This juicy Stuffed Pork Tenderloin loaded with sweet Italian sausage, spinach, and bread stuffing, served with a mushroom marsala sauce could be your new signature dish!
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Throughout my career as a restaurant chef, I always enjoyed creating flavorful dishes using ingredients I had on hand. Taking a lackluster dish and turning it into a culinary adventure!
This restaurant-style dish is easy to make and an inexpensive way to feed a crowd. You’re going to love my Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe!
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the necessary ingredients to make Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What type of Marsala wine should I use?
This will contradict what most chefs will tell you, so you’ll have to trust me on this one. Believe me, it will make a significant difference in the flavor of the dish, and it won’t make the sauce sweet; it’s just how they differentiate between the two varieties.
Dry Marsala, in theory, should be more flavorful. But either I haven’t found a good dry marsala, or it just doesn’t work as well as advertised in my dishes.
How to Make Stuffing for a Pork Tenderloin
- Remove the casing from the sausage and place it in a hot frying pan with a bit of olive oil.
- As it cooks, break the pieces up so they resemble ground meat when finished. Place them to the side and allow them to cool slightly.
- In a clean pan, add the spinach with a small amount of water.
- Cook the spinach leaves until they are completely wilted, then squeeze out any excess water.
- In a large bowl, mix together the bread cubes, sausage, spinach, mozzarella, egg, and chicken stock.
- Blend all the ingredients together and allow to sit for 10 minutes before using.
How to Stuff a Pork Tenderloin
- With a sharp knife, split the pork tenderloin longways from end to end.
- Place the pork on a cutting board and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the pork tenderloin to flatten it. This will make it easier to stuff.
- Divide the stuffing between the two pork tenderloins.
- Roll the stuffed pork tenderloin along its long side, making a log, and tuck the edges in to seal it.
- Coat the pork tenderloins with bread crumbs.
- Place a baking sheet pan with three tablespoons of olive oil in a 350-degree preheated oven for 8-10 minutes to allow the oil to heat up.
- Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven and place the tenderloin in the hot oil to sear it slightly, gently rolling it to allow all sides to sear briefly.
*Alternatively, this can be done in a large sauté pan on the stove and then placed on the sheet pan. - Place the pan with tenderloins back into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
*Use a good meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should read a minimum of 145°F. You prefer a more well-done pork roast, let it cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
How to make a mushroom marsala sauce
- Saute mushrooms over medium-high heat in a tablespoon of olive oil for about five minutes or until they are tender. Add more oil if needed.
- Add the marsala (reserve two tablespoons) allow to cook for 3-4 minutes
- Add the chicken stock, reduce heat, and allow to simmer
- Roll pieces of softened butter in flour to make a beurre manie
- Add the beurre manie to the simmering stock. This will help thicken the sauce.
- Add cream and continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Before serving add the remainder of the marsala to boost the flavor.
You’re going to love how easy it is to make this stuffed pork tenderloin, and your friends and family are going to love how delicious it is!
Recipe FAQs
The Federal Government says pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees. I question that because pre-cooked ingredients are included in the stuffed tenderloin. Therefore, it should reach 165 degrees to be considered safe.
More Pork Recipes You’ll Love!
Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Sausage and Spinach
Ingredients
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
- 2 in Pork Tenderloin usually two a pack
- 1 lb sweet sausage
- 8 oz bag baby spinach
- 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups stale bread cubes
- 1 eggs lightly beaten
- 4 oz chicken stock more if needed
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Marsala Sauce
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 12 oz mushrooms – sliced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 oz heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Pork Tenderloin
- begin by cleaning up the tenderloin, removing silver skin and fat.
- Split tenderloin down the middle
- Cover the split tenderloin with plastic wrap and using the flat side of a meat hammer, pound out the pork to increase the size of the tenderloin.
Stuffing
- remove the casing from the sausage and cook in a frying pan breaking up the pieces so they look like ground meat. (allow to cool slightly)
- in another frying pan with a little water in the pan cook the spinach leaves until completely wilted, then squeeze out any additional water
- Using stale bread, cut it into cubes or small pieces. *Or use a premade bread cube.
- In a large bowl, mix together the bread, sausage, spinach, mozzarella, egg and chicken stock, blend all the ingredients together*
Stuffed Tenderloin
- divide stuffing between two pork tenderloins, and roll tenderloins, along the long side making a log, tucking the edges in to seal it.
- dredge the stuffed tenderloin in seasoned bread crumbs.
