Name: Pork Tenderloin Recipes: Christmas Stuffed Pork with Cranberry & Sage
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 1/2 tsp salt; 3 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped; 1 sweet onion, sliced thinly (about 1/8 inch); 3 cups fresh spinach; 3 cloves garlic, freshly minced; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 1/2 tsp salt; 6 oz crumbled goat cheese; 1 boneless pork tenderloin (1 to 2 lb, butterflied lengthwise); 1/2 cup cranberry sauce; 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

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I’ve been making this stuffed pork tenderloin for years now, and I can tell you it’s become our family’s absolute favorite for special dinners. There’s something magical about slicing into that golden crust and seeing the colorful spiral of cranberry, spinach, and melted goat cheese inside. What I love most? It looks like you slaved away in the kitchen, but honestly, it comes together faster than you’d think. We butterflied the tenderloin, loaded it up with caramelized onions and fresh sage, then rolled it tight. The smell alone gets everyone hovering around the kitchen asking when dinner’s ready. This recipe fits right into your Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipes collection, works great as one of those impressive Baked Dinner Ideas, and definitely belongs with your best Stuffed Pork Recipes. It’s perfect for Holiday Dinner Recipes when you need something that wows but doesn’t stress you out. Think of it as elevated comfort food, something between everyday Pork Roast Recipes and fancy Holiday Stuffing Recipes that feels just right for gathering around the table.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe
3) Ingredients for Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
4) How to Make Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
5) Tips for Making Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
6) Making Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
8) Try these Main Course next!
9) Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

What makes stuffed pork tenderloin so special for holidays?
Can I prepare stuffed pork tenderloin ahead of time?
What temperature should pork tenderloin reach when cooking?
How do I butterfly a pork tenderloin without cutting through?

2) Easy Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Let me tell you about the first time I made this stuffed pork tenderloin for Christmas dinner. My hands were shaking as I tried to butterfly the meat, convinced I’d butcher it. Turns out, it was way easier than I thought. Now I make these Pork Tenderloin Recipes all the time, not just for the holidays.

What makes this dish so great is how it looks super fancy when you slice into it. That spiral of cranberry and cheese? People think you’re some kind of cooking genius. The truth is, if you can roll up a burrito, you can handle this. The hardest part is waiting for those onions to caramelize, and even that’s mostly just standing around stirring occasionally.

This recipe fits perfectly into your Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Recipes collection, though we’re skipping the bacon here to let the stuffing shine. It’s one of those Baked Dinner Ideas that feels special enough for company but doesn’t require culinary school training. I’ve served it to my pickiest relatives, and they always ask when I’m making it again.

The goat cheese gets all melty inside, mixing with the tart cranberry sauce and those sweet caramelized onions. Fresh sage adds this earthy note that screams “holiday dinner” without being overwhelming. And spinach? It wilts down into basically nothing, adding color and sneaking in some greens. My kids don’t even notice it’s there.

3) Ingredients for Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin. You want one that’s between 1 and 2 pounds. I usually grab the bigger one if I’m feeding more than four people or if I want leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Look for meat that’s pinkish with a little marbling throughout. Skip the pre-marinated ones from the store since we’re making our own flavor party inside.

Sweet Onion. Yellow onions work fine too, but sweet onions get this amazing caramel flavor when you cook them low and slow. Slice them thin, like 1/8 inch. I learned this the hard way after once trying to use thick chunks that stayed crunchy and awkward. Thin slices melt into buttery goodness that makes this one of the best Stuffed Pork Recipes around.

Fresh Sage. Don’t even think about using the dusty dried stuff for this. Fresh sage is where it’s at for Holiday Dinner Recipes like this one. Chop it up fine so you get little bursts of that earthy, slightly peppery flavor throughout. I grow sage in my garden now just for recipes like this. Three tablespoons sounds like a lot, but trust me on this.

Fresh Spinach. Three cups of raw spinach looks like a mountain, but it cooks down to almost nothing. Baby spinach works great and you don’t have to deal with those tough stems. Just toss it in the pot and watch it shrink. If you’ve got frozen spinach hanging around, that works too. Just thaw it and squeeze out every drop of water you can.

