Pistachio-Apricot Stuffed Grilled Pork Loin Recipe
If you’ve been looking for a good recipe for pork loin on the grill you have found it! It is a favorite family recipe stuffed with roasted pistachios and sweet dried apricots. Extra juicy, this recipe has been a dinner party staple in our house for years. Serve with a spoonful of Italian salsa verde—Yum!
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When warm weather rolls around, I have the sudden urge to make every single recipe on the grill. Some of my favorites are Moroccan grilled eggplant, grilled Thai-style steak salad, and this gorgeous stuffed pork loin: the BEST recipe for pork loin on the grill I’ve ever had.
This is a favorite grilled pork loin recipe because each slice is incredibly juicy and filled with roasted pistachios, garlic, and sweet juicy bits of dried apricot. There’s no dry meat here! This pork loin comes out tender and flavorful. Finish each serving with a drizzle of Italian salsa verde. I’m telling you… this is some good stuff.
Why You’ll Love This Great Recipe:
- Tender cut of pork with real main dish energy
- Pairs beautifully with the Italian salsa verde
- Gorgeous slices with a mosaic of filling inside
- Extra juicy
- Tons of flavor
- One of the best recipes for entertaining or for a large gathering
- Leftover pork last up to 5 days in an airtight container
- Served with one of the best sauces, Italian salsa verde
Perfecting This Recipe For Pork Loin On The Grill
When I was testing this pork loin recipe, it took me about 6 or 7 tries to get it just right. After plenty of dry, tough, and flavorless roasts, I finally mastered what ingredients and how much of each to use, and the result is pork loin perfection. The recipe is a lot like this roasted pork shoulder but cooked on the grill.
Here are the key ingredients you need & why:
- Center-cut pork loin roast. This is not a pork tenderloin recipe, a pork loin roast is a large cut of meat that comes from the back of the pig. The tenderloin is much smaller and should not be substituted. Pat it dry with paper towels like we did with this porchetta recipe.
- Roasted, salted pistachios. These provide amazing flavor and richness to the stuffing as well as beautiful green color.
- Dried apricots. Here’s where we get sweetness, plus great texture from the chewy dried fruit.
- Honey. This adds another layer of sweetness, plus holds the stuffing together.
- Garlic. Aromatic added to round out the flavors.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary leaves add that lovely herbal touch.
- Kosher salt & black pepper. For seasoning
- Italian salsa verde. This is optional but it is a great bright and vibrant sauce to serve with the pork loin.
Here are a few images of how to stuff the pork loin:
Let it sit out at room temperature while you prepare the grill.
How To Grill The Pork Loin
See recipe card for detailed ingredients and instructions.
A pork loin is a lean cut of meat so you want to cook it slowly to prevent drying out.
Here’s the grilling process:
- Light the grill: Prepare your grill for 2-zone grilling, creating one zone of direct medium-high heat and a second zone of indirect heat. If using a gas grill, simply light half of its burners to medium high. If using a charcoal grill, distribute all of the lit charcoal to one side of the grill. The side of the grill directly over the heat source is the direct heat zone, while the other side is the indirect heat zone. Clean the grill grates with a grill brush.
- First, grill with indirect heat: Place the pork roast on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and cook. You want the temperature of the grill to be between 425-450 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm air from the direct heat side of the grill circulates throughout the grill, cooking the pork very gently – much like an oven. Every 15 minutes, carefully rotate the pork 180 degrees to promote even cooking & check the internal temperature. The pork is ready once an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork loin registers 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time will vary depending on how hot your grill is and how thick the pork loin is. It will take anywhere from 45 minutes-1 hour.
- Let it rest. For best results, remove the pork loin to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest 15 minutes to allow the natural juices redistribute themselves back into the pork, then carve into thick slices and serve.
How To Serve It
This goes with all of your favorite sides and will certainly be the star of your next dinner party. The Italian salsa verde is an extra step but I think definitely worth it.
- Start the meal with tomato, basil & olive bruschetta, baked goat cheese dip, or these spicy cajun shrimp deviled eggs
- One of my favorite ways to serve it is with these lemon-oregano roasted potatoes
- If the salsa verde doesn’t sound good to you, try my spicy tomato and bell pepper chutney instead.
- A loaf of this whole wheat green olive bread would be nice
- For dessert try, chocolate chip cream cheese banana cake, peach-raspberry pie with crumb topping, or brown butter banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Pistachio-Apricot Stuffed Grilled Pork Loin Recipe
If you've been looking for a good recipe for pork loin on the grill you have found it! It is a favorite family recipe stuffed with roasted pistachios and sweet dried apricots. Extra juicy, this recipe has been a dinner party staple in our house for years. Serve with a spoonful of Italian salsa verde—Yum!
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped (about 3 ounces)
- 1/3 cup roasted salted shelled pistachios, chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 3 pounds boneless center-cut pork loin roast
- 1 recipe Italian salsa verde, for serving
Instructions
- If you are serving the pork with salsa verde, make that first. The salsa verde can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use.
- Combine the 1/2 cup chopped apricots, the 1/3 cup pistachios, the 3 sprigs of chopped rosemary, the 2 tablespoons honey, the clove of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Slice pork loin halfway down its side, leaving about 1/2-inch border on the other side (don't cut all the way through) and butterfly the roast open (see video for step-by-step instructions). Using your palm press both sides down to make them as flat as possible. Using a meat mallet pound the pork until it is of even thickness and about 1 inch thick on all sides. Season both sides generously with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Place the fat-side down and spread filling over pork, leaving an inch border on all sides. Starting on one end, roll pork up, trying not to let too much of the filling fall out. Tie with 3 or 4 pieces of kitchen twine. Stuff any filling that has fallen out back into the middle of the pork. They might be a lot of stuffing right at the seam, stuff it back into the middle so it doesn't burn on the grill. Make sure the fat layer is on the outside of the roast.
- Prepare your grill for 2-zone grilling, creating one zone of direct medium-high heat (425°F-450°F) and a second zone of indirect heat. If using a gas grill, simply light half of its burners to medium high. If using a charcoal grill, distribute all of the lit charcoal to one side of the grill. The side of the grill directly over the heat source is the direct heat zone, while the other side is the indirect heat zone. Clean the grill grates with a grill brush.
- Place the pork roast on the indirect heat side of the grill (not over the coals). Close the lid and cook. You want the temperature of the grill to be between 425-450 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm air from the direct heat side of the grill circulates throughout the grill, cooking the pork very gently – much like an oven. Every 15 minutes, carefully rotate the pork 180 degrees to promote even cooking & check the internal temperature. The pork is ready once an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork loin registers 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time will vary depending on how hot your grill is and how thick the pork loin is. It will take anywhere from 45 minutes-1 hour 15 minutes.
- For best results, remove the pork loin to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest 15-20 minutes to allow the natural juices redistribute themselves back into the pork, then carve into thick slices and serve with the salsa verde.
Notes
- Pork loin roast: Look for a roast with a nice cap of fat on the outside. This will keep the roast nice and moist as it grills.
- Oven roasted: If you don’t have a grill you can also roast this pork loin in the oven at 425°F for 30-40 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to make sure it reads 140°F-145°F as the internal temperature.
- Make-ahead: Stuff the pork loin up to 3 days in advance and grill when you’re ready to eat. The cooked pork is best enjoyed immediately. You can rewarm in the microwave or oven but put a little chicken broth in the dish to prevent it from drying out. Also good cold.
- Serving suggestions: Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes, steamed broccoli, sweet potatoes, grilled bread, or grilled asparagus.
