This juicy Pellet Grill Smoked Pork Loin is easy to make, only takes 15 minutes to prep, and less than 3 hours to cook!
If you are looking for one of the most versatile cuts in all of BBQ than you will love Smoked Pork Loin. Its a blank canvas for so many different flavors and doest take all day to smoke.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
I have been smoking Pork loins in my restaurants and back yard for over twenty years and the number one mistake I see is that people treat it like a pork butt. Because pork loin is so lean, you only need to smoke it to 145 degrees F instead of the 200 degrees that is required for a pork butt.
Friends don't let friends serve dry Pork loin. This is one of my favorite cuts of pork to smoke, but it's also the one I see ruined the most often.
Why You Need To Make This Recipe
Pork Loin is Tender, Juicy and very Economical which is why it's one of my favorite cuts of pork when Im feeding a crowd. Just make sure you follow my recipe so your pork loin doesn't end up overcooked
The good news is that you found this recipe. I'm going to make sure your smoked pork loin is dripping with juice and knocking your socks off with perfect, balanced flavor.
What is the Difference Between Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin?
Did you know that Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin are often used interchangeably? However, they are two very different cuts of meat!
The Loin: The pork loin comes from the back of the hog. This cut of meat is also wider and flatter and can be found bone-in or boneless.
The Tenderloin: The tenderloin comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone of the hog. Pork tenderloin is a smaller cut of meat and can be cut into even smaller pieces to get pork chops.
Ingredients
- Meat: To make this recipe and follow it exactly as I do it, you will need about 3-4 lbs of center-cut pork loin.
- Flavor and Seasoning: To get the best bite full of incredible and irresistible flavor every time, you will need ¼ cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 tbsp of mustard, 3 tbsp of BBQ Dry Rub, ¼ cup of Kosher Salt, and ¼ cup of BBQ Sauce.
Cooking Instructions
- Remove the pork loin from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. You do not need to remove all the fat, but you should trim off any silver skin that doesn't render during the cooking process.
- Next, Rub down the pork loin with mustard. You can also use olive oil. This helps the rub stick to the meat while it's smoking. Make sure to coat all sides, including the ends.
- Season liberally with your favorite rub. You want to ensure an even seasoning coating over the entire pork loin. It may seem like a lot of seasoning, but it's a thick cut of meat, and the only flavor is on the outside surface.
- Place the pork loin back in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the rub set up. The colder the pork loin, the better the smoke ring, and it also takes a little more time to pick up the smoke flavor during the short cook.
- Place the pork loin on the pellet grill at 275 degrees F. Shut the lid and set a timer for about 90 minutes. You want an internal temperature of around 145 degrees F.
- Your pork loin will reach 145 degrees F between 90 minutes and 2 hours, depending on its size and thickness. Now, it's time to baste with your favorite BBQ sauce. You can also use a glaze or any other sauce you prefer.
- Continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Remove the pork loin from the pellet grill and wrap it loosely in aluminum foil. Rest for 15-30 minutes. (this is important. Otherwise, the pork juices will run out, and the meat will be dry)
- Remove the pork from the aluminum foil, Slice the pork loin, and serve
Pork loin is fantastic for sandwiches, wraps, or sliced and served with veggies and starch. The 2 most important things when cooking a pro loin are not overcooking it and letting it be great. This will ensure tender, juicy pork every time...Enjoy!!!
Handy Tools to have on Hand
- Pellet Grill: If you want to smoke, it is usually best to have a smoker! If you are new to smoking, I recommend shopping around and finding the best pellet grill for you and your budget.
- Wood Pellets: Pork loves fruit woods like cherry, apple, and peach wood. I always like a blend that includes hickory and fruit wood, but play around with it until you find your favorite combination.
- Meat Thermometer: If you don't have a thermometer, I recommend reading Grilling Thermometer Review—Thermapen Alternatives and Thermoworks Thermapen Reviews—BBQ Thermometers.
- Sharp Knife: This pork loin will be juicy, tender, and easy to cut, but make your life easier with a sharp knife. Plus, every good cook, chef, and grill master needs a quality set of knives. If you want a recommendation, check out the Cooking Guild Knives.
