This roasted turkey breast tenderloin is so easy to prepare and made super flavorful thanks to the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and herb marinade!
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This unsuspecting turkey tenderloin may very well be the best turkey I’ve ever had! It’s delicious enough to be the centerpiece for a smaller Thanksgiving but easy enough for a weeknight if you’re looking for a change from your typical protein. The quick marinade infuses it with tons of flavor and locks in the moisture, making for totally crave-able turkey.
If you’ve never cooked turkey tenderloin before, have no fear! It’s very similar to making oven-roasted pork tenderloin and is done in just a few simple steps.
Ingredients for Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
You’ll just need a few pantry and fridge staples to make this ultra-flavorful marinade!
- Turkey Breast Tenderloins – to start, you’ll need to grab 2 turkey breast tenderloins that are about 1 pound each.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – to really help to break down and tenderize the meat, you’ll also need 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Brown Sugar – 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar,…
- Dijon Mustard – …1 tablespoon of dijon mustard,…
- Garlic Cloves – …3 minced garlic cloves,…
- Fresh Thyme – …a ½ tablespoon of fresh chopped thyme,…
- Fresh Rosemary – …a ½ tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary,…
- Sea Salt + Ground Pepper – …1 teaspoon of sea salt, a ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and…
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – …2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil combine to create a really flavorful marinade. You’ll also need a tablespoon of EVOO for searing the herby tenderloins.
How to Keep Turkey Tenderloin Moist
When cooking turkey tenderloins, there are two things that we always do to ensure the moistest, juiciest meat possible. First, we let our tenderloins sit in a marinade for at least 30 minutes (longer if we have time). This guarantees a really great flavor, and it goes a long way in helping the meat to stay moist and tender. We also like to sear the tenderloins in a skillet before sticking them into the oven to bake. Searing the meat not only caramelizes the marinade, but also locks in a ton of moisture!
How to Cook Turkey Breast Tenderloin
Though this easy turkey tenderloin recipe requires a little bit of searing before the oven does the work, it’s still totally doable! Here’s how you’ll throw this one together:
- Whisk Together the Marinade – in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, seasonings, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until evenly combined.
- Coat the Turkey Tenderloins – place turkey tenderloins in the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) to let the flavors infuse.
- Preheat the Oven – when you’re ready to cook the tenderloins, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Sear the Tenderloins – heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet (or another oven-safe skillet) over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the tenderloins in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes per side (you may need to work in two batches to prevent overcrowding).
- Bake – transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 165°F.
- Let Rest, Slice, and Serve – remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice, serve, and enjoy!
More Turkey Tenderloin Flavors
Though this perfectly herby turkey tenderloin recipe is our FAVORITE, these other marinades from our pork tenderloin marinade recipe would also be delicious and make for an easy recipe any night of the year!
- Balsamic Rosemary – this marinade is equal parts sweet and tangy and is loaded with fresh rosemary flavor.
- Maple Dijon – this marinade is pretty much a universal crowd-pleaser.
- Sesame Ginger – this marinade is super delicious and gives you a really great reason to cook up turkey tenderloins year-round!
Turkey Tenderloin Recipes Frequently Asked Questions
Glad you asked! Turkey breast tenderloins are super tender, lean cuts of turkey breast, and typically range in size from a half-pound to 1 full pound per tenderloin. Because they’re super lean, you’ll need to be careful to not overcook your turkey tenderloin as this can result in a really dry end product. They also don’t have a ton of flavor on their own, so you’ll want to use plenty of seasoning.
Not quite! The turkey tenderloin is a portion of the turkey breast and it is boneless and skinless. A turkey breast, on the other hand, is usually bone-in, skin-on. We have a great roasted turkey breast recipe if you’re looking for one!
We think marinating turkey tenderloin is a fantastic idea. As mentioned before, because this cut is super lean, it dries out REALLY easily and is lower on flavor. Luckily, a flavorful marinade can prevent that and give you really delicious, well-seasoned meat!
