Stuffed pork chops with spinach & cheese are filled with mozzarella, cream cheese and herbs then breaded with panko and baked in the oven (or air fryer) until perfectly crispy for a go to family dinner!
Pork always gets a bad rep.
Yes, it can be dry, boring and flavorless as with any meat, but cooked the right way it can also be juicy and delicious.
Plus, it’s inexpensive so it’s the perfect dinner for bigger families.
These easy boneless pork chops are stuffed with fresh spinach, cream cheese and mozzarella, then brushed with a honey balsamic Dijon glaze and breaded with panko.
They’re pan seared until golden, then finished in the oven until the cheese is melted to perfection.
Or you can easily make these stuffed pork chops in the air fryer!
Crispy, juicy, creamy and oh so flavorful!
If you’re not a pork fan, you’ve got to give it one more shot with this recipe before you ban it for eternity ;).
For these oven baked stuffed pork chops you will need:
- boneless pork chops (about 1" thick)
- olive oil
- fresh spinach
- garlic
- cream cheese
- shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend)
- Italian seasoning blend
- egg
- Dijon mustard
- balsamic vinegar
- honey
- panko bread crumbs
You an easily substitute the pork for boneless chicken breasts. You may need to adjust the cooking time a bit, but make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reads at least 165 F.
Also, you can use any cheese you’d like for the filling such as goat cheese or ricotta.
To make these breaded & baked stuffed pork chops with spinach & cheese:
- Cook the spinach in a sauté pan with olive oil and garlic. In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Add in the cooked spinach and mix until combined. Set aside.
- In shallow bowl combine remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, honey, egg, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In another shallow bowl add your panko bread crumb. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cut a slit in the side of each pork chop (leaving the fat side intact), being careful not to go all the way through. You want to create a pocket big enough to fit the filling.
- Stuffed each pork chop with about ¼-1/3 cup of the cream cheese and spinach filling. Secure with toothpicks to make sure the filling stays inside.
- Dip pork chop first in the honey balsamic Dijon glaze, letting the excess drip off. Then place the pork in panko and evenly coat all sides. (I like to firmly press the panko onto the pork to ensure it sticks). Place onto a large dish and repeat with remaining pork chops.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a oven safe sauté pan (such as a cast Iron). Pan sear the pork chops for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reads at least 145 F.
How to Cook Pork Chops Without Drying Out:
- Let your pork come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes) before cooking. This ensures even cooking and helps retain the moisture in the egg mixture.
- Searing the pork on the stove before baking creates that beautiful golden crust and seals in all that juicy flavor.
- The spinach and cream cheese stuffing also holds a lot of moisture which will keep the chops nice and juicy.
- Be sure not to over cook the pork! After 20 minutes in the oven, check the temperature. You want the internal temperature to read 135 F and then the final resting temperature to read 145 F.
Can I make these stuffed pork chops in the air fryer?
Yes! Follow the recipe as stated, then in stead of pan searing on the stove top, place into your air fryer basket and spray with olive oil or other cooking spray.
Air fry at 375-380 F for 10 minutes, flip and cook additional 2-3 minutes or until internal temp reaches 145 F.
What to serve with pork chops?
- Brown Butter Sage Quinoa
- Baked sweet potato
- Rice pilaf
- Roasted green beans (or other green vegetable)
For more easy family dinners try:
Slow Cooker Italian Stuffed Pork with Potatoes
Italian Stuffed Meatloaf with Spinach & Mozzarella
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Everything Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Spinach & Cheese
Stuffed pork chops with spinach & cheese are filled with mozzarella, cream cheese and herbs then breaded with panko and baked in the oven (or air fryer) until perfectly crispy.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops, about 1" thick
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1, 8 ounce bag baby spinach
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese. room temperature
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1-1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (see recipe notes for air fryer instructions*).
- In a large sauté pan (preferably oven-safe like cast Iron), see recipe notes*, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Drain out an excess liquid.
- In a small bowl mix together cooked spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together remaining 1 tsp of Italian seasoning, Dijon, balsamic, egg and honey, set aside. Place panko in another shallow bowl and set aside.
- Pat dry the pork chops. Cut a slit in the side of each pork chop (keeping the fat side intact). Be careful not to cut all the way through (you want a pocket deep enough to fit the filling).
- Fill each pork chop with about 1-/4-⅓ cup of the spinach mixture. Secure the opening with a couple of toothpicks so the stuffing doesn’t fall out.
- Dip the pork in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, then place in bowl with panko. Coat all sides of the pork (pressing down firmly to ensure the panko sticks). Place on a large dish and repeat with remaining pork chops.
- In the same oven safe pan you cooked the spinach in, heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add breaded pork chops and sear for 2-3 minutes on both sides until golden brown.
- Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until inside temperature reads 145 degrees.
- Remove toothpicks and serve.
Notes
*To air fry: follow recipe until step 7. Place breaded pork chops in air fryer basket (you may have to do two at a time depending how big your air fryer is). Spray lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Air fryer at 380F for 10 minutes, flip and cook additional 2-3 minutes or until internal temp reads 145 F.
*If you don't have a cast iron pan or other oven safe saute pan, simply transfer the pork chops to a baking sheet after searing and bake in the oven.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Nick
If I made these in a restaurant setting, how can I re-heat and still keep the crisp?
Michelle
This might be a dumb question, but how do you make the deep pocket to put the cream cheese mixture because from what I am reading, you have to roll the pork chops with the spinach mixture and the egg mixture and then the Panko. How do you get the cream cheese mixture to stay on the porch off when you roll it in the egg and then in the Panko
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Hi Michelle! Not a dumb question at all :). I use a couple of toothpicks to secure the cream cheese/spinach filling before I roll it in the egg and panko. Some filling might still spill out but that’s okay!
Debbie Rausch
It doesn't say what to do with the Dijon, balsamic mixture
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Hi Debbie, please see step 4 in the recipe instructions.
Anonymous
Read steps 4 and 7. It’s an amazing recipe.
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Thank you Debbie, so glad you liked it!
Twag
This is a great recipe everyone loves, thank you!
It wasn’t hard for me to follow but you might want to add the egg in the spinach mixture instructions. Some may wonder why it’s not listed.
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Thank you for catching that! I've updated the recipe instructions. So glad you liked it 🙂
Carla Winter
My husband and I really liked this recipe. I always have trouble getting the coating to stick to things like this, so mine didn't look as browned and crispy (=yummy!) as the picture, but it still tasted great I'm not really a Dijon/Honey mustard fan so I wasn't real sure about the mixture for brushing, but it actually added a really good flavor. I added mushrooms too, because I had some I needed to use. We will definitely make this again. I will also share this with our son. He likes to cook and often looks for different ideas for him and his girlfriend. Thanks for this tasty dinner!
Wine a Little Cook A Lot
Hi Carla, I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed the pork chops, the mushrooms sound like a great addition! Thank you for sharing 🙂