Looking for a simple yet elegant dinner that delivers holiday-worthy flavours without the fuss? This Cranberry Apple Glazed Pork Roast is your answer, featuring a beautiful, glossy glaze of tart cranberries and sweet apples.
Not only is it quick and easy to prepare, but it also stretches your grocery budget by using the more economical boneless pork roasts. Whether you’re hosting or just elevating a weeknight meal, this all-meat delight proves that delicious doesn’t have to be complicated.
This recipe starts with a boneless pork roast (pork rib roast or centre-cut pork loin roast). They are quite economical, especially if you can pick one up when they are on sale. The cranberry and apple glaze cooks up quickly on the stovetop and is simply spooned on top of the roast as it cooks in the oven.
I started with a small 1 1/2 lb. pork rib roast that was $10 (Canadian). It needed just 35 minutes in the oven, and when done, is all meat.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Boneless pork roast – There can be some confusion when talking about pork loin. A pork loin roast is not the same as pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is the smaller, long pork with the tapered end. Pork loin is a larger cut of pork, that shorter and thicker than a pork tenderloin. Pork loin roasts will often have a bit of visible fat on them.
I generally see two types of pork loin roasts – pork rib roast and centre-cut pork loin roast. Either cut will work great.
Cranberries – You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries for the glaze.
Apple – Any apple you have on hand will work just fine.
How to make cranberry apple pork roast
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making this recipe.
- Start by adding all the cranberry apple glaze ingredients in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Cook the cranberry mixture until softened and thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Set aside some of the cranberry apple mixture to use when serving later.
- Take the remaining cranberry apple mixture and process it in a food processor. (You could also do this with an immersion blender in the saucepan.)
- The cranberry apple mixture should be quite, but not completely smooth.
- Sear the pork roast on the stovetop, then cover the top with the cranberry apple glaze and roast until the internal temperature reaches 145F (about 30-35 minutes for a 1 1/2 lb. pork roast).
Recipe tips!
- I love to use my cast-iron skillet for roasts, as it handles both the quick stove-top searing and the oven roast in the same pan. An oven-safe shallow braiser would also work well. Deeper Dutch ovens aren’t the best for dry roasts, which benefit from having the sides and top exposed to the heat as they cook.
- Pork only needs to be roasted to 145F. An instant-read thermometer helps to make sure it doesn’t overcook and become dry.
- Pork roast sizes will vary, of course, and any size will work. Only the oven time will change depending on the exact size of your roast. At 350F, count on about 20 minutes per pound of boneless pork roast.
- While this recipe uses a boneless pork roast, you could also make this one with the smaller, thinner pork tenderloins. The oven time will be reduced, so watch and test regularly for doneness.
What to serve on the side
- Mashed potatoes would be a fine side for this pork roast, though I would look to garlic or sour cream mashed potatoes that stand on their own and don’t feel like they are needing gravy.
- Roasted vegetables would also be great, such as roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted parsnips.
- You can never go wrong with green, such as broccoli, broccolini or green beans.
- Finally, if you want something a bit special, a creamy risotto would be a lovely side for this pork roast.
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Get the Recipe: Cranberry Apple Glazed Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless pork rib roast or boneless centre-cut pork loin roast, *see Note 1 below
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil
For the cranberry apple glaze:
- 6 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
- zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
- Pinch ginger and cinnamon
Instructions
- Start by making the cranberry apple glaze (can be made ahead and refrigerated). Add all the cranberry apple glaze ingredients to a medium saucepan and stir together. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until softened and thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove 1/2 cranberry apple mixture to a small bowl and reserve for serving. Take the remaining cranberry apple mixture and place it into a food processor or blender. Process or blend until quite smooth. (You could also use an immersion blender right in the saucepan, if you like.) Set aside the glaze for now.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Tip! A cast-iron frying pan is perfect for this dish, as it handles both the stove-top searing and oven roasting perfectly. A shallow braiser or stainless steel frying pan would also work well. A deeper Dutch oven isn't ideal for roasts benefit from having the sides and tops exposed to the dry heat of the oven.
- Heat the cooking oil in an oven-safe skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Remove and discard any excess fat on the pork roast, then season with salt and pepper. Place into the hot skillet and sear all sides until golden.
- Spoon 1/2 of the processed (pureed) cranberry apple glaze over the top of the roast and spread it evenly over the top of the pork.
- Place the roast into the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, spoon the remaining pureed cranberry apple glaze carefully over the pork and then return to the oven. Roast an additional 15-25 minutes or until the pork is cooked to an internal temperature of 145F.
- Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the reserved cranberry apple mixture as a condiment.
- Tip! I've included some side dish suggestions in the main post above this recipe card.
Notes
More pork loin recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
