A few simple ingredients make for a standout meal with my Slow Cooker Apple Butter Glazed Pork Tenderloin served over cheesy grits with a side of bacon.
This is my land-locked, Midwestern version of a Southern classic. I have had some pretty stellar shrimp and grits on my family’s Florida vacations over the years. But I pretty much save that dish for when I’m near the water. When I’m in Ohio I like to buy local and choose Ohio pork for our dinners. With that in mind I decided that pork and grits needs to be a thing here in my Ohio home.
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Pork tenderloin absorbs whatever flavors you add to it so well. It’s a very lean cut of pork but it cooks up juicy and tender every time in the slow cooker with very minimal effort.
To pair with my cheesy grits and bacon I decided apple butter should be the star ingredient of my glaze. The dry rub that goes on first has just five ingredients and then the pork is smothered with a mix of apple butter, apple cider vinegar and a little whole grain mustard.
The flavor in this dish is superb with a lovely balance of sweetness from the apple butter and salt from the cheddar and bacon.
Tips for Slow Cooker Apple Butter Glazed Pork Tenderloin:
- I use a 6-quart slow cooker similar to this one for my slow cooker recipes.
- Click HERE to find the recipe for cheesy grits to serve with this slow cooker pork tenderloin.
- You don’t have to serve bacon on the side, but why wouldn’t you?
- Click HERE to find the best way to cook your bacon.
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Slow Cooker Apple Butter Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 3/4 cup apple butter
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
Instructions
- Mix together the brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and thyme and rub it on all sides of the pork tenderloin. Place the tenderloin in the slow cooker.
- Whisk together the apple butter, apple cider vinegar and mustard. Pour evenly over the pork.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the pork on LOW (6 - 8 hours) or HIGH (3 - 4 hours). Shred the meat before serving.
- Serve the pork with cheesy grits and bacon.
Nutrition
More recipes with Ohio Pork:
Kristen says
How much mustard does this recipe call for? It just says t Tbsp in the recipe. Thanks!
foodtasticmom says
Thank for catching this error for me. I have corrected it. The recipe uses one tablespoon of mustard.
SHEREE LE GRO says
Did you sweetened apple butter or unsweetened apple butter?
foodtasticmom says
Sweetened. I used store bought. I’ve not ever seen unsweetened apple butter in stores.
Susan says
Delicious! Even hubbywho us picky about his pork roast loved it!
foodtasticmom says
Yay! Love when I can make picky eaters happy with one of my recipes.
Gerelyn says
Awesome
foodtasticmom says
Thank you!
Erin says
Is there an alternative to apple butter or is it ok to leave it out? I don’t think they sell it at our grocery stores
foodtasticmom says
You can leave it out or you could substitute it with cinnamon apple sauce. I’ve noticed that apple butter has been harder to find at my own Kroger and I’m not sure why.
Georgia says
This is such a simple and amazing recipe! The whole family loves it and requests it often! We just love it ❤️
foodtasticmom says
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for taking the time to rate and review my recipe.
castle says
This Slow Cooker Apple Butter Glazed Pork Tenderloin looks absolutely delicious! I love the combination of sweet and savory flavors, and using the slow cooker makes it so easy. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my next family dinner! Thanks for sharing!