Chicken Free Apple Cider Roast Pork Loin
This is the kind of centerpiece roast that makes a whole house smell incredible — warm spices, caramelized apple, and savory pork all mingling together from the moment it hits the oven. The pork loin gets rubbed with coconut oil and a fragrant blend of thyme, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon before roasting on a bed of apple wedges, onion, and smashed garlic. A braising liquid of unfiltered apple cider, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and honey keeps everything moist and builds serious depth of flavor as it cooks. The two-stage roasting method — a high-heat blast followed by a lower, slower finish — gives you a beautifully browned exterior and a juicy, tender interior every time. Once the pork rests, those pan drippings get transformed into a silky arrowroot-thickened sauce with the softened apples and onions stirred right in, so nothing goes to waste. Every component on the plate is completely free of poultry, making this a stress-free choice for anyone navigating a chicken-free table without sacrificing anything in the flavor department. Slice it into rounds, spoon that glossy pan sauce over the top, and finish with fresh thyme — it's genuinely dinner-party worthy with weeknight-level effort.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the pork
- 2 ½ lb boneless pork loin roast
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
For the roasting pan
- 3 medium apples (such as honeycrisp or fuji), cored and cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
For the braising liquid
- 1 cup unfiltered apple cider (not hard cider)
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
For the pan sauce
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp cold water
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the pork loin completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, dried thyme, dried rosemary, ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon. Rub the coconut oil all over the pork, then press the spice mixture evenly onto all sides.
- 2
Scatter the apple wedges, onion wedges, smashed garlic, and fresh thyme sprigs across the bottom of a large roasting pan or oven-safe skillet. Pour the apple cider, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and honey over the apples and onions, and stir briefly to combine.
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