slow cooker meals. I have a huge section of slow cooker recipes because I am not, shall we say, the best at remembering that dinner is a thing until everyone is already starving, ravenously crawling the kitchen like velociraptors who’ve just learned how to open doors.
This Asian-inspired pork tenderloin is perfect for my forgetful, preoccupied ways because I don’t have to do anything until the last 10 minutes before dinner. I just pull the pork tenderloin out of the crockpot, slap on the glaze, and throw it under the broiler. I can put rice in the cooker, do some frozen cauliflower rice, or steam some veggies, and dinner is done!
Pork Tenderloin Slow Cooker ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Brown sugar
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Cinnamon
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper
- Pork tenderloin (2 lbs.)
- Cornstarch
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh cilantro (to garnish)
- Limes (to garnish)
Asian Pork Tenderloin substitutions and additions
If you’re missing a spice for the rub, say, cloves, don’t worry about it–just leave it out. The flavors will still be great. If you prefer less salt in the glaze, you can substitute low sodium soy sauce. And if you’re missing rice vinegar, you can substitute apple cider vinegar. It’s the best swap with its similar sweet and salty flavor.
Looking for something a little different? The original version of this recipe is my Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin. It uses the same technique of cooking the pork in the crockpot before finishing it off in the oven. It has an even shorter list of ingredients in the rub and switches up the Asian inspired glaze with a balsamic glaze.
How to make Asian Pork Tenderloin Marinade
When you’re making pork tenderloin in the slow cooker, you don’t really need a marinade–or rather, the rub we’re putting on the pork before cooking it acts as a marinade. This is because the pork, with the rub on it, is in the slow cooker essentially “marinating” for several hours.
I take a simple combo of brown sugar, ground ginger, ground cloves, cinnamon, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper, mix it together, and rub it on the pork. The Asian inspired flavor profile gets completed with the glaze we’re putting on after it’s cooked, so don’t worry that you’re not seeing the soy sauce and rice vinegar in this step!
Before broiling, after broiling. Gingery crust. It’s a happy thing.
How to cook Marinated Pork Tenderloin in Slow Cooker
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe in the slow cooker. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, powdered ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cloves, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
- Place the tenderloins in the slow cooker. Rub the seasonings over the pork, including the bottom. Pour ½ cup water in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then preheat your broiler.
- Combine brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a saucepan.
- Set over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in minced ginger.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
- Remove the pork from the crock pot (discard the liquid) and place on the lined baking sheet. Brush a generous amount of the glaze on the pork.
- Put your oven rack as high as it will go, and broil the pork for 1 or 2 minutes, until bubbly and caramelized. Serve with remaining glaze on the side, and garnish with lime and cilantro.
How to serve this Pork Tenderloin Asian Recipe
I love making this pork tenderloin with some Asian Cauliflower “Rice.” No, of course it doesn’t taste like actual rice! But it is super delicious and pairs great with the pork.
If you’re thinking “No way!! I want real rice!!” ok, I got you, make this Coconut Jasmine Rice. It is the realest. And fills your house with an amazing aroma.
This pork would also be awesome with some Marinated Asian Cucumber Salad. Super easy to throw together.
An amazing option for a complete meal would be to make Easy Sesame Noodles with Spring Veggies! Or, you can also stir fry some veggies, fresh or from a frozen bag of mixed stir fry veggies. Always gotta get those veggies in there!
How to store Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
This pork tenderloin can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. The crust won’t stay crispy but it’s still got tons of flavor. It is a good one for meal prepping with some rice and stir fry veggies (like in the big bag in the freezer section at Costco).
I don’t recommend freezing this pork, though you technically can and it will be safe to eat. It’s just that you won’t get to experience that amazing crispy crust and the pork won’t maintain the ideal texture.
Asian Style Pork Tenderloin FAQs
Pork loin and pork tenderloin are actually quite different. Pork tenderloin is a very, very lean boneless cut of meat that is cut from the backbone area. It’s usually around 10-12 inches long and about 3-4 inches wide. Sometimes it’s sold in a 2-pack, but you might not realize that until you open it unless you read the packaging carefully. Pork loin is wide, flat, and can be boneless or bone-in. You can’t just substitute one for the other because they require different cooking methods to turn out tender and juicy.