Garlic. Fresh garlic, please. Three cloves minced up real fine. That jarred pre-minced stuff doesn’t have the same punch. When you add it to the hot pan with the spinach, your whole kitchen smells amazing. That’s when people start wandering in asking what’s for dinner.

Goat Cheese. This is where the magic happens. Six ounces of crumbled goat cheese gets all soft and creamy inside the rolled pork. It’s tangy and rich at the same time. Can’t find goat cheese? Feta gives you that same tang, or cream cheese if you want something milder. I’ve tried all three and they all work great in these Pork Roast Recipes.

Cranberry Sauce. Half a cup is all you need. I prefer the chunky whole berry kind over the jellied stuff, but both work. The cranberries add this sweet tart pop that cuts through the richness of the cheese and pork. You can make your own or use canned. I won’t judge. I usually have both on hand during the holidays.

Butter. Two tablespoons total. Unsalted is best so you can control the salt level yourself. One tablespoon goes into caramelizing those onions, the other cooks the spinach. Good quality butter makes a difference here. I splurge on the fancy European stuff for Holiday Stuffing Recipes like this.

Salt and Black Pepper. Season generously. You need it on the inside of the butterflied meat and on the outside. Freshly cracked black pepper tastes so much better than the pre-ground stuff. I keep a pepper mill on my counter just for cooking. Half a teaspoon of each sounds like nothing, but it brings everything together.

4) How to Make Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Step 1. Get your large pot heating over medium low heat. Drop in that tablespoon of butter and watch it melt and foam up. Add your thin sliced onions with a good pinch of salt. Now comes the patience part. Stir these onions every few minutes for 30 to 40 minutes. Yeah, it takes a while. I usually start them first, then prep everything else while they’re cooking.

Step 2. You’ll know the onions are ready when they turn golden brown and smell sweet. They should be really soft and jammy, not burnt or crispy. Once they hit that perfect caramel color, stir in all that chopped fresh sage. The heat will release those sage oils and the smell is incredible. Transfer everything to a bowl and set it aside.

Step 3. Don’t bother washing that pot. Just add your other tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Throw in all that fresh spinach. It looks like way too much at first, but it wilts down fast. Stir it around until it’s all wilted and dark green, maybe two or three minutes. Add your minced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds. You want it fragrant but not brown.

Step 4. Crank your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with foil and give it a spray with cooking spray. This makes cleanup so much easier later. Now grab your pork tenderloin and put it on a cutting board. This is the scary part, but you’ve got this.

Step 5. Take a sharp knife and slice lengthwise down the tenderloin, about a quarter inch from the bottom. Don’t cut all the way through. Stop when you’ve got about half an inch left. Now make another cut to open it up like a book. You want a flat rectangle of meat. If you mess up, don’t panic. It all gets rolled up anyway. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper.

Step 6. Spread that cranberry sauce all over the inside of your butterflied pork. Leave about an inch or two around the edges empty. If you go all the way to the edge, everything squeezes out when you roll it. I learned this the hard way my first time making this, and my baking sheet looked like a crime scene.

Step 7. Layer on your wilted spinach, spreading it evenly over the cranberry sauce. Then scatter those caramelized onions on top. Finally, crumble that goat cheese all over everything. It’s okay if it’s not perfect. When you slice the finished product, it all looks beautiful anyway. That’s the beauty of these types of recipes.

Step 8. Now roll that tenderloin up tight, starting from one long side. Roll it like you’re making a jelly roll or sushi. Keep it tight so the stuffing stays inside. Grab your kitchen twine and tie it at intervals, maybe every inch or inch and a half. This keeps everything together while it cooks. Season the outside with more salt and pepper.

Step 9. Put your tied up pork tenderloin on that prepared pan. Slide it into your hot oven. Set a timer for 30 minutes, but start checking the temperature at 25 minutes. You’re looking for 140 to 145 degrees F on a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part. Mine usually takes about 32 minutes, but ovens vary.

Step 10. This step is really important and I cannot stress it enough. Let that pork rest for a full 20 minutes before you cut into it. I know the smell is driving you crazy and you want to slice it right now, but don’t. The juices need time to redistribute and the cheese needs to firm up a bit. If you cut too soon, everything oozes out.

