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These Stuffed Pork Chops are tender, juicy, and filled with a flavorful mix of mushrooms, onions, spinach, and gooey melted cheese — a comforting, restaurant-worthy meal made right at home!
This post is sponsored by the Utah Pork Producers,
but all opinions and text are my own!
Why You’ll Love These!
- Impress your guests! These are restaurant quality made right at home!
- They can be prepared ahead of time. You can make the stuffing, stuff the chops and have them ready to sear/bake when time to enjoy.
- Packed with protein! There are over 50 grams of protein in a whole 8 ounce pork chop (23 grams per 3 ounces)!
- Tender & loaded with flavor! The filling adds so much flavor to these chops…the mushrooms, garlic, cheese…SO good!!!
Ingredients Needed
- Pork Chops – You’ll want a fairly thick pork chop (at least 1-inch thick) and you can use bone-in pork chops or boneless. Totally up to you!
- Butter – You’ll use this to sauté the vegetables in the filling.
- Sliced Onions, Sliced Mushroom, Garlic and Spinach – These veggies all go into the stuffing and make it SO flavorful!
- Panko Bread Crumbs – Other bread crumbs work fine too, I just prefer the texture of panko. This will help hold the filling together so it doesn’t ooze out the side of the chop.
- Parmesan Cheese – Grated parmesan is added into the stuffing for a little more texture and flavor!
- Mozzarella Cheese – You can use shredded or sliced mozzarella, though I find the slices easier to work with.
How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops
Start by preheating the oven (so it’s ready when you are!) and then make the filling. To do so, you’ll sauté the onions in butter until they’re softened. Then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook them down a bit.
Next, you’ll remove the pan from the heat and add the spinach, bread crumbs and parmesan. That’ll be the filling – easy!
Now it’s time to stuff the chops – but first, you need to cut a pocket into the pork chops. I like to use a small serrated knife (any small sharp knife will do). Cut into the pork chop horizontally to create a pocket.
Add about 1/2 cup of filling into each of the pork chops then a slice of cheese.
Season the chops with salt and pepper then sear them on both sides. This will take just 2-3 minutes on each side. If you’re using an oven-safe pan (like a cast-iron skillet), cover with foil or a lid and transfer to the oven. If you do not have an oven-safe pan, transfer to a baking dish, cover and send them into the oven!
How long these take to cook thoroughly depends a lot on the thickness of the chops, if they’re boneless or bone-in, and whether or not you keep them in the hot skillet you seared them in.
- If your pork chops aren’t super thick and you kept them in that hot pan, check them after just 10 minutes to see if they’re done. You’ll likely have to add a little more time, but not much.
- If your pork chops are thick, bone-in and you transferred them to a separate baking pan, let them bake for 20 minutes before you check them.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate the pork chops in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When ready to enjoy again, place them in a baking dish with a splash of chicken broth or water. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 350F until the center reaches 165F. You can also microwave the leftovers for a quicker option.
Common Questions
Yes! I’d recommend making the filling and getting the pork chops stuffed ahead of time if you’d like to. Then when you’re ready to eat, sear them and bake.
The best way to know for sure is by using an instant read thermometer. When the internal temperature of the pork chop is 145F, it can be removed from the oven. Don’t overcook pork chops…they will quickly lose their perfectly tender and juicy texture!
You can! Go ahead and stuff the pork chops then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw completely before searing and baking. You can also freeze cooked pork chops, but they might be more tough and dry when reheated.
I typically serve these with a green vegetable such as green beans, brussels sprouts, or asparagus. You could also add artisan bread or focaccia and a side of fruit to round out the meal!
Other Pork Chop Recipes to Try
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops
- Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
- French Onion Pork Chops
Stuffed Pork Chops
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
- 1 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup sliced onions
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 thick cut pork chops bone in or boneless
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Make the Filling
- Add the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon butter
- Once melted, add the sliced onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until they're softened a bit.1/2 cup sliced onions
- Add the mushrooms and garlic; continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.8 ounces sliced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the spinach, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese; set aside.1 cup chopped spinach, 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Stuff the Pork Chops
- Place the pork chops on a cutting board.4 thick cut pork chops
- Hold the pork chop steady with one hand and use a sharp knife with the other hand to cut horizontally to form a pocket. Be careful not to cut all of the way through when using a boneless pork chop. If you're using a bone-in pork chop, cut all the way to the bone to form a large pocket. Repeat until all of the pork chops are done.
- Divide the filling between the four pork chops (about 1/3 – 1/2 cup per chop).
- Add a slice of cheese into the pocket as well and press the pork chop down to close it nice and tight.4 slices mozzarella cheese
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.salt and pepper
Cook the Pork Chops
- Place a clean skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add a drizzle of vegetable oil into the pan (if using a nonstick skillet, you may not need any).
- Add the pork chops and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- If you're using an oven-safe skillet, you can cover it with its lid and place in the oven. If not, transfer the chops to a baking pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake until the pork chops reach 145℉. The baking time will vary greatly depending on the thickness of the chops and whether or not you kept them in the hot skillet. Check the pork chops after 10 minutes and go from there. (I like to use really thick chops and transfer them to a ceramic baking dish and they take about 25 minutes in the oven.)
- Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
