Succulent Smoked Pork Loin

Mastering Smoked Pork Loin: A Flavorful Traeger Pellet Grill Recipe

Discover the ultimate recipe for a perfectly prepared smoked pork loin, marinated and slow-cooked to succulent perfection on a Traeger pellet grill. This method yields a deeply flavorful, tender piece of pork that pairs beautifully with a wide array of side dishes, making it an ideal choice for any gathering or a special family meal.

There’s nothing quite like the irresistible aroma and taste of a smoked pork loin, especially when crafted on a Traeger pellet grill. As the weather warms and grill season beckons, this recipe is your ticket to outdoor cooking success. While a Traeger is highly recommended for its precision and ease, any type of pellet grill will work wonderfully. If you’re using a traditional charcoal or offset smoker, the key is maintaining a consistent low temperature and ensuring the meat is cooked over indirect heat to allow the smoke to infuse slowly without burning. This ensures a juicy, tender result every time, distinct from faster, high-heat grilling methods.

This smoky masterpiece offers a completely different experience compared to my crock pot pork tenderloin recipe. While the slow cooker provides convenience, the pellet grill imparts that signature smoky depth that simply can’t be replicated indoors. However, if you don’t have a grill or smoker readily available, that crock pot recipe is a fantastic alternative for a delicious pork meal.

SOME OF THE ITEMS BELOW CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS; I AM A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES. I AM ALSO AN AFFILIATE FOR OTHER BRANDS. HOWEVER, I ONLY PROMOTE THINGS THAT I LOVE AND THINK YOU WILL LOVE, TOO. FOR MY ENTIRE DISCLOSURE POLICY PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Elevating Your Barbecue with Smoked Pork Loin on the Traeger

When the weather is perfect, gathering outdoors for a grilling session is a pure delight. But the allure of a perfectly smoked pork loin is so strong, you might find yourself braving the rain, sleet, or even snow just to experience that incredible flavor! Just take a moment to appreciate that beautiful pink smoke ring – a hallmark of expertly smoked meat, indicating deep penetration of wood-fired flavor.

Pork loins are a fantastic choice for smoking for several reasons. They are generally more economical than beef roasts, yet they offer a substantial and satisfying cut of meat. Furthermore, pork loin is remarkably forgiving and often easier to cook than other cuts, requiring less time and effort to achieve tenderness. The smoking process infuses the meat with an incredible depth of flavor, creating a delicious crust and a moist interior. And for those who appreciate a rich sauce, the drippings (jus) from the smoking process can be easily transformed into a savory gravy, adding another layer of indulgence to your meal. It’s a healthy, lean protein option that doesn’t compromise on taste, making it a favorite among home cooks and pitmasters alike.

Crafting the Perfect Smoked Pork Loin Marinade

The secret to an exceptionally flavorful and moist smoked pork loin begins with a robust marinade. Given that pork loin is a lean cut, marinating is not just about adding flavor, but also about tenderizing the meat and locking in moisture during the long, slow smoking process. For optimal results, aim for at least three hours of marinating time. I highly recommend preparing your marinade and placing the pork loin in it first thing in the morning, or even the night before, to allow sufficient time for the flavors to penetrate deep into the meat. If marinating overnight, ensure you have enough liquid to fully submerge the pork. For shorter marinating periods, simply flip the pork loin about halfway through to ensure both sides are equally seasoned.

Before submerging the loin in the marinade, I also recommend scoring the surface with a sharp knife, making cuts about a quarter-inch deep and an inch apart in a diamond pattern. This crucial step serves a dual purpose: it allows for much greater penetration of your flavorful sweet and spicy marinade, ensuring every bite is bursting with taste. Additionally, these scores create more surface area, which helps in developing a beautiful sear and a deliciously crispy exterior on the pork as it cooks, enhancing both texture and flavor.

