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Does brining pork loin before smoking make it juicier? We put a wet brine to the test on the smoker, plus our easy brine recipe, glaze, and tips for the best smoked pork loin.
Pork loin is one of the most budget-friendly cuts you can throw on the smoker or pellet grill – you can grab a whole loin for around $20 on sale and feed a crowd for cheap. The catch? It’s lean, it’s mild, and it’s notorious for drying out if you’re not careful.
So we set out to develop a smoked pork loin recipe that you would actually want to eat. And not just when money is tight.
We wanted to settle a debate once and for all: does a wet brine actually make a smoked pork loin better? We swear by wet brining for turkey, so we ran a side-by-side test – one pork loin brined, one left plain – and smoked them both the same way to see if the brine was worth the extra step.
Here’s exactly how we did it, what we found, and how to make your own smoked pork loin with a wet brine at home.
Why You Should Brine Your Pork Loin
- It helps offset how lean the cut is. Pork loin doesn’t have much intermuscular fat, which is exactly why it dries out so easily. A wet brine gets moisture into the meat before it ever hits the smoker, giving it a head start against all that lean tissue.
- It makes for a juicier, more tender bite. In our side-by-side test, the brined loin was noticeably juicier, more tender, and easier to cut than the un-brined one. Side by side, the difference was obvious.
- It seasons the meat all the way through, not just the surface. A dry rub only flavors the outside. A brine gets salt and flavor into the meat itself, so every bite is seasoned – not just the crust.
- It adds a little insurance for a naturally bland cut. Pork loin is mild by nature. The brine (plus the smoke and seasoning) helps build layers of flavor instead of relying on the meat alone.
- It’s a low-effort way to hedge your bet. All you’re doing is mixing a few ingredients in a zip-top bag and letting the fridge do the work overnight. It’s an easy step to add if you have the lead time.
*One honest note from our test: the brined loin did pick up a bit more salt flavor, almost like deli meat, especially compared to the natural, unseasoned taste of the plain loin. But once it’s sliced onto a sandwich or served with sides, most people won’t be able to tell much difference in flavor – the biggest, most noticeable win from brining is texture and juiciness, not flavor.
Brine for Pork Loin
This is a simple wet brine – no boiling required, just a zip-top bag and a little patience. It’s similar to the brines we use for turkey and chicken, adapted for pork loin.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
How to make it: Add all the ingredients to a gallon-sized zip-top bag and mix or shake it around until the salt and sugar dissolve – no heat needed, it just takes a little agitation. Add your pork loin, press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and refrigerate. Let it brine overnight or for at least 8 hours for the best flavor and moisture penetration.
*NOTE – This brine recipe is for half a pork loin. If you want to brine and smoke a whole loin, then I recommend using two gallon-sized bags and preparing two batches of the brine.
How to Make the Best Smoked Pork Loin
After you’ve followed the steps above to make the brine and wet brine the loin, here’s what to do next:
Remove and dry the pork loin. Take the pork loin out of the brine and set it on a wire rack to drain and air-dry for a few minutes before seasoning. Pat dry with paper towels.
Season the pork loin. Rub a thin layer of neutral oil over the entire loin to act as a binder. Season generously with your BBQ seasoning on all sides, then finish with a pass of coarse black pepper.
The coarse black pepper isn’t just for flavor – the ridges of the granules actually help to pick up extra smoke flavor. We like to add extra coarse black pepper to many larger smoked meats, because our ‘Que That Rub and Seasoning is not pepper-heavy.
Smoke the pork loin. Set your smoker to 250°F. We used Smokin’ Pecan pellets for a slightly stronger flavor that stands up well to a thicker cut like a pork loin. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches about 120-125°F. No spritzing needed for this one.
*Tip: Use a reliable meat thermometer with a probe you can leave in the whole cook. Temperature, not time, is what determines when your pork loin is done – and it’s the single most important factor in keeping it juicy. We use and recommend the Typhur Sync Gold Series thermometer.
Make the glaze. While the pork loin smokes, combine the honey, hot sauce, lemon juice, and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let it reduce slightly.
Glaze and finish at a higher temp. Once the pork loin hits around 120°F internally, brush on the glaze and bump your smoker temperature up to 350°F to help set it. Pull the pork loin off around 140°F internal.
*Tip: Pulling at 140°F gives you room for carryover cooking to bring it up to the ideal 145°F finished temperature. How much a piece of meat carries over depends on its size and how long it’s been cooking – it’s not the same for every cut. However, since you finished the cook with the smoker set to 350°F, you should have enough carryover to get to the recommended safe temperature of 145°F.
