Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom and Spinach is a show-stopping yet no-angst recipe that is guaranteed to elevate any dinner. Pork tenderloin bursting with umami-rich mushrooms, mildly sweet baby spinach, and a Creole-Italian blend of Parmesan and herbs sounds complicated, but it is easy to prepare using everyday ingredients. Perfect for novice cooks and seasoned chefs alike, this recipe combines the tender, forgiving nature of pork tenderloin with a vibrant stuffing that delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal effort, making it a must-try for any home cook.
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What's Great About This Recipe?
Sweet Daddy D's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Spinach recipe stands out for its foolproof elegance and vibrant flavors. Pork tenderloin is remarkably forgiving, ensuring a juicy, tender result even for the novice cook. The stuffing bursts with flavor, marrying the rich, umami depth of mushrooms with the fresh, mildly sweet notes of baby spinach. Parmesan cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs, infused with dried herbs, add a Creole-Italian flair that elevates the dish. With enough stuffing for two tenderloins—or the option to generously fill one—this recipe is simple, delicious, and uses pantry-friendly ingredients, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Here’s What You Need
These are the key ingredients used in this recipe. A complete list, with quantities, is included in the printable recipe card at the end of this article.
Ingredient Notes
- Pork Tenderloin: Extremely tender and forgiving for the novice cook, pork tenderloins come prepackaged in two separate parts. This recipe is enough to stuff both parts, or only one with a little extra filling.
- Mushrooms: I use Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced about ¼ inch thick.
- Spinach: Use fresh or frozen baby spinach or full-leaf spinach.
- Stock: Use chicken stock.
- Wine: This recipe works well with a dry white wine, like Chardonnay or vermouth.
- Breadcrumbs: The flavor profile for this recipe aligns well with seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use finely grated Parmesan.
- Herbs: I developed this recipe using dry oregano, basil, and thyme.
- Creole Seasoning: This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, an all-purpose, no-salt, no-MSG Creole or Cajun seasoning. If you use a seasoning that contains salt, make sure to taste the stuffing before adding more salt.
- Other Sources of Salt: Butter, chicken stock, and Parmesan cheese are other sources of salt in this recipe.
Substitutions
- Wine: In addition to flavor, the dry white wine provides moisture and acid to balance. Substitute additional chicken or vegetable stock to replace the moisture, plus a teaspoon of cider vinegar to replace the acid.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms or your favorite variety can be used in place of the Baby Bellas. In place of mushrooms, try caramelized onions, eggplant, zucchini, squash, or olives in this recipe.
- Breadcrumbs: Use stale sliced or French bread, crackers, cooked rice, or crushed cornflakes.
- Parmesan Cheese: Substitute Romano Cheese. Other substitutes are goat cheese, Gruyere, or Feta cheese.
- Herbs: You can substitute your favorite herbs, and use fresh herbs in place of dry. If using fresh herbs, use only about half the quantity and add them with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
- Stock: Substitute vegetable stock for the chicken, or you can use plain water. Remember that water does not add any flavor to the recipe.
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Cookware
I participate in the Amazon Affiliate Program, which allows me to offer suggested tools, ingredients, and equipment that will help you make my recipes. You will find affiliate links throughout my site that I think will be helpful to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay as a consumer, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.
I like to make the stuffing in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. The Stuffed Pork Tenderloin can be roasted in a 9 X 13-inch Pyrex baking dish or aluminum baking pan. I also use kitchen twine to tie the tenderloin, but toothpicks or bamboo skewers work perfectly. This is the tool I use to flatten meat. The instant-read thermometers from ThermoWorks are my go-to internal thermometers. Other than these items, you'll need your usual prep tools.
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
Tieing the stuffed tenderloin takes a little practice, but once you get comfortable with it, it produces a uniform log that keeps the stuffing inside and promotes even cooking. But there are options. Use a few toothpicks or a couple of bamboo skewers to hold the ends together. If you don't want to pound the tenderloin thin, slice the tenderloin lengthwise down the middle and fill with stuffing before inserting toothpicks or bamboo skewers to hold it together.
Cook the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin to an internal temperature between 145 degrees and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The meat may still be slightly pink at 145, but it is fully cooked. The stuffing is not a great concern because it is fully cooked before you start. Make sure to probe the tenderloin in multiple spots to make sure you are getting an accurate reading.
The stuffing can be made a day in advance and held in an airtight container. You can stuff and tie the tenderloin, then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours wrapped in plastic wrap and an airtight container. Allow the stuffed tenderloin to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before searing and roasting as instructed.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. This recipe looks like it would be difficult, but it is quite simple. Make it even simpler by preparing yourself and the ingredients. Start with a beer to get in the right frame of mind, then read the recipe all the way through. Learn what you need and what you will do with each ingredient. Then, perform your mise en place by prepping each ingredient before you even start to cook. Then, most of the work is done, and all that is left is assembling the recipe.
Mise En Place
No-angst cooking starts with Mise En Place! Prep and measure all your ingredients before you start. This way, most of the work is done, and you can easily focus on cooking!
- Trim any loose hanging fat and the silverskin.
- Butterfly the pork tenderloin by slicing lengthwise down the middle of the tenderloin, about ¾ of the way through. Open the tenderloin like a book and press gently to flatten.
