Skip the full turkey this Thanksgiving and make this simple Turkey Tenderloin Recipe. Get all the flavor and nostalgia with less than half the work.
Weeknight-easy
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: The technique for juicy, flavorful tenderloin
Worth It: It builds a freezer stash for stress-free meals later
Bonus: Leftovers reheat beautifully
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Foolproof turkey recipe – Make delicious and tender turkey tenderloin recipe to serve at a holiday meal or with whatever side dish you like. It takes all the guesswork out of cooking a whole turkey, and it leaves you with a deliciously juicy turkey tenderloin.
- Simplify Thanksgiving – This delicious turkey dinner delivers all the classic Thanksgiving aromas and delights your guests’ taste buds with half the effort. The only thing this recipe doesn’t include is the typical Thanksgiving cooking stress.
- Great for a small holiday – Serving six, this turkey breast tenderloin recipe is perfect for smaller Thanksgiving gatherings or other intimate holiday festivities. Its simple nature also makes it an excellent choice for a comforting winter dinner, even once the holiday season has passed.
Serving Suggestions
With the classic flavor of this turkey breast tenderloin recipe, it will pair well with just about any Thanksgiving side. Some of my favorites to enjoy alongside this recipe are my old-fashioned baked mac and cheese, creamy mashed potatoes, and Hasselback sweet potatoes.
Want something to sip on while you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal? I recommend pairing this turkey tenderloin and your other Thanksgiving sides with a simple and refreshing apple cider sangria.
This easy turkey tenderloin recipe is the perfect thing to make for that day after Thanksgiving turkey sandwich especially if your family doesn’t have any leftover turkey. Just sliced the tenderloin into thin slices and assemble the sandwich with a little cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing and a drizzle of turkey gravy.
This turkey has very little prep time and cooks in just 20 minutes so it makes a perfect weeknight dinner. I would serve it with some green beans almondine and roasted butternut squash for a simple fall meal. If you have leftovers, you can use this them to make a batch of Turkey Noodle Soup.
Turkey Tenderloin Ingredients
- Turkey tenderloins – I love using tenderloins for a quick and easy weeknight meals
- Extra virgin olive oil – I recommend using extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor in this recipe, but you can also use a neutral oil instead
- Apple cider vinegar – the apple cider adds acid which brightens up the marinade
- Garlic – I love adding garlic to any marinade. Feel free to increase the amount of garlic if you like more
- Dijon mustard – dijon is a great addition of flavor and texture to your turkey marinade
- Salt – salt tenderizes the meat and intensifies all of the amazing flavors in the marinade
- Onion powder – I like to add some onion powder for added aromatics
- Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme – I love combining fresh herbs in this recipe. It adds so much flavor and freshness
- Nutmeg – a bit of nutmeg adds some fall flavor to your turkey tenderloin marinade
Ingredient Substitutions
If you can’t find turkey or you prefer chicken, you can use chicken tenderloin, chicken breast, or thighs for this recipe. This change will alter the cooking time so please check for an internal temperature of 165F.
You can also change up the ingredients for the marinade. In place of apple cider vinegar, you can also use white vinegar or red wine vinegar. For extra citrus, add a squeeze of lemon juice. For herbs, feel free to use fresh or dried herbs. You could add some fresh oregano as well.
If you want to add more spice this dish you can add black pepper, paprika or even cayenne pepper. Feel free to use a teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic.
You could also make a version that is slow cooker turkey tenderloin, but instead of only using part of the turkey breast, I love opting for this slow cooker turkey breast with turkey broth or chicken broth. I love using the crock pot instead of the instant pot to allow all the flavors to soak in. For another version, sear the tenderloins in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking.
How to make
Step 1: Marinate the turkey
To start, whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, onion powder, herbs, and nutmeg together in a small bowl and pour over the turkey tenderloins. Toss until fully coated, cover the bowl, and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours.
Step 2: Cook the turkey tenderloins
Next, remove the tenderloins from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the marinated tenderloins on the baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 and remove from the oven.
Step 3: Serve and enjoy!
Let cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
storage and reheating
Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to slice before placing in the fridge so that it is easy to grab for sandwiches or salad.
This turkey tenderloin is delicious as leftovers; just reheat in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. You can use the microwave, but I find the texture is best in the oven.
You can also freeze this turkey in the freezer for up to three months.
Check out these other options for meat to make on Thanksgiving
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs turkey tenderloins about 6 tenderloins
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried parsley or ½ tbsp freshly chopped
- ½ tsp dried sage or ½ tbsp freshly chopped
- ½ tsp dried rosemary or ½ tbsp freshly chopped
- ½ tsp dried thyme or ½ tbsp freshly chopped
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, onion powder, herbs and nutmeg together and pour over the turkey tenderloins in a bowl. Toss until fully coated, cover the bowl and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours.
- Remove the tenderloins from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place marinated tenderloins on the baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Check for an internal temperature of 165 and remove from the oven.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- You can use chicken tenderloin, breast or thighs for this recipe in place of turkey. This change will alter the cook time so please check for an internal temperature of 165F
- You can use white vinegar or red wine vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar
- Use dried or fresh herbs
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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