Slow Cooker Honey-Soy Braised Pork With Lime and Ginger Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Margaux Laskey, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

This kind of dish is why people love slow cookers: very low effort, max yum. My 5 and 7 yos love it over jasmine rice with sliced avocado and cucumbers on the side. I've made this with fresh or jarred garlic and ginger. Either works.

shell

The sesame oil should be added after cooking (at the end) or it turns bitter.

Brett

I was confused by all the conflicting comments.So I cooked it per the recipe.It was fantastic.

Meghan

To make this on the stove instead of a slow cooker: heat high heat oil in a Dutch oven. Cut meat in 2-3 pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sear on all sides until golden brown. Will probably take 15 mins. Meanwhile, chop your ginger and garlic. Remove the meat from the pan. Sauté aromatics. Add sauce to the pan, scrape up the burnt bits of pork, bring to a boil. Put meat back in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and put in a 250 oven for 4 hours (for about 4 lb of meat).

Patricia Garcia

Sometimes, I can't believe some of the comments made here....Susan, chopping garlic and ginger is substantial pre-crockpot prep? Lordy girl, don't ever make a real braise, you'll be dog-tired. Guessing you don't cook a lot.

Stephen

Had great intentions of starting this in the morning to be ready for dinner in the evening... Needless to say I didn't get it all prepared until close to 3 pm. Luckily, this recipe worked a treat in our pressure cooker - 30 mins on high with 30 mins natural release. Made it per the recipe otherwise, and it was delicious!

Susan

Giving just 2 stars. First the pre-crockpot prep is not an easy 5 min. There is some substantial chopping and dicing to do. All that would have been worth it for a delicious braising sauce to spoon over the meat at the end. I did not like this sauce. Meat came out fine, but sauce tasted burnt/bitter. I tried to doctor it w rice wine, apple cider vinegar, more honey. Nothing helped the bad aftertaste.

Kathy

I followed some of the suggestions: 1/2 cup of honey and added about 1/2 cup of water . I had plenty of sauce. With many comments about it being too salty, I used Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce for the soy sauce and thinking was a great alternative.Pork was tender, sauce was delicious and the scallions, sesame seeds and limes added great texture and color. I didn’t use any grated lime due to other comments and don’t think it was missed. Will definitely make again!

Kait

This was an enjoyable meal that allowed the meat to get some nice crispy edges while still being moist and flavorful. However, given the calories and effort required, I have to recommend the Skinny Taste Banh Mi Bowl recipe over this one. Virtually the same flavor payoff (my fiancé didn’t realize it was a different recipe) with less work and fewer calories. Highly recommend serving both recipes with rice, cilantro, jalapeños/Serrano peppers, pickled carrots, cucumbers, and a sriracha aioli.

Mama Fontana

I’ve made this twice, once with a pork roast and once with a beef roast. Both times baked in a Dutch oven for 2-3 hours. The beef was much better than the pork!

Heather

I initially rated this three stars, but I took the leftovers out of the freezer last week and used them in a stir fry, and they were delicious. I simply froze hunks of the cooked meat in the sauce, and then I used the sauce in the stir fry. Bumped it up to four stars and will definitely make it again!

Lindsey

Due to coronavirus shortages at the grocery stores, I had to settle for pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder. I know that's a completely different cut of meat. I still followed all of the instructions and slow-cooked it on low for about 6 hours. Was still able to shred it (although it was a bit dry). We ate it with white rice and had the leftovers as pork fried rice the next day.

Amanda

I enjoyed this. No burnt flavor as I followed other reviewers’ advice and swapped 1/4 cup of brown sugar for the honey. I only added lime as a garnish at the end and didn’t use much of the sauce. We ate it with squeezed lime juice, scallions and cilantro over white rice and it was pretty delicious.

Payal

I used an Instant Pot and it worked well! Cooked on high for 30 minutes and then natural release (it was over an hour before I opened it up). It was tender and there was no burned taste. I also used coconut aminos instead of tamari or soy sauce and it was not salty at all. I used a lot a red chili powder instead of the flakes and it came out with a nice spice balance of sweet and spicy. I would have used much less sesame oil since the sauce at the end was too oily.

