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Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin {Slow Cooker + Instant Pot}

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Pork:

  • 2 to 3 pounds boneless pork loin or pork sirloin roast, trimmed of large fat pockets
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage or poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
  • ½ cup water or chicken broth

Glaze:

  • ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast.
  • For the slow cooker: place the pork roast in the slow cooker and add the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  • For the Instant Pot/Pressure cooker: place the pork roast in the insert of the Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Increase the water or broth to 1 cup and add to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes (hit manual --> dial up or down to 60 minutes --> Instant Pot will start automatically and count down the time). Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before quickly releasing the rest of the pressure.
  • Near the end of cooking time (for either slow cooker or pressure cooker), whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the glaze thickens, 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper, if needed/desired. Keep warm until ready to use.
  • Remove the pork from the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Shred the meat into pieces and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve immediately.

Notes

Spices: sometimes I use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder if I'm out of fresh garlic; I also will sometimes cut the ground sage back to 1/2 teaspoon (just a personal preference as we've made this over the last 5+ years). 
Pork: in addition to the pork cuts listed below, a lot of you (via the comment section) have had good success using pork tenderloin. I most often use a pork sirloin roast (Costco sells a 4-pack); it seems to be a bit more tender than a pork loin, which can be very lean.