Stuffed pork tenderloin is filled with sauteed broccoli, red peppers, and generous amounts of melted mozzarella for an irresistible main dish. It’s gorgeous enough for company, but easy enough for a family dinner.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Our nod to Italy has Italian seasonings and vegetables in the colors of the Italian flag. Crisp tender broccoli and vibrant, slightly sweet red bell pepper combine to play off the sweet mildness of the pork.
Add a gorgeous, tomato and balsamic glaze, and I challenge you to eat just one piece. I certainly can’t stop at one! This impressive-looking and tasting dish goes great with Parmesan Pepper Pasta or a Creamy Pasta Salad. Or if you want to keep it simple, add a Spinach Pasta Salad on the side.
Cooking Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Before we get stuffing, it’s important to remove the silver skin from the pork. To do so, carefully slide a sharp knife underneath the silver skin on the pork and separate it from the meat.
Then you can gently pull back and peel the silver skin off. Pro tip: grabbing the corner of the silver skin with a piece of paper towel will help your grip on it.
Butterflying meat is truly simple. Just slit it from end to end, leaving the sides attached like a book binding. Lay it open, cover it with plastic or parchment and smack it to flatten it. This has two things it does for the finished dish: it makes it more tender and it makes it cook faster!
How Long to Bake Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is one of the quickest cooking cuts of pork. Since you’ll not only be butterflying the meat before stuffing it, but also filling it with a warm stuffing, it will cook even faster.
Once stuffed, this pork tenderloin only needs about 20 minutes total in the oven vs. 40-ish minutes you’d need for a non-butterflied tenderloin. It’s worth the little bit of effort!
Servings: 5 servings
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Start by removing any silver skin from the tenderloin. Carefully slide a sharp knife underneath the silver skin on the pork and separate it from the meat. Then gently pull and peel the silver skin off.
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Butterfly the pork by cutting a slit down the long end of the tenderloin, making sure not to cut all the way through. Stop about ½-inch from the edge of the tenderloin, leaving the two halves attached. Spread the tenderloin out flat and cover with plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound it to approximately ½-inch thickness.
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Line a sheet pan with foil and set the prepared tenderloin on it. Sprinkle the pork on both sides with Italian seasoning and salt.
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Warm a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon or two of oil to the pan. Swirl to coat and add the broccoli and peppers. Cook while stirring frequently for about 2 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften, but are still crisp. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute until fragrant.
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Place the shredded cheese in a bowl and add the softened vegetables. Stir to combine. Scoop the vegetable mixture over the tenderloin, creating a pile of fillings in a straight line down the center. Fold the long edge of the tenderloin up over the filling and then roll as tightly as possible, trying not to squeeze out any of the filling. Use kitchen twine or toothpicks to hold the wrapped tenderloin together while cooking.
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Combine the ketchup, balsamic, and brown sugar in a small bowl and whisk smooth. Pour about ⅔ of the glaze over the tenderloin and brush to coat. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and brush with the remaining glaze. Return the pork to the oven and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the pork reaches 145°F.
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Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Remove the twine or toothpicks, slice into rounds, and serve warm.
PLEASE NOTE: The cooking time may vary by as much as 8-10 minutes, depending on the width and overall shape of the tenderloin. The time listed in the recipe is consistent on average, but allow yourself a few extra minutes, just in case you need them.
Calories: 331kcal · Carbohydrates: 10g · Protein: 43g · Fat: 12g · Saturated Fat: 5g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g · Monounsaturated Fat: 5g · Trans Fat: 0.1g · Cholesterol: 136mg · Sodium: 383mg · Potassium: 840mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 8g · Vitamin A: 982IU · Vitamin C: 31mg · Calcium: 134mg · Iron: 2mg
