Stuffed Pork Chops With Parmesan Filling Wellplated Com

Exceptionally moist and stuffed with a mixture of herbs and breadcrumbs that reminds me of Thanksgiving stuffing in the best possible way, this homey recipe will have you asking yourself why you don’t cook pork chops more often. Over the last few months, I’ve been tinkering with proteins that carry the (often deserved) reputation of being bland, rubbery, and dry. My goal: unlock the secrets to transforming them into tender, pleasurable, healthy meals. We’ve covered some excellent ground so far.

Grilled Pork Chops taught us about brining (salting meat to lock in its moisture).Crockpot Pork Chops and Air Fryer Pork Chops showed us the way with alternate cooking methods.Smothered Pork Chops bake in, and soak up, a creamy sauce.

And now, we’ve arrived at one of my absolute favorite ways to cook moist, tender meat AND infuse it with restaurant-worthy flavor at the same time: stuffing.

Slicing a pocket into the pork chops, then filling it with a moist, savory mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and herbs insulates the meat from within as it cooks.Stuffing has the added bonus of giving you tasty bites of filling with every forkful.

The Coziest Stuffing for Pork Chops

While I usually lean Italian/cheesy with my fillings (like this Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and this Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast), rather than default to Italian stuffed pork chops, I felt a pull towards something that felt more snug and tucked-in, as if my dinner were taking care of me from the inside-out. Of all herbs in my pantry, nothing says “let me hug you” quite like sage. Sage is also a wonderful pairing with pork. Combined with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, my first bite of this pork gave me the sensation that I was eating stuffed pork chops with stuffing at a family holiday dinner. Fans of Stovetop stuffing, you are especially going to love this recipe. It’s classic, herby, and sublime!

How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops

Stuffing sounds fancy, but it’s surprisingly easy and the results are superb. This recipe comes together in three parts:

Make the filling in a skillet, then stuff the pork chops.Sear the outsides of the pork in the same skillet to give them color, a pleasing exterior texture, and an additional layer of flavor.Baked the stuffed pork chops in the oven covered with foil.

The Ingredients

Pork Chops. You can use pork loin chops or pork rib chops. For best results, make sure the chops are at least 1 1/2 inches thick and choose bone-in.

Sage. A pinch of rubbed sage is the secret to the stuffing’s welcome hominess.Shallot. Sauteing shallot with butter creates a flavorful base for the stuffing.

Breadcrumbs. I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for an herby touch that requires zero extra effort.

Egg. This might sound a little surprising, but adding an egg to the breadcrumb stuffing at the end helps thicken and moisten it (just like when you add eggs to regular stuffing).Parmesan Cheese. A nutty, salty touch that gives the filling nuance.Flour. Dredging (a.k.a. coating) the pork chops in flour before searing the outsides gives them a scrumptious, golden brown exterior.

The Directions

What to Serve with Stuffed Pork Chops

Rice. For a classic pairing, serve stuffed pork chops with rice. Lemon Rice is an excellent everyday option. For something more elevated, try Wild Rice Stuffing.Sauteed Vegetables. While the pork chops bake in the oven, whip up Sauteed Brussels Sprouts or Sauteed Cabbage.Potatoes. Since the oven will be busy, use a different appliance. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Crockpot Sweet Potatoes would both hit the spot!

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate leftover pork chops in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.To Reheat. Gently rewarm pork chops in the air fryer or oven at 350 degrees F, in the microwave, or in a skillet on the stove.To Freeze. Freeze leftover pork chops in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Instant Thermometer. Super accurate, in my experience, for oven and grilling temperatures.Paring Knife. One-piece carbon blade for a lighter weight without sacrificing strength.Roasting Pan. With a chrome-plated raised rack, this pan is perfect for this recipe!

Thanks to three nights of recipe testing in a row, I think just about every one of our neighbors has tasted these stuffed pork chops. The good news is just about any thick-cut, bone-in pork chop works well for stuffing!

Loin Chop. These come from the hip and loin and sometimes contain some of the pork tenderloin. (Also called: Center-cut loin chop, pork loin end chop, porterhouse, or top-loin chop.)Rib Chop. Cut from the lower loin. These are tender and have a little more fat than loin chops. (Also called: Center-cut rib chop, pork rib cut chop, pork chop end cut, or rib end cut.)Blade Chop. Cut from the shoulder. These are the fattiest of all of the cuts and have the darkest meat. (Also called: blade chop, blade-end chop, pork shoulder chop, or pork shoulder blade steak.)Boneless Chops. These can be thick- or thin-cut. They are essentially rib or loin chops from which the bone has been removed.

I recommend using bone-in pork chops, as the bone helps create more moist results and flavors the meat. Personally, I prefer to cook stuffed pork loin or stuffed pork rib chops, as these two cuts are the most lean. You can also fully stuff the pork 1 day in advance. Let come to room temperature prior to continuing with the recipe. Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe. All votes are in firmly in favor. I hope these stuffed pork chops are as a big a hit with your family as they are on our block!