This will be your new go to pork tenderloin recipe! First off, the pork is super tender since it gets pounded out before stuffing. Speaking of stuffing….. This baby gets filled with a super tasty mixture of Spinach, Mozzarella Cheeese, and Bacon. Last but not least, a delicious honey balsamic sauce gets covered over the pork before baking.
You ready to try it yet?
What about now? If the answer was yes, let’s get to work!
STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN PROCESS
Start with two 1 lb pork tenderloins and you want to pat them dry.
Next you want to cut off the excess fat and silver-skin on the pork.
So it should look like this after.
Now you want to cut down the middle of the pork ensuring you don’t cut all the way through. Like this.
Now you want to pound out the pork until it gets pretty thin.
Set aside the pork and we will get started on the filling.
THE FILLING STEPS
The filling consists of some Shredded Mozzarella, Garlic, Sweet Onion, Spinach, and Bacon. The bacon gets cooked off then you caramelize the onion in the bacon fat. We will then sauté the spinach in that tasty mixture and will then let it cool.
Here’s how I like to cut the bacon for this.
Cut the bacon in strips then cut those in a dice. Also dice a small sweet onion.
I like to let the filling cool for 10-20 minutes before adding it to the pork. You also want to let the filling cool before adding the cheese in or else it will just melt right away.
THE SAUCE
This is what takes this to the next level and ties all of the flavors together! You spoon this sauce all over the pork before baking then it gets nice and gorgeous when it comes out of the oven!
It consists of whisking together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, 2 grated garlic cloves.
STUFFING THE PORK PROCESS
You will start off by sprinkling the pork both sides with Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Paprika, and Cumin.
Now add some of the stuffing right in the middle.
Now you want to tuck in the sides of the pork and put a toothpick there. You will roll the pork and will stick toothpicks so that it holds together the pork and so that the filling doesn’t escape.
Now that the pork is secure. Get a cast iron pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add in 1 tbsp avocado oil then give the pork a nice sear for 2 minutes each side. This helps the pork form a crust.
Add the remaining filling to the bottom of a glass baking dish then put the pork on top.
Now you want to spoon over the sauce on top of the pork tenderloins.
We are oven ready! Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 min. This will be done once the center reaches 145 degrees. Let rest for 10-20 minutes then slice pretty thin.
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Paleoish Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 HR
- Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
- Category: Paleoish
Description
Super tender pork tenderloin with a delicious spinach and cheese filling that will have you wanting more and more.
Ingredients
- two 1lb pork tenderloins
- 1 container spinach, 8 cups
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 5 bacon strips, diced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp monk fruit sugar
- onion powder
- paprika
- cumin
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- wooden toothpicks
THE SAUCE
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 grated garlic cloves, or minced
Instructions
SAUCE STEPS
- Add sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk. Set aside.
PORK STEPS
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Start by making the filling. Grab a 12 inch cast iron or non stick pan. Add in the diced bacon to the cold pan and heat up at medium high. This way it renders the fat and cooks more evenly when you cook it this way. Sauté until crispy and remove the bacon to a bowl using tongs. This way you reserve the fat in the pan.
- Now add in the diced onion and drop heat to low. Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp monk fruit sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Sauté for 20 minutes. This will get the onions nice and caramelized. Raise the heat to medium and melt in 1 tbsp of butter. Once melted, add in the spinach and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Sauté and cook for 3-4 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Tilt pan to drain any excess moisture from the spinach then remove with tongs and add to the bowl with the bacon. Mix up and set aside. Let this cool for 10-20 minutes. Add in the 1 cup shredded mozzarella and toss. Set aside.
- Pat the pork tenderloins dry then remove any excess fat and the silver skin. Now cut the pork lengthwise down the middle ensuring you don’t cut through the bottom. We are butterflying this. Pound out the pork pretty thin then season both sides with salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, and cumin.
- Add some of the filling right in the center lengthwise (there will be leftover filling) then tuck the ends and you want to roll the pork up. Grab some toothpicks to have on the cutting board and put the toothpicks in every so often to hold the pork and filling together (refer to picture reference above).
- Heat up the pan you used for the filling on medium high and add in 1 tbsp of Avocado oil. Sear both sides of the pork tenderloin for 2 minutes. Grab a glass baking dish and add the leftover filling to the bottom of it and spread evenly. Add the pork tenderloins toothpick sides down to the baking dish. Spoon over the sauce so that it evenly coats both pork tenderloins.
- Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. You want the center to be 145. Let cool for 10-15 minutes then slice into pretty thin pieces.
Notes
You could always get a bigger pork tenderloin and just use one. The cook time would probably just go up a little bit.
I made this almost exactly as written. I did have to use regular sugar since I didn’t have monk sugar, I also didn’t have just mozzarella, I used an Italian 4 cheese. This was probably the best pork tenderloin I have ever had. It was a bit of prep but it turned out excellent. I did have to tie it up since the filling was spilling out while trying to brown it. The whole family loved it! Thank you for this very yummy recipe. I will be making it again.