Fennel-Crusted Pork Loin with Potatoes and Pears
An easy, delicious, hands-off dinner that's a little savory and a little sweet.
Servings: 6
Calories: 520kcal
Equipment
- bullet blender or spice grinder
- large roasting pan with 2 inch sides
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 pound small or fingerling potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 3 pears (cored and quartered)
- 2 small onions (Halved and sliced)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Pork
- 2-3 pounds pork loin
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (crushed or ground)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced garlic)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a large roasting pan with 2 inch sides, combine potatoes, pears, onion segments, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix together, coating everything well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Coarsely crush or grind fennel seeds, and combine with garlic powder, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Rub mixture over pork loin and place fat-side up in the roasting pan, pushing the vegetables to the side.
- Bake at 400℉ for 50-60 minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork is 145℉. I always use a thermometer to test this. Let pork rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Serve pork alongside vegetables. Spoon what liquid there is over the pork and vegetables. Serve with an extra side and a green vegetable.
Notes
I use yellow or white potatoes. I use (slightly underripe) Bartlett pears, but you can try Bosc or Anjou.
Fennel seed is not the same as fennel fronds or the fennel bulb, but is from the same plant.
Place a digital probe thermometer in the pork and place the roasting pan in the oven, being sure that the thermometer cord isn't too close to the heating element.
Calorie count calculated in MyNetDiary, is an estimate only, and assumes a 2-pound pork loin yielding 6 servings.
Adapted from Real Simple magazine
Revised slightly July 31, 2025.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal
