Healthy Pork Loin Recipes

As Vermonters, we think a touch of maple syrup makes anything better, and these chops are proof. Round out the meal with Wild Rice Salad, roasted delicata squash and a glass of Pinot Noir.

Cajun seasoning adds flavor and spice to this delicious slow-cooker pork and shrimp pasta dish. Our recipe calls for salt-free seasoning to lower the sodium content, or you have the option to make your own Cajun seasoning blend.

Fragrant with North African spices and made hearty with chunks of lean pork, this bulgur pilaf casserole recipe is ready to go in the oven in just 25 minutes. Vary the dish by substituting shrimp, Pacific cod fillets or chunks of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the pork.

“Jerk” isn't Jamaican for “as hot as you can stand it.” Instead, a jerk paste should be a carefully blended, aromatic melange, as much nose tickle as tongue spike. Here we use that flavorful paste on grilled pork loin. Watch out for that hot chile pepper: wear rubber gloves to protect your skin and touch no one until you've washed up thoroughly. If you have time, marinate the pork the full 24 hours for the best flavor.

Though traditional Puerto Rican cuisine may favor fatty cuts of pork with the skin on, lean cuts like pork loin are just as delicious with the intense garlic rub in this recipe. Serve warm with red beans and rice. Leftover slices make a good sandwich.

Inspired by the Italian roast called porchetta, this herb-slathered pork roast is wrapped in prosciutto. Completely company-worthy, this healthy dinner can be rounded out with garlicky broccolini, smashed potatoes and a dry hard cider.

Pork today is so lean, the meat will be dry and crumbly if overcooked, but there are a couple of tricks to help avoid that fate. The first is to turn the pork over halfway through the cooking time so the juices will concentrate in the center of the roast instead of settling on the bottom. Second, take the roast out of the oven when it is about 5° below the recommended internal temperature, which is 160°F. The meat will continue to cook as it rests.

In this Asian dan dan noodle recipe, lean pork loin and snow peas are stir-fried and tossed with a chile-soy sauce. Topped with peanuts and sesame seeds, this Chinese noodle recipe is a healthy, homemade alternative to takeout.

Thyme adds bright, woodsy flavor to pork and pineapple in this simple one-skillet supper. Serve with whole-grain rice pilaf and a baby spinach salad. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

We swear by this pork-cooking technique for the most tender, flavorful results. First the lean pork loin is brined overnight, then it's grilled and coated in a fragrant paste before it rests in a mixture of white wine, butter and its own juices.

Thai curry paste, a flavorful combination of chiles, lemongrass, galangal (similar to ginger), garlic and kaffir lime leaves, adds a jolt of flavor to this healthy sesame noodles recipe. Green, red and yellow curry paste are pretty interchangeable but green is the hottest, red is medium and yellow is mild. Be sure to rinse the rice noodles until they're cold, then give them a good shake in the colander until they're well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie “noodles” for the cooked pasta.

This easy, stuffed pork loin recipe starts with a soak in brine to ensure that it stays juicy and moist. The stuffing combines sweet potatoes, apples and gently spicy poblanos with Mexican herbs and spices. Cornbread is a natural pairing with pork, as is a salad with toasted pepitas and cider vinaigrette.

Garlic-seasoned slow-cooker pork loin, port-and-tomato-based sauce and creamy mashed potatoes all made with less than 30 minutes of hands-on prep--who could ask for more? Garnish with additional fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired.

A snappy pan sauce made with shallots, port and fruity blackberry nectar transforms basic pork chops into a special-occasion dinner. A touch of butter swirled in at the end of cooking gives the sauce a rich finish. You can substitute flattened boneless chicken breast, turkey cutlets or veal scallops for pork; adjust cooking time accordingly.

Cranberries can be momentary pleasures, just around for late autumn--that is, unless you think to stock ahead. Buy a packet or two for the freezer so you can make this quick supper all year long. (Or out of season, look for frozen whole cranberries in the freezer case of your local market.) Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

Pork and apples and red cabbage are meant for each other. Here all three appear in a mélange that brings together the Japanese tradition of panko-crusted pork chops with the New England tradition of seasoning with maple syrup and cider vinegar. Serve with a wild rice pilaf.

Serve these slow-cooker nachos at your next party--they'll vanish! Tossing the cubed pork back into the slow cooker with the honey, lime and garlic gives it extra-tangy sweetness. For the prettiest appearance, use whole cilantro leaves instead of chopped.

Stuffed with spirals of spinach, dried cherries, wild rice, and pecans and topped with a sweet apricot glaze, this eye-catching pork loin recipe makes a nice meal for autumn or winter.

Traditionally a long-simmered stew, this Mexican-inspired stew is quick and easy, thanks to canned hominy. Searing the pork loin in the pot before making the stew gives you a great base of flavors so the stew seems as if it indeed simmered all afternoon. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with warm tortillas on the side.

Brining enhances flavor and renders pork chops moist and juicy. While the chops brine, prepare the pickled onions and the raspberry sauce. The thick flavorful sauce, rich pork chops and pickled onions all come together in an explosion of flavors and textures.

Steaming corn right on top of the collards saves time and dirties fewer pots in this easy dinner recipe. Skip bottled BBQ sauce and mash blackberries with some pantry staples to yield a finger-licking-good barbecue sauce for the juicy pork chops. To make it even faster, grab a bag of prechopped collards from the produce section.

Chopped water chestnuts add extra crunch to the savory filling in these delightful morsels.

Our favorite fall flavors come together in this simple skillet supper, united in a tangy cider sauce. Accompany the pork with mashed potatoes--perfect for soaking up the sauce.

Pomegranates become available in late fall just in time to grace holiday tables--all too often as decorations. For this festive roast the fruit is used in three forms: as a thick, sweet molasses for the filling plus whole seeds and juice for the sauce. Slicing through the roast reveals a colorful pinwheel of crushed walnuts mixed with the pomegranate molasses.