Name: Grilled Pork Loin
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ Lbs boneless pork loin; salt & pepper; 5-6 springs fresh thyme leaves; ½ cup apple juice; 4 tablespoons honey; ½ cup ketchup; 1 teaspoon ground cloves

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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Marinated and roasted, then glazed and grilled, this juicy pork loin is packed with layers of flavour.

For a super simple side to serve with your pork loin why not try Air Fryer Green Beans? Or in keeping with the grilled theme you could make Grilled Cauliflower! Make a quick batch of Pork Gravy and some Cheesy Dill and Garlic Mashed Potato Cakes to round out the meal.

Two thick slices of roasted pork with a browned edge are served on a white plate alongside cooked asparagus spears. The pork looks tender and juicy, and the meal is arranged neatly for serving.

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This is an easy recipe.
Total Time: This pork loin will take approximately 1 hour to cook, plus 2-4 hours of marinating.
Variations: Try using maple syrup instead of honey for a different flavour profile, add some ginger and cinnamon along with the cloves, or use your favourite barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. Try a spiced apple cider instead of apple juice to add even more depth to the taste. Use sage instead of thyme for an even more savoury element.
Tools Needed: For this recipe, you’ll need a roasting pan with a rack, a basting brush, a cutting board, a sharp knife, two small bowls, a spoon, and a meat thermometer.

A white plate with roasted pork loin slices topped with herbs, served with a side of cooked asparagus. A fork rests on the plate. A cutting board with more pork and fresh thyme are nearby.

What You’ll Need For Ingredients

Pork: This recipe is specifically for boneless pork loin. While you can use this marinade/glaze on other cuts of pork, the cooking time will change significantly depending on the size and cut you choose.

Apple Juice: Pork and apple is a classic flavour combination, and in this case the apple flavour gets the chance to permeate the meat as a marinade and then as part of the sticky glaze that coats the outside.

Honey: As any honey you like here, though you’ll need to make sure its liquidy enough to mix with the rest of the marinade/glaze ingredients. If you have a favourite flavoured honey at home, even a hot honey, go ahead and try some of that.

Ketchup: This condiment is a classic addition to glazes, providing a bit of acidity and plenty of sweetness. It can be replaced with tomato paste if you’d like to reduce the sugar in this recipe, since there are other elements that will help the glaze to caremelize.

Raw pork loin roast tied with twine on a tray, surrounded by bowls of ketchup, black pepper, salt, brown sugar, honey, olive oil, and fresh thyme on a white marble surface.

How to Make Grilled Pork Loin

This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

A hand pats raw pork tenderloin dry with a paper towel on a white cutting board, surrounded by bowls of spices, honey, ketchup, oil, fresh thyme, and a striped cloth.

Raw, tied pork loin seasoned with pepper on a marble cutting board, surrounded by small bowls of ketchup, honey, spices, oil, sugar, and fresh thyme, on a white marble countertop with a striped towel.

Rinse pork loin and pat dry.
On the fatty side of the pork loin, cut diagonal lines, about 1/4 of the way through the meat. Keep your cuts an inch apart. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the marinade. Put half of the mixture in a separate dish for later. Pour the remaining half over the pork and rub it all over, making sure to get some into the cut lines.
Cover and let marinate in fridge for 2-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Put pork on a roasting rack and bake for 30-35 minutes. Baste with reserved marinade/glaze frequently while cooking.
Move pork to grill and continue cooking and basting for 20-30 minutes.
Once meat has reached an internal temperature of 145°F, remove it from the heat, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

A juicy, roasted pork loin with a caramelized glaze sits on a wooden cutting board. Two slices have been cut, revealing the tender, white meat inside. Fresh herbs and kitchen items are visible in the background.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Grilled Pork Loin

Side Suggestions: This pork will work well along with almost any side dish. Serve it with Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes or Buttery Mushroom Rice and your favourite vegetable side. Why not try making some Grilled Cauliflower or Grilled Broccoli at the same time as you’re grilling the pork loin? Green beans or asparagus would also be wonderful options.

Don’t Skimp on the Basting: This step is immensely important for keeping the pork moist throughout the cooking process, adding layers of flavour, and helping the pork to brown nicely. Do be sure not to be opening your barbecue constantly to baste the pork though, so that you aren’t letting out all of the smoke and heat. Aim for every 15 minutes or so.

A fork holds a bite-sized piece of glazed pork, with two slices of pork and roasted asparagus on a white plate in the background.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Once it’s fully cooled, you can store the pork in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Eat cold on a sandwich or salad, or reheat in the microwave.

Freezer: You can freeze leftover pork as a whole or in slices, in a sealed container of freezer safe bag, for 3-4 months. Pre-sliced pork will be the easiest to defrost and reheat at a later time.

More Delicious Pork Recipes

Are you looking for more great ways to prepare pork?

Learn How to Cook a Boneless Pork Loin Roast.

Try this Apple Butter Pork Loin with your fqavourite vegetable side dish.

Or make some classic Pork and Sauerkraut.

There you go, folks. An easy way to prepare juicy, flavourful pork to serve with your favourite side dishes. Try out this recipe and let me know what you think.

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn