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Looking for an easy yet impressive dinner? This stuffed pork loin recipe is easier to make than you might think and the flavor is out of this world!
Table of Contents
This Stuffed Pork Loin recipe is hands down one of the best pork recipes I’ve ever tried! I actually made it for Valentine’s Day this year. Not only does it look gorgeous on the plate, but the savory stuffing and juicy pork make it a meal that’s perfect for any special occasion. Your guests will absolutely love it, and the best part is you can make it with minimal effort and still wow everyone.
I actually got this recipe from a friend I met on a cruise ship. And, as you might guess, when I meet someone new, the topic of food always comes up! Does that happen to anyone else? I just love learning about other people’s favorite recipes. Food has such a way of bringing people together, don’t you think? It’s like a window into someone’s culture and personality. This one came from Trish, and I’m so grateful she shared it with me!
Ingredients
This is possible the most simple stuffed pork loin recipe you’ll ever find. No hard to find ingredients here, just simple, whole ingredients that you can find in all grocery stores. Here’s what you need:
- Pork Loin – about three pounds. You’ll use a meat mallet to pound the pork to even thickness to make it easy to spread the filling inside. You can also use a larger pork loin, you may just not get as nice of that “pinwheel” roll look because it will be thinner. It will still taste amazing though!
- Cream cheese – two 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese
- Roasted red peppers – You can find roasted red peppers on Amazon or at your regular grocery store. They come in cans or jars and add such a gorgeous deep flavor to this dish.
- Bacon – about a cup, or several slices bacon, cooked and crumbled. You can also use prosciutto, which will give the dish a nice, salty bite just like bacon.
- Pesto seasoning – I like to use the Knorr or McCormick brands. They can be found by the gravy/dressing mixes.
- Spinach leaves – Find baby spinach in the produce section at the grocery store.
- Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil works great for a light flavor.
- Salt & Black pepper – to taste
- Paprika – to taste, and also adds beautiful color to the outside of the pork roast.
Preparing A Stuffed Pork Loin
It only takes a few easy steps to prepare your pork loin:
- First thing to remember, make sure the pork loin is thawed. Butterfly the loin with a sharp knife and lay it out flat. I found this YouTube video on how to butterfly a pork loin that explains it way better than I can. Secondly, wrap the loin in a sheet of plastic wrap and pound the meat with the flat side of a meat mallet. The meat should be about half an inch thick.
- Layer in the stuffing ingredients, the spinach, roasted red peppers, pesto seasoning, bacon, cream cheese, salt and pepper.
- Then, roll the meat as you would cinnamon rolls, tucking in the ends as you go. Use a couple of toothpicks or some kitchen string to keep it held together. Now that the meat is rolled, rub olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper all over the pork.
- Finally, place in a roasting pan and bake. You will want to bake for 20 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature is at least 150 degrees F.
Additional Ideas for Stuffing Mixture
In addition to how versatile pork is, you can quite literally pair it with a variety of flavors and it will taste delicious. Here are some ideas to try adding into your stuffing mixture:
- Garlic – mince or finely chop a clove or two.
- Onions – thinly sliced or diced.
- Rosemary – a few fresh sprigs of this fragrant herb chopped up would certainly taste glorious with pork!
- Garlic powder – generally just a teaspoon garlic powder packs a big punch of flavor if you don’t have fresh garlic to work with.
- Tomatoes – a perfect way to use some of your garden tomatoes for a fresh flavor.
- Dijon mustard – this adds a sharp, bright flavor to the filling.
- Fresh parsley – use this as a garnish on top.
When is the Pork Loin Done?
- Start with the correct baking temperature. Set your oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 60-90 minutes.
- You can use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature (145 degrees).
- Remove the pork from the pan. Let it rest on a a rack for a few minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Questions about Stuffed Pork Loin
Loin and tenderloin are actually two different cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is more long and narrow and is always a boneless cut of meat. Pork loin is wider and flatter and can be found boneless or bone-in. For this recipe we have used both cuts with great success. With a pork loin you will get more of a pinwheel look and with a tenderloin, because it is more narrow, you will get more of a stuffed pork look.
Make sure to check the internal temperature so the pork doesn’t dry out. Longer cooking times can lead to dry and tough meat.
This makes quite a lot, so leftovers are likely unless you are serving a large group. Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap, then foil. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you know ahead of time you will have more than you need, after rolling, but before baking, cut it into thirds or fourths. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
What to Serve with Stuffed Pork Loin
How to Make Stuffed Pork Loin
Stuffed Pork Loin
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pork loin (about 3 pounds, see notes above)
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup roasted red peppers
- 1 cup bacon cooked, crumbled
- 1 ounce pesto seasoning (Knorr or McCormick brand can be found by the gravy/dressing mixes)
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- paprika to taste
Instructions
- If you are using a pork loin, cut it almost in half, then cut the halves almost in half again so that you kind of unfold it a few times and then pound it out flat to 1/2" thickness.
- Once the pork is flat and has a good surface area, spread the cream cheese all over the top. Lay the roasted red peppers over the cream cheese then sprinkle on the crumbled bacon. Evenly sprinkle on the packages dried pesto seasoning and lay the spinach leaves all over the top.
- Roll the pork up (like you would if you were making cinnamon rolls) and tie it shut with 3 or 4 pieces of kitchen twine if needed. Next, rub olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper all over the pork and place in a greased baking sheet.
- Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes per pound, or pork is cooked through with an internal temperature between 150-160℉. Once cooked, slice and serve!
The terms tenderloin and loin are not interchangeable. The photo and cooking times seem like pork loin, but you say tenderloin several times through the recipe. That may confuse people as tenderloin cooked for and hour or longer will result in shoe leather.
Thank you for this, I will review the recipe and see what adjustments need to be made.
Exactly my thought, kind of miss leading title and discretion
I’m sorry for the confusion. We’ve edited the post to make it more clear to use a pork loin. It can be made with a tenderloin as pointed out in the FAQ’s, but a pork loin is preferred. Thank you for your comment!
This is WONDERFUL!! We made it & we were so happy, we saved the recipe & will make it again & again! YUMMY !!
Thank you so much for your comment, Oran! I’m so happy this recipe was a success for you!
Really easy and good. I used 8 oz cream cheese and pesto sauce instead of the seasoning. I eyeballed the rest of the ingredients. I had two small pork tenderloins totaling about 3 lbs… I just pounded each one out, and laid them out end to end, and rolled it as one. Delicious!
Thank you for your comment, Jill! I’m glad you liked the recipe!
I have been looking for a sou vide recipe for pork loin – this looks amazing. Any experience sou videing this or thoughts?
Turned out really good. But an hour was plenty of cooking time in my oven.
Definitely a do over recipe. My guests raved about it. It was wonderful
I made this recipe and added a little stove top stuffing which was leftover from another meal. The whole thing was fabulous, moist, tasty and easy to slice. The outside seasonings of olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper just made it look so tempting to eat and the drippings were an extra tasty drizzle on the slices. Definitely a dish for company!!