Stuffed Pork Loin
This stuffed pork loin recipe is the perfect roast to tantalize your taste buds! Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or simply looking for something delicious to make a weeknight special, stuffed pork roast will surely be an absolute hit.
This succulent, flavorful cut of pork is stuffed with all sorts of tasty fillings like garlic, herbs, cheese, spinach, walnuts, mushrooms, and apples. Or whatever your heart desires! In just a few easy steps, you’ll have an irresistible roast stuffed pork that will have everyone asking for seconds! So put on your chef’s hat and prepare for some serious flavor. Let’s get cooking!
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I was gifted a Bluetooth thermometer from Paris Rhone. It’s a leave-in thermometer perfect for large cuts of meat. When I received the gift, I knew I was going to make this stuffed pork loin!
Not only was it easy to use, but I really enjoyed the wireless Bluetooth function that allows a mobile app to monitor the pork roast’s temperature without opening the oven to check with a traditional thermometer. You can buy this Bluetooth thermometer here.
I recommend this wireless thermometer and will be using it whenever I cook meat over the coming years.
HELPFUL
Tips
- I’m using a roasting pan with a rack, but if you don’t have one, you can lay the stuffed pork on a few sliced onion wheels to keep it off the bottom of the pan.
- I didn’t make gravy with this recipe but feel free to make it if you prefer as there will be tasty drippings.
- Line the pan with aluminum foil to catch any pan drippings and to make clean-up easy.
- You can omit the cheese if you prefer, but two good choices are shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese.
- Sometimes I add fresh bacon crumbles to my stuffed pork recipe and when I do, I add them just before the apples.
- My stuffing doesn’t have any breadcrumbs, so this recipe is gluten-free. You can also make it Whole30 compliant by omitting the shredded cheese.
- My onion was large so I only used half, but if you have a small onion, use the whole thing.
- As the onion is cooking, you will multi-task by chopping the mushrooms, preparing the garlic, and chopping the spinach.
- If you use pork tenderloin instead of roast pork, cooking time to reach the correct internal temperature will be shorter than what I state in this recipe.
- You will be ‘butterflying’ the pork loin which means you will cut across the equator without cutting all the way through. You will be able to open the pork like a book.
- Here’s how to cut the meat. Placed the pork on its side on a cutting board and carefully cut down the middle with a sharp knife until you reach about an inch from the edge of the meat.
- Most likely, after cutting the pork, it won’t be the same thickness throughout the meat. You will have to pound it with the side of a meat tenderizer to even it out so it cooks evenly.
- To lessen the mess when tenderizing, I open the pork on the cutting board and place sheets of plastic wrap on top. I take the meat tenderizer and gently pound any lumps or uneven sections out of it.
- I chose not to roll the pork in a tight cylinder. Instead, I folded it like a book. You can either truss the pork up with kitchen twine, or you can do as I did and use metal skewers.
- Since I used the wireless meat thermometer, I couldn’t place it in the meat from the side because I was stuffing the roast. But, I made sure the thermometer didn’t poke through the bottom of the roast.
- You will place the trussed pork on to rack with the fat side facing up.
- You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for 2 months.
How to make stuffed pork loin
Pre-step
Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place the rack in the pan. Get a large sauté pan, skillet, or wok, a metal spatula, garlic press, and a sharp knife.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – boneless pork loin, onion, mushrooms, garlic, mustard, walnuts, apple, spinach, and shredded cheese.
Step two
Cut the onion in half (if large) and chop it into small chunks. Place the other half in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator.
As the onion cooks, you will be preparing the rest of the vegetables – peel the garlic, chop the mushrooms in small pieces, and chop the spinach also in small pieces.
Step three
Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once that heats up, add extra virgin olive oil and once the oil starts shimmering, add the chopped onion. Sauté for 7 minutes or until the onion starts to get translucent, stirring occasionally.
Step four
Add crushed garlic, salt, and ground pepper. (A) Stir and cook for a minute.
Step five
Add chopped mushrooms (B) and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
Step six
Add the chopped spinach, and ground thyme. (C) Stir and sauté for a minute or until the spinach wilts. (D) Take off the heat and set aside.
Step seven
Unwrap the pork loin and blot the meat with a few paper towels. Now it’s time to butterfly the meat. Place the pork on its side on a cutting board. Take a sharp knife and carefully cut the pork – but not all the way through. Leave at least an inch to the edge of the pork uncut.