When you’re cooking pork tenderloin in the crockpot, you want to avoid overcooking it. Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat. After you’ve cooked it for 6 hours, you may want to temp it to make sure you’re not going way overboard. Once the pork hits 145 degrees, you’re done! Cooking it for a longer time is not going to benefit it.
No, meat never needs to be covered in liquid in the slow cooker. The heat is low enough that the juices from the meat you’re cooking will keep it from burning. We’re adding a small amount of liquid here because the pork tenderloin is very, very lean and doesn’t release as much fat or liquid as other meats.
More satisfying and easy pork recipes!
Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin << this is the recipe that inspired today’s Asian version.
Cuban Mojo-Marinated Pork << have you seen the movie Chef? This is the recipe for the meat in the Cubano sandwiches. It’s one of my most popular recipes ever!
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Lime Sauce << more Asian flavors on pork tenderloin!
BBQ Pork Tenderloin Wraps << this is a fabulous 45 minute meal.
Garlic Balsamic Crusted Pork Tenderloin from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Roasted Chili Maple Pork Tenderloin from Aggie’s Kitchen
Dominican Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions from Belqui’s Twist
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Asian Style Pork Tenderloin (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
For the rub:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
For the glaze:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup rice vinegar, or white
- ½ cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
- fresh cilantro, to garnish
- lime wedges, to garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, powdered ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cloves, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
- Place the tenderloins in the slow cooker. Rub the seasonings over the pork, including the bottom.
- Pour ½ cup water in the slow cooker, on the edge or in the middle so that you don’t wash off all the spices you just rubbed on.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then preheat your broiler.
- While the pork is finishing up in the slow cooker and your broiler heats up, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, COLD water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan.
- Set over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in minced ginger.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
- Remove the pork from the crock pot (discard the liquid) and place on the lined baking sheet. Brush a generous amount of the glaze on the pork.
- Put your oven rack as high as it will go, and broil the pork for 1 or 2 minutes, until bubbly and caramelized. Don’t walk away! Repeat 2 to 3 more times until it is as crusty as you want it. I wouldn’t go many more times than this though, or your pork will dry out.
- Serve with remaining glaze on the side, and garnish with lime and cilantro. I love to serve this pork with Asian Cauliflower “Rice.”
These sound so good, thanks for sharing this delicious looking recipe.
Simon
Hi – just had to write and tell you how much we enjoyed this recipe. I dreaded cooking my tenderloin when I found I was missing one of the key ingredient I needed to make my usual recipe this morning. I found this recipe on Pinterest. I was a little afraid it would be too sweet, but it wasn’t! My house smelled wonderful all day as it cooked. I will definitely make it again with cauliflower rice. Thanks for saving the day!
Nooo the one missing ingredient!! That’s the worst. Well I’m glad you stumbled on this recipe, now you’ve got another one up your sleeve! Thanks for the review Maria!
I made this a few nights ago. When I passed the recipe on to my sisters the next day, the subject line read: “I want to make this every day for the rest of my life”!
WOW, it was the most tender pork loin I have ever had and the flavor was amazing.
The only changes I made were 1. I doubled the sauce recipe because most of the time when I follow a recipe I come up short on how much I wish I had. In this case the recipe was the correct amount, BUT I was very happy to have all that extra sauce to enjoy later.
and 2. I did not have sweet chili paste in house so I used Hoisin sauce.
And by the way, the associated recipe for cauliflower rice was just as good. I don’t think I will be making regular rice or quinoa anymore!
So happy to hear you all liked it John! Good to know the hoisin sauce substitution, I will try that if I’m ever out of sweet chili sauce. Thanks for your review! And PS, long live cauliflower rice, stuff is life changing!!