Rest before slicing. Let the pork loin rest until the internal temperature stops climbing (from the carryover cooking) and instead starts to drop – that’s the sign that it’s safe to start slicing without losing too much of the internal juices.
*Tip: If you’re planning to use it for sandwiches, an even better move is to smoke it, let it cool, then plastic wrap and refrigerate it whole and slice later. Almost all of that moisture stays locked inside the meat instead of ending up on your cutting board.
Frequently Asked Questions
No – but our side-by-side test showed a real difference. The brined loin was noticeably juicier and more tender than the un-brined one. If you have the time, it’s worth the extra step, especially since it barely adds any hands-on work.
Pull it around 140°F internal and let carryover cooking bring it up to a finished temperature of about 145°F. Always rely on a trusted meat thermometer rather than guessing by time alone.
In our test, the brined and un-brined loins finished within about 30 minutes of each other, with the un-brined having the shorter cook time.
It can add a little more saltiness than an un-brined loin – some people compared the flavor to deli meat. If you’re sensitive to salt, keep that in mind, though once it’s sliced onto a sandwich or plated with sides, the difference is much less noticeable. If you’re worried about the saltiness, then use a seasoning that is not salt-forward. Our ‘Que That barbecue seasoning was perfect for this.
Serving Suggestions
Smoked pork loin is one of those cuts that’s just as good freshly sliced as it is repurposed the next day. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use it:
- Pile it on a sandwich. Slice it up and build a smoked pork loin sandwich with barbecue sauce, sweet pickled red onions, pickles, banana peppers, or jalapeños, and top it with an easy coleslaw for BBQ sandwiches.
- Dice it up for fried rice. Leftover smoked pork loin adds a great smoky flavor to a quick pork fried rice.
- Slice and serve hot. Straight off the smoker with your favorite sides, it doesn’t need much else. Try serving with our smoked baked beans.
- Chop it for tacos or quesadillas. The smoke flavor holds up well mixed with cheese and your favorite toppings.
- Cold, straight from the fridge. If you smoke it whole and slice it the next day, you’ll lock in even more moisture – perfect for meal-prepped lunches or cold sandwiches all week.
Smoked Pork Loin with Wet Brine
Ingredients
- 4 lb half pork loin
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, for binder
- 3 tablespoons 'Que That Rub and Seasoning, or your favorite BBQ seasoning
- 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
For the Brine:
- 4 cups water
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about 1/4 lemon
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Make the brine: In a gallon zip-top bag, combine 4 cups water, ¾ cup apple juice, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 smashed garlic clove, ¼ cup kosher salt, and ¼ cup brown sugar. Seal and shake until the salt and sugar fully dissolve.
- Brine the pork loin: Add the pork loin to the bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight for the best flavor and moisture penetration. *If your half pork loin (about 4 lbs) is too long to fully submerge in a gallon zip-top bag, cut it in half.
- Remove and dry: After brining, remove the pork loin from the brine and set it on a wire rack to drain and air-dry for a few minutes before seasoning. Pat it dry with paper towels.
- Season the pork loin: Rub the neutral oil all over the loin as a binder. Season generously on all sides with the 3 tablespoons BBQ seasoning, then finish with a pass of the 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper.
- Preheat smoker: Heat your smoker or pellet grill to 250℉ with your choice of wood or pellets. *We used Smokin' Pecan pellets, which is our preferred pellet.
- Smoke to 120°F: Smoke the pork loin until it reaches an internal temperature of about 120°F.
- Make the glaze: When the loin is almost to 120℉, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, including: ½ cup honey, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to a low boil and let it reduce slightly.
- Glaze and finish: Once the pork loin hits about 120°F internal, brush on the glaze and increase your smoker temperature to 350°F. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140°F, then pull it off. *Since you're finishing the cook with the grill set to a higher temp, the loin should carryover cook to an internal temp of 145℉.
- Rest before slicing: Let the pork loin rest until the internal temperature starts to drop slightly, which signals it's finished carrying over to about 145°F. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Cooking times – Cooking times in this recipe are provided as a guide only, and the times will vary based on the size and shape of your loin, what grill you are using, etc. You should always cook to the correct temperature, not to a specific time.
- Serving cold – This smoked pork loin recipe is great sliced thin and served cold for sandwiches. If you want to use it this way, I suggest removing the loin from the grill and allowing it to cool a bit. Then plastic wrap whole and put it in the refrigerator overnight to lock in even more moisture. Thinly slice the next day.
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