The Unbeatable Joy of Smoked Pork Loin Leftovers

When you cook a smoked pork loin, always, always plan for leftovers. It might be challenging to resist devouring it all in one sitting, but trust me, making twice as much as you initially intend to serve is a decision you won’t regret. Why? Because leftover smoked pork loin is a culinary treasure. Sliced thin and used in sandwiches, added to vibrant salads, or incorporated into wraps, it elevates simple meals to extraordinary heights. It’s so good, it’s like the culinary equivalent of a mind-blowing guitar solo – the kind that makes you want to bang your head and point at the sky with your arms raised high. Seriously, this smoked pork loin is destined to become a staple in your meal rotation, especially once you experience the magic of its second life.

For my signature marinade, I combine a delightful blend of apple juice for a touch of fruitiness and acidity, honey and brown sugar to create a beautiful caramelization and sweet undertones, and a robust mix of dried oregano and black pepper for aromatic depth. To tie it all together, I incorporate Traeger’s chicken and pork rub, which adds a fantastic layer of savory and smoky spice. Whisk these ingredients together in a saucepan and gently heat them over medium heat on your stovetop until the brown sugar is fully dissolved. This gentle warming helps meld the flavors and ensures a smooth, even marinade. Once dissolved, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely before pouring it over your pork loin. A cool marinade is crucial to prevent partially cooking the meat prematurely.

Here, you can see my pork loin after it has been perfectly scored, prepared and ready to absorb all the delicious flavors of the marinade. The diamond pattern helps to maximize the surface area for flavor penetration.

Pour the cooled marinade generously over the scored pork loin in a pan deep enough to comfortably house the meat. Ensure the loin is submerged as much as possible, or at least adequately covered. Place the pan in the refrigerator and let it marinate for a minimum of 3 hours, remembering to flip the loin halfway through to guarantee even flavor distribution and tenderization.

Once marinated, it’s time for the smoker. Preheat your smoker to a steady 225 degrees Fahrenheit. We used Mesquite pellets for this recipe, which impart a strong, slightly sweet, and very distinct smoky flavor that complements pork beautifully. Alternatively, Apple pellets are an excellent choice if you prefer a sweeter, fruitier smoke that can give the meat a lovely ham-like taste. Other popular options include Hickory for a classic, robust BBQ flavor, or Cherry for a milder, slightly sweet smoke with a beautiful reddish hue on the meat. The type of wood pellet you choose significantly influences the final flavor profile, so don’t hesitate to experiment to find your personal favorite!

Achieving Perfection: When is a Smoked Pork Loin Truly Done?

The single most critical factor in achieving a perfectly tender and juicy smoked pork loin is cooking it to the correct internal temperature. Many home cooks inadvertently overcook pork, leading to dry, tough, and often tasteless results. This is particularly detrimental to a lean cut like pork loin or tenderloin, which can become dry very quickly if left on the heat for too long. The ideal internal temperature for pork loin, as recommended by food safety guidelines, is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

At 145°F, your pork will be safe to eat and will boast a beautiful, blushing light pink center. This slight pinkness is perfectly fine and is a sign of a perfectly cooked, moist, and flavorful loin. If your pork shows no pink color in the center, it’s likely that it has been cooked a bit too long. While still edible, it won’t have the same luscious texture and rich flavor as a perfectly medium-cooked loin. Therefore, investing in a reliable meat thermometer and trusting its reading is paramount to your success. After reaching 145°F, remove the pork from the smoker and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This resting period is essential for allowing the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring every slice is incredibly moist and tender. Do not skip this step!

My Thermapen Mk4 is hands-down the BEST meat thermometer I have ever owned. Its ability to provide an almost instant and super accurate temperature reading is invaluable when cooking. I particularly love its ergonomic design, allowing the thermometer itself to pivot for use in all sorts of angles, making it easy to check the temperature in even awkward spots. This precision tool ensures you hit that perfect 145°F every time, guaranteeing tender, juicy results. You can read more about all the incredible features and functions this essential kitchen gadget offers on the Thermapen website.

