Chestnut Stuffed Pork Loin Recipe
This chestnut stuffed pork loin recipe is a delicious, showstopper of a dinner. A flavorful pork loin roast is perfect for Sunday dinner with the family. It is also special enough for your holiday table or celebratory occasions.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my apple bourbon pulled pork and my pork burger recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my pork recipes in one place.
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Chestnut stuffed pork loin recipe
This stuffed pork roast recipe is a great weekend dinner to have with friends and family. It’s full of flavor and visually appealing, making it a perfect option for your holiday table as well. For us, this stuffed pork loin roast would be an ideal Christmas dinner or even New Year’s Day dinner.
Last year, I made this beef tenderloin for Christmas with family and it was a huge hit. Why not offer both if you have a large gathering?
What you need to know
You will need butcher’s twine for this recipe, and a sharp Chef’s knife. It is important that your knife is sharp. Otherwise, you may end up tearing the pork loin instead of cutting cleanly through it.
What is the difference between a pork loin and a pork tenderloin?
A pork loin is not the same thing as a pork tenderloin. Tenderloins are much smaller, about half the size of a loin. When purchasing your pork loin, make sure you are not buying the tenderloin.
How can you tell the difference? A pork loin is rather large in comparison to a tenderloin. It has a fat cap on top and is big enough to cut pork steaks from it. The average size of a pork loin is from 3 pounds up to about 5 pounds, while a tenderloin is usually around one pound or so. A tenderloin is long and thin, while a pork loin is bigger and rounder.
Ingredients
- Pork loin – Not to be confused with tenderloin; a pork loin is larger, with a thin fat cap.
- Celery, onions, garlic – Aromatics that give the stuffing flavor.
- Salt, pepper, sage – Used to season the stuffing and the pork loin.
- Egg – Egg helps to bind the filling.
- Butter – The aromatics are sautéed in butter until softened.
- Substitutions: Olive oil is a good swap for butter.
- Panko breadcrumbs – Coarser than Italian breadcrumbs, panko gives the filling texture and body.
- Roasted, peeled chestnuts – If you can get fresh chestnuts, by all means do. Otherwise, packages of chestnuts are available online or in stores during the winter holidays.
How to make stuffed pork loin
Here’s a quick summary of how to make this chestnut stuffed pork loin recipe. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
The first step is to slice the pork loin into thirds, and open it up like a brochure. You’ll need a long, sharp knife for this.
- Prep – Using a sharp knife, slice through the top third of the pork loin, stopping about 1 inch from the end. Fold that piece back, then rotate the pork loin 180° – this makes it easier to use your dominant hand. Make your second cut, dividing the rest of the pork loin, into 3 even sections. Open it up, and if necessary, pound it out to an even thickness.
- Chop – Finely chop the onions, celery and chestnuts.
- Sauté – Cook the celery, onions and garlic until softened, then cool slightly.
- Combine – Combine the remaining ingredients for the stuffing in a mixing bowl.
- Season – Sprinkle salt and pepper over the pork loin to season it.
- Stuff – Spread stuffing over the pork loin, leaving an inch of space on the ends.
- Roll – Starting with the short end closest to your body, roll tightly.
- Tie – Using butchers twine, tie it every inch or two to secure it well. If some of the filling falls out, stuff it back in, it will be fine.
How to stuff a pork loin
Another option for stuffing a pork loin is to simply slice it in half. Open it up and fill with the chestnut stuffing mixture, then tie to secure. You will not have the spiral effect, it will instead have the filling in the middle, surrounded by the pork loin. This is an easier option if you are feeling uncertain about slicing it into thirds.
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Stuffed pork loin recipe FAQ’s
If you cut the pork loin unevenly, you can easily fix that by pounding it thinner. This is the meat pounder that I own. I find it easier to wield than the ones that look like a hammer. I also like this one – it has a longer handle on it. What I like about it is the part that comes in contact with the meat is large and flat, so won’t rip the pork loin.
I am a fan of browning before roasting. It ensures a nice, crunchy bit of fat on top. Plus, browning means flavor.
Browning the outside of the stuffed pork loin roast before sliding it into the oven gives you a good crust and nice color in addition to reducing roasting time.
I always add a bit of liquid to the pan to keep some moisture in the oven as it roasts and it prevents the bottom of the stuffed pork loin roast from burning.
Storage / Freezing Information
To store: Cool leftover pork to room temperature, then wrap tightly and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Cool leftover pork completely, then tightly wrap portions in foil or plastic wrap. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Variations and substitutions
- Herbs – Rosemary, marjoram, or thyme all pair well with pork. You can add them in addition to, or instead of sage. I like to add fresh parsley to the mix for color.
- Nuts – If chestnuts are unavailable, pistachios or hazelnuts are a delicious substitution.
Serving suggestions
To round out this meal, these fall recipes complement the pork roast nicely.
- Melting potatoes with garlic and herbs
- Sweet potato veggie cakes
- Hubbard squash pie
- Caramel apple cupcakes
Helpful tools and equipment
- Butcher’s twine – You’ll need twine to tie the roast together.
- Roasted chestnuts – These are roasted and peeled already, ready to use.
- 12″ stainless steel skillet – This is the pan I used for this recipe.
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Chestnut Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork loin
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 7 ounces chestnuts roasted and peeled, chopped
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons sage ground
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190° C.Place pork loin on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice through the top third of the pork loin, stopping about 1 inch from the end. Fold that piece back, then rotate the pork loin 180° – this makes it easier to use your dominant hand. Make your second cut, dividing the rest of the pork loin, into 3 even sections. Open it up (like a brochure), and if necessary, pound it out to an even thickness.
- Cut 8 – 10 pieces of butchers twine, and set aside. Season the pork with half of the salt and pepper.
- In a large sauté pan, over medium low heat, melt butter. Cook the celery, onions and garlic until softened, about 6 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped chestnuts, panko, egg, sage, parsley, and the remaining half of the salt and pepper. Add onion mixture and stir to combine.
- Spread stuffing evenly over pork loin, leaving an inch space around the edges. (Your stuffing with get pushed out if you go all the way to the end.)
- Arrange pork loin so a short end is closest to your body. Roll the loin up like a pinwheel, as tightly as you are able to, and tie a piece of twine around the roast every inch or two to secure.*Some of the filling will fall out as you are rolling – stuff it back in, it will be fine, I promise.
- Heat the same sauté pan to medium high heat (remove any bits of onion and celery, so they don't burn) and brown the pork loin on all sides – about 8 minutes total.
- Roast, fat side up, at 375°F (190°C) for 45 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 135°F. Transfer pork loin to a cutting board, loosely tented with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Carefully cut string and remove. Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
- When you are rolling the pork loin, it may look a little loose, and you might be worried that the stuffing is going to fall out. If you’ve rolled it as tightly as you can, and secured it with twine – don’t worry! The meat will tighten up and shrink a bit while it is roasting. I can *almost* promise that it will be fine.
- There will be drippings in the sauté pan, should you want to make a quick pan gravy. Whisk in a few tablespoons of flour, then add a couple of cups of chicken stock, whisking until it is smooth and glossy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in a small knob of butter, if it needs a little something.
Nutrition
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Originally published 11/18/18, most recent update 8/28/25.