Smoked Boneless Pork Loin

This is the best way to smoke a boneless pork loin! No need for sauce on this meat because the dry rub and Traeger do all the work for you. Juicy flavorful slices of meat for dinner every time.

When it’s summertime we get excited to uncover our electric smoker and throw in anything that sounds like it might be good. We’ve come up with a list of our favorite easy smoker recipes but this might be our favorite over the years.

This is a high protein packed meal with a sweet and savory mixture coating the outside. OH yum. We made this seasoning combination with brown sugar, chili powder, and other spices rubbed all over on the top and bottom this dry rub creates a wonderful taste and crust on the outside.

THIS will make your smoked pork irresistible and really perfect for any other type of meat too. In this case this is the flavoring. We did not stuff the middle like our Smoked Stuffed Pork Loin so it needed a thicker coating to create a nice crust.

Dry Rub for Pork Loin

Brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness into the mixture you will love, light, not packed when measured. And a bit of granulated white sugar is in there too. I haven’t substituted a sugar-free blend yet but most are a 1:1 ratio and are great alternatives.

Then for the seasonings I keep them rather simple like with onion powder and Garlic powder in general. I have used granulated garlic which are larger granules with a bit stronger flavor.

As far as the basics, meaning kosher salt and pepper you can leave out the latter but you definitely need salt to counteract the sweetness. I prefer larger granules to create a thicker crust of sorts and freshly ground pepper is the bomb.

You can buy bottled rubs of all different kinds if you want to make things really simple for yourself. BUT the mixture below we will share with you is great on everything. I actually make it in bulk and keep it in a container in my spice cupboard so I don’t have to measure it out every single time. If you wanted to stuff the center like our Pork Roulade the timing would be a bit longer and you’d need apples too.

You will want a smoker of course, a bowl to mix seasonings up, a thermometer to test the temperature is important, one that connects to your phone is best so you don’t have to open it and let the heat out when testing along the way. We used the apple smoke chips this go around. I buy a variety wood chips box so we can try different ones, it lasts throughout the summer which is perfect.

Just mix these together in a small dish and rub all over the whole thing. Allow the excess to fall off before laying on the grates and go. This is a very lean cut so there really isn’t any excess fat to cut off and you want as much as possible when cooking to keep it moist and tender.

How Long to Smoke a Pork Loin

Be careful to overcook, this cut won’t get more tender the longer it cooks, rather the opposite so pay attention. The cook time will vary depending on the thickness but ours is usually around 4 hours. AND always allow it to rest, covered, when done for 15 minutes.

How do you know when a boneless pork loin is done?

There are a few things you can do. The best is to use a meat thermometer to ensure it is to a safe 145 degrees F. If you don’t have one of these the outsides should be slightly crusting with the dry rub, but you still need to check the thickest part to make sure there is no pink or translucent look to it. The meat should be an off white color, not pink.

There’s a printable recipe card at the bottom but here is a quick rundown. First pat it dry with paper towels and rub outside with olive oil. When you’re done with this try how to cook Smithfield pork tenderloin with a dry rub.

What to do with leftovers

Ok so I hate wasting and when cooking pork there are SO many options out there to make what is left into a new meal. Use the Pork for Tamales next day. Since meat is already cooked the cooking time for your next meals are quick! Then make Leftover Pork Loin Recipes the next day if there is any remaining.

Do you have to use a Traeger to smoke pork?

No, there are many different smoker brands out there. Don’t feel like you need the most expensive one out there. We started with a small cheap electric version and made a ton of things in it. Worked great and got us going to making this Traeger pork loin. If you are just beginning, just do it. Choose the type you can afford and start out with simple recipes like this one that don’t need anything other than some seasonings.

Like I said, if you’re new to smoking you don’t need an expensive model. We have a smoker that was less than $200 when we bought it and have had no issues with it. Just put a cover over it to save it from being weathered during the winter months and get ready to cook in it nightly once it warms up outside.

If you’re looking for another great smoker recipe, this is how to smoke salmon!