According to the FDA, turkey, and all poultry, should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Using a meat thermometer is the absolute best way to guarantee a safely-cooked but also still moist and juicy turkey tenderloin! You’ll know the tenderloins are ready to come out of the oven when the internal temperature at the thickest part of the turkey reads 165°F. If you don’t have one on hand, you’ll know that the turkey is done when you cut into it and the juices run clear.
Video
More Favorite Turkey Recipes
Baked Turkey Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 turkey breast tenderloins about 1 pound each
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until evenly combined. 2. Place the turkey in the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight, to let the flavors infuse.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a cast iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, place the tenderloins in the pan, working in two batches if needed to prevent over-crowding. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 165 F.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Recipe Notes
- For Whole30 and low-carb: Omit the brown sugar
- For Paleo: Use coconut sugar or honey in place of the brown sugar
- For Low-FODMAP: Omit the garlic. You can use 1 tablespoon of garlic-infused olive oil in its place.
Nutrition
Hi marinade tasted so good after I made it, I had 1.25 #s turkey tenderloin & marinated 9 hrs. followed recipe to the tee, was very tender but OMG so sweet, I don’t understand what went wrong, any ideas?
Hmm, I’m not sure, Karen! I haven’t heard of/experienced it being overly sweet!
Fixed a couple of these for Thanksgiving and all agreed it was the best I had made. No waste and esay.
That’s amazing, Betty! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Amazing recipe! My parents said this is the best turkey they’ve ever had. The recipe is super simple and comes together in no time. It’s flavorful, moist, and so easy to make. Definitely a keeper!
That’s so amazing, MK! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
So moist and delicious. I made this for Friendsgiving and it was everyone’s favorite dish. I used Oregano instead of thyme and rosemary and I put it in a pan with the juices and used more oregano on top. I didn’t sear it I just put in the oven covered for 30 minutes then I flipped it and added a little more oregano and uncovered it for 20 more minutes in the oven. I let it rest and then sliced it. So incredible and really easy to make.
That’s so great to hear, Michelle. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
How would you adjust this for a Turkey Breast instead of tenderloins? Have you ever done this?
I haven’t, but my best recommendation would be to use an in-oven thermometer so that you can pull your turkey from the oven when it’s done (to avoid overcooking and drying it out).
Delicious marinade! I marinated for 8 hrs. So worth it. Turkey melted like butter in our mouths! I will be making this recipe ×3 for Thanksgiving. Can’t wait for everyone to try it!
Wahoo! So glad to hear that, Bernadette! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Can you sear the turkey tenderloin and then sous vide instead of putting them in the oven?
We haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not. You could also sous vide and then sear at the end (I think that’s the most typical cook/sear order for the sous vide!).
This was amazing! Followed the directions and cooked it for 30 minutes. It was perfectly done, juicy, not dry and the marinade was lovely, sweet and savory. It was so easy and the marinade was all things I had in the cupboard. This will definitely be added to our favorites list.
Wahoo! Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Tammy!
I started marinating this and it was supposed to be only about 12 hours but ended up being 48 because I got sick. So I stuck everything in the freezer but then thawed it a couple days later and followed through with cooking and it was amazing! Tender flavourful and juicy. Even my 16-year-old loved it. A 100% HIT!
This is an absolutely amazing recipe. So flavorful and the loin was so succulent. I finished it off with the cranberry orange glaze. Thanks sooo much!!!
Great on the grill
That’s so great to know, Russ! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Delicious used a bottle of salad dressing called roasted garlic to marinate in
That’s great, Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
First time cooking turkey tenderloin. Good flavor and it was good but over cooked. Next time I’ll bake at 350 and start checking at 20 minutes. And remove at 160 and let rest, tented. Will cook again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lisetta! Great notes for next time!
I love this recipe I didn’t soak it for 30 minutes because I was hungry but it came out juicy and yummy and my husband gave me a fives up
Wahoo! So glad to hear that, Ann! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Moist and delicious!
Wahoo! So glad to hear that, Mary!