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Ideal for holiday dinners or a cozy Sunday supper, this seasoned Pork Roast recipe proves that low and slow is the way to go. Learn how to cook Pork Roast that rivals any restaurant version (and, quite possibly, grandma’s heirloom recipe!).
Think the other white meat errs on the bland and boring side? This succulent Pork Roast recipe is about to convince you otherwise.
Seasoned with my signature pork spice blend, which you might remember from my Pork Burgers with Feta Mustard, this bone-in roast is one of my best holiday dinner ideas. (Or try it to infuse more cozy vibes into a lazy Sunday at home.)
Admittedly, this Pork Roast recipe takes some time. But roasting it at a high temperature first to brown the fat, then cooking low and slow alongside vegetables results in a remarkably juicy roast and side dish all in one pan. Holiday or not, you don’t want to miss this meat and potatoes dinner.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Pork: The exact cooking time depends on the size of your roast and the size and placement of the bone within. Be sure to check the internal temperature multiple times and in multiple places, especially near the bone. When the meat is resting, if it drips dark red liquid, it is not sufficiently cooked and should be returned to the oven. Large bone-in roasts will take around 35 minutes per pound.
- New potatoes: Small red new potatoes are my top pick, due to their thin, tender, colorful skins. You can use white-skinned new potatoes, any kind of baby potatoes, even Russet, fingerling, or baking potatoes. Just cut up your chosen variety into bite-sized pieces.
- Carrots: Slice into 2-inch pieces to ensure that the carrots cook at about the same rate as the potatoes. If you desire, use a variety of root vegetables or swap in another single style of root veggie, like turnips, beets, or sweet potatoes.
- Red onion: Chop one red onion and separate the layers before adding to the pan with the pork. A couple chopped shallots treated in the same way works as well.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the pork spice blend:
- In a small bowl, whisk together garlic powder, ground coriander, ground fennel, paprika, and kosher salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Stir in olive oil to form a paste and set aside.
To make the pork roast:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a rack over a deep roasting pan. Pat pork dry with paper towels and rub all over with pork spice blend paste. Tie pork roast if desired. Set pork roast in rack over roasting pan, fat cap side up.
- Pour water in the bottom of the roasting pan (to catch drippings and keep them from burning on the bottom of the pan) and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees., and roast 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl add potatoes, carrots, and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Add to bottom of roasting pan and sprinkle with salt (I like 1 teaspoon).
- Roast 2 hours to 2 ½ hours longer, until the pork is 190 degrees (when tested with an internal thermometer for 15 seconds at the thickest part of the roast). Use a metal or hard plastic turner to carefully flip vegetables halfway through roasting time (being careful not to smash the potatoes).
- Remove from oven, transfer rack to a rimmed baking sheet, and tent roast with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes. (turn the oven off and return the roasting pan to the oven to keep vegetables warm).
- Carve and serve the pork with the vegetables.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: A 4-pound bone-in roast will yield approximately 6 cups of cooked pork, enough for 6-8 hearty servings (or 12 servings of 1 cup each which might make sense for a buffet with lots of other options).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe FAQs
You can try this same spice blend and strategy with a rack of lamb, a spatchcocked chicken, or bone-in chicken thighs if you prefer. Adjust the cooking time accordingly to meet the USDA’s safe recommended temperature for your meat of choice
Slice and stack between bread for a sandwich, shred and stuff inside tacos or quesadillas, roll into a breakfast burrito, or shred and use instead of the barbecue pulled pork called for in my pork eggs benedict recipe.
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Pork Roast
Ingredients
For the pork spice blend:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the roast pork:
- 4 to 5 pound pork shoulder roast or pork butt, bone-in (see note 1)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 pounds new potatoes quartered lengthwise and cut into 8 wedges
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 red onion peeled, quartered, and chopped (layers unseparated)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
To make the pork spice blend:
- In a small bowl, whisk together garlic powder, ground coriander, ground fennel, paprika, and kosher salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Stir in olive oil to form a paste and set aside.
To make the pork roast:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a rack over a deep roasting pan. Pat pork dry with paper towels and rub all over with spice blend paste. Tie pork roast if desired.
- Set pork roast in rack over roasting pan, fat cap side up. Pour water in the bottom of the roasting pan (to catch drippings and keep them from burning on the bottom of the pan). Roast for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and roast 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl add potatoes, carrots, and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Add to bottom of roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon).
- Roast 2 hours to 3 hours longer, until the pork is 190 degrees (when tested with an internal thermometer for 15 seconds at the thickest part of the roast). Use a metal or hard plastic turner to carefully flip vegetables halfway through roasting time (being careful not to smash the potatoes).
- Remove from oven, transfer rack to a rimmed baking sheet, and tent roast with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving (turn the oven off and return the roasting pan to the oven to keep vegetables warm).
Notes
- Pork: The exact cooking time depends on the size of your roast and the size and placement of the bone within. Be sure to check the internal temperature multiple times and in multiple places, especially near the bone. When the meat is resting, if it drips dark red liquid, it is not sufficiently cooked and should be returned to the oven. Large bone-in roasts will take around 35 minutes per pound.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.