This Turkey Tenderloin Recipe uses a brief sear on the stovetop, then oven-roasted to finish for a moist and tender turkey. Perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving or other delicious dinner that is lean and healthy for smaller households.
🦃Ingredients
Turkey tenderloin
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
For Gravy—turkey or chicken broth, all-purpose flour
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Featured comment from Sandy:
"Turkey was moist. Gravy was delicious. No waste, easy one-pan cleanup, recipe needed no changes… Best recipe I’ve followed in years."
There is no need to cook a whole turkey or breast. This fast and easy recipe for turkey breast tenderloin uses an optional pan searing to create a Maillard reaction for great flavor.
Weighing less than a pound each, this melt-in-your-mouth turkey is a fantastic holiday or comfort food dinner for one or two. Add gravy, and your turkey dinner is ready in about 45 minutes, including making the gravy.
👨🍳How to Cook a Turkey Tenderloin
Preheat oven to 375° convection or 400° conventional. Trim and pat dry two turkey tenderloins—about 1 ½ pounds total.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. Add pepper to the tenderloin. You can salt lightly if you wish, but remember, it has probably been injected.
Sear the tenderloin. Start with the shiny side up and sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip and sear for 2-3 minutes more. Get to approximately the final color you want. Flip back.
Microwave 2 tablespoons of butter to melt. Bush the tenderloin with butter and place in the oven. After about 10 minutes, baste again with butter.
Bake until the temp of 165°—about 20-25 minutes of total oven time. Remove from pan and tent with foil on a plate while making gravy.
Add 2 cups of turkey or chicken broth or stock to the pan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil.
Make a slurry of ¼ cup of AP flour and ½ cup of cold water and whisk or shake until smooth. Add most of the flour slurry slowly while whisking continuously. It will thicken the gravy in a few minutes. You can add more slurry in a few minutes if needed. Taste test and add salt or pepper if needed.
Cut the turkey tenderloin across the grain to make it fork-tender.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
How long to cook turkey tenderloin
This will take about 4-6 minutes of searing time plus 20 to 25 minutes in a 400° oven, but it is highly variable. If you skip the searing, it will add about 10 minutes to the oven time.
The variables are the turkey tenderloin size and thickness, how much searing you did, the oven, and the pan.
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🌡️When is the turkey tenderloin done?
The minimum safe internal temperature for any poultry, including turkey, is 165° per the USDA. That will kill the harmful bacteria. You must measure this with an instant-read or meat thermometer.
So start checking the internal temperature at about 20 minutes, and don't be surprised if it takes over 30 minutes.
Always cook to a final internal temperature for recipes like this, and never by time. I give times just as a general guideline for meal planning.
Variations
- Use other spices like garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or paprika.
- Use a brown sugar dry rub with chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt—skip the salt if injected. Skip the searing and add about 10 minutes to the oven time.
- Use a marinade.
- Cook without searing. This will take about 10 minutes longer in the oven, but watch the internal temperature.
Serving turkey tenderloin
Serve with Thanksgiving-type side dishes like Sausage Dressing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Homemade Gravy, and many more.
Check out the other turkey recipes like Roasted Turkey Breast, Grilled Turkey Breast, and Easy Turkey Tetrazzini.
Storing leftovers
Store leftovers in airtight containers. Store the turkey and the gravy separately. If stored in the refrigerator, use it within 4 days. If frozen, freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat leftovers, thaw if frozen, then I prefer combining the gravy with the turkey in a saucepan over medium heat—you may need a splash of water to thin the gravy. You can also use a microwave.
🥣How to make turkey gravy
Oil and juices will be left in the skillet after cooking, along with some great taste. Use the slurry method of flour in cool liquid to make the gravy.
Slowly add the flour slurry to the boiling drippings and broth while continuously boiling and whisking. Add more slurry if needed every few minutes until thickened. Taste test and add salt or pepper if needed.
I have instructions in the recipe below, but for more details on gravy making at home, see How To Make Gravy at Home for more information. It is easy to do.
❓FAQs
It is part of a turkey breast but not the same thing.
The turkey tenderloins are a very tender long strip that is the somewhat triangular muscle under the main part of the turkey breast. You have seen a slice of it when you slice a turkey breast, and there is the inside part that tends to separate.
Because the tenderloin is an underused muscle, it is very tender—like a chicken, beef, or pork tenderloin. It can be fork-tender and an enjoyable cut of meat when cooked carefully.
