How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops With Stuffing in a Skillet

Thick cut pork chops, a stuffing of your choice and an electric or stove top skillet are an alternative to baked, stuffed pork chops. Rather than using a skillet only for browning, you can save a step by finishing, then serving the chops directly from your skillet. While any type of stuffing will do, healthy ingredients increase the nutritional value of your meal and provide a variety of palate-pleasing flavors.

Step 1.

Add the breadcrumbs or croutons, apple pieces, cranberries, sage or thyme and cinnamon to a mixing bowl. Toss with a large spoon to combine the ingredients, add the orange juice and water, toss once again to combine and let the mixture sit for about five minutes.

Step 2.

Trim excess fat from the sides of six 1- to 2-inch-thick pork chops with a sharp kitchen knife.

Step 3.

Cut a 1- to 1 1/4-inch-wide slit in each pork chop using the tip of your knife. Slowly and carefully, without increasing the width of your initial cut, insert a thin blade, sharp kitchen knife about three-fourths of the way through the meat. As you insert the knife, slice to the left and right of the slit, creating a pocket to hold the stuffing ingredients.

Step 4.

Spoon the stuffing into a plastic food bag and, using a kitchen scissors, cut the corner of one side. Squeeze an equal amount of stuffing into the pocket of each pork chop, and then sprinkle pepper on each side.

Step 5.

Turn an electric skillet to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or your stove top burner to medium high. Add the stuffed pork chops using a spatula to transfer the chops, cover the skillet and cook for five minutes on each side to brown.

Step 6.

Reduce the heat on an electric skillet to 275 degrees Fahrenheit or your stove top burner to medium low. Cook the pork chops with the cover on for an additional seven to eight minutes on each side, using a spatula to turn the chops.

Step 7.

Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one or more chops and make sure the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit before transferring the chops with a clean spatula to a serving platter.

Things You Will Need

• Kitchen knife

• Cutting board

• Mixing bowl

• Spoon

• 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or 1 cup croutons

• 1 green apple, diced

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 3/4 to 1 tsp. dried sage or thyme

• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

• Plastic food bag

• Kitchen scissors

• Skillet, electric or stove top, with a cover

• Spatula

• Meat thermometer

• Serving platter

Tip

When you purchase pork chops for stuffing, select chops that are 1 to 2 inches thick. A good choice for stuffed pork chops is a 2-inch-thick, bone-in pork loin chop. While you can choose a boneless version, chops with a bone cook faster and retain more of the meat juices.

To make preparation easier, ask your grocer to cut a pocket in each pork chop at the time of purchase.