Are you ready to smoke the juiciest, most flavorful pork loin imaginable? Then look no further as this recipe for my smoked pork loin can be made using your favorite rub or kicked up a notch by injecting flavor throughout the meat. Try this Smoked Pork Loin at your next get together!
Ingredients
Main
- 4-5 pounds Pork Loin roast
- 3 tablespoons Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub, substitute favorite rub (optional recipe below)
Injection (optional)
- 1/2 cup Apple juice
- 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Seasoning used on outside of meat
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Helpful Tools
- 1 MEATER Plus Bluetooth Thermometer, optional
- 1 ThermoPro Instant Read Thermometer, optional
Steps
1. Preheat the smoker
Preheat smoker to 225°F. Most pellet grills don’t need it, but you can add a pan of water in the corner of the smoker to keep moisture inside. If using a Traeger with the Super Smoke setting, turn it on as well.
2. Trim the pork loin
Trim off any excess fat or silver skin. I usually leave 1/4″ of fat on top of the pork loin to protect the meat and add additional flavor, but remove it if desired.
3. Season and optionally inject the pork loin
If injecting the pork loin, combine all of the injection ingredients in a tall, narrow glass. This makes it easier to pull the liquid into the injector. Inject the meat every inch in a checker board pattern across the entire pork loin. If using a custom seasoning, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Apply a heavy coating of the rub to all sides of the pork loin. If desired, wrap seasoned pork loin in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to overnight.
4. Smoke the pork loin
Place the pork loin on the grill grates of your smoker and smoke for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. Cook until the pork loin reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. I recommend using a good leave-in meat thermometer so you don’t have to constantly check the pork loin as it smokes.
5. Rest the smoked pork loin
Transfer the smoked pork loin to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat resulting in a super juicy smoked pork loin.
Notes
Can I make my own rub instead of purchasing one?
Absolutely! I’m a huge fan of Meat Church rubs, but you can use common household seasonings to make this smoked pork loin. Here’s a good combination to get you started:
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Is pork loin and pork tenderloin the same thing?
While similar, pork loin and pork tenderloin are cut from 2 different areas of the pig. Pork loin is a much larger cut of pork and oftentimes cut into pork chops. I have a great smoked pork chop recipe on this site as well!
A pork tenderloin is a much more tender cut of pork with a stronger pork taste. If you wanted to smoke a pork tenderloin in place of a pork loin, the cook time would be cut by at least an hour due to its size.
