posted March 29, 2021
Stuffed Pork Chops with Browned Butter Apple Filling
These Stuffed Pork Chops are a savory chop stuffed with a perfectly balanced blend of browned butter, apples, fresh sage, and smoked gouda cheese. It’s a gourmet take on a simple pork chop.
Stuffed Pork Chops
These pork chops are the most amazing, delicious, and juicy chops you’ll ever have. The flavors in this recipe are out of this world with the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
Stuffed pork chops can be difficult to cook correctly without drying out because oftentimes people will stuff their pork chops with cold filling. They then have to keep the meat cooking much longer than it should to ensure the filling reaches the correct temperature.
This recipe calls for the filling to be made and stuffed into the pork chop while still warm to help shorten the overall cooking time and create a juicier stuffed pork chop. It’s a total win!
How to Cook Stuffed Pork Chops
My absolute favorite way to cook stuffed pork chops is on the grill.
This allows you to infuse your pork chop with flavor from the inside with an amazing filling as well as from the outside with that nice heat and char from the grill. For grilling stuffed pork chops, I recommend using direct heat at about 375 degrees F. The meat itself is quite thin, so everything cooks quickly over that direct heat.
The best way to guarantee you have a perfectly cooked pork chop is to use an instant read thermometer. Pork is perfectly cooked through, juicy, and safe to eat at 145 degrees F. Get yourself a good instant read thermometer to avoid over or under cooking your stuffed pork chops. I recommend this digital Thermopop from ThermoWorks or the Thermapen MK4 if you’re really serious about BBQ.
Baked Stuff Pork Chops Variation
If you don’t want to fire up your grill for these stuffed pork chops, you can absolutely bake them in the oven or even cook on the stove top in a cast iron skillet (my next favorite approach)!
For the oven: Simply preheat to 375 degrees F. Follow the instructions for the filling and stuffing and then arrange your pork chops in a 9×13 baking dish that has been lightly coated in non-stick spray. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, flipping the pork chops over in the pan halfway through, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
In a skillet or on the stove: Follow the instructions for the filling and stuffing. Preheat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil into the pan and swirl around. Place the chops into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side to get a nice golden brown crust. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an additional 6-8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork chop reaches 145 degrees F.
Tips for the Best Stuffed Pork Chops
Ready to get started? Take not of these tips for making the best pork chops!
- Go boneless. Start with boneless center cut chops that are 1 inch thick. Bone in chops are a little more difficult to easily stuff and thinner chops are nearly impossible to cut a pocket into for the filling.
- Season well! Make sure the filling is well seasoned. Taste it before stuffing it into your pork chops to ensure it has enough salt and pepper. You definitely don’t want bland stuffing.
- Choose smoked gouda. Smoked gouda makes a world of difference in this recipe, it adds a lot of great flavor. You can make your own using my recipe for Smoked Gouda. If you’re running short on time, you can also buy this at the grocery store. I found mine at the cheese counter.
- Easy does it. Be very careful when turning or moving the stuffed pork chops around on the grill. I like to use tongs instead of forks or spatulas to help hold the stuffing in on the side while flipping them over.
More Pork Chop Recipes
Looking for more pork chop recipes? Check out a few of my favorites below!
Stuffed Pork Chops Recipe
Stuffed Pork Chops with Browned Butter Apple Filling
Video
Ingredients
- 4 1-inch thick center cut pork loin chops (boneless)
- salt and cracked black pepper
- 4 ounces smoked gouda cheese
Browned Butter Apple Filling
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small shallot (minced)
- 1 small Granny Smith apple (diced into small cubes, skin on)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage (chopped)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your grill to medium high heat (around 375 degrees F).
- Make the browned butter. In a medium skillet over medium high heat, melt the 2 Tablespoons of butter. Stir frequently and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until the milk solids in the butter have started to brown and the butter smells a little nutty.
- Add the apples and seasonings. Stir in the shallots and the green apples. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the fresh sage and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
- Cut the pork chops. Set your pork chops on a stable cutting board. Carefully use the tip of a sharp knife to cut a pocket in the side of each pork chop. Go slowly so you don't cut all the way through the chop.
- Stuff the chops. Stuff each pork chop with 1 oz of the smoked gouda. Use a spoon to stuff each pork chop with 1/4 of the green apple filling mixture. Press the filling in as tightly as you can and use your hands to bring the open edges closer together. If you would like to secure the edges of the pork chop with toothpicks, that is optional. Season the pork chops on all sides with salt and black pepper.
- Grill the stuffed pork chops. Place the pork chops on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Flip and finishing cooking. Open the lid and use tongs to carefully flip the stuffed pork chops over to the direct heat side of the grill. Cook on direct heat for 4-5 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork chops reads 145 degrees F.
- Rest and serve. Remove the stuffed pork chops from the grill and allow them to rest for 5-6 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
**This post was originally published in February 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
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