Looking for something to wow a crowd? Look no further than this easy, impressive pork crown roast.
I have to tell you. I can hardly think of a dinner that’s more grand, more awe-inducing than this one. A crown roast of pork is the perfect special-occasion meal. It’s one of my favorite things to serve for Christmas and it never fails to impress.
And—you won’t believe how crazy-simple it is to make. Basically, season it, put it in a pan, and let the oven do the work. How great is that?
What Is A Pork Crown Roast?
A pork crown roast is pork loin rib roasts formed into a circle, ribs up. You can form the crown yourself (here’s an article from Bon Appetit about how to do it), but since you probably have to call ahead for pork loin rib roasts anyway, ask your butcher to do it for you. A typical crown is two 8-rib racks, to serve 16 people. But it could be made with more racks to accommodate bigger crowds. Just tell your butcher how many ribs you need and let them do the rest.
Cooking A Crown Roast
Since a crown roast is basically two (or more) pork loin roasts with the ribs attached, I use my perfect roast pork loin cooking method. That method involves cooking it first at 350°F, and then resting it, and then finishing with a final crust-forming blast of heat. You then take it to the table to carve and serve immediately.
Because the roast is ribs formed into a circle, sometimes you’ll see recipes that include stuffing—you put the stuffing inside the circle and cook it along with the roast. But just like when you roast a stuffed turkey and you have to cook it until the innermost bits of stuffing come to a food-safe temperature, by the time your crown roast stuffing is done, your meat might be overdone. In other words, stuffing your roast means the meat might end up tough and dry. So cook your sides separately—for you’ll have tender, juicy, perfectly cooked meat every time.
However, that middle area is there, so if you want to make it beautiful, you can. Just before serving, you can put a pile of fresh herbs into the middle for decoration. Or, if you’ve made stuffing separately, there’s no reason you can’t pile it into the middle.
Temperature For Pork
The temperature that is considered safe for pork is now 145°F, according to the USDA. However, many of us grew up with the safe temperature being 160°F. If you are happy with your pork being a little bit pink, you’re going to take your roast out of the oven during the first round of cooking when it reaches 135°F. Then it rests for a bit, then it goes back into the oven for a final blast of heat. Make sure that it’s 145°F before you serve it. It should be just over that by then.
If, however, you like your pork fully white throughout, well-done, then you’ll take yours out in the first round when it reaches 150°F. Then it will rest and then it will go back in for that last blast of heat. It will be close to 160°F by then and should be perfect for you.
However you cook it, make sure everyone is gathered at the table when you make your grand entrance. I promise a pork crown roast will make them swoon. – Christine :)
More Holiday Roast Recipes
Podcast Episode: Making Pork Crown Roast
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these steak tips, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
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Pork Crown Roast Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Looking for something to wow a crowd? Look no further than this easy, impressive pork crown roast.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried herb blend (Italian herb blend, herbes de Provence, or make your own)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pepper
- 1 (16-rib) pork rib crown roast (about 10 lbs.) (see notes)
- About 6 ribs celery (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix together the herbs, salt, and pepper. Rub it all over pork.
- Put the pork on a rack in a roasting pan with the ribs pointing up. If you don’t have a rack use about 6 stalks of celery arranged in the pan.
- Roast until the internal temperature is 135°F 14-18 minutes per pound (150°F if you prefer well-done pork, 16-23 minutes per pound). Transfer roast to rimmed plate and cover with foil to rest for 30 minutes. Pour drippings out of pan, rinse out pan, and wipe it down.*
- Meanwhile, increase the oven to 475°F.
- Put the roast into the hot oven uncovered for 10 minutes, until the meat is nicely browned. Check that the internal temperature is at least 145°F.
- Take the roast to the table, carve between the rib bones, and serve immediately.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
- A crown roast is pork loin rib roasts formed into a circle, ribs up. It makes for a really beautiful presentation. You can form the crown yourself, but since you probably have to call ahead for pork loin rib roasts anyway, ask your butcher to do it for you. A typical crown is two 8-rib racks, to serve 16 people, but it could be made with more racks to accommodate bigger crowds.
- For even more flavorful meat, brine the pork before you roast it. But if you do, use the full amount of salt in the brine recipe but cut the salt in the above recipe to 1 and 1/4 teaspoons. See here for how to brine and why it makes such a difference.
*This step is done so that any drippings in the pan don’t burn when you put the pan back into the oven at a hot temperature. You really want a clean roasting pan for that step. If not using the drippings in the roasting pan, just pour them out, rinse the pan, and wipe it dry. If using the drippings to make gravy, first, pour them out of the roasting pan. Then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water or stock to the roasting pan and swish it around. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any flavorful browned bits. Add this liquid to your drippings. Then rinse out the pan and wipe it dry before adding the roast back to the pan.
This post originally appeared in November 2018 and was revised and republished in October 2023.
I cooked a 16 rib crown roast of pork according to you recipe. Amazing!
Shannon, I’m so happy to hear that! I hope you had a wonderful meal. Thank you for coming back to let me know :)
This is indeed an impressive roast. Perfect for a special occasion.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! Glad you enjoyed.
Excellent recipe for Pork Loin Crown Roast- it was delicious and very easy to make. I will positively make this dish again!!
I made this last night and it was fabulous!!! We really loved the flavor and it was so moist. Definately plan to make it again.
That’s wonderful, Tracey! Since you loved it, I’d really appreciate you giving the recipe 5 stars to help others find this recipe too. Thanks!