Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe

This beautiful Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin only needs a few ingredients and is perfect for holiday meals.

Hello! It’s Andi, here to share an incredible holiday pork tenderloin roast recipe that will be the star of any meal. A marinated fresh pork tenderloin is rolled with an apple cranberry stuffing and baked to golden brown perfection. It looks super fancy but only needs a few ingredients!

Stuffed pork tenderloin is the perfect holiday meal

What are your holiday plans? We have the pleasure of having my parents with us for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. That’s a first! We have lived across the country from each other for as long as I can remember, but they are staying for an extended visit through the holidays this year.

Since we’ll all be together, I’m even more eager than usual to cook up amazing holiday meals. I think we’ll keep it traditional with a turkey for Thanksgiving, but this stuffed pork loin is definitely happening for Christmas dinner! What could be better than tender, juicy pork stuffed with cranberries and apples and served with a side of gravy or mustard cream sauce. The combination of cranberry and apple with the pork is not only perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but also great for a fall pot-luck or get together.

While this stuffed pork loin roast is nice for holiday meals, it’s easy enough to serve for a family dinner any time! I hope you enjoy it, and I wish you a very happy holiday season!

Ingredients in Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

This meal starts with a Slow Roasted Golden Rotisserie Marinated Fresh Pork Tenderloin. You can find Smithfield pork in the fresh meat section at your local grocery store. Walmart stores are a good place to check first because they usually have a good selection of flavors. But you can use any brand of marinated pork tenderloin (Trader Joe’s has one) and just choose a marinade that is more neutral such as lemon and garlic, garlic and herb, or original.

These marinated cuts of pork are perfect for recipes because the seasoning is already done for you! Plus, the meat always turns out tender and juicy. The golden rotisserie flavor is especially nice for recipes because it has a mild savory flavor that blends with a lot of different sauces or stuffings.

In this case, let’s stuff it with apples and cranberries! You can’t beat those fruity flavors in the fall and winter. All you need is pre-made stuffing mix, dried cranberries, diced apples, and a little onion. Easy peasy!

Why I use dried cranberries in this recipe

I love fresh cranberries but they are very hard to find other than during the holdiays and even then not every store has them. In this recipe I decided to use dried cranberries because I think they give great cranberry flavor, a touch of sweetness and make the preparation faster and easier.

If you decide to use fresh cranberries you will want to rough chop them and cook them with a little sugar and water in order to soften them but so much as to make them into cranberry sauce. You can use the liquid from the cranberries to replace some of the water in the recipe and this will add even more flavor. If you decide to use fresh cranberries and have extra try this yummy Cranberry French Toast recipe for breakfast the next day.

What are the best apples to use for stuffing?

When trying to decide what type of apples to use for stuffing you want to keep in mind the texture and sweetness you want in the dish. For me there are three apples that work great in any stuffing:

1. Granny Smith is a classic baking and cooking apple. It is tart and has a firm texture which makes it perfect for stuffing, pies and a variety of recipes.
2. Honey Crisp is a great option. They are slightly sweet and very crisp making means they wont be mushy in your dishes and add that nice sweet apple flavor.
3. Pink Lady is a great option as they are very firm and have a tart flavor. The pink hued flesh also makes them a pretty option for cooking

Regardless of which apple variety your choose always be sure to peel your apples before using in the stuffing as the skin can leave the dish with a tough and less enjoyable texture. For more information on apples check out this extensive apple guide.

Steps in Making Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cranberries

This recipe can be made in only a few steps. Here are some added details on a few of the steps to expand on the directions in the recipe.

1. Mix the stuffing – In a medium bowl, mix together the dry stuffing mix, dried cranberries (craisins), diced apple, diced onion, and water. Set aside while you prep the pork. If you are not using a preseasoned dry stuffing mix be sure to add some salt and pepper. Also see my note below on precooking the stuffing.
2. Prepare the pork tenderloin – Cut the pork down the middle lengthwise, but not all the way through so it stays connected and is an even thickness. You want to cut it so that it opens up like a book. This is also called butterflying a cut of meat. Once you’ve cut and opened it, cover it with plastic wrap and place it on a wood or plastic cutting board. Firmly pound the pork with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. (If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use the flat end of a heavy glass or beer bottle or a rolling pin.)
3. Stuff the pork tenderloin – Spread the stuffing mix onto the cut side of the pork loin. Roll the pork into a tight cylinder, and tie it up with cooking twine. Place into the prepared roasting pan. If you are not using a marinated pork tenderloin be sure to season both sides of the pork before stuffing and rolling.
4. Bake and enjoy!

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Tips and Tricks

I love stuffed pork tenderloins any time of year but they are especially great around the holidays as they are an easy and impressive dish to serve. This pork tenderloin stuffed with apples and cranberries is no exception. When making a stuffed pork tenderloin here are some recommendations to help ensure it comes our great everytime.

• Ensure the meat is as even a thickness as possible. You want to make sure the pork cooks evenly and does not become over cooked in parts so be careful to take and extra minute when butterflying the tenderloin and then pounding it.
• Pre-cook the stuffing if appropriate. When you cook a stuffed meat of any kind you will rarely cook it long enough to fully cooked the ingredients inside. It will become hot enough for the ingredients to be hot and cheese to melt but vegetables will not become soft. If you want to have your vegetables be more tender I recommend cooking the stuffing ingredients prior to stuffing them in the pork tenderloin.
• Season the meat inside and out. If you are not using a pre-marinaded cut of meat besure to season the inside and outside before stuffing. This will ensure a nice flavorful dish.
• Season the stuffing. You want to make sure you season the stuffing in addition to the meat. In this recipe I used a stuffing mix which is preseasoned. If you make a stuffing from scratch or are just using fresh vegetables and fruits be sure to add a little salt and pepper along with some herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
• Combine flavor and texture. Whenever stuffing any protein you want to be sure to have a balance of flavor and texture. In this recipe the apples add some texture just like nuts do in many others. some recipes have a smooth and creamy stuffing to balance a crispy exterior like you sometimes find with Chicken Cordon Bleu and other breaded stuffed proteins.

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe

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This beautiful Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin only needs a few ingredients and is perfect for holiday meals.

• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Smithfield Slow Roasted Golden Rotisserie Marinated Fresh Pork Tenderloin
• 1 cup chicken flavored dry stuffing mix
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup water

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking dish with foil, and spray the foil with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the stuffing mix, cranberries, apple, onion, and water. Set aside while you prep the pork.
3. Cut the pork down the middle lengthwise, leaving it connected on one side. You want to cut it so that it opens up like a book. Once you’ve cut and opened it, cover it with plastic wrap. Firmly pound the pork with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. (If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use the flat end of a heavy glass instead.)
4. Spread the stuffing mix onto the cut side of the pork loin. Roll the pork into a tight cylinder, and tie it up with cooking twine. Place into the prepared roasting pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven until the center reaches 145 degrees F on a meat thermometer. Baking time will be approximately 45 minutes, but use the thermometer to determine doneness.
6. Remove from oven, and cover roast with foil. Allow to rest 10 minutes. Remove the twine before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

• Author: Andi Gleeson
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 60
• Category: Dinner, Red Meat
• Cuisine: American

Thanks to Smithfield for sponsoring this recipe.