Most people will use chicken broth or stock. You can occasionally find commercial turkey broth or stack in your local store. But I buy Turkey Soup Base from Penzey's®️ to make my own.
Yes. It is a lean white meat that will fit a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet or even a low-carb keto diet.
If you are sure your turkey is not injected or brined, you can add a simple brine of 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of salt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar for 1 to 2 hours. Gently rinse after brining, and do not add any additional salt.
See How to Brine a Turkey—A Basic Brine with Enhancements for a complete discussion.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖The Recipe Card
Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound Turkey tenderloin - 2 tenderloins
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken stock - or turkey stock if you can find it
- ¼ cup AP flour
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° convection or 400° conventional. Trim and pat dry two turkey tenderloins—about 1 ½ pounds total.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. Add pepper to the tenderloin. You can salt lightly if you wish, but remember, it has probably been injected.
- Sear the tenderloin. Start with the shiny side up and sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip and sear for 2-3 minutes more. Get to approximately the final color you want. Flip back.
- Microwave 2 tablespoons of butter to melt. Bush the tenderloin with butter and place in the oven. After about 10 minutes, baste again with butter.
- Bake until the temp of 165°—about 20-25 minutes of total oven time. Remove from pan and tent with foil on a plate while making gravy.
- Add 2 cups of turkey or chicken broth or stock to the pan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil.
- Make a slurry of ¼ cup of AP flour and ½ cup of cold water and whisk or shake until smooth. Add most of the flour slurry slowly while whisking continuously. It will thicken the gravy in a few minutes. You can add more slurry in a few minutes if needed. Taste test and add salt or pepper if needed.
- Cut the turkey tenderloin across the grain to make it fork-tender.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Turkey breast tenderloins are usually injected with something, so do not brine.
- Generally, there are two pieces making about 1 ½ pounds total. You can do only one and freeze the other for 3-4 months.
- Use a larger oven-safe pan, so you have room to make the gravy. I prefer cast iron.
- You can use oil in the pan and baste with butter if you have smoke issues.
- The shape of your tenderloin may vary. This can affect cooking time. So remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by time.
- Sear close to the final color you want.
- You can oven-bake without searing. It will take about 10 minutes longer oven time but watch the internal temperature.
- The final internal temperature is 165° and not less.
- When you make the slurry of water and flour for the gravy, be sure to have all the flour dissolved to prevent lumps.
- Seasoning, serving, and storage options are in the post.
- Cutting across the grain will make it more fork-tender.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published June 29, 2012. Now updated with expanded and improved text, refreshed photos, and a table of contents.
Cathy says
The first turkey tenderloin I ever made I just salted and peppered, seared and put in the oven. Was careful to use a meat thermometer. How, I wondered, had I never even bought tenderloins. They were perfect and the gravy was great. Doing your recipe for dinner tonight. Easy, reliable, and such a nice change. I know your recipe will be a hit.
Jeff says
Dr. Dan -
I have been to three different grocery stores and have been unable to find just plain turkey tenderloins..all of them have some kind of marinade, which seems ludicrous, but there you have it. I see in your pictures that you used Jenne-O. I guess I'll have to try to find a chain that has both Jenne-O and turkey tenderloins...
Any suggestions?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jeff,
Welcome to the blog.
They are at my small local chain supermarket and the local Meijer (Michigan). Also are listed on the Walmart website although I generally don't go there.
A nice small frozen turkey breast is always nice.
Dan
Marlene says
Our Walmart super store was the only place that carries them this year.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
I will chip in here with Meijer's for the upper midwest. I have not seen them at my Sparten store for a while.
Dan
Sonia Kuczynski says
Unfortunately we do not have Turkey Tenderloins here in Canada , not a seller , but we have Turkey Breasts so i will try this recipe using the breasts instead . Looks Yummy
many products from USA not available in Canada and that (deleted) at times
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sonia,
I don't think I have ever been in a Canadian grocery store. My deficiency.
I would not do this method with a whole turkey breast. They are too thick. For turkey breasts see https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/how-to-roast-a-turkey-breast-the-easy-way/ It is very easy to do a whole bresst.
Dan
Court says
This was a hit at our house, even with our two tweens! The tenderloins were so juicy. The only changes I made was too as a bit of wine to deglaze the pan and added fresh thyme and safe because I had some that needed to be used. Thanks for the great recipe!
