The Ultimate Pork Roast

The best oven baked pork roast recipe made with tender potatoes and carrots served with a delicious savory gravy. 

Make this easy pork roast in oven for a filling meal that will serve a crowd!

Best Pork Roast in Oven!

This oven baked pork roast truly is the ultimate fall meal! With savory flavors and hearty vegetables, this pork roast will leave your house smelling so delicious. And wait until you taste this recipe — it’s definitely in our fall and winter rotation over here already.

PS: If you’re like, man, I wish this was an Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe or I wish this was a Slow Cooker Pork Roast. We have both of those, too ?

What does this pork roast taste like?

If you are looking for a savory, home-cooked meal that’s comfort food at its finest, you’ve come to the right place!

This pork roast is savory, garlicky, and made with the most perfect gravy. It’s kid-friendly and made in one pot for easy clean-up.

What cut of pork is a pork roast?

This recipe calls for a boneless pork shoulder roast. Pork butt also works, but a pork shoulder is definitely the best cut of pork for this because it’s a bit fattier and will come out so tender and juicy.

Pork Roast Ingredients

My favorite thing about this pork roast recipe is that not only does this meal provide the protein, but it’s also made with tons of veggies and gravy too!

Meat: This recipe calls for a 3 lb. pork shoulder roast, which means you’ll either be able to serve the whole fam, or cook a meal you can easily (and deliciously) reheat throughout the week from leftovers. We recommend a pork shoulder, but a pork butt works too.

Veggies: Don’t skip the veg! These simple hearty vegetables cook at the same time as your pork roast so you have a complete meal to enjoy.

• Russet potatoes
• Yellow onion
• Carrots

Seasonings: The following spices and seasonings come together to make a delicious savory dry rub for your pork! Bonus: this mixture also flavors the gravy so your veggies are completely submerged in this deliciousness as well. If you have our pork rub handy you can use that too.

• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Chili powder
• Smoked paprika
• Coarse sea salt
• Ground pepper
• Ground cinnamon
• Light brown sugar

Gravy: This gravy is simple yet delicious! And because the dry rub completely covers your roast, it will infuse its savory flavors into this gravy as well. Here’s what else you need:

• Chicken broth
• Maple syrup
• Worcestershire sauce

How to Cook a Pork Roast in Oven

This is truly the ultimate pork roast recipe. It comes together with just 10 easy ingredients. Let’s walk through it step-by-step:

1. Mix Spice Rub: combine all of the spices (garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, coarse sea salt) and then, rub it on all sides of the pork shoulder. 
2. Prep Veggies: cut russet potatoes into 1-inch chunks and dice a yellow onion and 6 large carrots into big pieces. Set aside.
3. Sear Pork Shoulder: heat olive oil in a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven. Then, sear all sides of the pork for a few minutes or until brown.
4. Assemble Pork Roast: deglaze the pot with some chicken broth. Then, add the diced veggies onto the bottom of your stockpot and toss it in the broth and oil. Place the pork shoulder (fat-side-up) on top of the veggies. make sure to scrape in any excess dry rub as it will add flavor to the gravy.
5. Mix Liquids: combine chicken broth, maple syrup, and Worchestershire sauce and then pour it over the top of the pork shoulder.
6. Bake: Bake the pork roast in oven at 350ºF for 60 minutes. After 1 hour, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the pork. Continue to cook in increments of 10 minutes until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF. Our 3 lb. pork shoulder took around 75-80 minutes.
7. Let Rest: let your pork roast recipe rest for 5 minutes before serving. 
8. Toss Veggies in Gravy: Toss the roasted veggies in the gravy that is in the pot so that the veggies are nice and coated with amazing flavor.

To Thicken the Gravy

While we didn’t find it necessary to thicken the gravy, you’re more than welcome to do so.

Combine 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings with 1 to 2 teaspoons of corn starch and whisk. Then, add the slurry back into the rest of the gravy and whisk to combine.

Oven Baked Pork Roast FAQs

What Cut of Pork Should I use?

We knew we wanted to make a fairly traditional pork roast recipe, so we were deciding between two cuts of meat: a pork loin roast or pork shoulder roast.

• Pork Loin Roast: A pork loin roast comes from the back of the pig. It’s typically a very lean piece of meat, so if you are slow roasting, you have to be careful you don’t overcook it. In this recipe, if you use a pork loin roast it will be more of a pork chop texture that requires slicing when eating.
• Pork Shoulder Roast:  A pork shoulder comes from the shoulder of a pig. It typically has more fat, which makes it great for slow roasting. We recommend this cut of meat for this recipe because it’s a super juicy, fattier, and tender.

Have a bigger or smaller roast?

If you have a bigger or smaller roast, no fear! Cooking meat is all about temperature and the goal here is to get your pork to 145ºF.

For a smaller roast, start with 45 minutes and check the temperature every 10 minutes. For a larger roast, add on time to our suggested 75 minutes in 5-10 minute increments.

Will my pork roast fall off the bone?

It depends! You’ll see in these photos that we had a fattier cut of pork shoulder, and it was more fall off the bone. But if you get a leaner shoulder of pork (there is some fattiness variation between pig shoulders!), it’s more likely that you’ll have to slice the pork when you serve it.

How do I flavor pork roast?

You can flavor pork with any of your favorite spice rubs. We recommend the best dry rub for pork. No matter what spice rub you use, be sure to use enough SALT as it will help tenderize the pork!

Can I overcook pork roast?

It is hard to overcook a pork roast! Especially since it’s a fattier cut of meat. There is a sweet spot when the pork becomes tender and falls off the bone. When that happens, keep an eye on the pork before it becomes too mushy!

What to serve with Pork roast

Pork roast goes well with just about anything! It tends to be a heavier meal, so pairing it with something a little lighter is always a good idea! Here are a few of our favorite pairings with this slow cooker pork roast:

How long does pork roast last?

To store this oven roasted pork roast, let the pork cool completely before placing it in an air-tight container. You can keep the pork roast in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 7 days!

Storage

Let your pork roast cool completely. Then, transfer the pork and veggies into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.