Charcoal Grilled Pork Roast Recipe

When it comes to a decadent roast with tons of flavor, the Grilled Pork Roast does not get enough love! This inexpensive cut is begging to take center stage. When grilled, the meat is incredibly flavorful, tender, and juicy, and is an excellent pork recipe!

This delicious grilled pork loin recipe is a lean cut of meat that’s simple and affordable. it may not be a smoked prime rib or fancy smoked beef tenderloin, but it’s just as delicious. It makes the entire family want to sit down for special occasions or a classic Sunday dinner. It’s also a great cut to test your skills on a new grill as you learn the ins and outs, from controlling airflow to how much charcoal to use.

When you’ve mastered this one, be sure to try our bacon wrapped pork tenderloin or grilled pork tenderloin to impress the next time!

WHAT IS A GRILLED PORK ROAST?

A bone-in pork roast is cut from the loin or the back of the pig. They are more commonly sold as boneless pork loin roast (or just pork loins), rack of pork, or sliced into pork chops, and like all ‘loins,’ they are lean and tender. Always use caution, and your trusted digital meat thermometer, not to overcook and dry out this cut when grilling. Just like with our smoked pork loin, you want to aim for 140 degrees for tender juicy slices of pork.

GRILLED PORK ROAST INGREDIENTS

Not only is this an easy recipe, but it also only uses a few pantry staples.

Bone in pork roast – if you can’t find this at your local market, ask the butcher to order it for you or check out our recommended places to order meat online.
Salt and pepper – we always use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Fresh Herbs: fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley
Garlic cloves

HOW TO MAKE A GRILLED PORK ROAST

Where a lot of our roast recipes can be intimidating in steps, this large cut of meat is as straightforward as it gets!

Start by removing the roast from the package and patting it dry with paper towels. If it has a visible silverskin or any unsightly bits, take the time to carefully trim and remove those now with a sharp knife. We recommend this flexible filet knife when trimming meat.
Then, simply rub it liberally with oil and season it with salt and pepper. Allow it to rest at room temperature for about a half hour while you prep the grill.
Next, prep the grill for a 2-zone fire (aka indirect heat, with a cool zone and a hot zone, where the coals are stacked to one side of the grill). The trick to this recipe is maintaining heat throughout the cook, so be prepared to refill the coals if needed. Get more in-depth info in our how to use a charcoal grill guide.
Once your coals are about 70% ashed over, they are ready to go. If you want to add smoking wood chunks for smoking, add it now and wait until the smoke is clean to add the meat. We recommend hickory wood, oak, or apple wood for this pork roast.Then, clean and oil your grill grate to prevent unnecessary sticking.
The next step is to mix the minced herbs in a small bowl and apply them to the roast, creating an herb crust.
Then, place the roast on the cooler side (indirect heat side) of the grill, away from the open flame, and close the lid. You want to check the roast often but also keep the lid closed as much as possible. Every time you open the lid, you let air in, which affects the temperature. Be sure to flip the roast using long tongs, occasionally to avoid too much heat on any one side.
Grill the pork roast until it the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F with an instant read meat thermometer inserted away from the bone at the thickest part of the roast. Then carefully remove the roast from the grill and allow it to rest, tented with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Add a dollop of homemade compound butter for even more flavor.
You can serve thick slices with your favorite bbq sauce, a pan sage gravy, or even with a delicious compound butter to really jazz it up!

Grilled Bone-in pork roast carved to show juicy center.

SHOULD YOU TRY A GRILLED PORK ROAST?

Grilling a pork roast isn’t for everyone. But if you want to give this recipe a try, the subtle smoke from charcoal gives an incredible flavor, which is a perfect pairing for pork, and the grill makes quick work of this roast. If you’d rather use your smoker, try our Smoked Pork Loin recipe instead!

A pork roast is cheap, like $40 less than the prime rib I picked up last week. And it’s resilient. What better could you ask for when giving big roasts on the grill a go for the first time?

Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips

Don’t overcook your pork roast. You just don’t want to overcook pork, in general. 145 degrees F, please.

Now, some folks panic if they see the lightest shade of pink on pork. Don’t freak. Cooked medium rare to medium is just fine. (Meaning, a bit of pinkish color is still ok to eat – the USDA has determined that pork is safe at 145 degrees F). If cooked to well done, the pork loses flavor, moisture, and the enjoyment of eating it.

So, if it is the right temp internally, you don’t have to worry. Go by the temp, not the color. Trust your instant-read digital thermometer. It is the friend that won’t let you mess up a good thing.

Pork Roasts are a cheaper and easier cut of meat. Pork is not just the other white meat. It is the go-to for making stress-free roasts.

They cook faster than beef or lamb. Pork is not only cheaper than beef or lamb, but it also tends to have less fat than beef or lamb. But, bite for bite, it can be more moist and flavorful regardless.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR GRILLED PORK ROAST

Roasts go great with:

LEFTOVERS AND REHEATING

Carefully wrap leftovers in foil (the bones will poke through, so you may just want to cut the meat from the bones at this point) or a resealable airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat, wrap the roast in foil and place in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F. A full roast will take about 45 minutes to reheat, but individual slices (how we recommend reheating to prevent the meat from drying out) will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

overhead shot of bone-in pork roast being sliced on a cutting board.

MORE DELICIOUS Pork ROAST RECIPES

If you’re looking to change up your regular dinner rotation, look no further than this pork roast recipe. It’s an inexpensive cut of meat perfect for family gatherings and is packed with tons of flavor!

Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.

These big pork roasts can be intimidating to toss on the grill – but once you try it the char-grilled flavor is absolutely amazing and you realize it’s not that complicated at all.

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Prep the roast

Pat the roast dry with paper towels and trim, if needed.
Coat the roast with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Allow the roast to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Add the herb crust:

Mix the minced herbs and garlic in a small bowl
Gently pat the herb mixture evely all over the meat, coating as best you can.

Grill the pork roast:

Place the roast on the grill, on the cooler side of the grill, and close the lid. Check on the roast every so often, flipping to get even seat marks all over – but allowing the bones to take the brunt of the heat by facing them towards the hotter side of the grill, so that the meat doesn’t dry out.
Cook until the pork roast registers 140 degrees F with a digital thermometer.
Remove the pork roast from grill and cover with foil to rest.
Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

For pork rosts, each bone is about 2 servings. However, that’s hard to guess when having company, so plan for one ‘bone’ per guest and expect leftovers.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

RECIPE FAQS

HOW LONG TO COOK PORK ROAST ON A CHARCOAL GRILL?

The cook time your roast takes to reach 140 degrees F will vary based on the size of the roast and the temperature of the grill. As a general rule, aim for about 25 minutes per pound on a grill holding around 325 to 350 degrees F. Our bone-in 5-pound roast took about 2 1/2 hours to cook through.

WHAT’S THE THE BEST PORK CUTS FOR ROASTS

We love a bone-in rack of pork when it comes to this grilling recipe. But, when it comes to pork roasts in general, there are a couple cuts you can choose from. Overall, look for a nice fat layer to melt and keep the meat moist while it cooks.

If you can’t find a bone-in pork roast, you can usually find a decent round of loin (aka, pork loin) or belly in the meat aisle. If not, then just ask the butcher. Chances are likely they are prepping some up right then and there.

A lot also depends on how long you plan on taking the meal to cook. Leg and loin roast a bit faster.

Watch out, though. The faster it cooks, the more you need to be concerned about overcooking the meat. Like so many things in life, there is always a trade-off for convenience, right?

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