Oven Roasted Turkey Tenderloin
Published 7/16/2022 • Updated 11/5/2024
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This oven roasted turkey tenderloin recipe is incredibly juicy and perfect for a smaller crowd. It’s made with a quick turkey brine and a homemade turkey seasoning that infuses the meat flavor. My local Trader Joe’s carries turkey tenderloin year-round, making this recipe a staple at my house (even when it’s not Thanksgiving!).
This turkey tenderloin is easy to prepare and roast, making it a go-to choice for any occasion or weeknight meal. Plus, it’s a nice change up from chicken breast.
Featured Comment
“First time I have made anything on your website and this was absolutely amazing! My entire family asked me to make it again next week-I skipped the brine due to time but will try it next time! I look forward to trying more on your website!” -Kelsey
Turkey tenderloin is such a fantastic cut of turkey to not only serve at a smaller Thanksgiving gathering, but to eat any night of the week. This recipe for a turkey tenderloin in the oven cooks up quite nicely, holds flavor very well, and comes out super juicy!
What do you need for this oven-roasted turkey tenderloin recipe?
- 2 lb. turkey tenderloin
- A simple turkey brine
- Our famous all-purpose turkey seasoning
Where do you buy turkey tenderloin? Our favorite place to buy turkey tenderloin is Trader Joe’s. They actually carry it year-round, which is fantastic!
PS: When purchasing turkey tenderloin, sometimes the tenderloin is sold with two tenderloins, so be cautious of that when looking for a certain weight.
How do you prevent turkey tenderloin from drying out?
Cook it quickly at a higher heat so that the outside crisps up and the inside gets nice a juicy!
How to Make Turkey Tenderloin
Like other cuts of poultry, turkey tenderloin does a really great job taking on the flavor of whatever you season or marinate it with. This cut of turkey is similar to chicken breast which also does a great job of absorbing flavor.
- Turkey Brine: For this turkey tenderloin recipe, we used a simple turkey brine that infuses your turkey with so much flavor. If your turkey tenderloin comes pre-brined, you can skip this part! Whisk water and kosher salt over medium heat until the salt dissolves. Then, transfer the brine into a container and submerge the tenderloin. Let sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Turkey Seasoning: our turkey seasoning is the perfect combination of dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano, brown sugar, and garlic. We love that by adding a turkey dry rub, it gives the tenderloin a sort of crust when baked in the oven. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Then, generously season the whole thing.
- Roast Turkey Tenderloin: Place the seasoned turkey on top of a parchment or tin foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes. Flip it over and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked.
How do you know turkey tenderloin is done?
According to the USDA, turkey tenderloin needs to have an internal temp of 165ºF.
Try it!
Thermoworks Thermapen
We swear by using a meat thermometer when cooking any cut of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works every time.
FAQ
The best oven temperature to cook your baked turkey tenderloin recipe at is 400ºF. The goal is to get the internal temperature of your pork to reach at least 165ºF (re: Food Safety).
Turkey tenderloin takes around 50-55 minutes at 350ºF to reach a safe-to-eat, internal temperature of 165ºF.
Turkey tenderloin takes around 35-40 minutes at 400ºF to reach a safe-to-eat, internal temperature of 165ºF.
Some recipes call for you to cover your turkey tenderloin while baking, however, our recipe does not instruct you to do so.
If your turkey tenderloin begins to brown too much on the top, you can cover it with tin foil until it reaches a 165ºF internal temperature.
Turkey tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat, meaning that it can dry out quickly.
So, if you cook it too long, you risk overcooking your meat, which will leave it with a dry, stringy texture. And no one wants that!
You just let your turkey tenderloin rest to let the juices rest and absorb back into the meat.
Turkey tenderloin is the boneless, skinless part of the turkey breast. This is a very tender cut of meat (if cooked correctly!) because turkeys are typically not exercised frequently.
A turkey tenderloin is a portion of the turkey breast that is boneless and skinless, and a turkey breast is typically bought bone in and skin on.
How long does cooked turkey tenderloin last in the fridge?
Let your baked turkey tenderloin cool completely. Then, transfer it into a large, glass container, and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Reheating Instructions
- Microwave: Place a serving of turkey tenderloin on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 60-90 seconds.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Then, spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Add cooked turkey tenderloin. Bake, covered, for around 20 minutes or until the center is warm.
Can you freeze cooked turkey meat?
To freeze leftover turkey tenderloin, let it cool completely. Then, transfer it into a gallon-size freezer-safe plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
If you are making this turkey tenderloin for Thanksgiving, we recommend serving it next to our green bean casserole with bacon and crockpot mashed potatoes. For dessert, try our apple tart.
