Stuffed Pork Loin is stuffed with cream cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, roasted in the oven, and glazed with a honey mustard sauce. It comes out tender, juicy, and quite delicious with a beautiful golden brown crust.
Furthermore, it's keto, low carb, and gluten-free... and made in one pan! Awesome, right?
Table of Contents
How to Cook a Stuffed Pork Loin
- BUTTERFLY PORK LOIN: Butterfly pork loin on a cutting board (pic. 1); place plastic wrap on top and pound with a hammer until flat and thinner (pic.2).
- MAKE THE STUFFING: Place sun-dried tomatoes on top, leaving a 2-inch border on both of the opposite long ends (pic.3); set aside.
- In a food processor, blend spinach, basil, oil, seasonings, and cream cheese until smooth. Spread on top of the tomatoes (pic. 4).
- ROLL AND TIE PORK LOIN: Roll long ends away from you, pressing firmly to create a tight roll, ending with a seam on the bottom. Tie 6 to 7 strands of cooking twine around the roast very well.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Transfer to a rack set over a roasting pan with the fat facing side up and the seam side down. Preheat oven to 450 F.
- PREPARE THE GLAZE: Meanwhile, mix honey, mustard, vinegar, oil, and seasonings in a small bowl. Then brush the mixture all over the stuffed pork loin roast.
- ROAST: Roast for about 15 minutes; then decrease temp to 350 F and cook for 30 minutes (or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork roast reaches an internal temperature of 145 °F).
- REST AND SLICE: Let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting twine off and slicing. Enjoy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this roast stuffed pork loin recipe, you'll need:
Pork Loin
- Boneless center-cut pork loin roast
Stuffing
- Sun-dried tomato in oil (You may replace it with thinly sliced fresh tomatoes)
- Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
- Basil leaves
- Olive oil (or avocado oil)
- Table salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cream cheese softened (or creamy goat cheese)
Glaze
- ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- Dijon mustard
- Balsamic vinegar
- Italian seasoning (or other seasoning blend of your choice)
Chef's Tips
- If you don't have a roasting pan with a rack, you can make one by crumpling up heavy aluminum foil into a long snake shape, and then zig-zagging it on the roasting pan large enough to lay the spinach and cream cheese stuffed pork loin on it.
- To clean up the roasting pan easily, you can line the pan with heavy aluminum foil to catch the pan drippings.
- How to butterfly pork loin: Place the loin on its side on a cutting board and then cut down the middle with a sharp knife until you have reached about an inch from the edge of the meat. This will allow you to open the pork like a book.
- Place tied loin fat side up on the roasting pan rack. It will allow the fat to bathe the stuffed pork loin roll while roasting in the oven, making it moist.
- For a juicy pork, do NOT overcook it!
- To cook it evenly and have tender pork, make sure to pound the pork with a meat mallet to make it flatter and thinner.
- Recipe variations: Sausage stuffed pork loin, apple stuffed pork loin, or bacon-wrapped stuffed pork loin. This means you may stuff your loin with either ground Italian sausage or sauteed apples, and/or wrap the loin with uncooked bacon strips. Instead of roasting stuffed pork loin, you may cook it in a smoker to make a smoked stuffed pork loin.
How to Choose the Best Pork Loin Roast
Look for a pork loin roast that:
- is pinkish-red in color;
- contains some marbling (fat=flavor).
- So avoid loin roasts that are pale in color (off-flavor taste) or that have dark spots on the fat (spoilage).
FAQs
Although it is possible, I don't recommend it because they are different cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is thinner and longer, and must be cooked over high heat (400 °F) for a shorter period. On the other hand, pork loin is a larger cut and is best slow-roasted or grilled. This is why our stuffed pork loin is first roasted at a high temperature (450 °F) to get a good crust, and then the temperature is lowered to 350 °F to slow-roast it.
The rule of thumb is to cook an unstuffed pork loin for about 20-25 minutes per pound at 350 °F, or until the internal temperature registers 145 °F. On the other hand, a stuffed pork loin roast cooks faster. Its average cooking time is 15 minutes per pound.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Use leftovers to make sandwiches, and casseroles, or chop them into chunks and top pizzas.
- Freezer: Freeze it for up to 2 months.
Other Pork Recipes
- Keto Churro Pork Rinds
- Griddled Pork Chops
- Grilled Baby Back Ribs
- Chinese Barbecue Ribs
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Brazilian Pork Ribs
- Red Wine Pork Barbecue Ribs
- Pork Stroganoff
- Pork Tenderloin Recipe
- Crock Pot Pork Loin
PIN AND ENJOY!
BEST Stuffed Pork Loin Recipe
Equipment
- 1 roasting pan with rack
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- cooking twine
- 1 basting brush
- 1 small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Pork Loin
- 3 pounds boneless center-cut pork loin roast
Stuffing
- 8 oz sun-dried tomato in oil
- 9 oz frozen spinach thawed and squeezed to drain
- 6 large basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
Glaze
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- BUTTERFLY PORK LOIN: Butterfly pork loin on a cutting board; place plastic wrap on top and pound with a meat mallet until flat and thinner.
- MAKE THE STUFFING: Place sun-dried tomatoes on top, leaving a 2-inch border on both of the opposite long ends; set aside.
- In a food processor, blend spinach, basil, 1 Tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and cream cheese until smooth. Spread on top of the tomatoes.
- ROLL AND TIE PORK LOIN: Roll long ends away from you, pressing firmly to create a tight roll, ending with a seam on the bottom. Tie 6 to 7 strands of cooking twine around the roast very well.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Transfer to a rack set over a roasting pan with the fat facing side up and the seam side down. Preheat oven to 450 °F (230 °C)
- PREPARE THE GLAZE: Meanwhile, whisk honey, mustard, vinegar, 2 Tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Then brush the mixture all over the stuffed pork loin roast.
- ROAST: Roast for about 15 minutes; then decrease temp to 350 °F (180 °C) and cook for 30 minutes (or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork roast reaches an internal temperature of 145 °F or 63 °C).
- REST AND SLICE: Let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting twine off and slicing. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- INACTIVE TIME (resting time): 5-10 minutes.
- Make sure to leave roast out of the fridge for about 1 hour before cooking -- to ensure more even cooking.
- STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You may use it in sandwiches, or casseroles, or chop it up and top pizzas. Freeze them for up to 2 months.
- If you don't have a roasting pan with a rack, you can make one by crumpling up heavy aluminum foil into a long snake shape, and then zig-zagging it on the roasting pan large enough to lay the spinach and cream cheese stuffed pork loin on it.
- To clean up the roasting pan easily, you can line the pan with heavy aluminum foil to catch the pan drippings.
- How to butterfly pork loin: Place the loin on its side on a cutting board and then cut down the middle with a sharp knife until you have reached about an inch from the edge of the meat. This will allow you to open the pork like a book.
- Place tied loin fat side up on the roasting pan rack. It will allow the fat to bathe the stuffed pork loin roll while roasting in the oven, making it moist.
- For a juicy pork, do NOT overcook it!
- To cook it evenly and have tender pork, make sure to pound the pork with a meat mallet to make it flatter and thinner.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on April 1, 2019.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
The spinach stuffing just shouts spring! What a delicious way to enjoy pork.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Pork roasts are great -- full of flavor, and easy to make. Terrific looking recipe -- definitely need to make this. Thanks!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Your pork roast looks delicious. I make a turkey dish that is similar so I can't wait to try this version, I know it will be terrific.
Denise Browning says
Thank you Karen!