These butterfly stuffed pork chops are filled with sweet and tangy sauteed apple and baby spinach that is layered on ham and provolone! That's not all, before being baked they are wrapped in a few strips of bacon! These are hands-down the best stuffed pork chops you will ever try.
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Chops
This recipe is triple pork heaven on a plate! I love to butterfly pork chops when I can get my hands on some lovely thick cut pork, and then stuff them with fantastically flavorful fillings.
In this case, the stuffing is made with sauteed apples, baby spinach, ham, and provolone cheese. Wrap the whole pork chop in bacon and you have an incredibly hearty dinner you won't soon forget!
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🥘 Ingredients For Butterfly Stuffed Pork Chops
You can easily grab all of these ingredients on your next trip to the grocery store! Grab as many pork chops as you need and scale up the other ingredients as necessary.
- Pork Chops - 2 pork chops (thick cut, boneless, fat trimmed).
- Bacon - 8-10 strips bacon.
- Apple - ½ of a medium apple (we used Honeycrisp, use a semi-sweet tart apple with firm texture).
- Ham - 4 slices of ham.
- Provolone Cheese - 2 slices of provolone or swiss cheese.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Baby Spinach - 1 cup of baby leaf spinach (or a spinach/kale combination).
- Sage - 1 teaspoon of rubbed sage (or ground sage).
- Salt & Pepper - To taste.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Butterfly Stuffed Pork Chops
This recipe has a few steps, but as long as you follow the directions it's a breeze! You will need a sharp knife, a baking dish, and a skillet.
One of these large, thick-cut pork chops could easily serve 2 people! Though you can enjoy a pork chop per person if you are feeling extra hungry.
Butterfly The Pork Chops
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking dish (large enough to hold your pork chops).
- Butterfly the chops. Use a sharp knife to butterfly cut 2 thick-cut pork chops. With the fat side of your pork chop facing upward, slice down the center of the pork chop almost but not completely all the way through. You need a bit left over to be able to close the pork chop back up and hold it together. (This is a much cheaper option than buying your pork chops already butterfly cut!)
- Dice and slice. Dice ½ an apple and cut the 4 slices of ham into strips.
- Heat a medium skillet or frying pan to medium high heat, with some olive oil (if needed to prevent burning). Add the apples and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes before adding 1 cup of baby spinach (or spinach/kale mix). Stir and cook about 1 minute, or until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
Stuff The Pork Chops
- Lay out the chops. Begin the stuffed pork chop by laying out 4-5 strips of bacon (enough to cover the entire pork chop) and placing the butterfly cut pork chop in the center. Open the pork chop so that it is open side up and centered on the bacon strips.
- Stuff the pork chops. Layer 1 slice of cheese (we cut ours in half to fit the cut pieces over the pork chop) on one side of the pork chop, then top with the a slice of ham and half of the sauteed stuffing. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then close the pork chop around the filling.
- Wrap with bacon. Pull the bacon strips nice and snug around your stuffed pork chop and into the center of the side facing up (see video in recipe card below). Use toothpicks to hold the bacon ends in place.
Bake The Pork Chops
- Bake. Turn the wrapped pork chop so the opposite side is facing up (toothpick side down) and season with rubbed sage, salt and pepper. Place into greased baking dish and oven roast at350°F (175°C) for an hour, or until the internal temperature is at least 145°F (63°C) as your cooking times will vary based on the thickness of the meat cut used.
- Rest. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
These pork chops will pair well with any of your favorite side dishes. A few of my favorites are honey glazed carrots and green beans almondine. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- One of my must-haves for seasoning when it comes to cooking pork, is sage. I try to use some form (rubbed sage, ground sage, or fresh) no matter what method of cooking I am applying to my pork dishes.
- You will want to use apples that hold up to baking well with a good balance of sweetness and tartness for contrasting the salty bacon and savory pork. Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp are good choices. Granny Smith will work as well, though they are less sweet.
- Allowing your pork chops to cool for about 5 minutes after removing them from the oven will help to keep the juices in your cut portions. (It also really helps to prevent finger burning when you remove the toothpicks!)