Jen

6 pound pork roast in 300 degree oven for about 5 hours, basted a couple times; used olive oil instead roasted sesame oil for the roast, based on previous comments; then added a drizzle of sesame oil at the end while reducing the sauce. In addition to the suggested garnishes, I served this with quick pickled veggies (carrots and cucumbers, radishes next time) - the pickled veggies really added brightness to the dish as a whole.This was terrific and easy - great combo! Will be on repeat.

M

This turned out exactly like I knew it would: out of this world delicious. Will make again. Will make for company. (I cooked it in the oven since I have no crockpot. Cut pieces into 2X2 inches, and baked at 350 for 2.5 hours or so.)

Emily

Chopped and seared the port butt/shoulder. Didn't season the meat given the amount of salt in the soy sauce. Braise with 1 cup soy and 1 cup honey for each 4lbs. Used stock to cover. Did not add sesame oil and lime during the braise. Added lime at the end. The sauce didn't thicken, but was tasty. Served with rice, roasted sweet potatoes, cucumbers, scallions, sesame seeds, and sriracha mayo.

Stephen Martin

If you make with 1 pound pork, how long would you cook it?

Ruth

Followed the ingredients exactly but braised in the oven per Meghan's note from a year ago, because the thing about cooking meat in the slow cooker is you don't get that lovely sear. These flavors and that method yielded a truly delicious dish. Portioned out the leftovers and froze them, and they're just as good. This is a keeper.

NL

I don't eat pork. Could I make this with chicken thighs?

mw

can I use bone-in

Ruth

Yes, I did.

MB

We loved this recipe! Super easy and super delicious. We ate this in butter lettuce "cups" with pickled veggies. And then we ate the leftovers on a baguette with some sriracha mayo - a delicious little bahn mi style sandwich!I will try to trim my pork shoulder a bit better next time because we ended up with a lot of fat to skim off the sauce before cooking it down and there was still a little too much in the sauce.

VZ

Didn’t read other comments before making it and followed the recipe as is. Didn’t find it to taste burnt or bitter at all. Made for a satisfying meal.

Ari

I’m cooking for just 2, and am curious if anyone knows by how much I should reduce this recipe?

Bobcat108

Hi Ari—My experience w/NYT recipes is that they make way more than the stated number of servings (e.g., a recent recipe for spicy chicken soup w/bok choy made not just eight servings, but 20...easily enough to feed all of the dwarves & Bilbo & Gandalf too). I haven't made this recipe yet, but based on the weight of the pork in the freezer, I'm going to cut everything in half, & am guessing that it'll make at least four servings (dinner tomorrow for my husband & me, & then leftovers for lunch).

Ruth

I portioned out and froze the leftovers, 3 oz per serving, and got 5 dinners for two. You can buy the pork shoulder, cut it into several pieces, and freeze the ones you don't cook.

chris

Made the mistake of adding the lime juice to the slower cooker, didn’t have any issues with bitterness! Only had Trader Joe’s Soyaki on hand, so I halved the honey to account for its sweetness. Delicious and will definitely repeat!

Birdie

This was really excellent especially for how easy it was. I didn't have enough honey on hand so I subbed in a little brown sugar and pineapple juice for what I didn't have. Turned out very good. Served over brown rice with roasted broccoli. This pork would make really excellent fusion tacos too.

ChefBoyAl

Delicious. Like others have noted, I felt there was a slight bitter aftertaste, however, not enough to keep me from making it again. Next time I will hold the lime zest until the slowcooker is done.

CK

Has anyone made this without sesame oil? My daughter is allergic to sesame. Is there another oil we can use for added flavor?

