Stuffed Pork Tenderloin {Easy and Impressive!} – WellPlated.com
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin wants to be your new signature dish. Juicy pork wrapped around a savory Italian-inspired prosciutto spinach filling, this striking main course is shockingly easy and will never fail to impress.
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Easy Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe
If someone had let me in on how simple stuffed pork tenderloin is to make, I would have started cooking it a long, long time ago.
With its fancy presentation—doesn’t anything done in a roulade look fit for a magazine?—I assumed stuffed pork would be too fussy for the average weeknight.
Stuffed anything was the kind of meal I’d order on a restaurant menu (especially anything like this Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast or Stuffed Salmon).
Surely only a more accomplished hostess than myself would attempt to cook stuffed pork tenderloin at home.
NEWSFLASH. That accomplished hostess—the one who has it all together, doesn’t answer the door with her lipstick half applied, and certainly wouldn’t dream of hiding dirty dishes in her cabinets—is now officially YOU.
If you haven’t tried it before, I know that pounding and rolling a pork tenderloin sounds tricky.
I pinky promise, it is not!
Watch the full-length YouTube video embedded in this post to see me make the pork step-by-step. It will be a real confidence boost.
About Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Stuffed pork tenderloin is a dream of a dinner.
- It’s an inexpensive way to feed a crowd (just like this Instant Pot Pulled Pork).
- You can prep it entirely in advance.
- It finishes fast—pork tenderloin cooks in the oven in about 25 minutes. (Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin may even cook 10 minutes faster!)
- The pork is succulent (see below for tips to make sure it’s perfectly cooked). Craving extra moisture from gravy? You’ll love my Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin.
- The spinach filling is bright, creamy, and a little bit tangy. Pork perfection.
- Your friends/family/food-loving self will seriously applaud you (and you deserve it!)
With Italian stuffed pork tenderloin on your menu, you can look forward to that special moment when you slice into the pork to reveal the pinwheel of cheese, spinach, and prosciutto filling inside.
It’s an ooooo and ahhhh kind of moment.
And the taste?
FIREWORKS!
How to Cook Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Stuffing is an excellent way to prepare leaner cuts of meat like pork tenderloin, because the filling helps to keep the meat moist.
Today’s Italian filling is a blend of sautéed spinach, Parmesan, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s vibrant and a lovely pairing with pork.
The recipe finishes with a lemony white wine pan sauce, made using the super-flavored bits of pork that stick to the bottom of the skillet when the stuffed pork tenderloin bakes in the oven.
Every ingredient here has a purpose and makes the tenderloin sing.
The Ingredients
- Pork Tenderloin. Lean yet flavorful, pork tenderloin is a crowd-pleasing cut of meat. In this recipe, it is roasted to tender, juicy perfection, and the filling only further enhances the pork’s natural flavor. (If you’re a grill lover, Grilled Pork Tenderloin is fabulous too!)
- Italian Spinach Stuffing. Spinach, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, Parmesan, and garlic make up the filling for the pork. If you’d prefer a mozzarella stuffed pork tenderloin, swap the Parmesan cheese for shredded mozzarella instead.
- Prosciutto. With a sweet yet salty flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture, prosciutto is a scrumptious addition to our stuffed pork tenderloin. It makes the pork taste truly special and elegant.
- White Wine. A little white wine helps create a dynamite pan sauce. It also deglazes the pan, incorporating all those tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
- Lemon Juice. Adds a touch of brightness and acidity to the sauce. Plus, it pairs beautifully with the Italian filling.
- Butter. A finishing touch rounds the sauce.
The Directions
- Rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes and chop the onions.
- Sauté the onions with part of the herbs and spices.
- Stir in the spinach, garlic, and tomatoes.
- Add the Parmesan, then remove the mixture to a plate. Wipe out the skillet.
- Butterfly the pork, then pound it into an even thickness.
- Lay prosciutto slices over the top.
- Add the filling over the prosciutto, then roll up the pork.
- Secure the seam with toothpicks.
- Heat the skillet. Lay the pork in the skillet, toothpick side up. Roast at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Remove the skillet, and flip the pork over. Roast for another 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest on a cutting board.
- Use the same skillet to make the pan sauce while the pork rests.
- Cut the tenderloin into rings, and finish each with the pan sauce, lemon juice, and parsley. ENJOY!
How to Make Sure Pork Tenderloin is Moist
Unlike tougher, marbled cuts of meat like pork shoulder, pork tenderloin does not get more tender the longer you cook it.
Pork tenderloin is very lean, meaning you need to watch it very carefully to make sure it doesn’t overcook, or it will turn out dry.
- The best way to know when your pork is done is to use an instant read thermometer like this one.
- You must also let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes prior to cutting so that the juices redistribute into the meat.
- The best temperature to cook pork tenderloin is 375 degrees F. This is hot enough to cook the pork quickly without drying it out, but it isn’t so hot that the outside finishes before the inside.
Per the FDA, pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees F. I like to pull mine out around 135 degrees F, then cover it and let it rest.
The carry-over cooking will finish the job, making your pork tantalizingly juicy AND safe to eat.
Meal Prep Tips
Prepare the pork filling up to 1 day in advance, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to add it to the pork.
Up to 1 day in advance, assemble the pork as directed up until the point of baking and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to bake, let the pork come to room temperature, then proceed as directed.
What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin
We’ve made this stuffed pork tenderloin recipe twice in the last two weeks, including for a date-night in. It is something special. I can’t wait for you to try it too!
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Video – How To
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- 1/3 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach about 5 cups
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese about 1 1/2 ounces
- 1 pork tenderloin about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or additional low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Additional squeeze fresh lemon juice optional for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley optional for serving
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Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with hot water to rehydrate. Let rest 5 minutes.
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While the tomatoes rehydrate, dice the onion. Then, drain the sun-dried, pat dry, and finely chop.
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In a large (12-inch), oven-safe skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon sage, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Sauté until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
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Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time, stirring so that it wilts down.
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Once the spinach has wilted, stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until fragrant being careful that the garlic doesn’t burn, about 1 minute.
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Turn off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan. Transfer the filling to a plate and let cool slightly. With a paper towel, carefully wipe out the skillet and keep it handy.
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Cut away and discard the silver skin from the pork tenderloin. Butterfly the pork by cutting a slit down the tenderloin lengthwise, but don’t quite slice it all the way through. The 2 sides should remain attached.
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Open the pork tenderloin flat like a book and cover it with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Lightly pound it to an even, ½-inch thickness.
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Cover the tenderloin with a single layer of overlapping prosciutto slices.
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Spoon the spinach filling evenly on the cut side of the pork.
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Starting with a long edge, roll it up jelly-roll style. Secure the seam with toothpicks (you’ll need 6-7), inserting the toothpicks parallel to the meat so that they lay flat. Season the outside with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
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In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Swirl the pan to coat, then place tenderloin in the skillet, toothpick-side up. Transfer to oven and roast for 15 minutes.
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Remove the skillet from the oven, flip pork over and continue roasting until meat reaches 135 to 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer at the thickest part of the meat, about 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes (the carry-over cooking will bring the meat up to 145 degrees F).
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Make the sauce: return the same skillet to medium heat, then stir in the white wine and remaining ½ teaspoon sage, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half, then stir in the broth and lemon juice.
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Increase the heat to medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the butter. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
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To serve, cut the pork into rings and top with a spoonful of the sauce and a squeeze of additional lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley if desired. Enjoy hot.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate pork in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze pork in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 43gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 135mgPotassium: 1309mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3576IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 4mg
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