Smoked Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Hatch Chiles

This Smoked Stuffed Pork Tenderloin packs the flavor from the spicy hatch chiles, creamy cheese, and sweet BBQ rub. Rolled up and slowly smoked, this juicy meal will impress anyone.

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Flavor Inside and Out

Pork tenderloin recipes just don’t get enough love. Smaller cousins to the massive pork loin, these cook quickly and are so simple to prepare. I’m going to show you my method for making a smoked pork tenderloin using delicious, seasonal hatch chiles.

Two dishes come to mind when I think of pork and hatch chiles: Chile Rellenos and pork chile verde. The natural sweetness of pork happens to be a perfect match for the roasted, buttery spice of hatch chiles. Twisting a chile relleno inside-out by wrapping the chile with pork, and we have this delicious smoked pork tenderloin. The sweetness of the pork is reinforced using a simple, sweet BBQ blend.

How to Prepare Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Making a stuffed pork tenderloin takes a little extra effort, but the results speak for themselves. Mastering this process will open up all new ideas for you!

STEP 1: Remove the Fat. Trim off any excess fat or silverskin on the outside. Usually, there isn’t much but this will allow for more even cooking and a better presentation.

STEP 2: Butterfly the Tenderloin. Using a sharp knife, slice carefully along one side of the pork, lengthwise. Try to keep your knife about 1/2″ above the bottom side of the tenderloin, slicing in the middle. Go slow and steady, making sure you do not slice completely through.

STEP 3: Flatten the Tenderloin. This extra step evens out the pork by pounding it with a mallet or meat tenderizer. We’re not trying to smash the pork, just to even out thicker areas to make sure it’s about 1/4″ thickness all around. You’ll have more surface area for the stuffing, also allowing the pork to cook more evenly.

STEP 4: Stuff the Tenderloin. Each piece is long enough for 2 whole-roasted hatch chiles (seeds/stems removed) and a generous pile of melting cheese, Monterrey jack recommended. Place the chiles on the side you will roll from, and the cheese in the middle. This will make rolling it together much simpler.

STEP 5: Roll, Season, and Secure. Starting on the side of the pork with the chiles, roll towards the other side, tucking in the cheese as you go. Make sure the chiles and cheese are all tucked in, you should have an overlap of pork. Season generously with the sweet BBQ rub (recipe below) and secure with butcher’s twine. No expert skills are needed, if you don’t know how to truss meat just tie some very tight loops around and snip off the excess string.

Smoked with Sweet BBQ Rub

Hatch chiles can be spicy, and you probably know that varies between chiles. Smoked stuffed pork tenderloin doesn’t need a complicated rub, just a simple combination of ingredients to bring out the flavors of the pork, tie in the flavors of the hatch chiles, and also counteract the spicy profile.

Sweet BBQ Rub

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tbsp black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground

Taste and adjust, as I always say. This is the right amount of salt for my taste, given that we’re making 2 tenderloins. They come in pairs when you buy them at the store! The brown sugar might seem like a lot, but spread out over almost 3-pounds of pork, it’s not near as much as you think. I mean, you’ll eat a bunch of fresh-baked cookies, right?

How to Cook a Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pictured in this recipe is a smoked stuffed pork tenderloin, but it’s not the only way. Let’s cover the highlights of each process, ultimately you can decide which works best for you:

Using a Smoker: This will obviously add the most smoke flavor and color. Set your smoker to a lower and slow temperature at 250°F and cook until the pork is at least 145°F internal temperature.

Hot and fast grilling: Grilling the stuffed pork tenderloin over the coals works very well, just be careful of flare-ups and losing the cheese as it melts. Set your grill for medium-high heat, around 400-450°F. Clean the grill grates and place your pork directly over the coals. I recommend cooking for 4-5 minutes at a time on each side, continuing to flip as needed. Flipping the stuffed pork tenderloin will control the momentum of the cook, build a nice crust, and ensure that one side isn’t overcooked on accident. Cook until the pork is at least 145°F internal temperature.

Roasting in the oven: Use a similar process as the smoker, but bake in a baking dish at 375°F. Since there aren’t wood chips, the lower heat is not necessary. This will cut the time down by about 30 minutes from the smoked recipe below. Cook until the pork is at least 145°F internal temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Need more Hatch Chile recipes?

• Roasted Hatch Chile Salsa Verde
• Hatch Chile Chimichurri Sauce
• Roasted Hatch Chile Rellenos

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Hatch Chiles

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This Stuffed Pork Tenderloin packs the flavor from the spicy hatch chiles, creamy cheese, and sweet BBQ rub. Rolled up and slowly smoked, this juicy meal will impress anyone

• Total Time: 110 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 3 pounds
• 4 hatch chiles, roasted, skinned and de-seeded
• 2 cups jack cheese, shredded

Sweet BBQ Rub

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground

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Instructions

1. Preheat the smoker to 250­°F for indirect cooking.
2. Mix the ingredients together for the Sweet BBQ Rub. Taste and adjust.
3. Prepare the pork tenderloin. Trim off any excess fat or silver skin on the outside. 
4. Using a sharp knife, slice carefully along one side of the pork, lengthwise. Try to keep your knife about 1/2″ above the bottom side of the tenderloin, slicing in the middle. Go slow and steady, making sure you do not slice completely through.
5. Laying the pork on your cutting board, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap, and flatten the tenderloin using a mallet or tenderizer. Flatten it to an even 1/4″ thickness all around.
6. Add the filling. Place the chiles on the pork, following the length (see photos in post) on the side you will roll from, and the cheese in the middle. 
7. Roll the pork carefully, tucking in the cheese as you roll. Season generously with the rub, you’ll be using it all for both tenderloins. Secure the roll as needed with butcher’s twine, 4-5 loops.
8. Add the pork to the smoker carefully, and smoke for about 70-90 minutes until the internal temp of the pork reaches 145°­F.
9. Remove the pork loins from the smoker and allow them to rest under a loose piece of foil for 5-10 minutes.
10. Slice and serve.

Notes

You can cook this in the oven, but you’ll need a higher temp since you’re not smoking. I recommend 375°­­F and place the pork in a baking dish, as the cheese may leak slightly. Cook for 30-35 minutes until the pork is at least 145°­F internal temperature.

• Author: Brad Prose
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 90
• Category: Pork
• Method: Smoking
• Cuisine: Dinner

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