I officially nominate this herbed goat cheese stuffed pork loin as the main dish for your next holiday dinner! Simple pork loin is rubbed with fresh herbs, stuffed with goat cheese, and finished with a white wine pan sauce to create a meal that your family won’t be able to stop talking about!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin

This recipe is…

When we set out to develop a holiday-friendly main dish, the first question we asked ourselves was how we could make the humble pork loin special occasion-worthy. The answer? GOAT CHEESE! In this recipe, we take our tried-and-true cooking technique for pork, but we first butterfly the pork loin, which gives it the the spiral shape (stick with me, I PROMISE it is easier than it sounds!), then stuff it with a mixture of goat cheese, fresh herbs, and lemon zest for maximum flavor.

So, whether you have a family of ham-haters, the prime rib is looking just a little too pricey this year, or you’re simply looking to whip up something different for your holiday feast, we’ve got you covered with this herbed goat cheese stuffed pork loin! It is perfect for a holiday party, Christmas dinner, or even a fancy New Year’s Eve in — especially when accompanied with some mashed potatoes, pasta, or even easy mushroom risotto, and a little lemony sauteed kale.

Recipe Ingredients

Below, you’ll find the full ingredient list for this recipe divided into two categories: pork loin ingredients + pan sauce ingredients. Both lists are super simple — no obscure ingredients over here!

For the Pork Loin

  • Pork Loin – to start, you’ll need 1 (3-4 pound) pork loin.
  • Sea Salt + Ground Black Pepper – because of the really delicious goat cheese + fresh herb filling, the pork itself requires very little in the way of seasoning. You’ll need a 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
  • Goat Cheese – 8 ounces of goat cheese get mixed with fresh herbs to make a delicious, creamy pork loin filling.
  • Fresh Herbs – as for the fresh herbs, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme, and 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary. If you can’t find one of these herbs, don’t stress! Just use more of one that you do have.
  • Lemon Zest – the zest of one lemon brightens the filling up beautifully.
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil (avocado oil works too) heads into the skillet to help sear the pork loin and build some really excellent flavor.
  • Chicken Broth – a 1/2 cup of chicken broth hangs out in the skillet while the pork cooks in the oven — this helps to keep the pork loin nice and moist!

For the Pan Sauce

  • Butter – as for the pan sauce, you’ll start with 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • Garlic Cloves – 3 cloves of minced garlic head into the pan to build flavor.
  • White Wine – a 1/2 cup of dry white wine goes in next, followed by…
  • Chicken Broth – 3/4 of a cup of chicken broth!
  • Cream – a 1/4 cup of heavy cream heads into the skillet to add some richness to the sauce.
  • Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon of lemon juice adds the perfect punch of brightness and acidity to the pan sauce.
  • Fresh Herbs – 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme and 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley bring some colorful freshness to the finished dish!

Ingredient Modifications

This recipe is seriously incredible as written, but if you need to make a modification, go for it! Here are a few ideas:

  • Leave out the wine: if you’re nervous about the wine in this sauce, feel free to substitute it for an equal amount of chicken broth.
  • Use dried herbs: if fresh herbs are hard to come by, feel free to use dried instead. The general rule of thumb here is 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh.
Goat cheese stuffed pork loin

How to Butterfly a Pork Loin

The process is super easy, but describing it in writing is less than! HERE’S a video that’ll walk you through exactly how to butterfly your pork loin.

Supplies Needed for This Recipe

How to Cook Stuffed Pork Loin

Though this recipe is show-stopping in every sense of the word, the process is actually quite simple and (fairly) hands-off! Here’s the full process:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Butterfly the pork loin – pat the pork loin dry, and with the fat-side up, insert the knife about 1/3 of the way down the pork loin, making a lengthwise cut. Continue cutting until you get about half an inch from cutting through the edge of the pork loin, then open the flap. From here, cut down until you get to the bottom 1/3 of the pork loin, and cut lengthwise again, stopping when there is a 1/2 inch left. Open that flap as well. Instructional video can be found HERE.
  3. Even out the pork (if needed) and season – at this point, your pork loin should be a rectangle shape. If the pork is uneven in some places, place a piece of plastic wrap over the pork and use a meat mallet to pound the thicker parts and even it out. Then, season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides.
  4. Make the goat cheese filling – in a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, and lemon zest. Stir until well-combined, then spread over the pork loin.
  5. Fold and secure the pork loin – once filled, fold the pork loin back up, then tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals.
  6. Sear the pork – place a large cast iron pan or other heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil to the pan, and once hot, add the pork loin and sear fat-side-down for 5-6 minutes, until browned. Flip the pork loin and sear for an additional 3-4 minutes, until browned, then pour in the chicken broth and place in the oven.
  7. Bake – bake the pork for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145°F, then remove from the oven.
  8. Make the pan sauce – once out of the oven, remove the pork from the pan and pour off any drippings. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the butter and garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then pour in the wine. Let the wine come to a boil and cook for about 1 minute, until reduced, then add the chicken broth. Cook the mixture for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly and reduced to 1/2 a cup.
  9. Add the cream, lemon juice, thyme, and parsley – turn off the heat and whisk in the cream, lemon juice, thyme and parsley.
  10. Slice and serve – remove the twine from the pork, slice, and serve alongside the white wine sauce!
Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin
Should you cover a pork loin in the oven?

