Stuffed Spanish Pork Chops with Gordal Olives
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Stuffed Spanish Pork Chops are filled to the brim with roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, chorizo, and juicy Gordal olives from Spain. They're an easy-to-make (and healthy!) dinner recipe that everyone will love!
Also, try our juicy baked pork chops, smothered pork chops, and pan-fried pork chops!
Hold your Spanish horses, my friends. I've made some stuffed chops filled with all our favorite flavors.
These babies are pan-fried boneless pork chops and they make everything right at your dinner table.
Why you'll love stuffed Spanish pork chops:
- Gordal olives from Spain. See those sliced green beauties up there? They are juicy, plump, tender, and all things delicious. Buy twice as many as you'll need for this recipe cause it's impossible not to snack on them while you're cooking.
- Lean pork loin chops. This super inexpensive cut is perfect for a family dinner. Buy them at least 1-inch thick so you can cut a deep pocket in them. Read: more room for more stuffing!
- Roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Two of my favorite Spanish flavors!
- Thinly sliced chorizo absolutely bursting with flavor.
- Manchego cheese. Technically, the cheese is optional. I've made these stuffed pork chops with and without the manchego and they're delicious both ways. But drippy, melting cheese is nearly impossible to resist.
- Easy and pretty! You could make this as a weekday dinner but it's pretty enough to serve to guests. Best of both worlds!
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See those Gordal olives from Spain up there? I snacked on them while cooking, stuffed them into the pork chops, then served some extra on the side with dinner. I'm a bit obsessed. It's a good thing they're so healthy!
Spanish olives really are the best. I've professed my love for them over and over:
- Spanish Chicken and Cauliflower Rice with Manzanilla Olives from Spain
- Spanish Baked Eggs with Roasted Garlic and Hojiblanca Olives from Spain
- Easy Marinated Olives from Spain
- Cheesy Roasted Garlic Artichoke Olive Dip
It's nearly impossible to choose a favorite variety (they're all so good!) but these Spanish Gordals are top of the list. They're nicknamed The Beauty of Spain, and it's easy to see why. They're big, plump, and so delicious.
Their gentle favor makes them a great option to serve everyone. Even my two-year-old daughter ate all the Spanish Gordals out of her chop then kept asking for more. I had to bribe her to eat more dinner by offering her a slice of a Spanish Gordal after every bit of pork. It's not that she didn't like her stuffed pork chops, she just liked the “owives” even more.
Did you know that one out of every two olives eaten in Canada is from Spain? Clearly, I'm not the only Canadian who's in love with Spanish olives!
How to prepare your stuffed pork chops:
- Lay a chop on your cutting board and place one hand on top to hold it. Start cutting (from the side with no fat) through the chop stopping when you hit the fat at the other side. You'll feel it with your knife.
- Next, lay the chorizo and (if you're using it) the manchego cheese in the pocket you just cut.
- When you add the filling, stuff it full. You'll be able to add more than you think you can.
- Now stab a couple of toothpicks through the open edge of the chops to help keep them together.
That's it! You're ready to pan-fry those chops!
How to cook stuffed Spanish pork chops:
In my mind, there is only one way to cook these guys. Pan-fried pork chops are so good. They'll get a beautiful golden crust that makes them impossible to resist. Just have a look at the picture below if you don't believe me.
- Stuff your pork chops nice and full then secure them with toothpicks. I find that three toothpicks are the right number to hold them together but still let a little of the filling peep through. (Seeing some of the stuffing ups the pretty factor.)
- Coat them in salt, pepper, and spices. I've used Spanish paprika because I love the smoky taste. It also gives the ordinarily bland-looking pork loin chops a pop of color.
- Heat some oil in a non-stick or cast iron pan then sear your chops on both sides over medium-high heat until they are nice and brown. Then reduce the heat, cover the pan, and cook them for about 10 more minutes.
How can I tell if my pan fried pork chops are cooked through?
The best way to tell if your stuffed pork chops are cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Do you have one? If not, I HIGHLY recommend getting one. I use mine more often to make sure I'm not overcooking meat as we all like to err on the side of caution and cook meat too long.
Pork needs to be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat. You don't want to cook it much more than this or it will end up chewy and tough.
When you're stuffing meat, the stuffing needs to be cooked to the same temperature as the meat. In this case, 145 degrees. Use your meat thermometer to test the very middle of the stuffing to see if it (and the pork chops) are fully cooked.
Do you have favorite stuffed pork chops recipes? Let me know in the comments below!
Popular Pork Chop Recipes
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Honey Mustard Pork Chops
- Pineapple Pork Chops
- Italian Dressing Pork Chops
- French Onion Pork Chops
Stuffed Spanish Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted Gordal Olives from Spain (chopped)
- ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1 clove garlic (very finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
- 4 pork loin chops (at least 1-inch thick)
- 2 ounces thinly sliced chorizo Ibérico
- Optional: 2 ounces manchego cheese ( omit for paleo and Whole30)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the Spanish Gordal olives, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, parsley, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.1 cup pitted Gordal Olives from Spain, ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers, 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 clove garlic
- Cut a pocket in each pork loin. Cut from the side that has no fat and stop your cut at the fat cap. Stuff the pork with the chorizo and (if using) the manchego.4 pork loin chops, 2 ounces thinly sliced chorizo Ibérico, Optional: 2 ounces manchego cheese
- Divide the filling between the pork chops (they will be very full!) then use toothpicks to secure them so the stuffing doesn't fall out. Sprinkle the smoked paprika, sea salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper over the chops.2 teaspoons smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick or cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed pork chops to the pan and let them cook for 5 minutes, or until nicely browned on the one side. Carefully flip them over and let them cook for another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the middle of the stuffing registers 145 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer.1 tablespoon olive oil
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
We absolutely adore pork chops for dinner. If you love them too, make sure to check out all of our pork chop recipes!
