Make this smoked pork loin recipe for tender, juicy pork infused with sweet and savory flavor!
Simple Slow-Smoked Pork Loin
- This delicious smoked pork loin uses my homemade dry rub made with brown sugar, herbs, and spices.
- Use your favorite seasoned wood chips or pellets because it absorbs the rub and seasoned smoke for juicy, flavorful meat every time.
- Make it once and enjoy it all week long as a main dish with garlic mashed potatoes and a simple red leaf salad and a hunk of homemade no-knead bread.
- This recipe makes a large roast, so you’ll have enough to slice and save in the freezer for future quick meals, picnics, or to share at a potluck!
Ingredients and Seasoning Swaps
- Pork Loin: Look for a boneless pork loin roast and not a pork tenderloin. Pork loins are roughly 4” in diameter, while pork tenderloins are about 2” in diameter. Don’t remove the fat cap, as it helps keep the pork loin juicy as it cooks.
- Dry Rub: The combination of sweet, salty, and savory herbs and spices are the perfect complement to the smoky flavor from the wood chips. Adjust the seasonings to match the flavor profile you want, or swap some out for what’s on hand. Try the dry rub in this recipe, or my pork rub recipe for some spicy heat if desired. Even a sugar-free brown sugar substitute works in this recipe.
- Wood Chips: Choose your chips. Experimenting with different pellets is part of the fun of smoking meats. We like oak, or hickory chips that have been soaked in cognac. The mild, light flavor or pork loin also goes great with mesquite, cherry or apple wood. Create a new flavor profiles every time you make it.
- Variations: For extra smoky flavor and juiciness, wrap the seasoned pork loin with strips of bacon and secure them with toothpicks before cooking. Try different seasonings like taco seasoning or Italian dressing mix.
How to Smoke a Pork Loin
- Whisk dry rub ingredients together. (Full recipe below.)
- Score the fat cap on the pork loin and generously rub the surface with the spice mix.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and smoke the meat to an internal temp of 145°F.
- Wrap smoked pork loin in foil and allow it to rest before slicing.
Tips for Perfect Pork Loin
- Just like cooking smoked beef ribs or smoked brisket, low and slow is the way to go for juicy, flavorful smoked pork loin.
- For extra juicy meat, consider soaking in a liquid brine before cooking.
- For the best results, monitor the smoker to ensure fresh wood chunks are added, and be sure to leave the chamber open from time to time, to increase the smoke (see recipe below).
- Always test for doneness with a probe style meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the muscle. Pork should register at 145°F when it’s fully ready.
- Resting pork wrapped in foil after it’s finished cooking allows the juices to recirculate back into the meat so it retain moisture.
- My recipe is for a 6-7 lb. pork loin, but you should refer to your grill’s user manual for the recommended times and temps per lbs for your meat.
Saving and Storing
- Keep leftover smoked pork loin in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Enjoy cold slices in a hearty sandwich or shred them for homemade carnitas
- Wrap in foil and reheat slices in the oven, or air fryer. If you microwave, use a covered dish with a little broth added.
More Smoked Meat Recipes
Did you try this recipe for Smoked Pork Loin? Leave a comment and rating below!
Smoked Pork Loin
Smoked pork loin with a brown sugar and spice rub is juicy and tender every time.
Ingredients
- 6.5 pounds pork loin roast
Dry Rub
- ¼ cup paprika
- ¼ cup lemon pepper
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 250°F.
- Remove pork loin from fridge 30 min before smoking.
- Make the dry rub by mixing paprika, lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and oregano in a small bowl.
- Place meat on cutting board with fat cap up and score the top. Rub all surfaces with dry rub. Insert digital thermometer into pork loin.
- Place meat in smoker (fat cap up).
- Smoke with hickory wood or oak wood flavored with cognac. Insert wood chunks and add wood chunks every 30 minutes if necessary.
- Leave chamber open every 30 minutes for 3-5 minutes to increase smoke.
- Cook the pork loin to an internal temperature of 145°F, about 2 ½ hours.
- Wrap in foil and rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 366 | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 1058mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1141IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Great article. What temperature do you set the smoker to? Excited to try this next time I grill.
Hi Owen, in step 1, we preheat the smoker to 250°F. This pork loin is super tasty!
Thanks, Marita Headley for ourzestylife.com
You’re welcome Marita!
We are thrilled!! After suffering through several dry tough pork loins we came upon your advice. We just had the most juicy tender flavor-filled loin ever! We brined for 24 hours, and actually forgot the dry rub, used a probe, pulled it at 140 and wrapped it for 10 minutes when the temp came up to 145. Wow. I mean really, wow. Thanks so much.
So glad to hear that you love this pork loin as much as we do Janet! You’re very welcome!