Cider Braised Pork Roast | Garden in the Kitchen

This Cider Braised Pork Roast recipe features melt-in-your-mouth pork that’s seared and then simmered to perfection in a sweet and savory broth. Serve this fall-inspired dish alongside mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Cider braised pork roast and fresh thyme.

This delicious pork roast is the perfect meal to celebrate fall flavors. Slow simmered in apple cider alongside sweet onions, green apples, and a handful of aromatics, this roast turns out fork tender and pairs perfectly with everyone’s favorite comfort food; mashed potatoes or my favorite lower carb option, cauliflower mashed potatoes.

If mashed potatoes aren’t your thing serve the roast with rice, noodles, polenta, or even a loaf of crusty bread would work to soak up all the amazing flavors.

Cooking with apple cider

If you’ve never cooked with apple cider, fall is the perfect time to pick some up. Not to be confused with apple cider vinegar, apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic apple drink made from fresh apples.

Incorporating apple cider into your cooking adds a blend of tartness and sweetness. When it is simmered, as in this pork roast recipe, the cider reduces to a rich, tangy sauce that beautifully coats the pork and compliments its savory flavors.

If you don’t have apple cider on hand, you can substitute with apple juice but make sure it is unsweetened apple juice or your pork roast will turn out too sweet.

Raw pork roast with fresh thyme, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and a dish towel.

Ingredients

Pork butt roast: Choose a roast that’s firm and has some marbling. I used boneless but bone-in also works.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar helps the meat caramelize and develop a crusty exterior in addition to adding sweetness.
Salt and pepper: Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sweet onion: A large sweet onion, sliced, adds loads of flavor.
Apples: I used green apples, sliced, as you want to use apples that are tart.
Seasonings: I used a combination of bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, and fresh thyme.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour or if you want, gluten-free flour is also good.
Apple cider: Yes, this is apple cider, not apple cider vinegar.
Broth: I used chicken broth but vegetable broth also works for simmering the pork.
Olive oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil but any type will work.

Seasoned raw pork with fresh thyme and a black and white dish towel.

Instructions

1: Combine the brown sugar with the salt and pepper in a small bowl and use the mixture to season the pork butt well on all sides.

Important note: If time permits, let the pork sit at room temperature with the seasoning for 30 minutes.

Chopped green apple, sliced onion, and fennel seeds in a pot with fresh thyme and a black and white dish towel.

2: Using a cast iron Dutch oven, over medium-low heat, brown the pork roast. You want the pork to be golden brown on all sides. Once brown, remove from the pot.

Important note: For the best flavor and texture, do not skip this step! You may end up with a layer of burnt sugar at the bottom of the pan at this point. It should be removed before you continue with the recipe. You can wash it out or use a spatula to scrape it off.

3: Add the sliced onion and apple to the pork greased cast iron pot and sauté until softened.

4: Stir in the flour to thicken the broth and create a delicious apple sauce-like gravy. You can pour this over the pork roast when you serve it.

5: Using a whisk to stir, pour in the apple cider, then add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, fennel, and fresh thyme.

6: Pour in the chicken broth and then add the pork roast back to the pot.

7: Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook until the pork roast is fork-tender.

Cider braised pork roast in a Dutch oven with fresh thyme ad a white and black dish towel.

Cider braised pork roast in a Dutch oven, fresh thyme, and a dish towel.

Storage and Make Ahead

Storage: Leftover braised pork roast will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store in an airtight container.

Freeze: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheating: Reheat leftovers over the stove, stirring occasionally, until the pork is heated through.

Make ahead: Because the pork simmers for quite a while in the oven, it’s great to get this recipe going during your meal prep. This way it’s ready to eat during the week.

Looking for more pork recipes for next time?

Mix the brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season pork well on all sides with this mixture. If possible allow the pork to sit at room temperature with this dry mix for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a cast iron dutch oven. On medium-low heat brown the pork roast on all sides until golden brown. Don’t skip this step (see notes for details). Remove pork roast from pan.
To the pork greased cast iron pot add in sweet onion sliced and apples. Sauté until softened (about 5 minutes)
Stir in the flour, this will slightly thicken the broth and create a delicious apple sauce like gravy that you can pour over the pork roast when serving.
Whisk in apple cider, then add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, fennel and fresh thyme.
Top it with chicken or vegetable broth and add pork back into the pot.
Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook pork roast in the oven covered for about 2 1/2 hours or until fork tender.

Notes: during this step it is possible that the sugar on the pork will create a burn-like layer on the bottom of the pot. Try browning the pork on medium-low heat. Alternatively, you can do this step in a separate pan, or wash the pot after this step to remove the burned crust. I used a wooden spatula and was able to remove the thin burn-like crust, but it is important that this crust is removed before we go on to the next steps.