This recipe for sous vide pork loin roast with a garlic herb rub produces the juiciest, most flavorful pork roast you’ve ever had! Just 3-5 hours at 140 degrees F for a perfect medium roast.
Pork loin roast is a fantastic cut of pork. The meat itself is lean but the roast has a delicious fat cap to make sure this cut is full of flavor.
But, because it’s so lean, it can be easy to overcook and dry out. Not great, especially considering it’s a rather expensive cut! Sous vide cooking to the rescue! Just 3-5 hours at 140 degrees F with a quick broil to add color at the end and you’ll have a perfect pork roast.
Ready to cook even more awesome sous vide pork recipes after this one? I’ve got plenty!
What to Look for in a Pork Loin Roast
Pork loin roasts and pork tenderloin are not the same cut. Confusing, I know: they sound so similar! Pork tenderloin is thin and small and best suited to quick grilling, while a pork loin is big enough that you can cut steak-like pieces from it.
Pork loin roasts are boneless. A 3-4 pound roast is the perfect size to feed about 6-8 people, or in our case, feed 2 with leftovers for the whole week!
If you purchase a roast bigger than 4 pounds, I recommend cutting it in half to make it easier to work with. You can freeze the other half or vacuum seal them in different bags and cook them together.
My favorite place to purchase pork loin roasts is Porter Road. Their hogs are raised in the woods with plenty of room to roam and root, so their pork cuts develop a deeper flavor profile than anything you can find at the grocery store.
What you Need to Make Sous Vide Pork Loin Roast
In terms of equipment, you don’t need much to make a sous vide pork loin roast!
- An immersion circulator – I recommend the Vesta Precision Imersa Elite
- A container (you can just use a stockpot, or my favorite sous vide containers are Everie containers)
- A vacuum sealer, like the Vesta Precision Vac n Seal, or simply a plastic zipper top bag. I have a blog post all about air removal methods to help you out!
- A good knife. This is my favorite knife!
For ingredients, you’ll need:
- A 3-4 pound pork loin roast (I like to get mine from Porter Road)
- A few basics, like rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
- If you want to make the optional sauce, lemon, parsley, and salt
Time and Temperature for Pork Roast
You have a few different options when selecting a temperature for sous vide pork loin roast. For a 3-4 pound roast, I recommend at least a 3 hour cook time, up to 5 hours. I typically like to err closer to the 4 hour side of that time range.
My favorite time and temp are 140 degrees F for 4 hours.
There are a few options for you to choose from, however:
| Result | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Medium Rare | 130 degrees F | 3-5 hours |
| Medium | 140 degrees F | 3-5 hours |
| Medium-Well | 150 degrees F | 3-5 hours |
| Well Done | 160 degrees F | 3-5 hours |
How to Make Sous Vide Pork Loin Roast with Garlic Herb Rub
Luckily, this is a relatively easy process!
Start by preheating a water bath to your desired temp based on the chart above with an immersion circulator.
While it’s preheating, prepare the rub by adding garlic cloves, rosemary, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes to a food processor (this is the food processor I have) to make a paste. If it needs to be thinned out a bit, add a tiny bit of olive oil and continue to process.
Rub this mixture all over the pork loin roast and vacuum seal the roast (or use another air removal method).
When the water bath is preheated, add the vacuum sealed pork loin roast to the water bath and cook for 3-5 hours.
When the pork roast is done, preheat your broiler and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove the roast from the bag and save the liquid. Place the roast on the foil lined baking sheet and broil until the fat cap is a deep golden brown.
Combine the liquid with fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, and flakey sea salt for a quick sauce!
What to Serve with Pork Loin Roast
I love a pork loin roast served classically with mashed potatoes, but there are lots of options!
- Scalloped Potatoes with Gruyere and Thyme
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Grilled Corn Salad
- Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms in Rosemary Red Wine Cream Sauce
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
The leftovers are great in pasta, grain bowls, and so much more.
You can also view this recipe as a step-by-step web story here.
Get the Recipe:
Sous Vide Pork Loin Roast with Garlic Herb Rub
Ingredients
Pork Loin Roast:
- 3-4 pound pork loin roast, I get mine from Porter Road
- Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 tsp olive oil, if necessary
Sauce (optional):
- Liquid from sous vide bag
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat a water bath to your desired temp with an immersion circulator. 130F for medium rare, 140F for medium (my favorite), 150F for medium-well, 160F for well done.
- Prepare the rub by adding garlic cloves, rosemary, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired) to a food processor to make a paste. If it needs to be thinned out a bit, add olive oil and continue to process.
- Rub this mixture all over the pork loin roast.
- Vacuum seal the pork loin roast, or use another air removal method if desired.
- Add to water bath and cook for 3-5 hours.
- When the roast is done, preheat the broiler and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove the roast from the water bath and the bag, saving the liquid, and place roast on the foil lined baking sheet, fat cap up. Broil until deeply golden brown.
- In a bowl, whisk together the liquid from the bag, lemon juice, parsley, and flaked sea salt.
- Slice the pork roast into thick slices and serve with sauce.
Notes
- If you purchase a roast bigger than 4 pounds, I recommend cutting it in half to make it easier to work with. You can freeze the other half or vacuum seal them in different bags and cook them together.
- I typically like to err closer to the 4 hour side of that time range.
- Nutrition is based on 8 servings for a 3 pound roast.
Made this exactly per the recipe. Came out delicious! It’s very hard to keep a pork loin moist, and this is perfect. Will make again.
The sauce makes this recipe. My kids really liked this. I tried it at 136, but it felt weird being that pink and soft, next time I’ll bump it up to 140.
So glad you liked this recipe! 140 is my favorite temp.
What herb(s) would you recommend for those of us that don’t like rosemary? Thyme?
I think thyme is the best alternative!