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Refrigerate leftover butterfly stuffed pork chops in a shallow airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating Butterfly Stuffed Pork Chops
Place your pork chops in a baking dish or pan with a splash of broth and cover them tightly with foil. Bake them at 350°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 145ºF (63°C).
❓ Recipe FAQs
Butterflying just means to cut the meat in half almost all the way through. You will then lay the meat out flat as if it were a book on its spine or a butterfly. This method is perfect for stuffing meat because you can add the filling then fold the meat closed to cook!
With an internal temperature of 145° (63°C) pork is medium-rare. A little pink is to be expected and does not indicate anything nefarious.
The cook time is highly dependent on the thickness of your pork chops. At 350°F (175°C) 2-inch thick-cut stuffed chops will take about an hour to reach an internal temperature of 145° (63°C).
🐖 More Pork Recipes
- Asian Roasted Pork Belly - This pork belly is crispy on the outside but melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside!
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork - It doesn't get easier than this Instant pot pulled pork recipe!
- Air Fryer Thick Cut Pork Chops - You can make perfectly juicy, tender pork chops right in your air fryer!
- Baked Pork Tenderloin - This simple baked pork tenderloin makes a fantastic family dinner!
- Crockpot Pork Chops - These smothered pork chops can get started in the morning and will be ready by dinnertime!
- Pork Gravy - Savory, made-from-scratch pork gravy in just 15 minutes!
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📖 Recipe Card
Butterfly Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops (thick cut, boneless, fat trimmed)
- ½ medium apple (I used honey-crisp, use a semi-sweet tart apple with firm texture)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup baby leaf spinach (or a spinach/kale combination)
- 8-10 strips bacon
- 2 slices provolone or Swiss cheese
- 4 slices ham
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage (or ground sage)
- each, salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking dish (large enough to hold your pork chops).
- Use a sharp knife to butterfly cut the pork chops. With the fat side of your pork chop facing upward, slice down the center of the pork chop almost but not completely all the way through. You need a bit left over to be able to close the pork chop back up and hold it together. (this is a much cheaper option than buying your pork chops already butterfly cut!)
- Dice the apple and cut the ham slices into strips.
- Heat a medium skillet or frying pan to medium high heat, with some olive oil (if needed to prevent burning). Add the apples and the apple cider vinegar. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the baby spinach (or spinach/kale mix). Stir and cook about 1 minute, or until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Begin the stuffed pork chop by laying out 4-5 strips of bacon (enough to cover the entire pork chop) and placing the butterfly cut pork chop in the center. Open the pork chop so that it is open side up and centered on the bacon strips.
- Layer 1 slice of cheese (we cut ours in half to fit the cut pieces over the pork chop) on one side of the pork chop, then top with the sliced ham and sauteed stuffing. Season with salt and pepper, then close the pork chop around the filling.
- Pull the bacon strips nice and snug around your stuffed pork chop and into the center of the side facing up (see video!). Use toothpicks to hold the bacon ends in place.
- Bake @ 350°F for about an hour depending on the size of your pork chops. Or until your chops reach an internal temp of 145°F.
- Turn the wrapped pork chop so the opposite side is facing up (toothpick side down) and season with rubbed sage, salt and pepper. Place into greased baking dish and oven roast at 350°F (175°C) for an hour, or until the internal temperature is at least 145°F (65°C) as your cooking times will vary based on the thickness of the meat cut used.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- One of my must-haves for seasoning when it comes to cooking pork, is sage. I try to use some form (rubbed sage, ground sage, or fresh) no matter what method of cooking I am applying to my pork dishes.
- You will want to use apples that hold up to baking well with a good balance of sweetness and tartness for contrasting the salty bacon and savory pork. Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp are good choices. Granny Smith will work as well, though they are less sweet.
- Allowing your pork chops to cool for about 5 minutes after removing them from the oven will help to keep the juices in your cut portions. (It also really helps to prevent finger burning when you remove the toothpicks!)
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