Sunday dinner means a lot of things to a lot of people. It can be the time you gather with friends and family, or the time you are relaxing for just a little longer before starting another work week. In either case, an easy and delicious dinner is the perfect way to enjoy Sunday evening—or any evening! This recipe is simple, affordable and delightfully delicious.Â
The Sunday Pork Roast is a quintessential family meal, perfect for those leisurely weekends. It combines the rich, deep flavors of a perfectly seasoned pork shoulder with the earthy goodness of roasted vegetables. The combination of garlic, onion, and paprika creates a savory crust on the pork, while the vegetables, cooked in the same pan, absorb the meat’s juices, becoming tender and flavorful. The apple juice adds a subtle sweetness, complementing the savory notes of the roast. This recipe is not just about creating a meal; it’s about crafting an experience that brings the family together. Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned home cook, this roast is straightforward to prepare, requiring simple ingredients and no complex techniques.
Sunday Pork Roast is an easy to make comfort food that is hearty, filling, and can easily feed the whole family for Sunday dinner. This recipe includes instructions for a classic oven braise as well as cooking in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Pork Shoulder or Butt Roast: These cuts are ideal for roasting. For a leaner option, try pork loin.
- Vegetable Oil: Can be substituted with olive oil for a slightly different flavor.
- Seasonings: Adjust the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to taste. Fresh garlic and onion can be used for a more intense flavor.
- White Onions: Red onions or shallots are good substitutes.
- Baby Carrots and Red Potatoes: Feel free to replace these with other vegetables like turnips or sweet potatoes.
- Apple Juice: Chicken broth or white wine can be used for a different flavor profile.
- Rosemary: Fresh is best, but dried rosemary is also suitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
The pork roast has so much fat to render, that we want to roast it uncovered, otherwise it will steam and it won’t get that great roasted flavor.
This recipe calls for a cut of pork that requires a longer time in the oven. That is good because it allows enough time for the vegetables to cook through. A loin roast cooks significantly faster, and will not give you enough time to cook your veggies thoroughly enough. If using a pork loin, you’ll need to make adjustments to the cooking time to account for these differences.
Yes. Red and Yukon Gold potatoes go best with this recipe. Russet potatoes are a little too starchy and don’t work as well. We like the baby red potatoes, which are fun too, because they can remain whole. If you can’t find ones that are about the size of a golf ball or smaller, you can cut up larger ones.
The initial high temperature sears the outside of the roast and keeps the inside juicy.
This recipe doesn’t make a specific gravy, but you can find a guide to making gravy here, which will show you how to make gravy to go with any meal, whether from scratch or from your roast’s drippings.
Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Instructions
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:Â Season the roast as directed in step 2 of the recipe. Place the meat directly into a slow cooker. Add in all remaining ingredients and cook on low 8 hours.
INSTANT POT ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:Â Follow this recipe as directed, but instead of searing and roasting the roast in a large pot, you’ll do all of this in your pressure cooker. Sear the roast using the sear setting on your electric pressure cooker. Deglaze the pan with liquids, and add in vegetables. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release. Then, switch the release valve to the venting position. Remove the lid once steam has stopped coming out.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through. For freezing, slice the pork and store it in freezer-safe containers with some of the cooking juices to retain moisture.
More Delicious Pork Recipes
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
OMG!! This was delicious! I had a 4.48 lb pork shoulder blade – boneless! Rubbed with olive oil and added all those wonderful spices. after 1 -2 hours, added all the veggies including potatoes carrots, celery, and onion, Smelled wonderful throughout the house while it roasted. I did also remove LOTS of fatty liquid from the pot. Way too oily to enjoy. Eveyone raved!!! Will make again for sure!!!
Absolutely delicious! Was skeptical about Apple juice but followed recipe. Slight sweetness but great blend with spices and natural meat juices. It’s a keeper😋! Another winner.
Will be adding this to my list of favorites. The only think I changed is I used Smoked paprika on the pork.
We had this for Easter dinner and everyone loved it! And easy prep!
We love this recipe! We are going to serve it to guests tonight. Thanks!
I received chef Rachel’s family favorites cookbook for my birthday February 10th 2023 and have already made three recipes out of it. I did find a typo or missing piece on the Sunday pork roast telling us to preheat our oven to 450. This recipe is on page 57 of my cookbook. Just thought for future reference you might want to update that. Thank you Rachel for all the wonderful recipes I’m going to continue to cook out of this cookbook as much as I can! My goal is to do one to two recipes a week. Thank you for your dedication and all the delicious food recipes!
looking for a quick pork roast recipe. Not only was this great it was easy. My husband is a picky eater and after one bite he said “This goes to the top of the A List!” I didn’t even know there was an A llist. I’ll be looking for more recipes from the Stay at Home Chef.
we made this as recipe stated not complicated.rubbed with oil and recipe seasoning threw pork shoulder in a roasting pan less mess.it browned great then followed along.very tasty!the only change is no rosemary.i would definetly make this again!thanks
I bought your cookbook Family Favorites and on page 57 Sunday Pork Roast, it is missing the first step to preheat oven to 450 degrees. I love the book!!!!!
Pork roast is delicious. I was a little hesitant about apple juice being too sweet. Not so, in combination with dry ingredients and natural meat juices it was a perfect blend and absolutely delicious. This Grt G’ma so pleased😋