Love It? Pin It!

If you’re as excited about this smoked pork loin recipe as I am, and you can’t wait to try it, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you navigate away! This way, you’ll always have this delicious recipe at your fingertips, ready for your next barbecue adventure. Don’t let this incredible flavor slip away!

Understanding the Difference: Pork Loin vs. Pork Tenderloin

While “pork loin” and “pork tenderloin” sound strikingly similar, they are, in fact, two distinct cuts of pork, each with unique characteristics and optimal cooking methods. Understanding this difference is crucial for achieving the best results in your kitchen.

A **pork loin** is a much larger cut of meat that runs along either side of the backbone. It’s typically sold as a boneless roast, often weighing between 2 to 5 pounds, and measuring about 5 inches in width and up to a foot or more in length. This cut is versatile and can be further butchered into various chops and roasts. You might see it referred to as a top loin roast, center-cut roast, or even a pork loin rib roast if it still has the bones. Because of its size and leanness, pork loin benefits greatly from slow cooking methods like smoking, roasting, or braising, which help to keep it moist and tender.

Conversely, a **pork tenderloin** is a much smaller, more delicate, and exceedingly tender cut of meat. It’s a long, thin, cylindrical muscle, usually weighing around 1 to 1.5 pounds and only about 2 inches in diameter. Due to its inherent tenderness and lean nature, pork tenderloin cooks very quickly and is best suited for high-heat, fast-cooking methods such as grilling, pan-searing, or roasting. Its smaller size alone means it will cook significantly faster than a pork loin, so it’s important not to confuse the two when following recipes, as cooking times and methods will vary dramatically.

Perfect Pairings: What Goes Great with Smoked Pork Loin?

The remarkable versatility of pork means it truly knows no bounds when it comes to pairing with side dishes. Often referred to as “the other white meat,” smoked pork loin is incredibly adaptable, complementing virtually any side you might typically serve with chicken or even beef. Its rich, smoky flavor and tender texture provide a perfect canvas for a wide array of accompaniments, from comforting classics to more adventurous culinary creations.

Consider a vibrant and flavorful basil garlic fried rice, offering an aromatic and satisfying starch component. For a fresh and zesty counterpoint, why not try a unique Tomato Cracker Salad? This unexpected combination of textures and flavors is surprisingly delicious. Of course, you can never go wrong with the timeless comfort of Grandma’s Baked Beans, with their sweet and savory notes perfectly complementing the smoky pork. If potatoes are on your mind, a creamy and tangy classic picnic-style potato salad is always a hit. And for a light, refreshing option that cuts through the richness, a simple yet elegant green salad with a zesty vinaigrette works beautifully. Truly, pork is like a pair of versatile khakis – it literally goes with everything and makes every meal look effortlessly tasteful and delicious!

Explore More Delicious Pork Recipes

While this smoked pork loin is undeniably one of my top favorites, the world of pork offers an incredible variety of mouth-watering dishes. I encourage you to explore some of my other fantastic pork recipes, each bringing a unique flavor profile and cooking experience. Don’t miss my latest creation, Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Pork Ribs, which are an absolute showstopper. And here’s a pro tip: if you’re craving ribs but can’t find them at the store, a pork loin chop can often be used as a delicious substitute! Dive into these other delectable options:

• Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin
• Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with Sauerkraut Stuffing
• Pork Loin Roast with Balsamic Cranberry Glaze
• Teriyaki Pineapple Pork Tenderloin Sliders
• Fuggedaboutit Pork Roast
• Pork Roast & Sauerkraut
• Grilled Cuban Mojo Pork Roast

Any way you slice it, this Smoked Pork Loin is an absolute must-make on your smoker! Its tender texture, deep smoky flavor, and incredible versatility will make it an instant favorite. Now, let’s get to the detailed recipe so you can start creating your own perfect smoked pork loin. Happy smoking!