If you’ve got leftovers, use it in our turkey soup or easy turkey salad!
Baked Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. turkey tenderloin, it should come in a pack of 2
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Turkey Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Remove the two turkey tenderloins from the packaging and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- First, make the brine. Add water and kosher salt to a small saucepan, whisk, and heat over medium heat until the salt dissolves. Do not bring it to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Next, add the black peppercorns, whole cloves, rosemary, and thyme to the sauce pan and mix. Set aside and let it sit for 10 minutes or until cooled.
- Place the turkey tenderloins in a deep bowl or 9×13 casserole dish. When the brine is cool, pour the brine over the turkey tenderloins. Be sure that the brine is covering the tenderloin. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and place the turkey in the fridge. Let the turkey tenderloin sit for 1 hour.*
- When ready to bake the turkey tenderloin, preheat the oven to 400ºF and lay a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel and place the turkey tenderloin on the parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the turkey tenderloins with the dry rub. Massage the dry rub into the turkey tenderloin, being sure that the whole tenderloin is covered in dry rub.
- Drizzle the top of the turkey tenderloin with olive oil and place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake the turkey tenderloin for 20 minutes, flip the tenderloin, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the turkey tenderloin and serve.
Tips & Notes
- We used our homemade turkey seasoning for this recipe, so if you already have it on hand, feel free to sub 2 tablespoons.
- Addressing the saltiness of this recipe: make sure that your turkey tenderloin does not come pre-brined. If it does, skip that step! We also reduced the brine time from 6 hours to 1 hour to make sure that it’s less salty.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
This was so yummy! I only brined it for an hour and it still turned out perfect! I brined it in a gallon ziploc bag over half full of water (didn’t measure) with the 1/4 cup salt. I didn’t even think to take a picture before we “gobbled” it up! Will definitely be making it again!
The turkey did come out super tender but it was WAY too salty.
I followed the recipe exactly—for the brine and seasoning, but it just turned out way too salty. It was delicious otherwise. I’d use this recipe again, but 1/4 cup of Kosher salt was just way too much for 2 cups of water.
Regarding too salty comments: A lot of tenderloins come sealed in bags in solutions which are a brine. The one I used came like that. I rinsed and patted dry then rubbed with the rub and followed cooking instructions. Came out great.
Use brine for plain unseasoned loins.
Thank you so much for leaving this tip! I’ve updated the recipe to remind people to check.
This was delicious!! I was surprised because I usually destroy cuts of meat—wow! So juicy and flavorful!
Yay!
My partner and I are calling this recipe a win. It was too salty for us but will be a blueprint for future Thanksgiving meals. I used Morton kosher salt and about 18 -24 hours for the brine and while the splatter gets me paranoid i did rinse the 2 tenderloins with cold water. I also dribbled melted butter instead of olive oil….not that I don’t like olive oil but it was a holiday meal. I will try this again but will either cut the salt in the brine or cut the brining time by 1/2 or 2/3ds.
First time I have made anything on your website and this was absolutely amazing! My entire family asked me to make it again next week-I skipped the brine due to time but will try it next time! I look forward to trying more on your website!
Made this recipe tonight. It was delicious. Love the rub for the tenderloins!
Thanks so much, Nancy!
Excellent recipe!
This recipe sounded so good but the finished product was so salty we couldn’t even eat it. I brined the turkey for 9 hours before cooking, so no longer than called for, and had followed the recipe exactly. The smell was overpowering while it was cooking, too. I have a sensitive nose but my boyfriend doesn’t and even he thought it was oddly strong. He wants to keep the spice rub recipe used on the outside because that was tasty. It was just vastly overpowered by salt.
We’re so sorry to hear you had this experience, Megan! Wondering what type of salt you used in your brine? And making sure you rinsed the turkey tenderloins before baking? Hoping we can help get to the bottom of this — this turkey tenderloin should come out super juicy with help from the brine, but not overpowered by salt.
This looks great! I am going to try this recipe. Would like the recipe for the green beans and potato’s. Do you have a link for those? Thanks.
Yes1 It’s our green bean casserole with bacon recipe – https://fitfoodiefinds.com/green-bean-casserole-with-bacon/
I ended up making this turkey tenderloin for Thanksgiving. It is so easy to make. It was a HUGE hit! Everyone loved it and said was way better than a traditional roast turkey! Thank You FFF for a great recipe. I’ll be making it for Christmas dinner!
YAY! Glad you loved it!! We’d love a star rating too 😀