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This pork roast recipe is as easy as can be: Rub the pork with spices and cook it in the oven until the outside is browned and crispy and the inside is tender and juicy.
It's a simple recipe that produces reliably juicy results, time after time. It's one of the recipes most often requested by my family! It's easy, delicious, and affordable.
I love making roasts for dinner. Like casseroles (such as this ground beef casserole), roasts provide lots of food for minimal work - they practically cook themselves!
When it comes to pork, I enjoy these oven-baked pork chops, but this tasty pork roast is easier to make. You simply rub the meat with seasonings, then bake it until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Pork Roast Instructions
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Pork Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this pork roast. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Olive oil spray: I love olive oil and use it frequently. If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, dried sage, and dried thyme. I prefer garlic powder to minced fresh garlic in this recipe. It more evenly coats the meat.
- Boneless pork shoulder: I usually pick a 3-pound roast. I prefer a boneless roast because it's easier to slice and serve.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is to experiment with different spices. Good options that I tried and liked include onion powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, and ground mustard. You can add ½ to 1 teaspoon of any of these spices to the spice mixture.
You can also spray the pork with ghee instead of olive oil. It's delicious!
Pork Roast Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Prepare the spice mixture: Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, sage, and thyme.
Rub the spice mixture over the pork and spray its top liberally with olive oil.
Cook the pork for 15 minutes in a preheated 425°F oven. Lower the oven to 375°F and continue roasting the pork to an internal temperature of 145°F for about 75 more minutes. When done, it will be beautifully browned:
Let the pork rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Expert Tip
It's essential to allow the fully cooked roast to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing it. This allows the juices to redistribute and settle.
If you cut into the roast too soon, juices will be lost, and the pork will end up dry and not as flavorful.
Recipe FAQs
How long should I cook a pork roast?
After the first 15 minutes of browning the roast in a hot oven, a rough estimate is to keep cooking it for approximately 25 minutes per pound. But this is just an estimate.
As with all roasts, including ribeye roast and beef tenderloin roast, it's important to use a meat thermometer that you insert into the meat and alerts you when it's fully cooked. There's no other reliable way to ensure the meat is done.
This is especially important with pork because the lowest internal temperature you want it to reach is 145 degrees (medium).
I usually get a 3-pound pork shoulder. If your roast is bigger, increase the cooking time accordingly. If the top seems to be getting too dark, loosely cover it with foil.
Should pork be cooked well done?
No. In 2011, the USDA lowered its temperature recommendation for cooking whole cuts of pork from 160°F (dry, tough, completely white meat) to 145°F (juicy and slightly pink in the center) with a 3-minute rest period.
This means that a cut of pork may still look pink when it reaches 145 degrees. That, says the USDA, is OK.
After years of being conditioned to expect pork to appear white when fully cooked, this change is not easy for many of us. But this is a good change: meat cooked to medium is juicy, while well-done meat is dry.
Should I cover the roast in the oven?
No. You want it nicely browned, so you shouldn't cover it. However, if your roast is big and the top is getting too dark while the inside is not yet fully cooked, you should loosely cover the top with foil to protect it from over-browning.
Is it better to use a boneless pork roast or a bone-in roast?
I prefer a boneless roast because it's easier to slice and serve. The only disadvantage is that once it's done, you don't have bones to use for a tasty soup.
Can I use pork loin in this recipe?
I don't recommend using pork loin. Although tender, it's lean and will dry out during prolonged cooking. You should stick with pork shoulder, a fatty cut that won't dry easily.
Serving Suggestions
Since pork roast is rich and flavorful, I like to keep the sides simple. Here are a few of the easy side dishes I usually serve with this roast:
- Microwave broccoli
- Sugar snap peas
- Sautéed spinach
- Zucchini noodles
- Homemade coleslaw
- Mashed butternut squash
- Honey-glazed carrots
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. They won't be as good as the freshly prepared roast, but they will still be delicious.
More Pork Recipes
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Quick Pork Stew
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Pork Stir-Fry
Recipe Card
4.99 from 1954 votes
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Easy Pork Roast
This pork roast is juicy and flavorful. Rub it with spices and then roast it in the oven until done. It's easy, delicious, and affordable!
Prep Time40 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Rest time15 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 494kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ tablespoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika regular or smoked
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 pounds pork shoulder roast boneless
Instructions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and fit it with a wire rack. Spray the wire rack with olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, sage, and thyme.
Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Place it on the wire rack. Rub the spice mixture all over the roast. Spray its top liberally with olive oil.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Let the roast sit at room temperature while the oven is warming, about 30 minutes.
Insert a meat thermometer probe into the middle of the pork roast and place it in the hot oven. Roast it for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375°F and continue roasting until the meat thermometer reads 145°F. In my oven, it takes 75 minutes (about 25 minutes per pound).
Remove the roast from the oven. Loosely tent it with foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the butcher twine from the roast, slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
- If your roast is bigger than 3 pounds, you will need to cook it for longer. A general rule of thumb is 25 minutes per pound. Its internal temperature should reach 145°F. If the top seems to be browning too much after the initial 75 minutes, loosely cover it with foil.
- It's important to allow the fully cooked roast to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing it. This allows the juices to redistribute and settle. If you cut into the roast too soon, yummy juices will be lost, and the meat will end up dry and not as flavorful.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
- The nutrition info is based on the USDA database.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 494kcal | Protein: 39g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 390mg
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Gwenn Sanders
Perfect recipe! I prepared it exactly as written.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this pork roast, Gwenn! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Reply
Coleen
This pork roast is the best! I have made this roast several times. My husband and I love it.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! Thank you, Coleen, for your comment. I'm so glad you and your husband like this recipe.
Reply
Katie Howard
I’m making this for the second time in less than a month. Pork roast is my absolute favorite food (with bacon a close second!). THIS recipe ensures a moist, flavorful roast — even with a much larger roast (mine have been around 9#). It’s a keeper for sure!
Thank you!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you, Katie, for taking the time to write this comment! I'm so glad you've been enjoying this recipe.
Reply
Carl Scott
I have never bothered to leave a recipe review. I've been searching for a recipe for a boneless pork roast for 40 years that didn't leave the roast dry, tough, and tasteless. This is, hands down, the absolute best recipe I've ever tried. The end result was fork-tender, juicy, and full of flavor throughout.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm SO GLAD this recipe was a success, Carl! Thank you for taking the time to write this review. I appreciate it.
Reply
Ann
Delicious! Very easy recipe to follow. Everything was on point.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this pork roast, Ann!
Reply
Diane
The best pork roast I have ever had! So tender and juicy!! The only thing I did differently, was used a butter garlic rub instead of sage and thyme. AMAZING!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this pork roast, Diane! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. The butter garlic rub sounds amazing.
Reply
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