Grilled pork crown roast makes an impressive centerpiece for any special occasion. This succulent roast is seasoned in a fantastic spice blend, then coated with a buttery, maple-bourbon baste toward the end of cooking. The result is a juicy, tender pork roast with a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. Whether you’re hosting a holiday dinner party or a fancy Sunday supper, this roast will have your guests coming back for more!

Grilled Pork Crown Roast is perfect for the holidays and fancy occasions! It’s a great alternative to turkey, and a budget-friendly substitute for prime rib. The best part about this recipe is that you can use our grill for cooking the main course while freeing up the oven for side dishes and desserts. This roast pairs well with most sides, but we recommend serving it with twice-baked potato casserole.

What is a pork crown roast?

Pork crown roasts are made with 2 racks of bone-in loin chops. You will often find them pre-butchered and sporting French cut bones (cleaning the meat and fat off the bones). The butcher will make small slits in the roast so it can be easily manipulated into a circular shape. The roast is then secured with kitchen twine.

How to tie a crown roast

• You’ll need 1-2 racks of chops (also called tomahawk racks). The bones will have a thick layer of fat covering them. Remove that layer.
• Next, turn the roast on its side so that the bone portion is facing upward. Now clean between the bones with the knife. This is known as the Frenching technique. Remove as much meat, fat, and cartilage from the bones as possible.
• Next, flip the roast over. You’ll see a ridge of bone near the bottom of the roast. Make 1″ cuts in between each bone. This will allow the pork roast to bend.
• Next, tie the roast. Our grilled pork crown roast recipe only calls for 10-12 bones, likely 1 rack. However, if you are doing more, you’ll need to stack one rack over the other, then tie the roast with kitchen twine. 
• If you’re a visual person, we recommend this video tutorial.

Ingredients for Grilled Pork Crown Roast:

• 1 bone-in pork crown roast 10-12 bones
• Basic Pork Rub
• Olive oil
• Unsalted butter
• Pineapple juice (sub with orange, peach, or mango juice)
• Real maple syrup (use more for a sweeter baste)
• Bourbon

Grilling Pork Crown Roast

• Seasoning and Tying – If your crown roast is not tied, coat with oil and season with pork rub. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then tie it. Wrap the bones with aluminum foil to keep them from discoloring during cooking. If the roast is purchased tied, you will need to gently work the oil into the rib sections, then repeat the process with the pork rub.
• Preheat your grill or smoker for 350 degrees F or medium heat. For extra smoky flavor, use apple, cherry, pecan, or alder wood.
• Place roast onto the grill, bone side up, close the lid, and cook for about 2- 2 1/2 hours, or 14 minutes per pound of meat.*You can also place a drip pan underneath the roast to catch the juices.
• Heat baste ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat for a few minutes until all of the ingredients have melted through.
• Applying it: Gently baste the roast with the mixture during the last 30-35 minutes of cooking time. Aim for a doneness temp of145 degrees F.
• Resting: Remove pork crown roast from the grill and place onto a cutting board—tent with aluminum foil. Let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Carving and Serving: Cut off the twine and remove foil from bones. Cut between bones to create individual rib chops. Serve pork with an herb compound butter or brown gravy. It is also delicious with warmed fig jam or cranberry sauce.
• cranberry sauce.

Storing Leftovers:

Store your leftover grilled pork crown roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze individual chops in vacuum-sealed bags for up to 3 months. Reheat in your oven or in a skillet on your stove-top. 

Tips and Alternatives:

• Skip the rub and use a marinade. You’ll need roughly 1 1/2-2 cups for this recipe. Marinade for 6-8 hours.
• Place a wadded up ball of aluminum foil in the center of the tied pork crown roast to keep the bone from caving inward during cooking.
• Prepare your stuffing separately and add it to the center of the roast right before serving.
• Use a pork injection marinade to keep thicker pieces of meat from drying out.
• Skip the baste and use this pineapple-maple glaze instead.

Check out our Best Holiday Recipes for the Grill and Smoker!

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Grilled Pork Crown Roast

Pork crown roasts are perfect for the holidays, but this recipe allows you to take it out of the kitchen and put it on your grill or smoker. Not only does it impart a delicious flavor, but it frees up your oven for side dishes and desserts.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American BBQ, Fusion

Keyword crown roast recipe, grilled pork crown roast, pork crown roast

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 8 People

Calories 380kcal

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in pork crown roast 10-12 bones
• 1/2 cup Basic Pork Rub
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• For baste:
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice (sub with orange, peach, or mango juice)
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup (use more for a sweeter baste)
• 2 tablespoons bourbon

Instructions

• If your crown roast is not tied, coat with meat sides with oil and season well with pork rub. Let stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, then tie it. Wrap the bones with aluminum foil to keep them from discoloring during cooking.

  If the roast is purchased tied, you will need to gently work the oil into the rib sections, then repeat the process with the pork rub.
• Preheat your grill or smoker for 350 degrees F or medium heat. For extra smoky flavor, use apple, cherry, pecan, or alder wood.
• Place roast onto the grill, bone side up, close the lid, and cook for about 2- 2 1/2 hours, or 14 minutes per pound of meat.

  *You can also place a drip pan underneath the roast to catch the juices.
• Heat baste ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat for a few minutes until all of the ingredients have melted through.
• Gently baste the roast with the mixture during the last 30-35 minutes of cooking time. Aim for a doneness temp of145 degrees F.
• Remove pork crown roast from the grill and place onto a cutting board—tent with aluminum foil. Let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Cut off the twine and remove foil from bones. Cut between bones to create individual rib chops. Serve pork with an herb compound butter or brown gravy. It is also delicious with warmed fig jam or cranberry sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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