This recipe actually calls for baking the pork loin uncovered. Because it’s sitting in a bath of chicken broth, rest assured that it won’t dry out!

To what temperature do you cook stuffed pork loin roast?

Cook your pork loin until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

How to make pork loin tender?

There are a few ways to ensure that your pork loin is ultra moist and tender (because dried-out pork loin is all too common). First, baking your pork in chicken broth helps to keep it ultra-moist. Secondly, using a meat thermometer (rather than a specific amount of time) will keep the pork from being overcooked (and, by default, super-dry).

How do you keep pork loin from drying out?

Same answer as above: bake in a pool of broth AND use a meat thermometer to take the guesswork out of the doneness of the pork!

What goes well with rolled stuffed pork loin?

ALL OF THE THINGS! I especially love this yummy pork loin roast next to simple buttered pasta or easy mushroom risotto and a super-easy roasted veggie (oven roasted green beans are my favorite).

Stuffed Pork with Herbed Goat Cheese

5 — Votes 7 votes
By Cassy Joy Garcia
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 – 8 servings
Pork loin is filled with herbed goat cheese and finished with a white wine cream dish for a main dish that is perfect for a dinner party or a date night-in!

Ingredients  

For the pork loin:

  • 1, 3-4 pound pork loin
  • 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

For the pan sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley divided

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325 F.
  • Pat the pork loin dry. With the fat-side up, Insert the knife about 1/3 of the way down the pork loin and make a lengthwise cut. Continue cutting until you get about half an inch from cutting through the edge pork loin. Open the flap. From here, cut down until you get to the bottom 1/3 of the pork loin, and cut lengthwise again, stopping when there is a 1/2 inch left. Open that flap as well.
  • At this point, your pork loin should be a rectangle shape. If the pork is uneven in some places, place a piece of plastic wrap over the pork and use a meat mallet to pound the thicker parts and even it out. Then, season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides.
  • In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, and lemon zest. Stir until well-combined, then spread over the pork loin.
  • Fold the pork loin back up, then tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals.
  • Place a large cast iron pan or other heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil to the pan. Once hot, add the pork loin and sear fat-side down for 5-6 minutes, until browned. Flip the pork loin and sear for an additional 3-4 minutes, until browned, then pour in the chicken broth and place in the oven.
  • Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145 F, then remove from the oven.
  • Once cooked, removed the pork from the pan and pour off any drippings. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the butter and garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then pour in the wine. Let the wine come to a boil and cook for about 1 minute, until reduced, then add the chicken broth. Cook the mixture for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly and reduced to 1/2 cup.
  • Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream, lemon juice, thyme and parsley.
  • Remove the twine from the pork, slice, and serve alongside the white wine sauce!

Recipe Notes

  • We highly recommend using an in-oven thermometer to monitor the pork, so you can pull it out right when it comes to 145 F!
  • Instead of creating a spiral in the pork loin, you can also butterfly it by cutting the loin in half lengthwise about 1/3 of the way through. Then you will stuff it with the goat cheese mixture and tie it together. The spiral is an additional step but helps keep all of the goat cheese inside the pork and makes for a nice presentation. This video is a great step-by-step on both the butterflying and spiral methods.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 76g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 1204mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 854IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 6 – 8 servings
Calories: 594
Keyword: goat cheese, oven pork loin

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About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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Recipe Rating




22 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So good! Easy, but looks and tastes like it took training and hours! Will have this again!!

  2. Can this recipe be completely cooked and sliced before guests arrive? Maybe kept warm, if so, stove top or oven?

  3. Can this recipe be completely cooked and sliced before guests arrive? Maybe kept warm, if so, steve top or oven?

  4. 5 stars
    This is the best thing I’ve ever made for dinner. It’s so good and easy to prep ahead and make for a show stopping dineer.

    1. YAY! We are so so happy you love it, Erica! Thank you for the compliment! We really appreciate it!

    1. I lean towards an inexpensive Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for cooking. -Melissa

  5. Has anyone tried prepping this the night before? I’m trying to make CMas day as stress free as possible.

    1. It should be just fine made the day before! We hope you enjoyed it!

  6. 5 stars
    Finally got to make this! Took me a bit long because I had to learn how to tie it properly but it came out great and oh so flavorful. I added the pan drippings to the sauce at the end because they were so tasty and it elevated the sauce even more (although it made it runny) but still so yum! We ate it on top of mashed potatoes and asparagus. Would be such a great meal for dinner guests you want to impress.

  7. I would love to know if anyone has tried this with coconut milk instead of heavy cream. I’m new to eliminating cow dairy and not sure of all the subs just yet.

  8. Utterly amazing – this has been on my “to make” list forever & I finally got to make it tonight. Two thumbs up from everyone (including picky 5 & 9 year olds who don’t like their foods mixed!) Definitely putting this on our regular rotation for dinners & will have to use for a big party sometime soon!
    P.S. – The pork doesn’t even need the sauce (it’s flavorful enough on its own) but my husband said he wants to put the sauce on everything he eats from now on. 😉

  9. Do you pour off and not use the original chicken stock that you roast the pork in? Or can you use that liquid in the sauce? TIA!

  10. I’m a big fan of your honey mustard pork loin recipe, so naturally I’m excited to try this. I’m confused by the instructions for butterflying the pork loin. Am I not just cutting down the length to butterfly it, like you would a chicken breast?