Melanie says
I made this tonight and followed the directions exactly. I had exactly
1.5 lbs of tenderloin and after searing In a cast iron skillet, I put it directly into the oven (just a regular oven not convection) for 25min @ 375. Let the tenderloin rest for a good 5min and it Turned out perfect! Very tender and loved the gravy too. Thanks so much, I new to cooking and I find your recipes extremely helpful :)
Terri W. says
I made this tonight and it was a hit!!! The hubby loved it!! I love the buttery taste the tenderloins had and it was so easy to make! Thank you for such a fabulous recipe!!!!
DrDan says
Hi Terri,
Welcome to the blog.
I like this recipe since it so a "cooking for two" recipe for turkey, one of my favorite things. I tend to do turkey breasts more to get extra leftovers but still, this is very nice.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Cat says
I have never made turkey tenderloin, but I would definitely make this recipe again! I added fresh rosemary to the recipe. It turned out moist and juicy. My family loved it! Thank you!
Aaron says
First time cooking turkey, followed the instructions for the most part, I did add a little rosemary while searing.
It turned out perfect, thank you for such an easy to follow recipe.
What i wasn't so sure about at first was, do I transfer it from the pan to a deep baking dish, or leave it in the pan. So after looking over the pictures I pulled out my cast iron pan and did it all in that.
Brooke says
I made this recipe last night and we loved it! Pan-searing the turkey gave it a beautiful color. The meat seemed a little dry (maybe because I used smaller pieces of turkey, so I should have adjusted the cooking time), but the gravy turned out great and helped with that. I also added some rosemary and a clove of garlic to the pan before roasting, and used garlic herb butter to sear and baste it. It was like a little mini Thanksgiving meal; we'll definitely make this again!
DrDan says
Hi Brooke,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked reasonably well for you. There are a couple of points that may help the dryness.
First, these tenderloins will not do well even with minimal overcooking so use a remote thermometer.
Second, while 165 is the minimum safe temperature. Pull it out of the oven at 162-163 and tent. It should raise a few degrees after tenting.
Third, try to use as fresh as possible (check expiration dates when buying) and do not freeze.
Forth, make extra gravy and drown it if needed.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Robert Dantuono says
I like this recipe. I added fresh rosemary and white wine to the pan prior to roasting. I also added some sage with the salt and pepper for browning. The gravy is a must for turkey in my house, so, I served with turkey, roasted potatoes and turnips (roasted in the pan with the turkey breasts) and a side of peas w/butter. Delicious!
Terri says
How is this to reheat ? Serving a large crowd and want to make in advance. Would you recommend under cooking it and then finishing in the oven to right temp before serving
DrDan says
Hi Terri,
Welcome to the blog.
Heating this up will be like heating up leftover turkey. Probably a bit dry. I can't recommend it. As for partly cooking it, you still have to get to a 165 temperature to be safe and done. Not really a time saver.
You could use 2 large stovetop fry pans and do three in each at the same time then transfer to a large preheated oven pan.
Or go with a full turkey breast. Here is my easy way to do a turkey breast. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/how-to-roast-a-turkey-breast-the-easy-way/
Dan
Patti W says
Simple and Delicious! I made this recipe tonight and used a digital thermometer to keep track of the temp. Done in 18 mins! I didn't have a bush to apply the butter so I just poured it on before placing in the oven. Thanks so a great recipe!
Ann says
I made this not using salt as as I cook with sodium restriction. I covered loin in ground fresh black pepper and used unsalted butter and low sodium chicken broth for gravy. I make Turkey loin often and was looking for a way to jazz it up. This was delicious and was definitely in the comfort food class. 5 Stars
DrDan says
Hi Ann, Thanks for the note. That pesky salt is everywhere and those mean doctors keep yelling about it.
DrDan
robyn says
I do not have a convection oven, so what does 375 degrees equate to?
DrDan says
Hi Robyn,
375 convection is approximately 400 in a regular conventional oven. So that would be fine or stay at 375 and it will take a few more minutes. Remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by time here.
Dan
judy r says
Just tried this for early Christmas dinner tomorrow with my son - taste test says it's delicious.
Thanks so much. Traditional for two is sometimes hard to pull off, but all the right flavors are here.
Urban Tramp says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chris says
Tenderloins are okay but you have to be careful not to overcook them, they can get tough in a hurry. Yours look like they turned out just right.