Once you finish, open the pork up like a book and lay it on the board. (E)
Step eight
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step nine
Cut a few pieces of plastic wrap and lay them on the meat. Take the meat tenderizer and pound the pork with the side of it to even the thickness. (F)
Step ten
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and spread the Dijon mustard on the pork. (G)
Step eleven
Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. (H)
Step twelve
Add the chopped walnuts. (I)
Step thirteen
Chop a quarter of an apple and add it over the walnuts. (J)
Step fourteen
Spread the vegetable mixture on the pork. (K)
Step fifteen
Fold the pork and secure it with metal picks or kitchen twine. Add it to the rack in the roasting pan.
Step sixteen
Time to add the meat thermometer (M) and bake for 70 – 80 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remember, all ovens are different – you must cook by the internal temperature, not by the clock alone.
Since I’m using a wireless thermometer, I opened the app aicooking, set the temperature, and confidently waited for the meat to be cooked to 145 F.
Step Seventeen
It’s done. (N) Take a few pieces of foil and form a tent over the meat. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
Remember that the pork will continue to rise a few degrees as it sits.
Time to serve it.
Look at the crispy fat on top and the gooey filling inside.
Time to cut it into slices.
Perfect.
So moist and tender. Wait until you taste the delicious flavor of the stuffing with the meat. It’s so good.
I hope you enjoyed this stuffed pork loin recipe.
Other pork recipes
And as always, may all your dishes be delish.
If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 small onion (or half of a large onion – chopped in small pieces)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 mushrooms (baby portobello – chopped small)
- 2 cups baby spinach (chopped medium/small)
Pork and layering the filling
- 3.25 pounds pork loin (blot dry with paper towels)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
- 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 teaspoon thyme (ground)
- 1/4 large apple (chopped small)
Instructions
- As you cook the onion, use that time to chop the other vegetables to save time.
- Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once that heats up, add olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the chopped onion and sauté for 7 minutes or until translucent. Stirring occasionally.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small onion
- Add salt, pepper, crushed garlic and stir and cook for 1 minute.1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 4 garlic cloves
- Add mushrooms, stir and cook for 2 minutes.6 mushrooms
- Add chopped spinach, thyme, and stir and cook for 1 minute or until the spinach wilts. Set aside to deal with the pork.2 cups baby spinach, 1 teaspoon thyme
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Unwrap the pork and place it on its side on a cutting board. Take a sharp knife and butterfly the meat – cut it on the equator but not all the way through. Leave an inch between the edge and where you stop cutting. Open it like a book and place it back on the cutting board.3.25 pounds pork loin
- Most likely the pork won't be equal thickness so place a few pieces of plastic wrap on the pork, take a meat tenderizer and pound it with the side of the meat mallet until the thickness looks more uniform.
- Sprinkle on kosher salt, garlic powder and spread the mustard evenly on the pork.1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Sprinkle on the shredded cheese, walnuts, and apple chunks.1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese, 1/4 large apple
- Lastly, spread on the vegetable mixture. Fold the pork back on itself like a book and secure it with either some metal skewers like I did, or use kitchen twine.
- Place the pork on the rack of the roasting pan with the fat cap facing up. Add the meat thermometer, and bake for 70 – 80 minutes. The internal temperature should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When it's done, tent a few pieces of aluminum foil over the pork and let it rest at least 10 minutes before cutting the meat.
- Slice
- Serve
- Enjoy
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- I’m using a roasting pan with a rack, but if you don’t have one, you can lay the stuffed pork on a few sliced onion wheels to keep it off the bottom of the pan.
- I didn’t make gravy with this recipe but feel free to make it if you prefer as there will be tasty drippings.
- Line the pan with aluminum foil to catch any pan drippings and to make clean-up easy.
- You can omit the cheese if you prefer, but two good choices are shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese.
- Sometimes I add fresh bacon crumbles to my stuffed pork recipe and when I do, I add them just before the apples.
- My stuffing doesn’t have any breadcrumbs, so this recipe is gluten-free. You can also make it Whole30 compliant by omitting the shredded cheese.
- My onion was large so I only used half, but if you have a small onion, use the whole thing.
- As the onion is cooking, you will multi-task by chopping the mushrooms, preparing the garlic, and chopping the spinach.
- If you use pork tenderloin instead of roast pork, cooking time to reach the correct internal temperature will be shorter than what I state in this recipe.
