How to cook a pork roast in the oven from frozen 

Looking for an easy recipe for your weekly meal plan? This pork roast recipe in the oven will melt in your mouth and create different meals for your busy week. No thawing required! 

If you are short on time and forgot to thaw meat, cooking a pork roast from frozen will get dinner on the  table with enough time to spare! Pork roast is one of my favorite meal preps. With minimal effort and a few hours of cooking in the oven, I can create 2-3 different, unique meals for the week for those busy weeknights. This recipe is super simple: dry rub the roast with herbs and spices and toss it in the oven. No instant pot or pressure cooker required! By the time the pressure cooker reaches pressure, cooks, and does a natural release, the oven is just about just as fast as the instant pot. Plus, you are able to monitor the temperature of the pork as it is cooking to ensure it is fully cooked. There is no thawing required in this recipe; we used a frozen roast straight from the freezer.  For this recipe, cooking time will vary depending on the weight of the pork roast. Based on our trial and error, a 6.5 pound roast reached an internal temperature of 145 in five hours and a 3 pound smaller roast took just under three hours. 

What’s the difference between pork shoulder vs pork loin? 

Pork Shoulders and Pork loins are different cuts of meat that come from a pig. If you are needing to cook meat from frozen, pork shoulder or pork butt is a better choice because pork loins 

If you are in a pinch for time and cooking from frozen, choose a pork roast over a frozen pork loin because a loin is more likely to become dry because there is less fat. Pork shoulders have more fat for a tender roast that pulls apart after cooked. 

Purchase your pork shoulder from Pleasant Grove Homestead

If you are local to Iowa, you can get your pork directly from our farm. We can be found at local food co-ops and farmers markets, or you can order directly from us! Join our newsletter to receive updates when whole/half hogs become available. 

Kitchen essentials: 

Roasting pan, Dutch oven, or baking dish 

In order to cook the frozen roast, you need a baking dish that can be covered with a lid or aluminum foil. For this recipe, I used a 9×13 baking dish and aluminum foil because the roast did not fit into my Dutch oven. 

Meat thermometer

A meat thermometer will help you determine the doneness of the roast and adjust the cooking time accordingly. No guesswork needed! 

Besides a frozen roast, seasonings and spices, olive oil, and broth, this is all you need to get a juicy roast on to your family’s dining room table. 

Curious what we use in our kitchen? Visit this post to see our kitchen essentials! 

What temperature should you cook pork to? 

According to the USDA, safe eating temperature for roast pork is 145 degrees F. This means the internal temperature of the roast should be at 145*. Food safety is very important when preparing any type of meat. 

What can I do with pork roast?

Pork roast is a very nutritious protein that will feed your whole family for a few meals. Simple meals with whole foods are a great way to nourish our bodies. It is even better when you know exactly where your food has came from and how it was raised. We raise our Hereford pigs on pasture with a maintaining diet of corn and soy to keep their condition. One of the biggest costs to your monthly grocery budget is food waste. This is especially true with high-cost items like meat. Pork roast is a versatile protein that can create a variety of different meals that all look and taste different. Leftovers do not have to be boring or eating the same meal for three meals straight. Ensuring nothing goes to waste is one way to keep your grocery costs lower, even in this economy. This can also help you purchase more locally when your grocery budget is not going in to the trash with your leftovers. Some ideas with what to do with the cooked, shredded pork roast: 

-Chili 

-BBQ pulled pork 

-tacos

-Serve with a side of Easy Oven Baked Cabbage Steaks Recipe –

How to freeze shredded pork roast

If you do not plan on using all the pork roast within 3-4 days of cooking, you can put it in the freezer to keep it longer and for future meals. This is a great way to reduce food waste and also prepare a protein for a future meal. According to Cold Food Storage Chart | FoodSafety.gov, cooked pork roast is safe in the freezer for up to 6 months. After 6 months, quality and nutrient density of the meat begins to decline. 

1. Cool pork roast to room temperature or refrigerate overnight. Warm or hot meat can cause condensation that can lead to freezer burn 

2. Portion the pork roast into an airtight container such as freezer safe pyrex or freezer bags. These portion sizes should be whatever is appropriate for your family and recipes. I typically portion into quart size freezer bags. 

3. Remove air and place into freezer. 

How to cook a frozen pork roast in the oven

Ingredients:

3-5 pound bone in or boneless pork butt still frozen 

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika 

1 cup beef, vegetable, or chicken broth 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika in a small bowl. Remove packaging from pork butt and pat dry. 

2. Rub olive oil on all sides of the pork roast. Once coated with oil, add spices to all sides to all sides of the pork roast. Set into baking dish/Dutch oven. Pour broth over the top of the roast into the pan. Cover with aluminum foil or place lid on top of Dutch oven. 

3. Place roast into heated oven. Cook for 90 minutes then insert meat thermometer into center of the roast. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and insert meat thermometer. Pork roast should be cooked to 145 degrees internally. Assume 1 hour per pound of roast, but cooking time will vary. For safe consuming, cook the roast based on internal temperature rather than time cooked.  

4. Once the internal temperature of the roast has reached 145*, turn oven off and let the roast rest for 20 minutes. This resting time will allow the roast to become juicier and give it extra flavor. 

5. After it has rested, remove from oven and shred. Eat and enjoy! 

Other cooking methods

If you are not able to be home in time to put a pork roast into the oven, toss it in the slow cooker or use your instant pot slow cooker feature. Add a cup of water or broth along with all the seasonings and come home to a tender roast ready to transform into your next meal! 

Meal Planning with Pork Roast 

In our home we will eat the protein of the meal with sides for the first meal, then transform it into something else the second meal and freeze the leftovers in portion sized bags. For example, we would have pulled pork sandwiches with salad and fries on night one. Later in the week the shredded pork would be used for taco night or to make chili. Keeping the seasonings basic like this recipe allow you to reuse leftovers without getting tired of the flavors.