These Stuffed Pork Chops are filled with a savory apple and Cheddar stuffing. They fit the bill for an easy or elegant weeknight meal.

Pork chops stuffed with apples on a white serving plate.

Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner of something a little more elegant, these Stuffed Pork Chops are the answer. The stuffing is filled with dried apples and shredded Cheddar cheese and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

The Best Pork Chops for Stuffing

The key to stuffing pork chops is to use chops that are at least 1-inch thick. I like bone-in center cut loin for two reasons. The first is that the bone doesn’t allow you to cut through the opposite side and the second is that the bone infuses the chops with so much flavor.

How to Prepare Chops for Stuffing

Cutting a pocket in the pork chops is fairly simple. Place one of the chops on a cutting board. Hold the knife parallel to the cutting board, with your hand placed flat on the top of the chop insert the tip of the knife 1/2-inch from the top of the chop and push until it meets the resistance of the bone. Slice for the center of the chop to one side without slice completely through. Turn the knife with the blade faces the opposite direction and slice to the other side, again, without slicing completely through. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.

How to Make Stuffed Pork Chops

Once the pocket is cut in the pork chops, I like to season both sides with salt and pepper and set them aside while I prepare the stuffing. As I’ve mentioned in some of my other recipes like Breaded Pork Chops, pre-seasoning the chops will give the pork time to absorb the salt for flavoring and to start to break down the protein which creates a more tender piece of meat.

To prepare the stuffing combine the bread cubes, dried apple, Cheddar cheese, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onion and celery until they’re tender. Remove from the heat and add the spices and the apple juice or apple cider. Stir to make sure that all of the spices are distributed through the mixture and pour over the bread cubes. I like to use my hands to work the onion mixture into the bread cube mixture, but you could use a spoon if you prefer.

Stuff each of the pork chops with 1/4 of the stuffing mixture, gently pressing it into the pocket.

You may need to work in batches to sear each of the pork chops. You want to make sure that you don’t overcrowd the skillet otherwise you run the risk of steaming the chops rather than getting a nice golden brown crust on the exterior. This takes about 3 minutes per side.

After the chops have been browned, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet and place them in an oven that has been preheated to 425˚ F. Test them with an instant read thermometer after 10 minutes of cooking. It should read 145˚F at the thickest part of the chop.

Let the chops rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle back into the meat before you serve them.