- Place the flattened tenderloin in a freezer bag or plastic wrap and use a meat pounder to flatten the tenderloin to about ¼ inch thickness. Start in the middle and work towards the edges. and pound until about ¼” thick.
- Apply a thin layer of olive oil all over the flattened tenderloin, then sprinkle it with kosher salt, black pepper, and Creole Seasoning; set aside.
- Slice or quarter the mushrooms.
- Finely chop the shallots and garlic; place them in separate prep bowls.
- Measure the Herb and Spice Blend ingredients and place them in a small bowl.
- Measure the remaining ingredients and set them aside in small bowls or measuring cups.
Lagnippe Tip: You can snip off the stems of the baby spinach or leave them on.
Build the Flavor Base
What happens in this step? The deep flavor of the filling starts with the umami flavors of sautéed mushrooms in butter, then adding aromatics and fresh spinach.
- Start by sautéing the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple of pinches of kosher salt to help draw out moisture. Saute until the mushroom’s liquid is released and cooked off, about 7 minutes.
- Once the liquid has cooked off, the mushrooms will brown slightly in the butter. Add the shallots, garlic, and the Herb and Spice Blend; sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Mix in the white wine and bring to a simmer.
- Continue to simmer the wine until it has reduced almost completely. Stir often; this will take about 7 minutes.
- With the wine almost completely reduced, add 2 tablespoons of butter. To this, add the garlic and mix well for about 2 minutes, or until you can smell the garlic's aroma.
- Add the spinach in batches, stirring thoroughly until the spinach starts to wilt before adding more spinach; this should take about 5 minutes, constantly stirred.
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Concentrate the Flavor
What happens in this step? Flavor is concentrated by reducing wine and stock before adding binders.
- Increase the heat and add the stock; mix well.
- When the stock begins to simmer, lower the heat and simmer until the stock is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Mix to combine until the stuffing is sticky with a stuffing consistency. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
Stuff the Tenderloin and Roast
What happens in this step? We'll wrap the pork tenderloin around the filling, then merge the flavors by roasting in a hot oven.
- Spread the stuffing mixture lengthwise about ⅓ from the near edge of the tenderloin.
- Fold the near edge over the stuffing, tucking the ends of the flattened tenderloin towards the center.
- If using twine, tie the tenderloin in two or three places. Brush the rolled tenderloin with olive oil. Sprinkle Creole seasoning over the tenderloin.
- Sear the rolled and tied tenderloin on all sides in a hot skillet.
- Place seared tenderloin on a baking sheet; cover with the remaining filling, if desired.
- Place in a preheated 425-degree oven. Roast the tenderloin for 25 to 30 minutes. Test with an instant-read thermometer for an internal temperature between 145 and 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
After resting, snip and remove the twine or toothpicks and slice on the bias. This is the perfect main dish to be served with Stovetop Sweet Potatoes or Pecan Rice.
The Pork Tenderloin will turn out so tender and moist, with a stuffing so flavorful that you will not need a sauce. However, a splash of Creole Mushroom Sauce or Meyer Lemon Sauce brings this dish to a special level.
Lagniappe Tip: If you think you will have leftovers, sauce only the servings you will eat. When storing leftovers, you will get a higher quality result by storing the meat and sauce separately.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Spinach goes well with these side dishes and many more!
Leftover Tips
With an emphasis on food safety and seeking to maintain the highest quality possible, these are some guidelines for storing and reheating leftover Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Spinach.
- Cool the leftover stuffed tenderloin to room temperature within 2 hours of roasting.
- Consider slicing the leftover tenderloin so that you can portion the leftovers into serving sizes.
- Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer storage bag.
- Make sure to store leftovers in an airtight container, like a vacuum-sealed bag.
- For best quality and food safety, the leftover stuffed pork tenderloin can be held in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- It's always a good idea to label and date the container.
- Defrost frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed to at least 145 degrees Internal Temperature.
- You can reheat leftover stuffed tenderloin in the microwave, but it is easy to overcook it.
If you're interested in more in-depth information on leftover stuffed pork tenderloin storage and handling, check out these articles from the USDA, FDA, StillTasty, and Foodsafety.gov.
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Recipe
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Here's What You Need
- Pork Tenderloin One or Two Halves
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons Butter in all
- 8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms
- ½ cup shallots
- 4 cloves garlic About 2 Tablespoons
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 cup Dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt in all
Herb and Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional
Here's What You Do
- Butterfly tenderloin and pound until about ¼” thick; coat with a small amount of olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and Creole seasoning; set aside.
- In a saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil with a ¼ teaspoon of salt until the mushrooms' liquid is released and cooked off. About 7 minutes.
- Add the shallots and the Herb and Spice Blend; saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine; simmer until reduced by about half, about 7 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter, then add the garlic and the spinach; saute until the spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Next, increase the heat and add the stock. Bring the stock to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the saute pan from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Spread the stuffing mixture in the center of the tenderloin, lengthwise.
- Roll into a loaf with ends tucked in.
- Tie the tenderloin. Brush the tenderloin with olive oil and sprinkle on Creole seasoning.
- Sear on all sides in a skillet over medium-high heat..
- Place the seared tenderloin in a prepared baking pan; cover with the remaining filling, if desired.
- Place in a preheated 425-degree oven for 25 minutes. Test with an instant-read thermometer to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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You have to try this recipe!