Easy 4-Ingredient Pork Roast

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 10/25/21
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Easy 4-ingredient pork roast on a plate with salad

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 100 mins
Rest: 10 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 1 pork roast
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
546 Calories
25g Fat
0g Carbs
75g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 546
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 227mg 76%
Sodium 321mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 75g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 995mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This four-ingredient, deliciously seasoned pork roast recipe couldn't be easier to prepare. Season the roast and rub it with garlic, pop it in the oven, and an hour or two later, you have a fabulous dinner. 

This pork roast is sliced and served with your favorite side dishes such as mashed or baked potatoes, and green beans, or your family's favorite vegetable side dish. Throw some potatoes to the roasting pan about an hour before the pork is done cooking for easier prep. This roast is perfect for that Sunday meal or weekend dinner. 

The pork loin cut is considered to be the most flavorful, even more so than the pork tenderloin, as it is a bigger cut of the loin. A boneless pork loin roast will take about 20 to 25 minutes per pound. A bone-in roast (4 to 5 pounds) will take longer, about 30 to 40 minutes per pound. A reliable instant-read thermometer should register at least 145 F—the minimum safe cooking time according to the USDA—when the pork is done.

"This is an easy, hands-off recipe for pork roast that's practically foolproof. I roasted it on a bed of carrots, onions and potato wedges tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper for a built-in side dish." —Danielle Centoni

Easy Five Ingredient Pork Roast Tester Image
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Ingredients

  • 1 (3- to 5-pound) boneless pork loin roast, or 1 (4- to 5-pound) bone-in pork loin roast

  • 2 cloves garlic, halved

  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for making easy four ingredient pork roast

    The Spruce

  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a rack in a shallow, foil-lined roasting pan or 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

    A foiled-lined baking sheet with a rack

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  3. Place the pork loin roast on the rack and rub all sides of the pork with the cut sides of the pieces of garlic. Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with the seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper.

    Pork seasoned on rack

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  4. Roast the pork uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature of the roast when using an instant-read thermometer is at least 145 F.

    A thermometer in a pork roast.
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  5. Tent the roast loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

    Pork roast tented with foil

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  6. Slice and serve with your choice of sides. Enjoy.

    Slices of easy roasted pork with salad on a plate

    The Spruce

Tips

  • Instead of a rack, use fresh vegetables to keep the pork out of its drippings. Toss several carrot halves, thick-sliced onions, and celery sticks with a few tablespoons of olive oil and place them in the foil-lined pan. Place the pork roast on the vegetables. Potato wedges would work, too.
  • Another alternative to a rack: Crumple a large sheet of heavy-duty foil and place it in the bottom of the pan. Place the roast on the crumpled foil.

Recipe Variations

  • For more garlic flavor: Instead of rubbing the roast with the garlic cloves, thinly slice 2 to 3 cloves and cut small slits all around the roast with a sharp paring knife. Bury a garlic slice in each one.
  • Use Cajun or Creole seasoning in place of the seasoned salt blend. If the seasoning does not contain salt, sprinkle the pork with about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, too. Or use an unsalted herb blend with about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
  • About 1 hour before you calculate the pork will be done, toss 2 pounds of scrubbed and quartered red-skinned potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Arrange the potatoes around the pork loin roast and continue roasting until the potatoes are tender and the pork has reached at least 145 F. Remove the potatoes to a serving bowl and keep warm. Tent the roast with foil and let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.

How to Store and Freeze Roast Pork

  • Pork will keep in the refrigerator for four or five days if it's in a sealed container or well wrapped.
  • You can also freeze pork for longer storage (2 months). Wrap it well in foil or plastic wrap and place in zip-close freezer bags with as much air removed from them as possible.

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