AIP Friendly Cranberry Apple Roast Pork Loin
Few things feel as celebratory as a beautifully roasted pork loin surrounded by jammy fruit and fragrant herbs, and this one delivers all of that without a single ingredient that conflicts with the autoimmune protocol. The pork is rubbed with a warming blend of thyme, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon — all AIP-compliant spices — then set on a roasting bed of Honeycrisp apples, fresh cranberries, onion, and garlic that caramelizes into something almost saucy as it cooks. What makes this recipe especially smart is the pan sauce: pomegranate juice, bone broth, and apple cider vinegar are scraped up with all those roasted drippings, then thickened with arrowroot starch instead of flour or cornstarch, keeping everything grain-free and protocol-friendly. The result is a glossy, tart-sweet sauce that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen. Resting the pork before slicing keeps every round juicy, and the optional scatter of fresh parsley or thyme at the end adds a bright, herby finish. This makes six servings, so it's equally at home on a weeknight dinner table or as the centerpiece of a holiday spread.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the pork
- 2 ½ lb boneless pork loin roast
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
For the roasting bed
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 2 medium honeycrisp or fuji apples, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Ingredient noteAIP restricts added sweeteners, but small occasional amounts of unrefined maple syrup are accepted on the protocol; the ~1 teaspoon per serving here likely stays within that limited allowance. If you prefer to always avoid maple syrup, please tap it and change its rating to Red.
For the pan sauce
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup bone broth
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp cold water
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Remove the pork loin from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- 2
In a small bowl, combine the thyme, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, and 1 tsp of the salt. Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels, rub it all over with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, then press the spice mixture firmly onto all sides.
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