How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

The holidays usually call for roast turkey or ham, but we also love this alternative to the big bird.

A roasted stuffed pork loin is filled with a delicious cranberry bacon stuffing and best of all, it’s deceptively easy to cook.

Pork loin is delicious and moist, it’s great stuffed, wrapped up jellyroll style, and then cooked to perfection.

How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

Savory Stuffed Pork Loin

  • Pork loin is a boneless, skinless protein and that means less cook time.
  • We make a homemade bacon cranberry stuffing but you can use any stuffing mix (or leftover stuffing) to make prep quick.
  • Easy to assemble ahead and then chill until ready to roast!

How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

Ingredients and Variations

What is Pork Loin?

It’s important to note the difference between a pork loin and a pork tenderloin. A tenderloin is considerably smaller, about 2″ in diameter and about 12″ long weighing around 1lb.

Pork loin, however, is a much larger cut of meat, about 4″ in diameter and can be cut in various lengths often sold in 3-4lb sizes. They cannot be used interchangeably. For this recipe, choose a cut that is about 3 pounds and about to 8-12” long.

Stuffing for Pork Loin

This recipe has all the holiday colors and flavors with bacon, celery, cranberries, and cubes of bread. Homemade cornbread makes a rustic stuffing with a heartier flavor, and even cubes of sourdough bread will work, too.

Add some fresh chopped spinach, chopped granny smith apples, or even small cubes of cheddar cheese can give pork loin stuffing a new flavor every time.

How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

How to Cut Pork Loin for Stuffing

  1. Cut across the pork loin but don’t cut all of the way through.
  2. Open the loin like a book.
  3. Use a meat mallet to pound to 1-inch thick.
  4. Fill with stuffing and roll.

How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

How to Cook Stuffed Pork Loin

  1. Cook & mix the stuffing per the recipe below. Allow it to cool.
  2. Cut & pound the pork loin per the directions below.
  3. Spoon the stuffing onto pork loin & roll jelly-style. Tie with kitchen string to secure.
  4. Season pork loin, place in roasting pan with onions & broth.
  5. Bake until it reaches 140°F.

Pork Temperature Tip

This pork loin roast should reach 145°F, you don’t want it to go much higher than that or it will overcook and become dry. I remove the roast from the oven between 138-140°F as the temperature continues to rise as it rests.

Almost all meats should rest before cutting, I remove from the pan (as the heat from the pan will continue cooking the meat) and place on a plate. Loosley cover with foil. Once cut, drizzle any juices on the plate over the cut meat for extra flavor and moisture.

How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

Leftover Pork Loin

Keep leftover stuffed pork loin covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop or serve cold as sandwiches. Freeze cooked and cooled slices in zippered bags with the date labeled on the outside up to 2 weeks.

Perfect Sides for Pork Loin

  • Quick Broccoli and Cheese – ready in 15 minutes
  • Maple Roasted Parsnips – sweet & savory
  • Crispy Brussels Sprouts – with Panko breadcrumbs
  • Cauliflower au Gratin – so easy & cheesy
  • Honey Butter Roasted Acorn Squash – great for the holidays

Did you make this Stuffed Pork Loin? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

How long to cook a 3 lb stuffed pork roast

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Stuffed Pork Loin

Tender, juicy, and stuffed with a savory stuffing mixture, this pork loin is a fun twist on a holiday entrèe!

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Rest Time 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

Instant Read Thermometer

Meat Mallet

Ingredients  1x2x3x

  • 3-4 pounds boneless pork loin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
  • ¼ teaspoon ground sage
  • ½-¾ cup chicken broth for cooking 1 cm high in the pan

Stuffing

  • 4 slices bacon uncooked
  • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 medium onion divided
  • 2 ribs celery chopped
  • 4 slices bread cubed and dried*
  • cup dried cranberries
  • cup chicken broth divided
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.

  • Dice half of the onion into ½" pieces for the stuffing. Thinly slice the remaining half.

  • Cook bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Remove from skillet, leaving the bacon grease.

  • Add poultry seasoning, diced onion, and celery, cook until tender but not browned, about 8 minutes.

  • While onions are cooking, butterfly the pork loin by cutting it almost in half lengthwise, making sure not to cut it all the way through. You'll want to leave about 1-inch that isn't cut through.

  • Open the pork loin open like a book, pound it with a meat mallet until it is ¾-inch thick.

  • Once mixture is softened, add to the dried bread cubes. Stir in broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until moistened (you will only use about ⅓ cup). Crumble bacon and add to the mixture along with cranberries. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside to cool completely.

  • Place the cooled stuffing on the pork loin and roll the loin around the stuffing, jelly-roll style. Tie it with kitchen string to secure.

  • Rub the outside of the roast with oil and season with garlic powder, sage, rosemary, salt & pepper to taste.

  • Place the pork loin in a roasting pan seam side down. Add the thinly sliced onions and broth to the pan.

  • Roast the pork 90-110 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°F.

  • Remove from the oven and place the pork on a plate, loosely cover it with foil. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

  • Cut the pork into slices and drizzle with any juices on the plate.

Notes

The most important step in this recipe is to ensure you do not overcook the pork. Remove it from the oven when it reaches 140°F on an instant read thermometer.Be sure to let the pork rest on a plate before cutting.Stuffing can be replaced with leftover stuffing or a boxed stuffing mix.Up to 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cranberries can be added to the stuffing for a tart flavor in addition to the dried cranberries.

5 from 16 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 366 | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 447mg | Potassium: 733mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pork

Cuisine American

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How long does it take to cook a 3 pound pork roast at 350?

A good rule of thumb is to cook pork loin 25 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), so use a thermometer to know when it's done.

How long does it take to cook 3 pounds of pork?

Pork Roast in the Oven: Pre-heat oven to 325F (163C). Bake pork roast in the oven UNCOVERED for approximately 25-30 MINUTES *PER POUND*. Or until internal temperature reaches 155F (68C), rested to a final 160F (71C).

How long does it take to cook a 3 pound pork roast at 375?

It will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook a 3 pound pork roast at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork roast before removing it from the oven.

How long does it take to cook a pork roast by the pound?

The rule of thumb for pork roasts is to cook them 25 minutes per pound of meat at 350 degrees F. Use a thermometer to read the roast's internal temperature.