Baked Pork Roast
Published 11/5/2023 • Updated 8/16/2024
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With savory flavors from a simple pork dry rub and hearty vegetables, this pork roast recipe will leave your house smelling so delicious. I love how the outside of this pork roast is nice and crispy and the meat is so tender and fall-off-the-bone. My family begs me to make this one-pot meal every week!
This oven baked pork roast recipe is one of our most popular dinners on Fit Foodie Finds. It has hundreds of 5-star ratings and so many of you love it!
Simply season and sear your pork shoulder roast to crisp up the sides. Then, cook it in the oven with potatoes and onions until the meat is tender and juicy. Use the drippings to prepare a simple gravy and serve!
My favorite thing about this pork roast recipe is that not only does this meal provide the protein, but it’s also made with tons of veggies and gravy too!
What You Need to Make Pork Roast in the Oven
- Meat: This recipe calls for a 3 lb. pork shoulder roast, which means you’ll either be able to serve the whole fam, or cook a meal you can easily (and deliciously) reheat throughout the week from leftovers. We recommend a pork shoulder, but a pork butt works too.
- Veggies: you need russet potatoes, onion, and carrots. We’ve also made this with sweet potatoes and fingerling potatoes and it was delightful.
- Seasonings: Not only does the pork rub season your pork, but it also flavors the gravy you’ll make at the end. It features garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and paprika.
Gravy: This gravy is simple yet delicious! And because the dry rub completely covers your roast, it will infuse its savory flavors into this gravy as well. Here’s what else you need:
- Chicken broth
- Maple syrup
- Worcestershire sauce
How long should I cook pork roast in the oven?
If you use a 3 lb. pork shoulder, it should take around 75-80 minutes until it reaches 145ºF (FDA). We recommend searing all ends before baking.
Best Cut of Pork for Pork Roast
This recipe calls for a boneless pork shoulder roast. Pork butt also works, but a pork shoulder is definitely the best cut of pork for this because it’s a bit fattier and will come out so tender and juicy.
We knew we wanted to make a fairly traditional pork roast recipe, so we were deciding between two cuts of meat: a pork loin roast or pork shoulder roast.
- Pork Loin Roast: A pork loin roast comes from the back of the pig. It’s typically a very lean piece of meat, so if you are slow roasting, you have to be careful you don’t overcook it. In this recipe, if you use a pork loin roast it will be more of a pork chop texture that requires slicing when eating.
- Pork Shoulder Roast: A pork shoulder comes from the shoulder of a pig. It typically has more fat, which makes it great for slow roasting. We recommend this cut of meat for this recipe because it’s a super juicy, fattier, and tender.
PS: If you’re like, man, I wish this was an Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe or I wish this was a Slow Cooker Pork Roast — we have tons of other pork roast recipes on FFF.
Cuts of Pork
Not sure where all the different cuts of pork come from on the pig? We made it easy. Check out more details on everything pork in our favorite pork recipes round up!
How do you know your pork roast is done cooking?
You know your pork roast is done when it’s easy to cut into and almost “falls apart.” The internal temperature will read 145ºF or higher.
How to Thicken Gravy
While we didn’t find it necessary to thicken the gravy, you’re more than welcome to do so.
Combine 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings with 1 to 2 teaspoons of corn starch and whisk. Then, add the slurry back into the rest of the gravy and whisk to combine.
Can I make this pork roast in the slow cooker?
We have a similar recipe for crock pot pork roast, but here is the down low:
- Place veggies on the bottom of your slow cooker and set aside.
- Season pork roast on all sides and then sear it over medium/high heat to brown.
- Place the pork roast on top of the veggies and pour in the liquid.
- Cover and cook for 6-8 hours, or until fall-off the bone tender!
FAQs About Cooking Pork Roast in the Oven
Have a bigger or smaller roast?
If you have a bigger or smaller roast, no fear! Cooking meat is all about temperature and the goal here is to get your pork to 145ºF.
For a smaller roast, start with 45 minutes and check the temperature every 10 minutes. For a larger roast, add on time to our suggested 75 minutes in 5-10 minute increments.
Will my pork roast fall off the bone?
It depends! You’ll see in these photos that we had a fattier cut of pork shoulder, and it was more fall off the bone. But if you get a leaner shoulder of pork (there is some fattiness variation between pig shoulders!), it’s more likely that you’ll have to slice the pork when you serve it.
How do I flavor pork roast?
You can flavor pork with any of your favorite spice rubs. We recommend the best dry rub for pork. No matter what spice rub you use, be sure to use enough SALT as it will help tenderize the pork!
Can I overcook pork roast?
It is hard to overcook a pork roast! Especially since it’s a fattier cut of meat. There is a sweet spot when the pork becomes tender and falls off the bone. When that happens, keep an eye on the pork before it becomes too mushy!
What to serve with Pork roast
Pork roast goes well with just about anything! It tends to be a heavier meal, so pairing it with something a little lighter is always a good idea! Here are a few of our favorite pairings with this slow cooker pork roast:
How long does pork roast last?
To store this oven roasted pork roast, let the pork cool completely before placing it in an air-tight container. You can keep the pork roast in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 7 days!