SweetMommaP

I’ve made this many times - some where I measured/have all the ingredients and most where I wing it. It’s never not been good - really good!! Which is amazing for how easy it is. Garlic & ginger from a tube? Awesome. Red pepper flakes vs a couple splashes of Franks Hot Sauce! Both are terrific. Lime juice, grapefruit juice, whatever you have that’s acidic? Throw it in. You can leave this for many hours and it only gets better. The prefect “you don’t have to be perfect” recipe…

Hazel

The recipe was great! I opted to add the lime juice at the end and instead of rice we had some roasted butternut squash. They paired really nicely : )

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Slow Cooker Honey-Soy Braised Pork With Lime and Ginger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you take string off pork before cooking in slow cooker? ›

Remove strings and cut into pieces as needed so that it will fit into the crock pot. 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika or your favorite pork rub. Smoked Paprika will help to give it that little smokey flavor!

How do you brown pork before slow cooking? ›

Before sticking the pork directly in the slow cooker, cut it into quarters, pat the meat dry with a paper towel, and season each piece thoroughly with salt and pepper. Sear each piece in a cast-iron skillet with oil just until the exterior is evenly browned.

Do you leave string on roast in slow cooker? ›

In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place onion. If beef roast comes in netting or is tied, remove netting or strings. Place beef on onion.

Do I leave the strings on my pork roast? ›

Prep the Meat

Remove any packaging (except string if it's a rolled joint - the string will help it keep its shape) and pat the meat and skin dry.

Do you have to brown pork before slow cooking? ›

Preparing the pork

I prefer to season the meat before adding it to the slow cooker with my favourite spices, along with salt and pepper. I also recommend browning the meat slightly prior to slow cooking which will help maximise the flavour. However, this is a step that can be left out if you don't have enough time.

How do you keep pork from drying out in a slow cooker? ›

Cooking a lean roast like pork tenderloin in a slow cooker is tricky because it can quickly turn overcooked and dry. We discovered that nestling two tenderloins side by side, alternating the narrow and thicker ends, helped to insulate the meat and prevented it from overcooking.

What happens if you don't brown meat before slow cooking? ›

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

What happens if you don't sear meat before slow cooking? ›

Searing meat before slow cooking adds flavor through caramelization, but it's not mandatory. If you skip searing, you might miss some depth of flavor, but the slow cooker will still cook the meat thoroughly.

Does pork get more tender the longer it cooks in a slow cooker? ›

At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone.

Do potatoes go on top or bottom of roast? ›

directions. Put potatoes, carrots and onion on bottom of crockpot. Place the roast on top, fat side up. Pour in water or beef broth.

Why does meat go stringy in slow cooker? ›

The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture.

Why is my roast still tough after 6 hours? ›

There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.

Should you oil pork before roasting? ›

Prepare Pork for Roasting

Dry skin – Pat skin dry using a paper towel; Season flesh – Season the flesh sides of the pork with salt, pepper and optional fennel, with a drizzle of oil; Salt skin – On the skin side, drizzle with oil then sprinkle evenly with salt.

Why is my pork skin not crackling? ›

The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

Why is there string on pork? ›

The mesh is there to help it keep its shape for even cooking and easy carving. It is simply an updated version of butchers string.

Can you leave string on meat in slow cooker? ›

Place the brisket into the pot: remove the any string around the meat before cooking, as you don't want it to hold its shape, you want it to break down into the stock.

Do you cook pork with or without string? ›

Cook your joint of meat and then let it rest, take the mesh off after that and carve as normal. The elastic mesh is there to keep the joint together when cooking it, so yes it is safe to cook it with the mesh on. Just don't forget to remove it before carving the joint.

Do you cut the fat off pork shoulder before slow cooking for pulled pork? ›

Trim off any large pieces of fat from the outside of a 4 to 6 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt (or 5 to 7 pounds bone-in), but leave small pieces and the interior fat. If using boneless pork, cut the pork into several large fist-sized pieces. If using bone-in, leave the pork as is, on the bone.

Do you cut string off meat before cooking? ›

An hour before cooking take the beef out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature. Remove packaging and pat dry with kitchen roll. Don't remove any string around the joint until after it's been cooked and rested. Snip it off when you're ready to slice and serve.

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