Step 11. After resting, use a sharp knife to slice your pork tenderloin into rounds about half an inch thick. Each slice shows off that pretty spiral of cranberry, spinach, onions, and cheese. Arrange them on a platter. I usually serve extra cranberry sauce on the side or make a quick pan gravy. Either way, get ready for everyone to ask for this recipe.

5) Tips for Making Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Get a sharp knife before you start. A dull knife makes butterflying the pork way harder than it needs to be. I keep a knife sharpener in my kitchen drawer and give my knives a few swipes before big cooking projects. When you’re making that lengthwise cut, go slow and steady. You can always cut more, but you can’t uncut.

Don’t rush those onions. I know 30 to 40 minutes feels like forever when you’re standing at the stove. But properly caramelized onions are what separate good Pork Tenderloin Recipes from great ones. If you try to speed it up by cranking the heat, you’ll get burnt onions instead of sweet caramelized ones. Low and slow wins this race every time.

Use kitchen twine, not regular string. Regular string can burn or give off weird flavors. Kitchen twine is cheap and you can find it at any grocery store. Tie your rolls snug but not so tight that the meat bulges out between the strings. You want even cooking throughout the roast.

Let your pork come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before you start cooking. Cold meat from the fridge cooks unevenly. I take mine out while I’m prepping all the filling ingredients. By the time I’m ready to butterfly it, the chill is off.

Invest in a good meat thermometer if you don’t have one. Guessing when pork is done leads to either dry overcooked meat or undercooked scary meat. A thermometer takes the guesswork out. I clip mine to my apron so I always know where it is. These Baked Dinner Ideas work so much better when you nail the temperature.

If your butterflied pork is uneven thickness, pound it gently with a meat mallet. You want it relatively even so everything cooks at the same rate and rolls up nicely. Put the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap before you pound it. This keeps your counter clean and the meat from tearing.

6) Making Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Ahead of Time

Here’s the beautiful thing about this recipe. You can stuff and roll the whole thing up to 24 hours before you plan to cook it. Wrap it tight in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook, just unwrap it, season the outside, and pop it in the oven. This is a lifesaver when you’re planning Holiday Dinner Recipes for a crowd.

I do this all the time for dinner parties. The morning of, I’ll butterfly the pork, make all the fillings, roll everything up, and tie it. Then it sits in the fridge until an hour before dinner. I take it out to come to room temp, then cook it. This way I’m not scrambling around in the kitchen when guests arrive.

You can also make the onions and spinach filling a day ahead. Cook them, let them cool completely, then store in separate containers in the fridge. When you’re ready to stuff the pork, just spread the cold fillings on the meat. They’ll heat up fine during roasting. This is one of those Stuffed Pork Recipes that’s actually easier when you break it into steps.

If you want to freeze it, wrap the stuffed and tied pork really well in plastic wrap, then wrap it again in foil. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before cooking. I don’t recommend freezing it after cooking. The texture gets weird when you reheat it.

7) Storing Leftover Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Leftover stuffed pork tenderloin keeps great in the fridge for three to four days. I slice up whatever’s left after dinner and store the slices in an airtight container. This makes it easy to grab for quick lunches. I’ve made some amazing sandwiches with these leftovers. Just grab a couple slices, warm them up, and put them on a crusty roll with some arugula.

To reheat, I cover the slices with foil and warm them in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You can also zap individual slices in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, but the oven method keeps them from getting rubbery. Add a splash of chicken broth or water under the foil to keep everything moist.

Don’t slice the whole thing if you’re not serving it all at once. Keep the unsliced portion whole, wrap it in foil, and store it that way. It stays juicier when it’s not sliced. Then you can slice off what you need and keep the rest intact. This works great when you’re feeding people over several days.

Can you freeze cooked leftovers? Yeah, but the texture changes a bit when you thaw and reheat it. The pork stays fine, but the cheese and cranberry can get a little watery. If you do freeze it, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then put them all in a freezer bag. That way you can pull out just what you need without thawing everything.

8) Try these Main Course next!

9) Christmas Stuffed Pork Tenderloin