- Place cookie sheet into preheat oven with olive oil in pan and allow it to get heat for about 10 minutes.
- remove pan from oven and very carefully roll the tenderloin in the hot oil to sear it slightly, Be very careful hot oil can burn!
- Place pan with tenderloins back into the oven and bake for 25 minutes
Marsala Sauce
- saute mushrooms in a little olive oil for about five minutes or until they are tender.
- add marsala (reserve two tablespoons) and chicken stock, reduce heat and allow to simmer
- roll pieces of the butter in flour to make a Beurre manie, then add to the simmering stock to help thicken the sauce.
- add cream and continue to simmer
- before serving add the remainder of the marsala to boost the flavor.
Finish
- slice stuffed pork tenderloin about ½ thick and serve with mushroom marsala sauce
Jackie says
Hi Dennis,
I just came across your delicious looking recipe, & want to make it ASAP. Just one question … Have you prepared it a few hours in advance of baking? I’d like to get it all ready to pop in the oven after guests arrive,, but wonder if it would work.
Thank you in advance, going to have a look at the rest of your site.
Jackie
Chef D says
Hi Jackie,
yes indeed you can make the stuffed pork up ahead of time, in fact the extra time in the refer, will allow it to set up really well, making it easier to handle when cooking. I would make it completely with breading, and then right before you cook it, roll it in bread crumbs again in case any parts got damp.
You can even precook it if you like, which is what I would do in a restaurant, saute for color, then refrigerate. and when the time comes close, just pop it in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes to finish cooking. as soon as the center hits 165 it will be ready to serve.
thanks for stopping by,and if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to contact me!
Cheers
Dennis
Sheryl says
Chef, I stumbled across your blog Feb 5th for the first time; the very day you posted this tenderloin Nirvana. I knew I had to try it for my husband for Valentine’s Day.
We just finished dinner and I truly think you understated this amazing dish. Both my husband and I have agreed it goes immediately into the “keeper” file. Thank you so much for sharing this; I’ll be visiting regularly for inspiration.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Chef D says
Hi Sheryl
I’m so glad to hear that the recipe worked well for you and that you and your husband enjoyed your dinner! I look forward to hearing from you!
Cheers
Dennis
Apron Appeal says
I love your recipes especially those of the stuffed variety!
thoma says
wow i cant believe am writing to someone who can make dishes as decadent as that. how i would love to bite into tht lusciousness and moan for the rest of my life…:p
it’s truly a cut above.
wasn’t working in a restaurant stressful. i’ve read Anthony Bourdain’s Underbelly book and boy the grind doesn have competition.
claire says
Chef Dennis – i am at work and shouldn’t be perusing recipes but organising publicity for a security report on libya – instead I am drooling over this – yum – port tenderloins here i come!
C
Mandie VanBuren says
Absolutely delicious! Didn’t change a thing and it came out perfectly. My only complaint, if you want to call it that, is that the 20 minute preparation time is a bit unrealistic for the average person in my opinion. More like an hour. Totally worth the extra prep time for special occasions.
Alli says
You have given me inspiration to make pork tenderloin…and a stuffed version, at that! I would actually like to dive through the computer and take a forkful of this picture…looks so delicious!
Missy says
Oh Chef! This is phenomenal!
Jeanne says
Bored old lady clicking from link to link ….found you through the “Use Real Butter” blog.
My mouth is watering over just the photos of this dish. Is this what they call Food-Porn?
Trying it out this weekend when the family flocks back home with their off-spring in tow!
Chef D says
I’m so glad you found me! I look forward to seeing you around!
Megan @ Pip and Ebby says
Great tip about the marsala, thanks!! Lovely recipe, as well. I love these vintage swaps. What a fun idea.
Rachel says
What a beautiful dish! It looks just as sigh-provoking as you say it is. Even if lucky restaurant patrons didn’t get to try this, you did treat yourself to a well deserved feast!
My meat-eating husband would love this! He loves chicken marsala so the marsala sauce would be a huge hit! Maybe I’ll make him a special Valentines Day treat.
Laura Rees says
This has “dish for Laura’s next dinner party” written all over it. Thanks!
Sofie Dittmann @thegermanfoodie says
i LOVE pork tenderloin! have never had it stuffed before, tho. this looks so good on screen – i bet it tasted even better “in person”. 🙂
Kris says
This looks amazing! And I agree completely on the sweet marsala!
Baker Street says
Congrats on top 9! stuffed meat always makes for a delicious meal.
Eftychia says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us. The dish looks delicious!