- You will be ‘butterflying’ the pork loin which means you will cut across the equator without cutting all the way through. You will be able to open the pork like a book.
- Here’s how to cut the meat. Placed the pork on its side on a cutting board and carefully cut down the middle with a sharp knife until you reach about an inch from the edge of the meat.
- Most likely, after cutting the pork, it won’t be the same thickness throughout the meat. You will have to pound it with the side of a meat tenderizer to even it out so it cooks evenly.
- To lessen the mess when tenderizing, I open the pork on the cutting board and place sheets of plastic wrap on top. I take the meat tenderizer and gently pound any lumps or uneven sections out of it.
- I chose not to roll the pork in a tight cylinder. Instead, I folded it like a book. You can either truss the pork up with kitchen twine, or you can do as I did and use metal skewers.
- Since I used the wireless meat thermometer, I couldn’t place it in the meat from the side because I was stuffing the roast. But, I made sure the thermometer didn’t poke through the bottom of the roast.
- You will place the trussed pork on to rack with the fat side facing up.
- You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for 2 months.
Nutrition
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
The perfect dinner for serving to guests at Easter dinner. Love how easy it comes together. A winner for sure.
Thanks, Gloria. I appreciate it.
Wow, this stuffed pork looks absolutely delicious. I love how you paired it with apples and thyme. This reminds me that I have some Mexican cheese to use up in the fridge. I’m pinning this recipe to make later!
Thanks, Bernice! I hope you enjoy it when you try it.
this stuffed pork loin was a great entree for our Sunday dinner last night. I’ve never combined pork and walnuts together in one dish and I realized I’ve been missing out. So good!
Thanks so much, Marta! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
This pork loin turned out perfectly. The pork was super moist, and that filling was beyond flavorful. Loved the apple with the pork. Such a great flavor combo.
I’m so glad to hear that, Amanda. Thanks so much for your comment.
Loved going through your recipe. It is definitely unique and looks delicious and a must try recipe for sure. Perfect for a festive Dinner.
Thanks so much, Veena. I hope you enjoy it.
This pork loin is so flavorful and the stuffing is my favorite part! Thanks for the tip on the wireless thermometer! It was so helpful and I’ll be making this again next week for dinner 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that, Kathryn! Thanks so much for your comment.
This is really a “wow factor” main course! The mushrooms and spinach are a nice complement to the flavor of the pork.
Thanks so much, Kate! I appreciate your comment.
Wow! I wasn’t sure about the addition of walnuts, but it came out amazing. I made it for company and they all asked for the recipe! Thanks a ton.
I’m so glad to hear that, Erin! Thanks for your comment.
You’re pork looks spot on. Love that blue tooth thermometer. that would come in so handy! That stuffing looks so good. I just want a slice right now! 😋 Absolutely mouth watering!
I’m so glad you think so, Loreto and Nicoletta! It’s a family favorite.
This seems like a tasty and flavorful dinner main entree perfect for Easter. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Moop! I hope you enjoy it.
This looks great. What can you substitute the mushrooms with? Also can this be made ahead?
Hi, JoJo. To be safe, you can prep the pork ahead of time, and you can cook the onion, an spinach before hand and store it in the fridge.You can layer the filling on right before baking. I would wait until you’re ready to stuff the pork before you chop the apples as they will brown. As for the mushrooms, you can omit them and add more onions, spinach, apples and cheese. I’m assuming you don’t like mushrooms or can’t eat them. Mushrooms add moisture to the dish, but I can’t think of any other vegetable that does that other than zucchini. Just make sure when you check the pork’s temperature, that the temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Let me know how it goes.
Cook to 145 or 165 deg?
Thank you
Oops. Sorry, 145 – the temperature will rise as it sits. Sorry for the confusion. I’ll correct my comment. Make sure you take the temperature at a few places in the loin. The inside should be 145.
I made this tonight for our New Year’s Eve dinner and it was delicious. I used goat cheese instead of listed cheeses and it was delightful.
I’m so glad to hear that, Jennifer!! And goat cheese is a perfect choice. I’ve made it before with some goat cheese with cranberries. So good. Thanks for letting me know.
I’m planning on making this for Valentine’s Day! Can I brine the meat beforehand for this recipe?
I’ve never done it with pork but I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t work, Kirsten. I hope you enjoy it. I’m just curious, are you dry or wet brining?