Omg!!! While this was cooking I was scared all I could smell was cloves…I was like I knew that was a lot… then when I put it all together the sauce the cilantro and lime BOOM. Best pork tenderlion recipe.!!!! Will make this again and again!!!
Haha I’m so glad it worked out Jolene!!
I am so much into ginger right now, especially in my savory foods. My mouth is absolutely watering, Karen! And who doesn’t love something that can be done in the slow cooker?
That’s my favorite way to have ginger, in dishes like this! I’m with you. (Except maybe gingersnaps hm. I guess I’m eating my words.. haha) And slow cooker ftw! Thanks Lynn!
I’m really excited to try this recipe. Is dark brown sugar okay for the rub and glaze? How about apple cider vinegar for the glaze? Is there a veggie side you suggest would go well? Thanks!
Hey Marissa! Dark brown sugar will work great, and apple cider vinegar would be a fine substitute. As for veggies, I think anything would be good! Salad, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots…
This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried and oh my goodness, it was delicious! So perfectly tender; the glaze was wonderful; and everyone in our family enjoyed it. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that Donna! It’s nice to find a recipe the whole family loves. Thanks for commenting!
I made this recipe yesterday, and it was soooo delicious. I am always cooking chicken so this was a welcome change. The pork was succulent and tasty. Will definitely be doing this again, especially for family lunches.
Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you Food Charlatan.
Awesome Andrea! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review :)
I know im behind the curve ball on this one but I just discovered your blog and decided to try this recipe. It. Is. Amazing. It’s been in my slow cooker for nearly 6 hours and I decided to shave a little bite off the end to test it out. Oh em gee. It’s fantastic. I can only imagine how good it’ll be when its glazed. I cook a lot. A lot lot lot. And this is quite possibly the best dry rub I have ever used. My husband is half vietnamese and I am going to serve this with pride to him and my inlaws (who are arriving in town tonight). Asian food, no sweat, let me blow your mind with this pork I whipped up today.. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!
Woohoo! So glad you like it Alyssa! Hope you all enjoy it tonight :) Thanks for commenting!
I just made this recipe, it’s absolutely delicious!!! I can’t stop eating the pork while I’m cleaning the kitchen!!! Really I can’t stop! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!!
Yay! So glad you liked it Karina! This is a family favorite around here :) Thanks for commenting!
Hi! This looks great, can you slow cook on high for 4 hours instead? – Thanks!
Hi Jaclyn! I’ve never tried that, let me know how it turns out!
I made this last night and instead of cooking it on low for 6-8 hours I cooked it on high for about 4-4.5 hours and it turned out great! You will need to add about a cup of water instead of 1/2 cup water, other than that everything else remained the same. This was one of the best meals I have made in awhile everyone loved it!! Thank you for the recipe, this will definitely become one of our staples :)
I made this last night and it was amazing!! Thank you for the recipe, lady!
So glad you enjoyed it Dani! Thanks for coming back to comment!
I can’t wait to try this, but I’ve only got 1lb of meat. You think it’ll be fine if I decrease the cook time in the crockpot by half? (& use my smaller crockpot?)
I wouldn’t change the time Cara! Maybe cut off an hour or two if you like, but leaving it in long is what makes it tender.
It’s in the crock pot right now, I made the glaze ( yum) and am going to serve it over rice noodles with oven roasted garlic pea pods..all gluten free..thanks for the recipe..I will have to update on the taste later!
Oh my, that sounds delicious Betty! Wish I were eating dinner with you tonight! :)
It turned out awesome, I ended up turning it into a stir fry with the noodles..added the roasted garlic pea pods, fresh carrots and then browned the meat with the glaze in the wok..just enough glaze leftover to cover the rice noodles.., the glaze will make a great marinate for pork, chicken or shrimp..I plan on using it for the BBQ!! thanks so much for sharing the recipe :)
That’s a good idea Betty, I should totally use the glaze as a marinade! Yum.
Do you think this work if I used pork shoulder and shredded it to make an asian-style pulled pork?
Hi Jennifer! Yeah, I think that would work great! Let me know if you try it out. :)
It turned out great! Will definitely make again :)