- Meat Fork: A meat fork also makes cutting or carving meat easier. This one is solid and won't break the bank.
What to Serve with Pellet Grill Pork Loin
The perfect side dish really takes cooking to the next level. Serving up your smoked pork loin changes the compliments from "This is amazing pork loin" to "Wow, this is an incredible meal, and the pork loin is amazing."
So, what are you waiting for? Don't slack! Complete your meal with side dishes like:
- Pellet Grill Smoked Baked Potatoes
- Best Steakhouse Wedge Salad
- Chilled Tortellini Pasta Salad With Italian Meats
- Grilled Acorn Squash w/ Spicy Agave Glaze
- Pellet Grill Corn On The Cob
- Corn and Avocado Summer Salad
- Pellet Grill Smoked Baked Beans
- Sheet Pan Green Beans Almondine with Bacon
How to Store
Depending on how many people you feed, 3 pounds of pork loin can be a lot! This recipe is perfect for BBQs with friends and family, parties, or game day celebrations. However, this recipe is also great to make and have leftovers to enjoy or use to refresh and make new recipes!
With my leftovers, I like to:
- Shred, sauce, and pair the meat with a lightly toasted bun.
- Cuban Casserole
- Burrito Bowl
- BBQ Pork Pizza
- Southwest Smoked Pork Dip
When stored correctly in an airtight container, your leftovers will last 4-5 days in the fridge. Want your leftovers to last really long? Store them in the freezer for a maximum of 4 months.
FAQs
The thickness of the pork loin will play a major role in the total cook time, but as a general guideline, it should take between 2.5 and 3.5 hours to smoke a pork loin to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
Wrapping the pork loin in foil as soon as it's smoked and pulled off the grill can help it rest while retaining its natural moisture. The number one key is to make sure you don't overcook the pork loin because of how lean this cut is.
Yes, it's very easy to overcook a pork loin because of its low fat content and relatively fast cooking time. That is why I always recommend having a probe thermometer with an alarm set so you can monitor the temp while cooking.
Resting a pork loin for 15-20 minutes is the ideal amount of time before slicing.
Smoked pork loin needs to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Anything over 155 degrees F will start to become dry.
More Tasty Recipes
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This site contains affiliate links.
Cooking Pork Loin on Pellet Grill
Equipment
- Pellet Grill
- Aluminum foil
- Basting Brush
- Meat Thermometer
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Pork Loin Center cut
- 2 tbsp Mustard
- 3 tbsp BBQ Dry Rub
- ¼ cup BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Remove the pork loin from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.
- You do not need to remove all the fat, but you do want to trim off any silver skin that won't render during the cooking process.
- Next, Rub down the pork loin with mustard. You can also use olive oil. this is just to help the rub stick to the meat while it's smoking. Make sure to coat all sides including the ends.
- Season liberally with your favorite rub. You want to make sure to have an even coating of seasoning over the entire pork loin. it may seem like a lot of seasoning, but its a thick cut of meat, and the only flavor is on the outside surface.
- Place the pork loin back in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the rub set up. the colder the pork loin the better the smoke ring and it also has a little more time to pick up the smoke flavor during the short cook.
- Place the pork loin on the pellet grill set at 275 degrees F. Shut the lid and set a timer for about 90 minutes. You are looking for an internal temperature of around 145 degrees F.
- Somewhere between 90 minutes and 2 hours depending on the size and thickness, your pork loin will hit 145 degrees F. Now it's time to baste with your favorite bbq sauce. You can also use a glaze or any other sauce you prefer.
- Continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Remove the pork loin from the pellet grill and wrap it loosely in aluminum foil. Rest for 15-30 minutes. (this is important. Otherwise, the pork juices will run out, and the meat will be dry)
- Remove the pork from the aluminum foil, Slice the pork loin, and serve
Chet
Used this recipe on 4 big pork loins from sams, cut them in half for easier handling. Turned out great!
Frank Campanella
Fantastic!!!! Glad this recipe worked for you!! Sam’s club is a great place to buy the whole pork loins for sure!!