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Pork sirloin is a very lean, tender piece of meat but will quickly turn dry and tough if overcooked. Learn how to make the most tender pork sirloin every time with these no fail tips!
For years, I shied away from cooking pork sirloin as it seemed a bit harder to cook than other cuts of pork and would quickly become tough and dry. Then, I became determined to overcome my fear of preparing it and learned a few tricks to make a no fail tender and delicious pork sirloin every single time.
The Difference in Pork Sirloin and Pork Tenderloin
Pork sirloin – also sometimes called pork loin, pork loin roast and center cut pork roast – and pork tenderloin are two different cuts of meat and look very different. The pork tenderloin is long and thin while the pork sirloin is shorter and not as thin.
The two also have a couple of similarities. They both are very lean and mild in flavor. Marinades and rubs used for one cut may also work well for the other and add a great deal of flavor.
No Fail Pork Sirloin Tips
Here are a few tricks that I learned that I think might help you as well:
- Grilling, smoking and slow roasting are my favorite cooking methods for pork sirloin. However, it does not make a great meat for cooking in the slow cooker.
- Marinating your pork sirloin makes it very tender once cooked.
- Adding a bit of liquid to your pork sirloin and basting frequently keeps your pork sirloin moist and tender, especially if slow roasting in the oven.
- Cook pork sirloin about 25 to 30 minutes per pound and until it reaches a temperature of 145º F and to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Some carryover cooking will occur with the meat and it will allow the meat to be flavorful and juicy when you serve it.
How to Cook the Most Tender Pork Sirloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 2-pound pork sirloin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth white wine, or apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450º F.
- Add pork sirloin to a medium Dutch oven. Mix together olive oil, rosemary and garlic and rub onto the pork sirloin.
- Place the pork into the oven and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 250º F, pour in chicken stock or other preferred liquid, cover and cook approximately 25 to 30 minutes per pound and until the internal temperature registers 145º F, basting with the pan liquids every 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Baste again and then use tongs to remove from the Dutch oven and place on a serving platter. Slice and serve.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share for cooking pork sirloin?
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Was delicious!! Didn’t have orange marmalade but made a glaze with honey & apple cider jelly. worked perfectly!
Lee Ann, it sounds delicious with the honey and apple cider jelly.
So very good and really easy to make and follow the recipe.
Thanks so much, Jodi. I love how easy this is to cook.
This is absolutely delicious! Love how the flavors came together, was incredibly tender and so easy to make! Thank you 😊
I love to hear that you enjoyed this pork sirloin recipe so much, Lee.
I and my family loved this recipe! I’m wondering if it would also work well for a turkey breast. Do you have a recipe for that?
I’m so glad you and your family loved it! Yes, I have a turkey breast recipe that I think you’ll also enjoy! xo
I have 3 – 1 lb. small boneless sirloin roasts that I want to roast for company.
Should I try to tie them together? I also don’t know how long to cook this once I drop the temperature to 250? They are quite small.
Carol, I would tie the 3 roasts together, similar to how some butchers do, and cook as one roast . I would just follow the recipe and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145º F. I would check the temperature every 30 minutes since these are smaller. I hope this helps.
So I followed the instructions and roasted my 1 pound roast for 30 minutes. I checked the temperature when I put it back in at250 for another 30 minutes. It was already at 145 degrees. I left it in the oven for another 30 minutes with the oven off but still hot. Hopefully it’s done and not too dry. Not sure what happened. A bigger roast next time might be better.
Once the roast reached 145º F, Darlene, you should have removed from the oven and let rest 3 to minutes. It should be tender and juicy then. I hope your roast turned out ok.