This slow cooker 4-ingredient apricot glazed pork loin is straight out of the kind of recipe box so many of our mothers kept tucked beside the stove in the 1970s. My own mom had a stained index card with this very idea on it, written in her looping handwriting, and she brought it out for every holiday when the house was full and the oven was already working overtime. The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity: just a pork loin, a jar of apricot preserves, a packet of onion soup mix, and a splash of tangy mustard. A few hours in the slow cooker and you end up with tender slices of pork, a glossy amber glaze, and that sweet-savory aroma that makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking when dinner will be ready. It’s the kind of no-fuss, reliable recipe that earned a permanent place on Midwestern holiday tables—and once you taste it, you’ll understand why.
Serve the sliced pork loin on a warm white platter with the extra apricot-onion glaze spooned over the top so it glistens. This pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to soak up the sauce, and simple sides like green beans, glazed carrots, or a crisp lettuce salad. For a very 1970s-style spread, add a pan of scalloped potatoes and a basket of soft dinner rolls. Leftovers make wonderful sandwiches the next day on soft white bread with a smear of extra mustard and a few dill pickle slices.
Slow Cooker Apricot Glazed Pork LoinServings: 6
Ingredients
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of excess surface fat
1 (10 to 12 ounce) jar apricot preserves
1 (1 ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup water (optional, for a thinner sauce and to prevent scorching in some slow cookers)
Salt and black pepper, to taste (optional, depending on saltiness of soup mix)
Nonstick cooking spray or 1 teaspoon vegetable oil for greasing slow cooker
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or a little vegetable oil so the glaze doesn’t stick and burn.
Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels. If desired, sprinkle it very lightly with salt and black pepper, keeping in mind that the onion soup mix is already quite salty.
In a medium bowl, stir together the apricot preserves, dry onion soup mix, and mustard until well combined. If your preserves are very thick, you can warm them in the microwave for 20–30 seconds to make them easier to mix. If you prefer a slightly thinner sauce, stir in up to 1/4 cup water.
Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the apricot mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around. Place the pork loin on top, fat side up if there is a fat cap.
Pour the remaining apricot mixture evenly over the pork, using a spatula to coat the top and sides so the roast is well covered in the sticky glaze.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for about 3 to 4 hours, until the pork is very tender but still sliceable. The internal temperature should reach at least 145°F when checked with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the roast.
Once cooked, carefully transfer the pork loin to a cutting board, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This resting time helps the juices settle so the slices stay moist and slightly pink in the center.
While the pork rests, skim any excess fat from the surface of the cooking juices in the slow cooker. If you’d like a thicker glaze, turn the slow cooker to HIGH, or pour the juices into a small saucepan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes on the stovetop until slightly reduced and glossy, stirring often.
Slice the pork loin into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a white serving plate or platter, slightly overlapping so the tender, rosy centers show. Spoon some of the warm apricot glaze over the top so it glistens, and pass the remaining sauce at the table.
Variations & Tips
To keep the spirit of that old 1970s recipe card, the heart of this dish should stay the same: pork, apricot preserves, onion soup mix, and mustard. But there’s room for gentle tweaks. For a little extra tang, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into the apricot mixture. If you like more heat, add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne. You can swap yellow mustard for Dijon or even a grainy brown mustard, depending on what you have on hand. If you don’t have apricot preserves, peach preserves or orange marmalade will give a similar sweet, amber glaze, though the flavor will be slightly different. For a stronger onion flavor, scatter a thinly sliced fresh onion in the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the pork. If your slow cooker tends to run hot, use the LOW setting and check for doneness on the earlier side to avoid drying out the meat; adding the optional 1/4 cup water helps prevent scorching around the edges. Always handle raw pork with care: wash your hands, cutting board, and knife with hot soapy water after trimming the roast, and never place cooked meat back on a plate that held it raw. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork reaches at least 145°F in the center, and let it rest before slicing so the juices redistribute and the center stays moist and slightly pink, not raw. Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours and used within 3 to 4 days, or frozen for longer storage.