How to Store Leftover Pork Roast
Let your pork roast cool completely. Then, transfer the pork and veggies into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
Ultimate Pork Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb. pork shoulder roast
- 1.5 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 6 medium russet potatoes, cut into large 1-inch chunks
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 large carrots, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350ºF. Then, remove your pork shoulder from the packaging and use a paper towel to pat it dry. Place it on a large plate and set aside.
- Next, mix together all of the spices (garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, coarse sea salt, ground pepper, cinnamon, and brown sugar) in a small bowl and then rub it on all sides of the pork shoulder. Let pork sit in the fridge while you prep the rest of the recipe.
- Cut russet potatoes into 1-inch large chunks and dice a yellow onion and 6 large carrots into big pieces. Set aside.
- In a large cast-iron stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, sear all 4 sides of your pork shoulder for 2 minutes per side or until it begins to brown. Remove the pork shoulder and place it on a plate.
- Pour a little of the broth onto the bottom of your hot stockpot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape off all the bits. Then, transfer all of the diced veggies onto the bottom of your stockpot and toss it in the broth and oil. Then, place the seared pork shoulder (fat-side up) on top of the veggies. Make sure to also transfer as much of the spice rub as possible that fell off the pork shoulder as that flavors the gravy.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the rest of the chicken broth, maple syrup, and Worchestershire sauce. Then, pour over the top of the pork shoulder.
- Place stockpot into the oven, uncovered, and roast at 350ºF for 60 minutes. Then, remove from oven and measure the internal temperature of the pork. Continue cooking in increments of 10 minutes until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF. Our 3 lb. pork shoulder took around 75-80 minutes.
- Remove pork roast from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. During this time, the pork will continue to cook 5-10 degrees.
- Toss the roasted veggies in the gravy that is in the pot so that the veggies are nice and coated with amazing flavor.
- Serve pork roast sliced and with veggies and extra gravy.
Tips & Notes
- Gravy: option to add more chicken broth at the end to create more gravy. You can also thicken it with cornstarch if that’s your jam.
- Meat options: a pork shoulder roast will give you more fall-off-the-bone pork and a pork loin roast or pork butt (which have less fat) will give you a classic, sliced pork roast. We recommend a pork shoulder over any other cut of pork.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
I followed the recipe as written and this was the toughest roast I’ve ever tried to eat. I could barely cut it so unfortunately, I ended up tossing it all. I’ve since read that pork shoulder needs to cook low and slow for hours since it’s such a tough cut of meat. Covering it would probably help too.
Not enough seasoning and the potatoes on top never cooked properly. Probably would have been OK if stirred once or twice to get them down into the broth.
I made this yesterday and I tell you this is a recipe made in heaven. The only thing I did different- had beef broth that I made earlier so I used that instead of water but it turned out so good I wish I had more! Only have about a bowl left.
This recipe is delish but is lacking one major detail
My husband and I have been together over 40 years and have tried hundreds of different recipes and this one is by far the WORST MOST HORRIBLE recipe ever! Followed recipe and cooked for almost two hours and wasn’t done so next day put in crockpot! It was cooked but the taste was AWFUL! Will stick to Dave’s rub for pork!🤮🤮🤮
This was good, first time with a recipe is always a toss up. I adjusted the rub to our tastes, a little more paprika, less cinnamon, less garlic. I salted the veggies and they did not need it so no salt next time. I omitted potatoes as I had leftover rice to use up. Threw in some whole mushrooms which were awesome. Next time I will omit the cinnamon all together but the rest is a keeper. Thanks!
I made some changes to the recipe. I stuffed my entire pork shoulder with garlic cloves. I also added additional seasoning for our Cajun pallets. My pork shoulder was much larger at almost ten pounds. I didn’t put in the maple syrup as we wouldn’t have like a sweet flavor. I also cooked rice with mine and thickened the gravy. Otherwise it came out delicious. And since mine was so big every 20-25 minutes I took my roast out and basted it in the wonderful gravy and onions. I also threw whole cloves of garlic into the gravy and it made it even better.(we like a lot of garlic). Next time though I will add some whole mushrooms to it as well. But otherwise it was delicious.
Ohhh LOVE the idea of stuffing it with garlic cloves!
This turned out wonderful. We ended up subbing with sweet potatoes and adding apple to the veggies. I will say the meat was cooked more than we prefer. Pork wasn’t dry, we just like our meat more on the rare side. I will make that adjust next time we make it.
I just made this using my slow-cooker. Results were delicious. My first time making it I baked it in the oven as written; but I wanted to see how it would be in a slow-cooker. I made no ingredient changes, just the cooking process. I followed steps 1-4. For step 5, after cooking the veggies, I dumped them into the slow-cooker; then placed the meat on top. I then followed step 6. After adding the liquid, I placed the slow-cooker lid on top and cooked on low for 8 hrs. I omitted steps 7-9. Truly delicious.
Thanks so much for sharing that this method worked for you, Althea!
This recipe is delish but is lacking one major detail. You have to take care of your veg!!! I recommend quartering the potatoes and mixing all the veg in a zip lock bag with olive oil garlic and pepper. This recipe is great except it leaves out the potatoes and carrots which end up dry and bland. Do this and set in the fridge while the pork is resting and then all good. Thanks!!